Horror fans love haunted house tales that feature an old house that’s haunted by the spirit of one or more deceased former residents, often as part of an iconic horror scenario.
These spirits usually seek to cause havoc for whatever reason. Sometimes these ghosts want revenge against those they once wronged by recreating their crimes again and again.
People often become victims of ghost attacks when they neglect warnings or disregard red flags that signal danger in the house, and then end up getting battered by ghosts that have taken over its reigns.
Place
A haunted house is defined as any building where ghosts or paranormal phenomena take place, often as the result of some tragic event that took place there – whether murder, suicide or war – wherein ghosts of deceased inhabitants seek revenge against those remaining.
Haunted house stories often involve characters trying to lift or banish a curse or exorcise ghosts from an eerie home, often by traversing maze-like walls and other obstacles in order to survive.
This book blends emotional storytelling with unnerving horror and a bit of humor for an engaging read that explores family drama, sibling rivalry and darker themes like mental illness as well as how culture disbelieves women. There’s even some campiness thrown into it — including taxidermied squirrels and a Nativity set!
Death
If a house is haunted, that means spirits of deceased people are present and can cause disruption and pain. Horror story protagonists might need to lift curses or exorcise spirits in order to restore safety within the residence.
Houses may also have been witness to tragic events like illness, divorce or homicide in its history; these tragedies could still affect its current occupants or could become regular part of life there such as nightmares or anxiety.
A haunted house can take the form of anything from an old, dark house that’s been abandoned to big, fancy residences where residents have earned themselves the reputation for being ghost-haunters. No matter its form or style, haunted houses often serve as settings for horror tales across genres and subgenres such as mystery thriller horror fantasy.
Creepiness
Haunted houses provide more than just physical space – they create an entire atmosphere! Incorporating darkness, strange history or legend into its design, haunted houses have an air of mystery about them – Pennsylvania’s Eastern State Penitentiary is well known as one such creepy haunted house; offering annual haunted hayrides during Halloween season.
Death is often at the forefront of haunted house stories. A haunted house may have a bloody past or be cursed with evil spirits that cause ghostly visits to haunt it – often seeking vengeance against some injustice or seeking their own version of justice for some grievance.
Foster or adoptive families often leave children feeling on edge, even though their environments are safe. Children may fear abuse and other negative experiences occurring in their new environments and remain vigilant to possible threats such as bullying or theft. Their surroundings become fodder for constant scanning – often making the new homes feel haunted houses!
Psychology
People enjoy haunted houses, theme parks and other scary attractions because it allows them to experience their natural fear responses without risking physical safety.
Stimuli such as moldy odors, antiquated Victorian or Gothic architecture and wood interiors all add to the ambience of a haunted house. Additionally, sounds such as footstep-like noises, creaking doors and the presence of moving shadow figures only heighten this sense.
Fear-inducing ghosts often appear as apparitions that appear sinister or benign depending on their mood, while some sounds in haunted houses may actually be harmless such as footsteps or door slams caused by vermin or wind.
Psychologists have conducted numerous studies of how people react to haunted houses. Sarah Tashjian from the University of Melbourne led one such investigation by having participants wear sensors that measured skin conductance; their researchers discovered that those who went through with friends experienced greater physiological arousal than those who came alone.
