“The Scientific Ghosthunter” by Christopher Tillman
(c) 1998, revised 1999, 2002, 2024
A prison can be a great source of potentially powerful paranormal manifestations for many, many reasons. All one has to do is think of everything that goes on in one of these places to see why they can be a hotbed for supernatural activity.
The majority of people who are locked away in these buildings, for whatever reason and for whatever duration, are people who operate under, and are influenced by, some of the most primal emotions known to humanity. The levels of anger, stress, hatred, and fear are always present and can be ignited into an emotional fury with a single word, a wayward glance, or a simple misunderstanding between inmates. With regular frequency, prisons are home to all kinds of savage crimes from suicide and murder to physical, mental, and sexual abuse. And, that’s just the stuff being reported by the media. When you hear what actual convicts have to say, the “inside story” becomes a lot more frightening. When you’re locked away from the rest of society, the prison and its inhabitants become your new society. Being locked in a cage twenty-three hours a day becomes a new way of life. Is it any wonder why humans tend to become more aggressive in such conditions?
Virtually every prison which has experienced some type of horrific murder, suicide, or riot usually has a ghost story or two to tell. Guards and inmates alike have been known to come forward to talk of eerie voices and sounds heard in areas that were the scene of grisly deaths. Apparitions of former employees and convicts have been seen walking the cell bays and strange, unseen presences are felt in the darkest of night.
In the world’s most famous prison, Alcatraz, tour guides tell much the same kinds of stories. One employee at The Rock heard the release mechanisms for the cell doors switching on and off for an entire night, but no one else was in that section of the prison. Strange footsteps have also been heard and even ghostly presences are felt in the cell that held one of the most famous inmates of Alcatraz’s folklore, The Birdman of Alcatraz.
If primal human emotions are indeed an important ingredient in paranormal manifestations, then prisons would make an ideal breeding ground for supernatural phenomena. But, unless you’re invited, I don’t think many ghosthunters will be granted access. Unless the prison is abandoned and unused, like the Mansfield Reformatory here in Ohio, exploring a prison for paranormal activity is probably not a realistic goal for many. But, you never know. Someday down the road when your community knows of you by name, some warden may just give you a call. It’s not unheard of, actually. If the U.S. Army would request the services of Ed and Lorraine Warren, then anything, I would think, is possible.
