What makes an object feel haunted? Why do some places carry a sense of unease, while others become the stuff of legend? In this episode, Queenie explores the enduring fascination with haunted items, demonic possession, and cursed locations—not just through folklore and history, but through the lens of psychology, culture, and belief. Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in between, this episode examines why these stories persist, and what they reveal about fear, memory, and the human need to make sense of the unknown.
You don’t have to believe in ghosts to be haunted by the stories we tell.
SOURCES AND REFERENCES:
- Zak Bagans & Joe Knetter, 'Ghost-Hunting For Dummies' (2020)
- The Warren's Occult Museum official website and related interviews
- Smithsonian Magazine, 'The True Story of the Hope Diamond'
- National Geographic, 'Aokigahara: Japan's Haunted Forest'
- Travel Channel & Ghost Adventures coverage on the Dybbuk Box
- Official Stanley Hotel history and guest reports
- The Myrtles Plantation official site and historical legends
- British Heritage Travel, 'The Ghosts of the Tower of London'
- University of Florida, 'Haunted Robert the Doll and Folklore Persistence'
- Skeptoid Podcast episodes on haunted objects and confirmation bias
- Psychology Today, 'Why People Believe in Ghosts and the Paranormal'
- JSTOR Daily, 'The Cultural History of Ghost Stories'
- Pew Research Center: 'The Rise of the Spiritual But Not Religious'
- History Channel and BBC documentaries on exorcisms and demonology
- Folklore Society archives on dybbuks, yurei, and jinn
- American Psychological Association, 'Fear and the Brain'