#paranormalresearch

[paratart]

The Presence in the Room: A Shared Experience in Venice, 2005

Venice has a way of holding onto things; history, art, water and apparently, a terrifying experience. Most people that have travelled there usually come away with some form of spooky experience, from what I’ve read. Not always dramatic, not in ways that immediately stand out, but in quieter, more unsettling ways. It’s in the stillness of hotel rooms, in the way sound carries across the water, in the strange heaviness that can settle into a space without explanation.

In 2005, my sister travelled there with her best friend, and her friend’s mum for a birthday trip. It was meant to be a simple getaway; somewhere beautiful, somewhere with deep history and culture; but something about their hotel room didn’t feel right. My sister kindly wrote her experience and I have included it in this blog in quotation marks, completely unedited. Her words, her paranormally tarty experience.

This is exactly how she described it:

“I believe I have had a very creepy experience when I went to Venice, Italy. My best friend, her mum and I went there in February 2005, shortly before my 21st and my friends 22nd birthday. A nice birthday present I think.

The hotel we stayed in was absolutely beautiful. Real vintage Italy and the food was fantastic.

Savoia & Jolanda, Venezia, Italy

Just 200 metres from Saint Mark's Square in Venice, Savoia & Jolanda is on the waterfront of Riva degli Schiavoni. It offers an elegant

Before you read on, we didn't actually tell each other what we saw or felt until we were on the way home to England at the end of the trip. And I am not lying…so rest assured.”

The First Signs Something Was Off

Nothing obvious happened at first. No sudden shock, no immediate fear, no creepy "I like your skin" muttered from a wardrobe, just a feeling; which is how most of us end up in a corner with crippling fear, clutching some kind of comforting object.

These feelings are the kind that sit quietly in the background, easy to dismiss, until it keeps returning - hopefully to a ridiculously spooky climax... the story continues:

“The first night my friend and I were in the room I felt that we were not alone. I had some strange and very disturbing feelings and I heard noises similar to someone walking around. My friend was always bothering me because she was very drained throughout the entire trip. She is never like that. I have never witnessed her be so ‘out of it’ and lacking in energy. I have since put this down to thinking maybe the spirit, if it was there, was draining her energy?

Anyway, although my friend is a relatively strong skeptic, I did get the impression, once or twice, that even she thought something strange was going on.”

It’s easy to ignore something like that at first. New place, unfamiliar surroundings, broken sleep. There’s all kinds of skeptical, rational answers we could attach. However, from what they have both mentioned, I really don't think this was something easily explained.

The Night Everything Shifted

Photo by Camila Quintero Franco on Unsplash At some point, the feeling changed from something vague into something far more direct, and likely to make anyone of us shat our pantaloons.

“The night I figured that it was possibly haunted was a very strange one. I kept waking up feeling like someone was standing at the bottom of my bed. I have never in my life before or since had such a strong feeling that someone was actually there, watching me, but that I couldn’t see. It was very surreal.

My friend’s bed was directly next to mine and I felt very nervous and too scared to look at the end of where we were lay. I couldn't rest and I had very creepy feelings and I just kept thinking about an old woman.”

Some experiences are unsettling in hindsight, others are unsettling the moment they happen, and this kind is unsettling regardless...

“So as I was trying to settle and had convinced myself it was all in my mind, my friend suddenly turned and stared right into me. She honestly scared me to death. She screamed at me to turn the light on, so I did. But, the oddest thing was that her eyes looked really weird; as though they were not hers. I know that sounds silly but I swear down they didn’t look like hers. She wouldn't tell me why she wanted the light on and just kept saying "I don't like this room!" I was scared but I didn't want to freak her out more so I just told her she was dreaming.”

What They Didn’t Say

Throughout all of this, they didn’t speak to each other about what they were separately experiencing. Not during the night. Not the next day. Not at any point during the trip. If the spirit was just looking for attention, maybe she became angry for the lack of acknowledgment? Ghost teasers are the worst kind of tarts, after all!

“On the plane home the next day she asked me, a bit sheepishly, if I thought that our hotel room might have been haunted. And I said, not so sheepishly, a bit more excitedly, that Yes I did, and that I was dying to say something but thought she'd think I was being silly.”

