P is for…
POLTERGEIST — The term comes from German, meaning a noisy ghost, and it describes disturbances that reveal a presence through moving objects, loud banging, and odd fluctuations in power, like lights or televisions turning on and off. People have reported unseen hands pinching or slapping, while voices are heard as if spoken from empty air. The phenomenon often appears where strong emotional energy is present, especially in times of change or stress, and folklore suggests the energy of the living can leave traces that seem to act on their surroundings more than any departed person.
PHONE CALLS FROM THE DEAD — This label covers claims of spirits reaching out through the telephone. Countless people insist they received calls from someone who had already passed away. The voice often sounds like the person in life, using familiar nicknames and referencing shared memories known only to the caller and the deceased. Static and a fading connection are commonly described as the call progresses, and many reports end when the line goes dead after a brief moment. Parapsychologists note that such experiences can be emotionally charged moments with perceptual biases, yet many listeners feel a genuine sense of contact. The stories persist because they are intimate windows into grief and connection, especially on dates with personal significance.
POWDERHAM CASTLE — Each night at midnight a blue mist forms at the front gates of Powderham Castle in Devon, taking the shape of a five-foot figure that glides along the road from one tree to another. Visitors recount the apparition moving with deliberate steps, leaving a chill that lingers long after the mist dissolves. Historians tie the tale to centuries of estate life and unexplained episodes before the modern era of tourism. The castle’s history, rooted in coastal trade and noble lineage, gives the legend a sense of continuity where the boundary between the living and the spectral feels especially thin in the quiet hours of the night.
PICTON TUNNELS — In the old rail tunnels in New South Wales, Australia, abandoned for decades as new tracks were laid, at least three restless presences are said to linger. Local legend identifies a woman who was struck by a train, a young girl who suffered a fatal act, and a young woman who reportedly hung herself at the tunnel’s entrance. The most frequently seen figure is the woman pacing near that entrance, as if drawn to return along the same path. The ruins attract curious visitors and ghost tours, with reports of soft footsteps and sudden cold spots that persist despite daylight.
POE HOUSE — The former residence of the writer Edgar Allan Poe is said to host the spirit of Poe’s grandmother, believed by many to linger inside the museum in Baltimore. Visitors have reported a phantom finger tapping on shoulders and a subtle sense of being watched as they move from room to room. Locals know the site as a place where memory and imagination blur, and many stories suggest the building carries a protective energy. The building’s long history and the charged atmosphere around it keep the legend alive in the minds of guests and residents alike.
PALACE HOTEL — The Cripple Creek, Colorado hotel is linked to Kitty Chambers, the original proprietor who died in room three. Guests have long noticed that room nine keys vanish only to reappear in odd places, bedcovers seem to shift when no one is near, and a gentle nudge can be felt at the top of the stairs. Footsteps in empty corridors and a watchful presence are common themes that keep this site prominent in local ghost lore. The hotel’s rugged frontier town history colors the experience for visitors who seek a glimpse of the past after dark.
Title: P is for Haunted Places: Poltergeists and More