Burham House Sociology

Many legends of hauntings in Mankato, Minnesota have been told time after time. Though many people tell these stories, it is unknown to whether or not they are true. In this research paper, I will discuss several different legends that have been told throughout time in Mankato. The legends I will further examine are: the legend of Sibley Park, the Memorial Library on campus, the Carnegie Art Center, and the Witch’s Grave. Being that I am from Mankato, Minnesota, I thought it would be very interesting to research more about these legends and the experiences had in these places. Though I, myself, have not experienced anything completely unusual in these places, many people in the town have another experience. Memorates, or accounts of first hand

The haunting then started to revolve more around daughter, Betsy. Mental Floss states that the family would hear strange tapping and faint singing, identified as an old woman. The children's blankets and pillows were tugged

The laundry room is used for staff to demonstrate how it was used in the 1800s. Its resident ghost threads needles and collects loose buttons and strings them together. Some people think it’s the kitchen ghost who does these things. Witnesses have

The Ghost Map has become an iconic document. Dr. John Snow created this map as supplementary evidence for his South London case, as the basic technique of population statistics measuring the incidence of a given phenomenon had entered the mainstream

Unexplainable singularities are inevitable. Society does not have the solution to every dilemma or anomaly that transpires. Undeniably, two fields of study that still has unidentified surfaces are the human psyche and supernatural activity. Scientists and researchers, regarding the psychology of the mind and supernatural happenstance, uncover new data and statistics every day. A psychological disorder can develop at any junction in a person’s life and encompass peculiar behavior in the way a person feels, thinks, and acts. In the novella, “The Queen of Spades” by Alexander Pushkin there are several key elements that provide the reader with enough data to formulate that the main character’s mental stability triggers the manifestation of the late Countess. Conversely, Stanley Kubrick’s movie adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, “The Shining,” demonstrates strong indications of the supernatural.

The Winchester house is one of the oddest and one of most haunted houses in the world. It is located in northern California. It cost over $20,000,000 to make. The owner, Mrs. Winchester, was rich because her family made the Winchester repeating rifle known as “The gun that won the west”. The house has 160 rooms and there are spirits in each room. The builders had to keep remaking rooms that if Mrs. Winchester kept them all she would have 600 rooms. So when they were done with the house, which took over 30 years to make, there were stairs that led to the ceiling and doors that led to walls.

“A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house” (Gilman 792) shows readers that the house is big, but also that something is off about it. To go further in detail, the room the protagonist stays in is described as a “big, airy room, the whole floor nearly, with windows that look all ways” (793). This just goes to show that the protagonist is lonely and that the house doesn’t help her case. The setting has a feeling of being trapped when she describes more of her room. “The floor is scratched and gouged and splintered” (795) and “this great immovable bed --- it is nailed

Race is a social construct. A social construct is a social category used to group people by certain traits: class, race, gender, sexuality, etc. In The House I Live In, a documentary on the War on Drugs, race determines whether or not a person ends up in jail. In Fruitvale Station, race determines whether or not a person gets to live. In The Freedom Writers, race determines a person’s educational opportunities.

A less realistic reason for this might be a fictional ghost taking control of the , but the obvious explanation

Throughout the episode there are a variety of technology used to help the investigators prove that there is a ghost present. Grant Wilson, the co-founder of TAPS “hopes to prove that paranormal investigation is a worthwhile science” (“Altoona Tantrum.”). The team utilizes a lot of high tech equipment when investigating a haunt. They typically must adapt equipment used for other purposes to fit their paranormal needs. Some of the devices they use include: wireless cameras, electronic voice phenomena (EVP) devices and electronic magnetic field (EMF) devices. It seems that the primary goal for many of the investigators and those who watch the show is to gain physical, recorded evidence that either confirms or denies the existence of ghost and therefore proves the existence of life after death. The use of technology takes a subject that may be viewed as nonsense or irrational and grounds it in modern society. Eaton writes that “[o]n the surface, use of technology appear[s] to be solely driven by a desire to accumulate empirical data for scientific purposes. However, this reliance on technology drew upon the legitimacy of scientific discourse” (Eaton 406). This episode blended science and religion while dealing with the paranormal. The team investigated using the equipment described above, but they also had one of their

There is no perfect model to explain abnormal behaviours. Similarly, the supernatural model has a number of strengths and weaknesses.

Paranormal activity has been a hot topic worldwide for decades. Horror movies, novels, and television shows have been based on myths, legends, and even stories that are claimed to be true. Many debate over the authenticity of the stories and the existence of apparitions altogether due to the popularity of these stories. Author Joe Nickell, a stage magician, private investigator, and journalist argues that his experience with apparitions proves that paranormal accounts are entirely false, specifically involving notoriously haunted hotels, inns, and other lodgings. He offers several premises to debunk the ghostly accounts of people worldwide, using quotes and analysis

When it comes to theories and the fundamentals that they depict, we always wonder just how true can theories be. Often, we find ourselves believing the theory because it gives us some type of hope, or it can help to justify certain events. However, to truly understand whether a theory is real or not, we must be able to think critically. When it comes to this process, we must take these steps into consideration such as consistency, evidence, competing alternatives, and adequacy. The theory that the Mansfield State reformatory housed paranormal activity, and how volunteers have experienced this phenomenon. Leads us to question whether this theory is real, or could it be explained due to other causal factors.

Ghosts, as with any other misunderstood group or people, have been preyed upon by others without understanding. The lack of knowledge about ghosts and haunting activity has led people astray as to what they really are. What Hollywood and television portrays is very inaccurate and cannot be relied upon as truthful. They show these spirits of the dead as being evil in nature, filled with malice and harmful intent. But that this is not the case. The field of paranormal activity is amazing. It has caught the imagination of people from every walk of life. It has always interested me and has influenced me to pick this as the topic for my research. Through this research I wish to uncover the truth about the existence of ghosts.

Dunwich, Gerina. "Ghostly Superstitions." A Witch's Guide to Ghosts and the Supernatural. Franklin Lakes, NJ: New Page, 2002. 162. Print.