The Same Experience

Only when they were leaving did they begin to compare what had happened, and the details didn’t just overlap, they matched. This is an interesting point because there have been plenty of spooky goings-on in the world, and I think it’s rare to have two people experience something that terrifies them to the depths of their very souls, and then not mention anything in the moment, or in the immediate moments that follow.

“She began to tell me some very similar experiences, like feeling a presence at the end of the beds, the mirror at the end of the bed moving (which didn't happen to me but the mirror being at the end of the bed was obviously in the area I didn’t like), the bathroom doorway and sleepless nights. She told me that night she awoke with a sudden jolt, she said she actually saw an old woman stood at the end of the bed, looking angry and deathly ill! She said she felt like this old woman didn't want us in that room.

That was the feeling I had all the time there. We were not wanted there. I couldn't believe what she was saying. My mouth dropped because I had felt very similar things and the old woman comparison was just plain weird.” “It's hard to explain and it's hard to convince someone that we honestly didn't tell each other anything until we were coming home. The shared experiences were uncanny and it scares me still to this day.

I only wish I was familiar with how to investigate, because I would have tried some experiments. At the time I was only just beginning to really get into that side of the paranormal. One day I would love to go back, get the same room and see if anything happens.”

I wish to add an important detail here: I have heard the accounts of both my sister and her friend, and a detail which I find fascinating: when my sister saw her friends eyes look different, when she jolted awake, my sister says her friends eyes were open and very scary looking. However, her friend is completely certain that her eyes were closed. Make of that what you will, Spooklings!

Final Thoughts

Some experiences are easy to dismiss and I don’t think this is one of them.

There’s no single dramatic moment, no clear explanation, just a series of consistent details experienced separately, in silence, and only confirmed when it was over.

Venice is a city layered with history; there are buildings that have stood for centuries, holding onto the lives that passed through them. Most of the time, that history stays where it belongs, but every now and then, in certain places, it seems to project itself onto living visitors (flirty).

And sometimes, the only sign is a feeling; a quiet, persistent, and impossible to ignore feeling that you’re not alone...

and that you were never welcome there at all.

Let me know your thoughts... Paranormally yours, with a spook and a wink 👻❤️ ParaTart 💀💋👹

[somersetparanormal]

Welcome to my Blog- Somerset Paranormal

Follow us as we share our researching, learning and hopefully investigating the paranormal in Somerset.

Sharing our evidence, photos, research, history and stories of the haunted hotpots around Somerset.

As well as sharing my photos, details and stories of some beautiful churches, castles, graveyards and buildings steeped in Somerset's rich and, in some parts bloody history..

See my other blog- Bath Paranormal

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If you have a story that could be featured or you need advice, please do contact me, as I have access to an experienced network of investigators, historians and researchers who maybe able to help..

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A lot of my photographs are now listed for license on Picfair, check out the link below if you are interested.

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I hope you will enjoy..

Thanks.

Penni

[themysticautistic]

I thought this was an interesting bit of information from the Chapman University. There are a lot more people who believe in some form of the paranormal than we may have thought. I always look for that rational explanation first, however when none is forthcoming we have to start looking elsewhere for our answers. Paranormal doesn't mean science wont be able to answer those questions one day, it's just that science cant answer them now. So, we call these highly unusual events Paranormal. It wasnt so long ago that some scientists insisted that the Sun travelled around the Earth! For now we know that these 'paranormal' occurances coincide with high EMF energy fluctuations, coincide with particular weather conditions. Investigators now have an arsenal of paranormal investigating equipment to use and results gained are of a much higher quality than say the 1990's. It's a hugely exciting time but you have to stay grounded and look for the rational reason for an event first. That way the evidence that you do collect will be of better and better quality and without any doubts attached to it. #paranormal #paranormalactivity #spooky #paranormalinvestigation #paranormalresearch #halloween #psychic https://www.instagram.com/p/B398qW3HNGS/?igshid=1w847gbjeost4

[paratart]

The Stone Tape Theory: Ghosts on Earth’s Oldest Recording Device... kinda, sort of, maybe...

If you’ve ever been in a creepy old castle, wandered through a haunted house, or just watched way too many paranormal TV shows (guilty!), you’ve probably heard of ghosts doing one of two things. Sometimes they act like actual people; they chat, they respond, they maybe even throw a plate across the kitchen for funsies. And then there are the other ghosts, the ones that don’t seem to notice that you’re even there. They walk the same hallway every night, cry the same cry, slam the same door, like they’re trapped in an eternal rerun of a very depressing sitcom.

