Age, history and environment are irrelevant when it comes to the spirit world.
Last year, I went on a tour of Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA. I hadn't been there for more than 40 years. It really hadn't changed much - I loved it then, and I love it now. The grounds were just as beautiful as I recall, lush greenery creates an idyllic oceanside atmosphere, counter to the dismal, castle-like feeling of the looming grey walls. My favorite area is, of course, the pool atrium with the medieval facades lining the walls. One can actually feel the history.
But, this isn't about the Castle, or the gardens, or the amazing ocean views, it's more about the spirits they claim lurk the many halls.
Midway through the tour, I was working my way up one of the twisting, narrow staircases as a young couple slid by. I assumed they were boyfriend and girlfriend because she hung on his every word as he blustered about ghosts with a oddly knowledgeable confidence. She asked, "Do you think it's really haunted here?" He laughed. "Nah! It has to be really old to be haunted," he said. "This place was built in the 1920s. There's nothing really old here." She was summarily impressed and, I think a little relieved even though he couldn't have been more wrong.
A lot of the same people who truly believe in ghosts, also believe there are inexplicable rules as to when and where they'll "come through."
Something in me wanted to speak up, but I held my tongue. While my business is ghosts, I opted not to overstep. He needed his moment. Still, I was taken aback by his comment. A lot of the same people who truly believe in ghosts, also believe there are inexplicable rules as to when and where they'll "come through." They believe there are certain suitable environments for spiritual manifestation.
A Spirit is a Spirit is a Spirit
I blame Hollywood, mostly, and classic lore, somewhat. The general public's experience with the paranormal is largely based on what we've seen in movies and on TV, where it's all about setting - the iconic haunted house, complete with cobwebs, dark corners and creaky doors. They learned early how to create the essential mood to enhance the scare factor and have been doing it since the inception of film as entertainment.
In reality, spirits are all around us every day. Life energy is fluid - it shifts and transforms at a constant rate. There are no angry ghosts waiting around in abandoned buildings, unable to move on the physical plane to newer buildings. Erratic spiritual energy can occur anywhere at any time.
That said, there is such a thing as residual energy, or imprinting, that can definitely rattle sensitives. In buildings, battlefields, areas where an enhanced level of distress, fear, violence, or where souls crossed over, the lingering energy will remain in a specific area but, again, it doesn't need to be "old."
In closing, I have a message for the young man who thinks the 1920s isn't old enough. Perhaps he should find a 98-year-old person and ask them what they've lived through, what they've seen, and what they've learned in those few 98 years. He might be surprised by the value of even a short 98 years.
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