The Winchester Mystery House is allegedly haunted. The Winchester Mystery House is a well-known California Mansion that was under construction continuously for 38 years and is reputed to be haunted.

A haunted house is defined as a house that is believed to be a center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena. The term supernatural or supranatural ( Latin: super, supra "above" + natura "nature" pertains to entities events Paranormal is an Umbrella term used to describe unusual Phenomena or experiences that lack an obvious Scientific explanation ^[1] A haunted house may allegedly contain ghosts, poltergeists, or even malevolent entities. A ghost is said to be the apparition of a Deceased person frequently similar in appearance to that person and usually encountered in places she or he frequented (from German poltern, meaning to rumble or make noise and Geist, meaning " Ghost ", " Spirit "

Haunted houses are often regarded to contain the spirits of deceased beings who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property. The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath Supernatural activity inside homes is said to be mainly associated with violent or tragic events in the building's past such as murder, accidental death, or suicide — sometimes in the recent or ancient past. Violence is the exertion of force so as to injure or abuse The word is used broadly to describe the destructive action of natural phenomena like Storms and Earthquakes Amongst many cultures and religions it is believed that the essence of a being such as the 'soul' continues to exist. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living Some philosophical and religious views argue that the 'spirits' of those who have died have not 'passed over' and are trapped inside the property where their memories and energy is strong. Entities which are said to 'haunt' homes are often believed to make noises, appear as apparitions, and shift or launch physical objects. This is sometimes manifested into 'poltergeist activity'; poltergeist meaning 'noisy spirit'. Traditionally an exorcism is the method used to remove unwelcome spirits from the property. Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure is the practice of evicting Demons or other evil

Legends about haunted houses have long appeared in literature. A legend ( Latin, legenda, "things to be read" is a Narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to Haunting is used as a plot device in gothic or horror fiction or, more lately, paranormal-based fiction. A plot device is an element introduced into a story solely to advance or resolve the plot of the story Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Roman-era authors Plautus, Pliny the Younger, and Lucian wrote stories about haunted houses, and more modern authors from Henry James to Stephen King have featured them in their writings. Titus Maccius Plautus (c 254–184 BCE commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman Playwright. Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61/63 - ca Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανός ὁ Σαμοσατεύς Lucianus c Henry James, OM ( –) son of theologian Henry James Sr, brother of the philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American Author, Screenwriter, Musician, Columnist, Haunted castles and mansions are common in gothic literature such as Dracula. Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula.

The actual structure of a fictional haunted house can be anything from a decaying European feudal castle to a newly occupied suburban ranch-style house of fairly recent construction, although older buildings tend to be more commonly used. A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Ranch-style houses (also American Ranch, California Ranch, Rambler or Rancher) is an American domestic Architectural style (although

There is a popular dark ride at Disney theme parks called Haunted Mansion. A dark ride or darkride is an indoor Amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially-lit scenes that typically contain Animation Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group This article relates to the theme-park attraction For the film of the same name see The Haunted Mansion (film.

Haunted Attractions

A haunted house may also refer to a haunted attraction usually open around the season of Halloween for entertainment purposes.

Legal aspects

In Stambovsky v. Ackley, the Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division ruled that a seller must disclose that a house has a reputation for being haunted when there is a fiduciary relationship or in cases of fraud or misrepresentation,^[2] because such a reputation impairs the value of the house:

In the case at bar, defendant seller deliberately fostered the public belief that her home was possessed. Facts and prior history During the course of her ownership of the property at issue which was located in Nyack New York, Helen Ackley and members of her family The Supreme Court of the State of New York is New York State 's Trial court, and is of General jurisdiction. Having undertaken to inform the public at large, to whom she has no legal relationship, about the supernatural occurrences on her property, she may be said to owe no less a duty to her contract vendee. ^[3]

Carbon monoxide

Some of the phenomena generally associated with haunted houses, including strange visions and sounds, feelings of dread, illness, and the sudden, apparently inexplicable death of all the occupants, can be attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after the inhalation of Carbon monoxide gas Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include listlessness, depression, dementia, emotional disturbances, and hallucinations. Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO is a colorless odorless tasteless yet highly toxic Gas. In the fields of Psychology and Psychiatry, the terms depression or depressed refer to both expected and pathologically chronic or severe Dementia (from Latin de- "apart away" + Mens ( genitive mentis) "mind" is the progressive decline A hallucination, in the broadest sense is a Perception in the absence of a stimulus.

In one famous case, carbon monoxide poisoning was clearly identified as the cause of an alleged haunting. Dr. William Wilmer, an ophthalmologist, described the experiences of one of his patients in a 1921 article published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology is the branch of Medicine which deals with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways including the Eye, Brain "Mr. and Mrs. H. " moved into a new home, but soon began to complain of headaches and listlessness. They began to hear bells and footsteps during the night, soon accompanied by strange physical sensations and mysterious figures. When they began to investigate, they found the previous residents had experienced similar symptoms. Upon examination, their furnace was found to be severely damaged, resulting in incomplete combustion and forcing most of the fumes into the house rather than up the chimney. Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of Exothermic chemical reactions between a Fuel and an Oxidant accompanied by the production of ^[4] After the stove was fixed, the family fully recovered and did not experience any further unusual events.