Paranormal investigators call these residual hauntings, which are ghosts that seem like recordings rather than conscious spirits. This is where the delightfully weird Stone Tape Theory struts in, and we have to ask ourselves an uncomfortable question: “What if the walls are recording everything, like spooky cassette tapes?” - I'll never have sex again if it is real...

A Rock Solid Hypothesis (Sort Of)

The Stone Tape Theory suggests that certain materials, such as stone, brick, wood, even the God given soil, might be able to absorb emotional energy from traumatic or highly charged events. Think murder, heartbreak, or your ancestor stubbing their toe in 1782 and screaming fashionable expletives dramatically. This energy supposedly gets imprinted into the environment, like hitting “record.” Later, under just the right conditions, the stone “plays it back,” and voilà - you’ve got yourself a ghostly apparition or a disembodied voice echoing down the hall.

Sounds absolutely mad, right? Well, here’s the funny thing: it’s not entirely out of the blue. We already use magnetic tape to record sound and film. Quartz crystals power watches because of their piezoelectric effect; they literally respond to pressure with electricity. It’s not that big of a leap to wonder: could nature’s building blocks also hold onto energy in a way we just don’t understand yet?

The BBC Made It Famous

The idea existed before, but the actual name Stone Tape Theory comes from a 1972 BBC Christmas ghost story called 'The Stone Tape'. In the drama, scientists investigate a haunted house and theorise that the stone walls have recorded past events, playing them back. It was meant to be a work of creepy fiction, but paranormal investigators and ghost enthusiasts everywhere went, “Hold on, that actually makes sense.” Thus the Stone Tape Theory became a paranormal staple.

How It Plays Out in the Wild

Let’s put this into a ghost-hunting scenario. Imagine you’re exploring an abandoned Victorian asylum (because of course you are). Suddenly, you hear faint screams echoing through the halls, followed by the sound of chains rattling. You whip around with your EMF detector, there's nothing. You call out, “Is anyone there?” and get no reply.

This is classic Stone Tape material. The theory would say those screams aren’t conscious ghosts yelling at you. Instead, the stone walls soaked up decades of human suffering (grim) and occasionally spit them back out when the conditions are just right; humidity, temperature, maybe even the emotional energy of visitors could unknowingly trigger the spooky soundbites. Kind of like the asylum is haunted Spotify, except you don’t get to pick the playlist and you're way more likely to shit your pantaloons.

Why It Feels Plausible

Let’s be honest: scientifically, there’s no evidence that stone walls can record and replay human experiences. But here’s why the idea is so stubbornly appealing:

We already record sound and visuals on physical media. Magnetic tape stores sound waves. Vinyl records trap vibrations. CDs encode data with lasers. Why couldn’t nature have its own weird format?

Quartz and other minerals do weird energy tricks. The piezoelectric effect is real. Quartz under pressure creates electrical charges. Ghost hunters love pointing at quartz veins or limestone under haunted sites as “proof” that the environment is charged.

Electromagnetic fields mess with us. Studies show EMFs can cause people to feel uneasy or see things. If stones can influence EMF fields, who’s to say they aren’t triggering spooky playbacks?

Our brains love patterns. Humans are wired to make sense of random noises or shadows. So even if the stone isn’t “playing” anything, we might interpret creaks and echoes as ghostly recordings.

In other words, the Stone Tape Theory might not be science, but it’s a very tidy way to package the mystery of residual hauntings.

The Paranormal Playlist

The theory is usually used to explain why some ghosts are so boringly repetitive. These aren’t Casper-types who interact or respond to your questions. They’re more like holographic reruns: the lady in white who always crosses the hallway at midnight, the phantom horse that gallops past the old stable, or the echo of soldiers marching long after the battle’s over. These hauntings don’t change, don’t notice you, and don’t do anything new. They’re stuck.

So… Is It Real?

Here’s the verdict:

Science says "nope". There’s no evidence that stones are cosmic recorders.

Paranormal enthusiasts say "maybe". It explains too much ghostly behaviour to dismiss outright. Plus, we still don’t understand everything about consciousness, energy, or how environments affect us.

