Something Wicked This Way Comes
- Kelly Vazquez
- Oct 25
- 3 min read
Do you believe in ghosts?
Many Americans in the U.S. do - upwards of 36 to 45%.
Worldwide, the belief rate ranges between 30 and 50%.
According to a survey conducted by YouGov, beliefs may be influenced by religion, politics, psychological factors, or education - I've added some interesting stats from the survey below.
More women than men believe in ghosts.
People who believe in ghosts are more likely to believe in a higher power.
More people believe in ghosts than aliens.
18% of people in the U.S. believe they live in a haunted house.
Of those who have "seen" ghosts, 31% believed it was a "good" ghost while 8% believed it was a "bad/evil" ghost (the rest felt neutral).
Many people say they have experienced a paranormal event:
- 35% feeling an unseen presence
- 31% hearing unexplained music
- 18% seeing an orb of light
- 16% actually seeing a ghost or spirit
While people define "the paranormal" differently, one thing is clear to me:
We are all drawn to and shy away from "the unknown."
When I first learned about the "Elkmont Ghost Town," I just knew I had to check it out. It's not that I just "seek out" supposedly haunted places (absolutely not - I'm a wimp), but I do like to be "good" scared and I'm way too curious to back down.
We were already planning to camp close by anyway and we've toured the famously haunted Stanley Hotel in Colorado, which was a real treat. While we thankfully did not experience any paranormal activity while there, the impact of my own thoughts (that ol' brain can play tricks) had left a lasting impression.
That feeling - the one you get when you feel like you aren't alone but most definitely are - was one that I wanted to recreate...in a safe environment, of course.
Fast forward 10 years - and we stepped foot into the "Elkmont Ghost Town."
While Sarah was right by calling it a misnomer when she defined it, it was more enchanting than scary. The rows of now abandoned, but restored homes were captivating. I'm sure it would all be incredibly creepy at night, but Sarah, Brian, Katrina, Chris, Adan, and I sure as heck didn't stick around to find out.
The Appalachian mountains are home to numerous stories and folklore about ghosts, UFOs, and the overall unexplained. While there, I can never help but notice the something extra, the something unseen, the something unexplained.
The beauty of that place keeps me coming back, but now I have to ask myself - is there a greater magnet that pulls me there, that makes me feel at home, that makes me want to never leave? Is that how ghosts could end up there in first place?
For me, I do believe that the veil between worlds can be quite thin and that the spiritual world can exist alongside ours, walking side by side along the same stream and on different sides of the same trail.
For my own experiences, it is quite normal for me to hear instrumental music playing at night, just when I'm about to fall asleep. While I never labeled this as paranormal, research that I completed for this article now gives me pause.
The music I hear is beautiful and quite a comfort, but where is it coming from?
Can that veil be so thin, that music reaches my ears from some other place?
And who is playing it for me?
Ghost survey link:
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