haunts

Haunts are places believed to be inhabited by ghosts or other spirits. In folklore and popular culture, a haunt is a location where supernatural activity is reportedly frequent, including houses, hotels, schools, churches, battlefields, and even landscapes. The term can also describe places that people feel drawn to or repeatedly visit, though the paranormal sense refers specifically to unusual phenomena attributed to a location.

Commonly reported phenomena include apparitions, unexplained noises, cold spots, temperature changes, and objects moving or appearing without explanation. Some manifestations are described as residual hauntings, where a scene repeats without awareness, while others are considered intelligent or interactive, capable of responding to observers. Other terms, such as poltergeist activity, are related but debated within paranormal discourse.

Investigation and explanation: Researchers, investigators, and enthusiasts use sightings accounts, audio and video recordings, and environmental sensors to study haunts. Skeptics emphasize natural explanations, such as misperception, suggestion, cognitive biases, drafts, mold, infrasound, or general environmental factors. There is no widely accepted empirical evidence proving the existence of spirits, so haunt reports are often treated as folklore, cultural experience, or entertainment, rather than established fact.

Cultural role and media: Haunts influence folklore, literature, film, and tourism. Haunted tours, ghost-hunting TV programs, and ghost-themed attractions are common in many regions, reflecting communities’ interest in the past and in mysteries beyond ordinary experience.