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In September 2021, I made some waves on social media with the following statement:

After I published a TikTok video about trauma and the paranormal, one of my followers suggested that I read Ghostland by Colin Dickey. I have to say, this is probably one of the most important books for any paranormal researcher and investigator to read.

I’ll do a full book review on my team’s website, Association of Paranormal Study once I complete it. I wish I hadn’t sat on this book for so long. It came out in 2016, and yet, I never heard of it until a beloved follower suggested it to me. 

Anatomy of a Ghost Story

Ghost stories have always been a point of interest for us as humans, even more so if they’re based on truth. There’s something about the creepiness of the unknown that not only gives us a thrill, but offers some sort of security blanket that it will never happen to us…or could it? This feeling is very similar to being a true crime fan. Like…it couldn’t happen, but it could. I think that’s the heart of the paranormal community. These events seem so unreal, but there’s an element of truth to them. 

The anatomy of ghost stories, local legends, and lore, has always fascinated me. Ghost stories can tell so much about our history and legacy as a society. The fact that marginalized groups are so often left out of this narrative is very telling. These groups are often treated as the other when they are included in narratives. This is especially true for TV shows. The trope of “ancient Indian burial grounds” comes to mind. Dickey also goes into this in Ghostland as well as in an interview for the podcast, The Q Files. It’s worth a listen. Another is, “They were practicing witchcraft.” And finally, “These two men who lived together for decades were best friends and roommates.” Okay, sure.

The first two points are often used to explain an angry or aggressive haunting. Instead of pointing the responsibility in how these marginalized groups were treated by society, blame is placed on the aggressor. I’ve often noticed that these groups are often lumped into the “evil” haunting or even a demonic haunting.

Ghost Story as Escapism

According to the BBC article, The secret meaning of ghost stories, “Women were contributing around 70% of ghost stories to magazines in the 19th Century.” Ghost stories were a way for women to break against society as well as challenge conventional gender norms of the time. Why mention this? I think it could give us a clue on how ghost stories have evolved over time. But how consciously aware of it are we?

Our bias can also provide us a way of escape, even if we’re not consciously aware of it. As we continue this journey, keep bias in mind. Consider how it has shaped paranormal experiences and ghost stories of real places.

Paul Patterson, Ph.D noted that the earliest ghost stories date back to Ancient Rome. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve heard me talk about the story of Athenodorus. I’ve mentioned the story a few times in my books as well. Patterson mentions that in these early years, the ghosts were just…there. They aren’t harming anyone and really, they’re only tied to unfinished business, like a botched burial. Then, Patterson continues to say that as history entered into the late 18th century, ghost stories became quite dark and aggressive, heralding the genre of gothic fiction.

The Made Up Ghost Story

It’s hard to face the fact that most ghost stories are made up. Throughout history, humans have been conditioned to try to fill in the blanks when it comes to things we don’t understand. As we continue to gain more understanding in various fields of sciences, those mysterious ghost stories we grew up with are now becoming more explainable. Those footsteps you hear from behind you? Floorboards readjusting. The Salem Witch Trials? No witches involved, except for Tituba, who studied root work. Just a corrupt Puritan community hungry for land and power and potential ergot poisoning as the catalyst.

It is from the lack of understanding is where we see who is (or was) the dominant social group of the time. In Ghostland, Colin Dickey recounts the neighborhood of Shockcoe Bottom in Richmond, Virginia. The particular neighborhood has lots of bars and restaurants, filled with ghosts that are predominantly white. However, just down the block, slaves were bought at sold as well as imprisoned. With so much trauma that occurred in one area, why are the ghosts reported as predominantly white?

Dickey made a brilliant point about the neighborhood’s white tourism and the burying of such a horrific chapter of its history. He says “For those who would rather not revisit those days, the city’s ghost lore makes it easy, turning our attention to murdered gunsmiths and fabled prostitutes” (Dickey 117).

