Most haunted country?

[littlelostboy]

Is England the most haunted country? Given the number of haunted mansion, castle and rectories around the country, I think it is.

[Sjakihata]

I would say it is China, after which comes India.

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

I swear to God that the U.S. is the spookiest place I've been.
Wales, England, Scotland may all have loads of awesome ghosts stories but I've experienced very little weirdness there.

In the U.S. though I've actually experienced weird and spooky stuff.


Edit: although I've heard some great first hand spooky stories from Indians(rather than Injuns) too.

[Sjakihata]

Well, the reason I say China is simple. The more people, the more souls, the more souls the more potential ghosts.

Naturally, I do not believe in ghosts and ghoststories, but if I understand it correctly, the more people the more ghosts, or not?

[Taffy_is_a_Taff]

I don't know.

I was talking in terms of strange happenings and general spookiness.

I'm something of a ghost agnostic but I think believers don't believe that everybody gets to be a ghost.

Edit: so I guess China would have more potential ghosts, but more ghosts? I don't know, you'd have to consult a ghost census.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

I would say England maybe, it definetly has the most haunted place at Borley Rectory in essex, been burnt down once but the surrounding area definetly has alot of paranormal activity. The whole of Britain and Ireland are quite spiritual active areas on a whole

[Mikeus Caesar]

I'd say Britain. You see, there are millions of them, wandering around, but they don't know their dead. You call them ghosts. We call them OAP's.

[Duke Malcolm]

Haha, good one.

Anyhoo, I would say the Great Britain. Plethorae of ghosts in every stately home and castle across the land...

[Rodion Romanovich]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Romania, the country where Transylvania lies! At least that's the place that I find stirs up my imagination and fantasy most, although I don't believe in ghosts personally (and I haven't been in Transylvania so I'm just judging from the prejudice of several authors, for example Bram Stoker the author of Dracula...).

[Sjakihata]

In that case, clearly USA. Havent you guys seen The Charmed Ones (three sister witches)?

[Rodion Romanovich]

In that case, clearly USA. Havent you guys seen The Charmed Ones (three sister witches)?

I watched it a few times. Great looking girls for beeing witches though I wouldn't mind any of them showing me some magic

[Zalmoxis]

The most haunted country is the one with the most superstitious people.

[matteus the inbred]

I think Britain's got the most documented and published ghost stories/incidences rather than traditional 'campfire story' stuff, cos of a publishing explosion of interest in the gothic and supernatural in the early 19th century and again in the early twentieth (following two very bloody wars, surely no coincidence). I recommend anything by M.R. James, Britain's finest 'traditional' ghost story writer.

China and Japan have long traditions of ghost stories though. From what I've read I believe America excels at the horror type stuff, thanks to the Indians and the mix of cultural types over there...

as for most haunted, all depends on whether and what you believe doesn't it...?

[kataphraktoi]

Whats wrong with Britain? Why so many ghost stories? Why a lot of unfinished business?

[matteus the inbred]

Whats wrong with Britain? Why so many ghost stories? Why a lot of unfinished business?

good question...don't know really. Long history of 'trivial' or 'almanackical' (?) literature uninterrupted by 'cultural' revolutions? Probably the Victorian antiquarian obsession with this sort of thing, although some of Britain's best ghost stories pre-date the Victorians...perhaps the weather...damp and gloomy and stay-indoors kind of weather. Maybe no coincidence that America's most well-known horror writer, Stephen King, is from Maine rather than, say, Texas. (not that Maine's weather is as bad as Britain's I don't think, but I hope you see my point...).
I wonder if it's just the attitude that in Catholic countries ghosts are religious phenomena that you experience but don't write about, whereas in Britain they're more inexplicable in those terms and therefore worth investigating in a more scientific manner?
Would love to hear other people's thoughts on this!

[littlelostboy]

good question...don't know really. Long history of 'trivial' or 'almanackical' (?) literature uninterrupted by 'cultural' revolutions? Probably the Victorian antiquarian obsession with this sort of thing, although some of Britain's best ghost stories pre-date the Victorians...perhaps the weather...damp and gloomy and stay-indoors kind of weather. Maybe no coincidence that America's most well-known horror writer, Stephen King, is from Maine rather than, say, Texas. (not that Maine's weather is as bad as Britain's I don't think, but I hope you see my point...).
I wonder if it's just the attitude that in Catholic countries ghosts are religious phenomena that you experience but don't write about, whereas in Britain they're more inexplicable in those terms and therefore worth investigating in a more scientific manner?
Would love to hear other people's thoughts on this!

