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What makes a building haunted? Moments of tragedy, where a life is ripped from our world, often leave behind a spectral marker. The spirit returns, bound to where its living form last drew breath.
Ghosts may also revisit somewhere with strong emotional ties, like love for an old home or memories burned into a favorite vacation getaway. Then again, there’s always the possibility that the location isn’t a factor at all, and the source of a manifestation is an object that is, in a way, possessed.
Possessed objects aren’t quite like human possessions. There’s no intent to manipulate or siphon energy. It’s not even what many would consider a real possession, but rather an attachment to a physical artifact. Known as “anchor objects,” they’re unique, serving as both a prison and a means of conveyance for ethereal entities.
An anchor object refers to an item of personal significance that a ghost has become bound to. Often, this refers to family heirlooms or something with an emotional history.
However, an anchor can be something present during an individual’s passing, especially if their death was traumatic. Some ghosts may be protective of their anchor object, though it’s believed that some are cursed by an external force and seek release.
An anchor object isn’t to be confused with a trigger object, which is an item that isn’t inherently haunted but elicits a strong emotional response from a spirit. Paranormal researchers use trigger objects to manifest a spirit, whereas the spirit is already present in an anchor object.
The concept of a haunted object isn’t all that different from a haunted house. In both cases, a spirit is bound to a physical thing. While a ghost haunting a location may be free to wander beyond it, the root of the activity is a specific building. Apparitions tied to an object are less likely to wander.
The activity that presents with either haunting is generally identical, which can make it difficult to determine whether it’s the building that’s haunted or something inside.
There are a few markers that can help make the distinction. These include:
- History of the object
- History of the location
- Sensations near the object
- Proximity of the activity to the object
Knowing where an item came from or who owned it beforehand can offer a clue as to whether it’s an anchor object. Think of a brooch worn daily by a widow for decades to memorialize her husband. Maybe he gave it to her, or it represents an aspect of his life.
Not only would she have a strong connection to it after wearing it for so long, but it also has an emotional backstory.
If activity manifested after her passing, uncovering the object’s history would hint at the source of the haunting. This is especially true if the location where the brooch is stored has a relatively uneventful past.
It’s not uncommon to have a physiological response to a spirit. Sometimes, your hair will stand on end. Maybe you get a little lightheaded or feel a chill through your body.
The same responses would happen near an anchor object. If you constantly feel an unusual sensation when you approach an otherwise unremarkable item, there may be a spirit bound to it.
Conversely, should the same sensations be present in different parts of a building, it’s more likely that the location is haunted. You can test this by moving the allegedly afflicted item to another location.
If the sensation follows, there’s likely a spirit attached.
When a ghost is bound to a building, unless it’s a residual haunt replaying the same echo, it’s often free to roam throughout. You may see an apparition near the kitchen of a bar, while another patron describes seeing the same translucent figure in a bathroom across the building.
With anchor objects, haunts are more localized to the item. Spirit activity occurs in close proximity, rarely extending beyond the immediate space. If there is a strong energy, the spirit may use that to haunt beyond its confines, but that would be temporary and infrequent.
The most frightening thing about an anchor object is that you don’t know you’re near one until it’s too late. There’s no immediate sign, and contrary to what movies and video games suggest, these haunted items don’t glow.
While no one can shield you from every ghostly possession in the world, there are a few key anchor objects we can warn you about or, if you’re a curious soul with a penchant for the weird and unusual, guide you toward.
EXAMPLES:
Lily Host A Ghost Doll
While the modern incarnation of Lily isn’t one singular anchor object, the historical inspiration was.
Legend has it that Lily was a 17th-century handmade figure that showed up on the doorstep of a paranormal research group. She was left with simple instructions: Keep her away from mirrors.
Fashioned after the villainous Elizabeth Bàthory de Eased, an alleged serial killer, the doll was known to interfere with electronics and emanate an aroma of burnt toast or sweet fruit. No one ever uncovered who inhabited the old doll.
Today, the Lily Host a Ghost doll commemorates the otherworldly figurine. Many believe even this seasonal mimic has something mischievous lying within.
Pearls Of Death
When the Warrens oversaw their Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, they sought to keep the worst of the spirit realm locked away.
Among their collection of artifacts, which includes the infamous Annabelle doll, is a set of pearls affectionately known as the Pearls of Death.
When and how they came into possession of this deadly accessory is just as mysterious as the ghost who haunts it. Unusual for anchor objects, which don’t tend to harm the living, the Pearls of Death are said to try to strangle all who wear them.
Clearly, someone is unhappy that their pearls are on another’s body.
The Devil’s Rocking Chair
Popularized by The Conjuring 3, the Devil’s Rocking Chair was present during the alleged exorcism of David Glatzel. After the Warrens performed the exorcism, some say the demon possessed Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who murdered his landlord shortly after.
However, legend suggests “the beast” is bound to the chair itself.
There have been reports of people seeing a shadowy figure in or near the chair. Those unfortunate enough to have sat in it complained of sudden back pain. In rare instances, the affliction was so intense that it required medical intervention.
Myrtles Plantation Mirror
Myrtles Plantation is one of the most haunted locations in the world, and there is a bounty of activity throughout. Still, this infamous mirror tends to draw attention for the handprints said to appear at random.
According to local lore, a servant woman named Chloe baked a birthday cake laced with poison either as revenge against her master, Clark Woodruff, or to make the family ill and prove her worth by caring for them.
Regardless of the reason, Sara Woodruff and her children died.
To prevent their spirits from being trapped, every mirror in the house was covered in cloth. All but one. It’s said that Sara’s soul is now forever trapped within the mirror. She’s been known to distort faces, scuff the glass, and even appear in the reflection.
Anna Baker’s Wedding Dress
The tale of Anna Baker is full of a sorrow so strong that many believe the young maiden still feels it over a century later.
The dress at Pennsylvania’s Baker Mansion was meant to be for Anna’s wedding to a lowly steelworker. Her father disapproved of the union and forced the groom-to-be out of his daughter’s life.
Anna never recovered, locking herself in her room. There she stayed, her dress in hand, until her death. Her spirit hovers around the old gown, with some witnesses claiming to have seen the tragic bride wearing it.
Severing the tie between the spirit and the item it possesses is no easy feat. In most cases, you need to know who haunts it in order to help them cut the emotional tie.
Even then, there’s no guarantee.
You can try cleansing rituals with sage or salt, but that may not be enough if the connection is strong. Rituals can also have an adverse effect and anger the spirit. Sometimes, a ghost needs to be coaxed out by direct communication.
The goal is to try to help them transition from our realm and finally find peace.
There are so many uncertainties to every method of unbinding a soul. Unless the object is causing harm or the spirit communicates its desire for freedom, it’s sometimes best to let it lie.
Whatever you do, never break a haunted item. Not only do you not know what you’re suddenly releasing into the world, but you also don’t know the spirit’s emotional connection to the object.
Hauntings come in a number of forms. Spirits may roam a space free, unfettered to any one particular location. Others are bound to a small area, somewhere of significance in those final moments of life. Then there are those tethered to an inanimate object, anchored to our world through emotional ties or a long-forgotten curse.
https://usghostadventures.com/haunted-stories/understanding-ghost-anchor-objects-and-why-they-matter/