Historical Context

In 2014, I wrote a book called, The Haunted Actor: An Exploration of Supernatural Belief Through Theatre. The book was primarily based on my research into paranormal belief as shown through plays and musicals throughout history. From my analysis, I was able to get context on the belief of spirits for a play’s respective time period. For example, exploring the idea of a ghost’s identity was analyzed with Hamlet. The perspective of witchcraft and sorcery during the Elizabethan era can be found in plays like Macbeth, The Tempest, Doctor Faustus, etc.

Through historical texts like plays, sonnets, poems, etc. we truly get a glimpse into paranormal beliefs of that era. However, we’re seeing it through the eyes of the dominant group of that time period. Silence was meted out to those that didn’t have fame or couldn’t read or write.

In my blog, A Different Kind of Therapy: Processing Trauma with Ghost Hunting, I talk about how modern day paranormal investigators and researchers use the paranormal as a way to process trauma. That could be personal trauma, or facing the trauma that is history, especially in the United States.

An Ignored Group

Another point that Dickey makes is the fact that dominant ethnic group often controls the narrative, even when they don’t mean to. A slave, for instance, was not allowed to read or write. This meant that they weren’t able to record their stories; whether that be personal experiences, family history, cultural ghost stories, etc. By the time former slaves were dying off in the 1930’s, the federal government put forth the WPA project recording slave narratives. Thanks to oral tradition, they were able to save many of these stories, but not all of them. There are millions of stories that we will never learn about because the people who knew them are no longer with us.

Also, the dominant group has better control over the narrative of marginalized people. This is especially true in places like Myrtles Plantation and Monticello. Dickey, for instance, tells about sightings of Jefferson’s ghost and how he is regarded as benevolent. Given the dynamic of Jefferson’s problematic personal life (specifically Sally Hemmings) and the fact he enslaved over 600 people in his life, how is it that there isn’t much discussion when it comes to hauntings by slaves?

Another potent example is the La Llorona, also known as the weeping woman. It is often mentioned to me by friends and followers of Latin American descent how the legend is whitewashed, especially in Hollywood. Now, it seems the white woman in Victorian dress dominates the narrative instead of its originator.

The Role of Bias

I realize hardcore believers in the paranormal may say it’s because they moved on. But how do we actually know this? While I’m a skeptical believer in ghosts and paranormal, I also know that we can’t actually prove any of this. Also, we don’t ever really know who or what we’re talking to. So, how can one confidently say that they’re communicating with the spirit of Thomas Jefferson? Why does one assume that if they see a shadow in the wine cellar, it’s that of a murdered white gunsmith? These questions especially puzzle me when the experiences don’t line up with the history.

The impact of the area’s turbulent past on residual hauntings may clarify things a bit if we take that into account. But then again, that also exposes the glaring inaccuracies of record keeping and reports of paranormal experiences. I know that many of these ghost stories were made up for entertainment purposes, and to make a location seem more exciting.

Bias in True Encounters

Several of the stories are also true, so it’s important to recognize that. I find it fascinating to see how they are interpreted by people of different genders, races, religions, and sexual identities. Depending on who you talk to, reactions and interpretations are vastly different.

Since this is the case, will we ever be able to truly identify spirits? Are ghost stories simply a way to process trauma and make difficult topics easier to digest?

I’ll be honest, I truly noticed the role of bias coming through when I work with mediums. If I know them well, it’s even easier for me to spot it. Is this a bad thing? I’m not sure. What I do know is that psychic mediums, empaths, and intuitives can change the dynamic of an investigation from positive to “demons are coming” in a matter of minutes. Being aware of not only our own bias, but the bias of others can help maintain some accountability.

Moving Forward as Paranormal Investigators

I believe, as paranormal investigators and researchers become more aware of their bias, it will help maintain an open mind. Honestly, we will never find tangible proof for spirits. At this stage of my life, I’ve accepted that the paranormal is a personal journey for everyone, much like religion. That personal journey is based on our bias. These biases come from our upbringing, trauma, family dynamic, the list goes on.

I’ve noticed that the more effective and knowledgeable paranormal investigators, psychic mediums, witches, etc. are ones who are self-aware of these biases. Instead of jumping to conclusions, they look at all possibilities and don’t immediately assume that they know the spirit they are talking to. In full transparency, this is something I’m working on for myself.

What do you think?