Still, many other countries have all those revolutions and the whole of Europe was in the Dark Ages so doesn't mean each european countries should have their fair share of ghosts?

I went to London a few years back, even when I was staying in the city central itself, everytime when i walk around at night, London manage to give of this eerie atmosphere. I'm not supersitious, but London has this deary, gloomy atmosphere (maybe must be the weather too). The Tower of London is known as a very, very, haunted place and went I left the place at night (around 6, which was already quite dark) the place seem to be shrouded in some mystery.

[matteus the inbred]

Still, many other countries have all those revolutions and the whole of Europe was in the Dark Ages so doesn't mean each european countries should have their fair share of ghosts?

I went to London a few years back, even when I was staying in the city central itself, everytime when i walk around at night, London manage to give of this eerie atmosphere. I'm not supersitious, but London has this deary, gloomy atmosphere (maybe must be the weather too). The Tower of London is known as a very, very, haunted place and went I left the place at night (around 6, which was already quite dark) the place seem to be shrouded in some mystery.

I'm pretty sure they do! Maybe it's their publishing industry's fault. Australia's got quite a lot of ghost stories for such a relatively small population, and Ireland as well.

I agree with you about London, it's definitely got that atmosphere. I often walk out of Tower Hill Tube station late at night and look at the Tower and think...'I wonder which ghosts are wandering around tonight then?'
When they dug up the floor of the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula beside Tower Green (where beheadings used to take place) they found at least 34 sets of remains including Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard...there's definitely an 'atmosphere' in the chapel, even on a sunny day...

[Gregoshi]

Its got to be Britain. Heck, one whole part of the country Wales.

[Samurai Waki]

Britain in general is just an eerie country, I stayed at a small Bed and Breakfast in St. Ives a few years ago, and about 12am I hear a knock at the door, so I get up, and check it out, open the door, and theres nothing. Go Back to bed, 20 minutes later, another **** knock, I get up to check it out, still nothing. Then about 2 in the morning it happens again, and this time I'm a little freaked out, I open the door a little, and nothing... then I actually step out the door and on a Cat, which proceeds to rend the flesh off of my left leg. Well, I go to the bathroom and clean out the wounds, and I slept great the rest of the night. The next morning at breakfast I apologize to the owner about stepping on his cat last night, he kind of looks at me strange and says "we don't have a cat."

[matteus the inbred]

wow, the mysterious leg-shredding cat ghost of St Ives...!
anyone wanting to see haunted bits of Britain could do worse than have a look at http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/, the definitive guide to spooky stuff in these islands.

[littlelostboy]

Wow, you mean that was real? How's your leg wakizashi?

[Samurai Waki]

Wow, you mean that was real? How's your leg wakizashi?

Yes, it was real. But, I'm still skeptical, maybe another person that was staying there had one, or the owner wasn't all there mentally, or something.

And my leg was fine, just a little bloody.

[Dutch_guy]

Since I don't believe in any ghost stories myself I say that would be the logical explantion.

maybe another person that was staying there had one

[Ronin]

just look for the country with the biggest sales of scotch....

[Fragony]

There are a few places in my town that are considered haunted,

The pointy structure you see is 'De Dieventoren', it used to be a prison in medieval times. Awesome place, doors 1 meter high and the oldest working clockwork of europe.



And there is 'De Monnikendam'

[Tachikaze]

When I was an elementary school teacher, I used to tell ghost stories about my stay in Tintagel (England). The atmosphere was phantastic.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Romania, the country where Transylvania lies! At least that's the place that I find stirs up my imagination and fantasy most, although I don't believe in ghosts personally (and I haven't been in Transylvania so I'm just judging from the prejudice of several authors, for example Bram Stoker the author of Dracula...).

Surprised me too...

[Gregoshi]

Its got to be Britain. Heck, one whole part of the country Wales.

Nobody got it? A ghost wails and part of Britain is Wales...

Oh well. If I had a day job, I guess I wouldn't quit it.

[itchrelief]

The next morning at breakfast I apologize to the owner about stepping on his cat last night, he kind of looks at me strange and says "we don't have a cat."

Not after you stepped on it...

[Samurai Waki]

oh, trust me...it was very alive after I stepped on it.