“The Scientific Ghosthunter” by Christopher Tillman
(c) 1998, revised 1999, 2002, 2024
Like battlefields, sites where horrible mass tragedies took place can yield some pretty astonishing evidence for paranormal researchers.
The sudden and massive loss of life as a result of plane crashes, building collapses, sinking ships, mass murder/suicide, etc. is unlike any other tragedy in human experience. The unexpectedness of such an event – here one minute and gone the next – makes this one of the most horrifying situations a person could ever face. It’s also one of the saddest types of investigations a paranormal investigator could ever conduct.
It’s very easy to see why the locations of mass tragedies so often find their way into the record of folklore as haunted sites. The physical and emotional chaos of the event generates the kind of heightened mental states often found in paranormal research: confusion, panic, and terror. And, of course, some victims may not have time to react in such ways before the cold grip of Death take this from this world. In all probability, many would never even know what hit them.
In time, stories begin to swirl. Strange lights and sounds are witnessed and reported long after news of the tragic event has left the minds of the public. The restless dead are said to be reliving the misery of their last minutes on Earth. Lone or collective, apparitions wander the location, possibly unaware of their passing, attempting to find a way out of their confusion.
Of all the kinds of hauntings available for study, these are perhaps the most tragic. Many ghosthunters do not investigate recent mass tragedies out of respect for the families of the deceased. If you allow ample time for the psychological wounds to heal in the minds of the public, I don’t see a problem with exploring these paranormal possibilities. It’s your choice, though.
