What makes us feel that a house is haunted?

We've all shuddered through creepy movies like The Haunting or Poltergeist, and it's not just at the movies where we pay good money to scare us: haunted houses are an integral part of park attractions. But why do we like haunted houses so much?

What makes us feel like a haunted house?

From a psychological point of view, the standard features haunted houses trigger feelings of fear, as they push mechanisms in our brains that developed long before haunted houses even existed.These alarm buttons warn us of a potential danger and motivate us to proceed with caution.

Haunted houses do not represent a clear threat to us, but is a mystery whether or not they represent a threat. This ambivalence paralyzes you, causing deep discomfort Well, after all, It would be seen as something strange and embarrassing to run and scream from a house that makes you feel uncomfortable, if in reality there is absolutely nothing to fear.So if you repress this impulse, while on the other hand, you think it could be dangerous to ignore your intuition and staying in a place that is dangerous, for not having enough evidence of it.

These are the psychological mechanisms behind the feeling "restlessness", although they generate this annoying sensation, they can be useful because they help you to stay alert when the threat has not been completely ruled out. These mechanisms are the same that help you manage the balance between self-preservation (fight for your survival) and self-presentation (en say, introduce yourself in a socially pleasant way).

What makes us feel that a house is haunted?

All that What activates this "hypervigilance" that wants to protect you from supernatural (or natural) malevolent things is very often found in large old houses. What activates it? Crunches or squeaks in nearby rooms, sighs and moans of the wind that passes through cracks, irregular curtains fluttering in the breeze, echoes, cold spots...

The sensation of discomfort that these sounds and suspicious movements cause is proof that we are constantly, even unconsciously, exploring our surroundings and assessing our ability to flee if necessary.

Consequently, a haunted house is our worst nightmare, even if only for these mechanisms.

The classic haunted house is isolated , miles away from civilization, so there's no help nearby.In addition, the darkness and confusing design of the house-which may be due only to ignorance of it-can cause us to lose ourselves in it or, at the very least, make our walk lengthen either because of our disorientation or fear of same.

To worsen the situation, our unconscious values the escape and encounters multiple obstacles such as hedges, pointed iron fences, rotten wooden stairs...A "dream" for survival. Dark and cold attics and basements are also essential elements , and, of course, spider webs, bats, rats and insects make good accessories, they are small and we may not notice their presence until it was too late...

The older the houses are the more amazing, there is a kind of "legend" associated with them. It usually implies a story about a dreadful death or accident.There may even be a history of suicide or murder.The older a place is, the more likely we are to perceive it as "cursed," because there has been much more time for tragic things to occur.

In addition, individuals who believe in paranormal phenomena and have expectations that something creepy could inhabit that place are more likely to participate in the type of cognitive processing of the Fear .For these people, a harmless but uncertain environment can become a chilling experience and, depending on how much you like the uncomfortable feeling of fear, exciting.

If you liked this topic you will not like you can lose our article on Haunted Houses I: “Crenshaw house”, Illinois

Image: Sean MacEntee and The haunting

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