Are all really haunted houses scary?


This article is from 2021 and may be outdated. We're working on restoring a newer version.

If you wonder if a scary house means it’s haunted, the answer is no.

Old house in EnglandMost haunted houses aren’t scary. Not once you’re used to ghostly phenomena.

Ghosts may startle you or surprise you, but they usually won’t frighten you.

The more locations you investigate, the more you’ll get used to ghosts.

Things move by themselves. You may hear ghostly voices or unearthly footsteps. Objects may seem to move “by themselves.” It’s all part of a normal night of ghost hunting, if you’re lucky.

Even in a really haunted house, ghost hunters spend most of their time waiting for something to happen. I suppose it’s like fishing, except you’re in the dark so there’s nothing to look at.

Eastern State PenitentiarySure, “Dude, run!” moments can occur. Still, experienced professionals are rarely (if ever) frightened, even in the most haunted locations. They may jump a foot or two when something startles them, but that’s different from being afraid.

Scary sites aren’t always haunted.

Haunted sites aren’t always scary.

In fact, once you’re used to ghostly phenomena, haunted houses become interesting.

Fright is not an accurate way to be sure a house is haunted. As ghost hunters, we’re looking for measurable anomalies, not whether a place gives you the chills.

Author: Fiona Broome

Fiona Broome is a paranormal researcher and author. She describes herself as a "blip analyst," since she explores odd "blips" in reality. But mostly, she investigates ghosts and haunted places.