Pop culture says "yes, please". From The Stone Tape to The Haunting of Hill House, this idea has legs. Creepy, stone-carved legs.

Closing Thoughts (and Rocks That Rock)

Whether you believe in it or not, the Stone Tape Theory is one of those paranormal ideas that perfectly blends spooky folklore with just enough pseudo-science to keep people talking. It lets us imagine that buildings aren’t just bricks and mortar; maybe they’re silent witnesses, storing human drama like the world’s oldest reality TV archive... how disturbing.

So next time you hear footsteps in an empty hallway, don’t panic. Maybe you’ve just stumbled onto the ghostly equivalent of a replay button. If your house starts playing back your teenage angst years, then you have my condolences. Some hauntings are scarier than others.

Until Next time... Spook you later, Spooklings!

ParaTart 💀👻☠️🧡

[paratart]

The Monroe House: Where Darkness Lives

Perched at the top of a hill in Hartford City, Indiana, the Monroe House looks, at first glance, like any other old home. Its weathered siding, sagging porch, and peeling paint could almost be charming - if you ignore the feeling that the shadows linger a little too long, that the air feels heavier, that the house itself seems to be holding its breath. Locals whisper about it, sometimes calling it the Demon House, and almost everyone who has spent more than a few hours inside carries a story of dread.

A History of Dread

The house’s origins stretch back to the mid-1800s, but its history is tangled, dark, and largely undocumented. What is known is that very few people have been able to live there for long. In the earliest records, tenants would move in only to leave within a year, citing anxiety, strange sounds, or inexplicable fear. By the twentieth century, stories of occult activity and violent events began to surface, cementing the house’s reputation. It is not simply haunted; it is oppressive, as though the building itself wants you gone.

Shadows and Bones

The basement is the heart of the horror. Investigators and brave trespassers alike have described a crawlspace that pulses with malevolence. Air grows thick and almost unbreathable; the darkness seems to have weight. In one instance, human remains were discovered beneath; bones buried for a century, their origin forever mysterious. It is impossible to know whether these deaths were accidental, violent, or part of something more sinister – but they cast a long shadow over the house. Some have fled the basement, shrieking, refusing ever to speak of what they experienced. Others return with pale faces, trembling hands, and stories they cannot quite put into words.

Above ground, the hauntings are just as unsettling. Witnesses have reported figures that vanish when approached: a young girl staring silently from an upstairs window, her pale face frozen in sorrow or malice, and an elderly woman in black who glides across the top floor, always at the edge of vision. Voices echo in empty rooms, sometimes calling a name, sometimes whispering indecipherable phrases, sometimes screaming in anguish. Footsteps follow you where no one else walks, doors swing open and closed on their own, and objects vanish or appear inexplicably. Even electrical equipment fails in the house, lights flickering or short-circuiting for no reason at all. It's as if the house actively resists being studied or understood.

Investigators Who Never Forgot

Investigators have recounted nights that would unsettle even the most hardened paratarts. Cameras capture fleeting shadows. Motion detectors trip when no one is near. One investigator, alone in the basement, reported the air turning icy, a sense of eyes on her, and the sudden, inexplicable activation of a cat toy left on the floor. The atmosphere is so heavy that it seems to press against your chest, stealing your breath and your resolve. Many who enter after dark refuse to stay past midnight (I think I'd have the same rule); some leave after only an hour (more likely what I'd do, while screeching). The Monroe House does not welcome guests – it tests them.

Tragedy and destruction attract to the house like moths to a flame. Fires have broken out without explanation; past occupants have suffered mental trauma, despair, or even death. Some families who lived there reported intense periods of illness, accidents, and relentless misfortune. The house itself seems to absorb pain and project it outward. Rooms rot, floors sag, and light hesitates to linger inside. Even when the house has been partially destroyed by fire, the evil remains, lingering in the charred beams and damp walls.

A House That Haunts

Speculation abounds regarding the source of the house’s malevolence. Occult rituals, deliberate harm, or ancient curses may all play a role. Perhaps the bones in the basement are evidence of ritual sacrifices, perhaps of accidental deaths long forgotten. Perhaps the house sits atop something older, something that resents intruders. Whatever the case, it is clear that the house is more than haunted – it is aware, and it has a history of influencing those who enter. The unknown stretches far wider than the documented events, and imagination alone can turn a creaking floorboard into a scream.

