Today’s multimedia is chock-full of otherworldly apparitions. Whether demonic or benevolent, these manifestations have long been considered to be just that: manifestations of human imagination. However, with supposed real-life hauntings such as those that inspired “The Conjuring” and “The Possession” still holding major weight in the movie world, is it possible that there is more to spirits than creepy dolls and major motion pictures?
In places such as Savannah and St. Augustine, reports of ghostly activity are plentiful. Cities such as these with major military and political history are among the most common locations of spiritual encounters, and thousands of photos and videos depicting “spirit orbs” and other apparitions are posted on the Internet every day from these locations. Nightly ghost tours are regular tourist attractions in these cities where guides explain the history behind noted apparitions.
Many of these older towns’ ghost stories, such as that of New Orleans’ Marie Laveau, are rooted in historical fact. In life, Laveau was feared and revered as a powerful voodoo priestess. In death, she is said to grant wishes to visitors of her grave. However, visitors who fail to leave behind corn, alcohol, cult objects, or flowers (objects of prominent use in voodoo rituals) often report having a major streak of bad luck: marriages fall apart, loved ones die, and jobs are lost. This “curse” is said to be the work of Laveau, who would curse those disrespectful to her in her lifetime.
The next time that you hear that “bump” in the night,you might not want to write it off as “just the wind.” Some things in this world just cannot be explained.