A report published in 2005 described a 23-year-old female victim of carbon monoxide poisoning, found delirious and hyperventilating, who claimed to have seen a ghost while in the shower. In Medicine, hyperventilation (or overbreathing) is the state of Breathing faster and/or deeper than necessary bringing about lightheadedness and other A new gas water heater had just been installed in her home, apparently improperly, which flooded the house with carbon monoxide when the victim closed all the exterior windows and doors and took a shower. ^[5]

Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in North America. Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after the inhalation of Carbon monoxide gas ^[6]

Books

• The Face in the Window and Other Alabama Ghostlore, Alan Brown, University of Alabama Press (1997), ISBN 978-0817308131
• The Vermont Ghost Guide, Joseph A. The Vermont Ghost Guide is a comprehensive paranormal guide published in 2000 that documents all of the major Hauntings and ghost-sightings in Citro, University Press of New England (2000), ISBN 978-1584650096

Short stories and novels

• The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole
• The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe
• "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1845) by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Haunted and the Haunters (1857) by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
• The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James
• The House That Was (1907) by Jacques Futrelle
• The House on the Borderland (1908) by William Hope Hodgson
• The Beckoning Fair One (1911) by Oliver Onions
• The Rats in the Walls (1924) by H. P. Lovecraft
• The Haunting of Hill House (1959) by Shirley Jackson
• Hell House (1971) by Richard Matheson
• The House with a Clock in Its Walls (1973) by John Bellairs
• The Shining (1977) by Stephen King
• House of Leaves (2000) by Mark Z. Danielewski
• From the Dust Returned (2001) by Ray Bradbury
• House (2006) by Ted Dekker
• The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red (2001) by Ridley Pearson
• Even Angels Fall (2002) by Sherry A. The Castle of Otranto is a 1764 Novel by Horace Walpole. It is generally regarded as the first Gothic novel, and it was indeed the Horace Walpole 4th Earl of Orford ( 24 September, 1717 &ndash 2 March, 1797) more commonly known as Horace Walpole, was a politician The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe, was published in the summer of 1794 by G Ann Radcliffe ( July 9, 1764 – February 7, 1823) was an English Author, a pioneer of the gothic novel. " The Fall of the House of Usher " is a Short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar Allan Poe (January 19 1809 – October 7 1849 was an American poet, short-story Writer, editor and Literary critic, Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton 1st Baron Lytton ( May 25, 1803 – The Turn of the Screw Henry James, OM ( –) son of theologian Henry James Sr, brother of the philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James Jacques Heath Futrelle ( April 9, 1875 - April 15, 1912) was an American journalist and mystery writer. The House on the Borderland is a Supernatural or horror novel by British fantasist William Hope Hodgson. William Hope Hodgson ( November 15 1877 &ndash April 1918 was an English author George Oliver Onions, (pronounced by his family as in the vegetable not oh-NY-ons) (born 13 November 1873; died 9 April 1961 "The Rats in the Walls" is a Short story written by H Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy The Haunting of Hill House is a 1959 Novel by author Shirley Jackson. Shirley Jackson ( December 14, 1916, San Francisco California - August 8, 1965, Bennington Vermont) was an influential This article is about the 1971 novel For other uses of the term see Hell house (disambiguation Hell House is a Novel Richard Matheson (born February 20, 1926) is an American Author and Screenwriter, typically of fantasy, horror The House With a Clock in Its Walls is a gothic horror novel directed at child readers John Anthony Bellairs ( 17 January, 1938 &mdash 8 March, 1991) was an American author best known for his well-respected Fantasy The Shining (1977 is a horror Novel by American Author Stephen King. Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American Author, Screenwriter, Musician, Columnist, House of Leaves is the debut Novel by the American author Mark Z Mark Z Danielewski (born March 5 1966 is an American author He is the son of Polish Avant-garde film director Tad Danielewski and the brother Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22 1920 is an American mainstream, Fantasy, horror, Science fiction and mystery House is a 2006 Christian fiction horror Novel co-authored by writers Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker Ted Dekker (born 1961) is an Indonesian born American Author of several Fiction novels The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer My Life at Rose Red is a 2001 novel by Ridley Pearson published under the Pseudonym Joyce Reardon Ph Ridley Pearson, born on March 13, 1953 in Glen Cove New York, is an American writer Mauro

Films

See also

• Books on haunted locations
• Ghost hunting
• Ghost Hunters
• Legend tripping
• List of haunted locations
• List of U.S. paranormal guides
• Stigmatized property

References

External links

• Haunted Houses: The Film Genre That Won't Die A look at cinematic haunted houses
• A Night In A Haunted House Abridged version of a story that appeared in The Southern Literary Messenger, June 1855
• HauntedRealEstate.com A website dedicated to haunted real estate, and the issues concerning selling such property.
• Haunted Houses at The Ghost Database
• Find Haunted Attractions by State
• Association for Haunted Attractions