Perhaps what terrifies most about the Monroe House is not the shadows, not the whispers, not even the sight of the pale girl in the window. It is the sense that the house itself remembers, that it carries the weight of every death, every ritual, every moment of despair ever endured within its walls. It is a structure built to contain horror, and it succeeds beyond measure.

Those who avoid the house entirely may think it's merely a story, a local legend amplified over time. But too many have entered, returned, and spoken of the same experiences in slightly different words for it to be mere coincidence. The human mind is excellent at creating fear, but it is also excellent at recognising the real thing when it stares you in the face – or hovers just behind, in the corner of a room, watching... not creepy at all.

Sceptical Theories: The “Less Demonic” Explanations

Not everyone believes the Monroe House is crawling with demons. For every ghost hunter with a spirit box, there’s a sceptic pointing at the boiler and muttering, “Your demon sounds a lot like faulty plumbing.”

Old House, Old Problems

The house is from the 1800s, and old wood groans like it’s auditioning for a horror film. Pipes rattle, floorboards sigh, and drafts howl through gaps in the walls. To believers, that’s supernatural. To sceptics, it’s just physics.

Poison, Not Possession

Another theory blames carbon monoxide leaks. Gas exposure can cause hallucinations, paranoia, and the classic “something’s watching me” feeling.

The Bones Below

The bones in the basement certainly complicate things. But sceptics argue that unmarked graves and discarded remains aren’t unheard of in old Midwestern towns. Disturbing? Yes. Proof of a hellmouth? Not necessarily.

Power of Suggestion

Tell someone a house is “a portal to Hell,” and suddenly every shadow looks like Satan’s intern. Paranormal gadgets bleep at the faintest interference, and investigators arrive already primed for terror. It’s the classic case of seeing what you expect to see.

Fear Sells

Finally, there’s the money angle. A creaky old house doesn’t draw visitors, but a “demon house” does. More cameras, more tourists, more cash. A sceptic might call it clever marketing wrapped in a ghost story.

In the end, sceptics don’t deny that the Monroe House is frightening – they just say the scariest thing inside might be our own imaginations. And maybe the heating system.

Final Thoughts

The Monroe House is not merely haunted. It is a house that haunts. It tests sanity, patience, courage. It invites you in and waits, patient, like an apex predator in a weathered coat of wood and plaster. It is a house where nightmares feel at home.

If you find yourself in Hartford City, Indiana, remember this: the hill with the Monroe House is not a place to picnic or take a scenic photograph. The basement is forbidden. The upper floors are best left to the shadows. And whatever you do, don’t peer into the attic at midnight. The pale girl might be waiting – and she is not alone.

Sleep well, if you can. The Monroe House is always awake.

XOXO, your local ParaTart 👻💀❤️☠️

[ghosthuntersequipment]

Ghost Hunting Safety Tips: What Every Investigator Must Know

The scariest part of a ghost hunt is rarely the ghost; it's the dark staircase you didn't see, the unstable floor you didn't test, or going solo without telling anyone. Ghost hunting is thrilling, but without the right safety habits, it turns dangerous fast. Read More -

Ghost Hunting Safety Tips: What Every Investigator Must Know

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[ghosthuntersequipment]

Para4ce PRS REM Static | Ghost Hunting Paranormal Device

Para4ce PRS senses static energy and REM activity with 8 LED lights and audio alerts. A handcrafted ghost hunting sensor trusted by investigators worldwide. Shop Now -

Para4ce REM Static - The PRS

Para4ce PRS senses static energy and REM activity with 8 LED lights and audio alerts. A handcrafted ghost hunting sensor trusted by investig

[ghosthuntersequipment]

Ghost Hunting Safety Tips: Physical and Spiritual Precautions Every Investigator Should Know

Nobody talks about the moment a ghost hunter sprains an ankle in a pitch-black hallway, falls through a rotting floorboard, or comes home from an investigation feeling drained and unlike themselves for days.

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Ghost Hunting Safety Tips: Physical and Spiritual Precautions Every Investigator Should Know

  Nobody talks about the moment a ghost hunter sprains an ankle in a pitch-black hallway, falls through a rotting floorboard, or comes home