True Ghost Stories
by Hereward Carrington (1880–1959)
- Free to read
- 3 hours to read
- 7 chapters
- Reading level: 8th & 9th grade
"True Ghost Stories" by Hereward Carrington is a collection of allegedly real ghost stories and accounts of supernatural experiences written in the early 20th century. The work compiles authentic and well-documented instances of ghostly phenomena, aiming to present not mundane fiction but narratives grounded in investigative findings from psychical research. Carrington, an advocate for the study of psychical phenomena, uses this collection to explore various theories regarding the existence and nature of ghosts, as well as the human experiences associated with such encounters. The opening of the text delves into the concept of ghosts, discussing their historical prevalence across cultures and the instinctive human fear of the dark. The author introduces various cases that illustrate the fear and fascination associated with ghostly appearances, such as a personal account wherein an apparition snuffs out a light in the protagonist's bedroom, leaving them in total darkness and terror. Carrington also reflects on the nature of apparitions, suggesting that many ghostly experiences can be understood through recent scientific theories, including telepathy and hallucinations. Overall, the beginning serves to set the groundwork for a deeper inquiry into the mysteries of the supernatural, piquing the reader's interest in the scientifically grounded exploration that follows.
Read the opening
Chapter I
WHAT IS A GHOST?
Ghosts have been believed in by every nation, at every time and at every stage of the world's evolution. No matter where we may go, we find them stalking through the pages of history;[1] and even in our own cynical and materialistic age, we not only find "ghosts" still; but the evidence for their existence is stronger than ever! It is nonsense to say that "no sensible person believes in ghosts," because many thousands of them do. Why do they believe? Would they believe if they had no cause to do so?
[1] See Appendix A.
The "terror of the dark," which we all have more or less, from which every child suffers (how intensely!) during its early years—a terror which is, to a certain extent, shared by animals and even insects—does all this signify nothing? Those who have looked into this question thoroughly, believe that there is, in every truth, a terrible reality justifying this instinctive fear; that evil and horrible things lurk about us in the still, weird hours of the night; that there are truly "powers and principalities" with which we often toy, without knowing or realizing the frightful dangers which result from this tampering with the unseen world. Yes; there is a true "tyranny of the dark." Phenomena and ghostly manifestations take place in darkness which would never occur in light; and which cease when a light is struck. All ghostly phenomena are associated with darkness, and the "wee small hours of the night."
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About this edition
This free edition of True Ghost Stories by Hereward Carrington comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #44625, released 2014-01-08. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Mythology, Legends & Folklore.
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