When children go ghost hunting

Becky’s family looked for Victorian bed and breakfasts in the mountains of western North Carolina that had enough room for their family of four. Where they stayed turned out to be haunted by several disturbing ghosts.

Becky—the mother in this story—never doubted that her children could see ghosts. But the strange things her young son saw in that haunted bed and breakfast’s room chill her to this day.

Decades prior to this story, Diana’s family took a trip to a small town in Massachusetts and stayed in the family’s ancestral home. One evening, as young Diana wandered down the hall by herself, she ran into something that still haunts her memories.

Both true stories are told in terrifying detail by the very people who experienced them. Listen to hear the full stories.

Haunted Bed and Breakfasts

Our hosts in this story are no strangers to staying in haunted bed and breakfasts. In fact, a few years after we recorded this story, Becky accidentally booked her family in another haunted bed and breakfast, this time in Northern Ireland.

There are many theories as to why bed and breakfasts and hotels may be haunted. So why are bed and breakfasts haunted?

• hotels and bed and breakfasts are liminal spaces, and since ghosts themselves are liminal, they tend to gravitate toward places that are also “in-between.”
• when you stay at a hotel or a bed and breakfast, you sleep there. We are most vulnerable to sensing the ghosts around us when we are about to fall asleep, or about to wake up
• bed and breakfasts have hundreds to thousands of people who come through their doors every year. Statistics would have us believe that some of those people never leave.

Is Asheville particularly haunted?

The bed and breakfast in this story sits just outside the haint-filled town of Asheville, North Carolina in this episode. Asheville and its surrounding towns sit in some of the highest peaks of the southern Appalachian mountains, and marinate in ghostly folklore. For a great run-down of local ghostly legends for western NC, check out this article in the Mountain Xpress.

Tennessee’s Oldest American Town (and Cemetery)

About an hour’s drive from Asheville sits a very old (and very haunted) town in Tennessee. The city of Jonesborough (also discussed in this episode), home to the annual National Storytelling Festival, was founded in 1779. It also boasts some of the oldest American graves in the southeast in its cemeteries, and claims to be one of the top ten most haunted cities in America. Learn more about the history of this mountain town, or read some local ghost stories in the town’s Herald and Tribune.

Becky and her family knew the bed and breakfast was haunted because her child saw something. Can your children see ghosts?

Many children have imaginary friends. Some adults see these invisible playmates as the result of an overactive imagination or a lonely child. Others consider these entities to be ghosts of dead children—or worse—demonic entities pretending to be ghosts of dead children.

Whether your child is playing with a ghost or a purple unicorn she made up named Blurple, there really isn’t much to be concerned with. As long as the “imaginary friend” isn’t causing too much trouble, moving furniture around telekinetically, or scaring your child’s friends, things are probably just fine.

What does it mean when a child sees a spirit?

Many of us believe that kids can see ghosts, even when we adults can’t. Their so-called sixth sense hasn’t been real-lifed out of them yet. Also, not everyone outgrows this “gift;” some children will be seeing ghosts for the rest of their lives. Which may or may not be a disquieting thought.

Kids have enough going on these days without worrying about extra “spooks” bothering them in the middle of the night, or hiding their homework.

What if your child sees a ghost that’s too scary?

All joking aside, there may be instances where your kids see ghosts and it’s not all fun and games. Not all entities are benevolent, and sometimes an “imaginary friend” may have a hidden agenda. No pun intended. Real life ghost stories are especially chilling when they involve children seeing spirits. Like the one we share in this episode.

The most important first step in this situation is to listen to your children. When your kids say they see something (and they’re scared by it), don’t assume they’re making things up. Whether or not a real ghost is involved, your child’s fear is real. Acknowledge it and honor it, and then work to get to the bottom of what’s going on.

Kids have enough going on these days without worrying about extra “spooks” bothering them in the middle of the night, or hiding their homework.

If you think you have a paranormal entity problem that needs to get gone, consult a professional. With a little digging, you can find someone who deals with this situation on a regular basis. If you can find someone from a friend’s referral, even better. We’ve interviewed several mediums on this show who may be able to point you in the right direction. And good luck.

We hope you enjoyed our very first ghost podcast interview, and we can’t wait to bring you more! Until next time, have a spooky day!