Paranormal Investigation Bucket List (Extreme Edition)

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Top 10 Tuesday Time!

One of the questions that you always see being asked of paranormal enthusiasts and investigators is this: If you could investigate any place in the world, where would it be? There are literally hundreds of places that come to mind for me...I love investigating historic properties and there are so many great locations out there that have a lot of potential. But, after much consideration, I've narrowed down my paranormal 'bucket list' to ten locations. I tried to pick locations that were kind of extreme---places that I'm extremely unlikely to ever get a chance to visit, let alone investigate. It's fun to dream, though, right?

Let me know in the comments below what locations are on YOUR paranormal investigation bucket list!

1. Poveglia---Italy's famous Plague Island is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in the world. With a history of sickness, insanity, and death going back hundreds of years, the isolation alone of this island makes me immediately want to go there! As of right now, public access is limited at best, though. Maybe Zak Bagans can hook me up, lol...

2. The White House---The White House is one of America's most historic locations, and if you believe the slew of stories and legends, its also one of the most haunted! Of course, I'm drawn to the history and the potential to meet the spirit of a former president, but I have another reason for wanting to investigate here: just to say that I did! I would love to be the first private citizen to be able to publicly investigate and publish any findings. Even if I wasn't allowed to publish any data or even admit that that I was there, I'd still jump at the chance.

3. Disney World/Disneyland---The Happiest Place(s) on Earth have some pretty dark elements to their history, and various locations at the different parks have a reputation for being haunted. My favorite attraction is the Haunted Mansion...and maybe believe that it may actually BE HAUNTED. At Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion was used as the dumping grounds for the ashes of a deceased young boy by his distraught mother. After this was done, staff claim to have seen the ghostly image of the little boy...among other REAL phantoms. Make sure you click on the link to read more about the Disney ghosts. The ghost stories about various attractions are pretty well-known, but I don't ever see Disney tarnishing their family-fun facade with publicizing any actual paranormal investigations on park property.

4. Western Regional Jail---This jail, located in Barboursville, WV is just a short drive away from me. Built atop the site of a relocated cemetery and home to many, many untimely deaths during its years in operation, Western Regional has racked up plenty of ghostly tales. One of my favorite stories came from a former Correctional Officer who had to deal with a phantom inmate asking for a shaving kit! Since this is an active facility, and I don't plan on being arrested any time soon, chances are doubtful that I'll be experiencing the ghosts here for myself.

5. McMurdo Station---McMurdo Station is a research facility located in Antarctica, so yeah...the logistics of getting permission and traveling to the site just aren't going to happen! The stories from this location are interesting, though. Some of the ghostly sightings and experiences may be the result of a plane crash nearby, but what about the others?

6. Titanic Underwater Site---Again, this would be a complete logistical and financial nightmare, lol. Plus, I'm not SCUBA certified and quite honestly, am a little scared of being in the ocean. But how cool would it be to conduct an underwater investigation of such a historic site?  Luckily, there are several exhibits that house Titanic artifacts that claim to be haunted. Some of those locations may actually be in reach.

7. Chernobyl/Pripyat---A radioactive town left stuck in time? Evidence already collected from several teams allowed in? This is a place I WANT to be, but probably never will. Even if I could secure permission to enter the site and investigate, my funding for a trip to eastern Europe is a little low right now.

8. Tower of London---Honestly, I don't see myself being able to travel anywhere out of country for an investigation, but if I could, I'd definitely want to start in Great Britain. The Tower of London has so much history, much of it rather violent, and there are any number of ghost stories that would make a great focus for a ghost hunt. Maybe one day.

9. The Amityville Horror House---I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding the events that took place with the Lutzes in this home. I am in the camp who believes that most, if not all, of what they claimed was entirely fictional...but that doesn't mean there ISN'T anything going on here! A family was brutally murdered here, which could definitely lead to some potential paranormal activity. Plus, how cool would it be to get to investigate such a well-known, but now off-limits location? *Bonus: Check out the facts behind this creepy photo caught during an investigation of the Amityville home---Amityville Demon Boy Photo.

10. The Library of Congress---I am a certified bibliophile and cannot get enough of libraries and books. Some of my favorite spooky spots are haunted libraries and this king of all libraries has so many treasures that I'd probably be too busy snooping around the collection that I'd miss any ghosts! Still, it would be cool to say that I investigated here, since I highly doubt I'd ever be granted permission to do so.

Want more of Theresa's Favorite Haunts? Here's my picks for Top 10 Most Haunted Places in the World!

Theresa's Top 10 Most Haunted Places in the World

It's been awhile since I've done a Top 10 Tuesday here on Theresa's Haunted History, but this week its appropriate! If you read yesterday's blog, you know that I'll be on Paraversal Universe Radio this Friday (22 April 2016 at 8pm EST), discussing the world's most haunted places with Gavin Lee Davies and Jason Bland. Each of us were asked to compile our own list of the ten most haunted locations throughout the WORLD, so we can compare and discuss on Friday.

Ya'll know how hard it was for me to come up with my top 50 locations in the United States! The task of narrowing down just ten locations worldwide is overwhelmingly difficult, firstly because how do you even gauge the 'hauntedness' of a location? Until we fully understand the mechanics and the reasoning behind a haunting, and start producing evidence that holds up to scientific scrutiny, the subject is largely...well...subjective.  Therefore, my list is going to be pretty subjective, and quite honestly, probably a little ethnocentric, ie, heavy on not only American locations, but locations within or near the tri-state area!

In order to narrow my list down, I'll be looking at the following criteria:
1. How popular or well known is the location? Do people hear this location's name and automatically associate it with ghosts and hauntings?

2. How often has it actually been investigated or explored? Do those who investigate this location find consistently 'good' evidence that stands up to peer review? Do visitors routinely report experiences?

3. What are the stories associated with this location? Why do people believe this place is haunted to begin with...and how much of it is supported by historical documentation?

4. How intense is the suspected paranormal activity? Is it truly frightening? Does it happen on a regular basis? How likely are you to actually have an experience or capture potential evidence at this location?

5. Duration:  How long has this place been known to be haunted? Are the stories and/or experiences new, or have they been around for awhile?

I'll also be taking into consideration the TYPE of haunting or activity. Some locations might not necessarily have a strong, intelligent presence, but instead be saturated with emotions and energy from a past event--to the point that even those who don't consider themselves sensitive to such things can pick up on it. Some of these locations might even have a reputation for being home to entities other than human. I'll be discussing a mix of places where I have personally already investigated, and places that are on my paranormal investigation bucket list. And, obviously, this list is subject to change at a moment's notice, based on my whims, lol. And with that....here are:

MY Top 10 Most Haunted Locations in the World! In no particular order:
1. Highgate Cemetery, England
2. The Tower of London, England
3. The White House, USA
4. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, USA
5. WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville, USA
6. Poveglia Island, Italy
7. Pripyat/Chernobyl, Ukraine
8. Aokigahara Forest, Japan
9. Gettysburg, USA
10. Island of the Dolls, Mexico

One obvious omission from the list is any examples from the continent of Africa. In a place of some pretty violent history and where people are still put to death over allegations of witchcraft, I honestly cannot think of any locations that would fit my criteria off the top of my head.  I think I foresee some investigative research and a series of blog posts coming up soon about this!

Anyway, let me know what you think of this list! I've still got a few days to make final changes, so hop on over to Facebook and give me your thoughts. Happy Haunting!