Tag Archives: trivia

The Psychology Behind Haunted Houses And Why We’re Drawn To Them

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Is there anything more enticing than a haunted house?

Yes, we should all know better after many, many horror films have been set in them, but there’s just something so alluring about sharing a house with spirits that have long-since left the mortal realm.

If you’re with me here and you enjoy this mythology, you may be disappointed by what I’m about to reveal.

You see, the thing is, most of the features of “haunted” houses can unfortunately be explained away by science.

The science behind haunted houses

Writing for BBC Science Focus, Dr Alistair Gun, a radio astronomer reveals: “The vast majority of paranormal investigations have been of the pseudoscientific variety – based on incorrect, incomplete or misrepresented science, or invalid due to bias, manipulation, assumption or omission.”

He goes on to explain: “It’s an unscientific leap of faith to believe in alien visitation based solely on unexplained sightings.

“The same is true for the belief in ghosts; there’s no scientific rationale for it. Science does offer some potential explanations for hauntings. Most are environmental or psychological in nature.”

Unfortunately, our whimsy can’t outweigh science.

In fact, the explanation is likely something very normal, according to Gun. Sleep paralysis, sleep deprivation and stress can all play into experiencing hallucinations and visual disturbances.

Additionally, “haunted” houses are more likely to have mould and some variations of mould can lead to hallucinations.

So, if you think your home is haunted, you may want to check for it.

Why do we enjoy being scared?

Why is this disappointing news, though? Why are we so drawn to being scared in a controlled setting like a haunted house or even just watching a scary film? Are we okay?

The British Psychological Society says: “There is a neuropsychological reason – we get an adrenalin rush when something spooks us or something scary happens which releases endorphins and dopamine, so put simply, there is a chemical process that creates a similar sense of euphoria.

“Some say that having a ‘scary ghost experience’ is like being on a rollercoaster, we are hijacking the natural flight response and enjoying it.”

Makes perfect sense.

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The Real Story Behind Dancing In The Moonlight Is Mindblowing

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You know the song Dancing In The Moonlight? The one that was originally written by Sherman Kelly and later covered by Toploader?

That song is not what it seems. If you think it’s the perfect nonsense song that’s ideal for family parties and work functions, you may want to read on to find out the real history of the song.

You’ll never hear it the same way again…

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The story behind Dancing In The Moonlight

Speaking to the music journalist Mike Morsch, Sherman Kelly revealed that the song was written after he and his girlfriend had been attacked and left for dead by the notorious Fountain Gang in St. Croix.

Once they had finally crawled their way to hospital and received treatment, Sherman recalled overhearing doctors talking: “I woke up to the sound of my hospital roommate screaming in pain. Finally the screaming stopped and I heard two doctors talking about him. ‘That’s it, he’s gone,’ said one doctor about the other patient.

″‘What about him, you think he’s gonna make it?’ And the other doctor said, ‘No, I doubt it.’ I realised they were talking about me.”

Of course, Sherman did make it and quite literally lived to tell the tale.

Once he was home, he started writing the verses that would soon become Dancing In The Moonlight.

“I envisioned an alternate reality, the dream of a peaceful and joyous celebration of life. It was just me imagining a better world than the one I had just experienced in St. Croix.

“It was amazing. People liked the song right from the start. I liked it, but I wouldn’t have predicted that it would become a big hit.”

And that it did.

Since being written in 1969, the song has been covered 16 times and is a firm favourite among pop music fans.

As Morsch said: “An unspeakably traumatic experience that almost cost him his life had turned into a beautiful song.”