Читать книгу Real Hauntings 5-Book Bundle - Mark Leslie - Страница 45

I am someone who believes in ghosts.

Heck, I not only believe in ghosts, but I’m afraid of the dark. So why would I be interested in writing books that include ghost stories and other ghastly tales? I have thought about it and been regularly asked the question, but I honestly can’t tell you. I can tell you that I have always been fascinated with eerie things that linger, hidden in the thick darkness of night, with the awe-inducing and overwhelming fear of the unknown.

A common logical next question from people, upon hearing this, is usually: Have you ever seen a ghost yourself?

I truly can’t say.

And that is perhaps because that while I believe in ghosts, I haven’t decided for myself what I believe they are. Is a ghost the manifestation of a spirit trapped on earth, a lost soul unable to completely shuck off their mortal coil? Or is a ghost more like the remnants of an intense traumatic moment, filled with the most powerful intensity of human emotion; enough intensity to leave a lasting echo in the fabric of space and time, so that what people are seeing when they see a ghost is more like some sort of video loop of that significant event? Or are ghosts things that are created via particular environmental triggers that stimulate particular elements of the electricity or chemistry that make up our brains and our consciousness?

Perhaps. Perhaps ghosts are sometimes one, sometimes another.

Why do some people see or witness paranormal phenomenon while others do not? I believe that, in the same way that some people have particularly refined or heightened senses, perhaps there are those who are more in tune with a type of sense that can detect either an earth-bound spirit or the ripple of energy bound to a “haunted” location. Think about a sommelier — a trained wine professional who can taste a wine and come up with such complex and detailed tasting notes as “cranberry, birch, cloves and just a back-palate hint of rich earthy tones” while others, like me, merely nod and say something like, “that wine is good; a little sweet, a little fruity.” Are there folks who, like a sommelier, can see or detect things that the average person isn’t able to?

Perhaps.

One of the reasons I believe in ghosts and that there are people who are more likely to experience ghosts is because I, like Hamlet, believe that there are “more things in heaven and earth … than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” There are certain math problems whose answers I just can’t see. Elements of physics and chemistry fall outside my ability to comprehend. There are a multitude of languages that other humans speak which I fail to grasp; just as there are computer codes and algorithms that I couldn’t even begin to build an understanding of. But just because I can’t comprehend or explain those things doesn’t mean they don’t exist, or that others can’t understand them. And, while science hasn’t yet offered us any proof of the existence of ghosts or what they might be, it might be something that comes, with time.

Another thing I know is that virtually every culture on this planet has some sort of legend, belief, or religion that includes spirits or spirit-like entities, such as animals or objects. So, I remain open-minded.

However, I am also aware that charlatans exist, those who are more interested in tricking others, either for money or attention. And so, when researching ghosts, I approach each subject with an open mind but a skeptic’s reservation. I look for logical or mundane explanations for a phenomenon. Where one is found I do try to shine a light upon it. But I also enjoy the speculation that comes with unsolved mysteries, and the “what if?” questions that sometimes arise.

This book doesn’t just talk about ghosts, but also the ghastly events that are often found inside a rich and intriguing ghost story. Think about the beheading and dismemberment of poor Mary Gallagher, whose ghost and legend lingers in Griffintown. Sometimes these ghastly events have no accompanying ghost stories. These tales shock, stun, and disturb us. But, like ghost stories, we are drawn to these dark and nasty tales. Does that make us evil or disturbed? Or is it merely an element of human nature to seek them out? Some might argue that what draws us to pay attention to these types of stories stems from an element of human survival — instinctive behaviour that we have little control over. Truly bad or negative experiences help teach us what’s not good for us.

Historically, people do respond in a deeper way to tragedy or darkness. The emotions and memories associated with a dark event seem to imprint themselves in a more intense way than even positive emotions such as joy. For example, let me ask you something that might be meaningful if you are of a certain age. Perhaps part of the Baby Boomer generation.

Where were you when JFK was killed?

If you ask someone who was alive then, they are likely to tell you, in intense detail, where they were, who they were with, how they found out about it. Perhaps if you’re closer to my age (I’m in my midforties as I write this) you have a similar experience when reading one of the following questions:

Where were you when U.S. president Ronald Reagan was shot?

What do you remember about the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion?

Or maybe, if you are a bit younger than me, the following questions dredge up rich personal stories or details:

Where were you during 9/11?

Where were you when you learned about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting?

Tragedy, disaster, and macabre events stick out in our minds; they plant intense memories that can truly disturb us. But they can also have an effect of bringing people together. When people share personal details about a historic event, they share with one another and feel closer to the people they are with. Traumatic events can also bring out the best in humanity. During 9/11, for example, strangers welcomed displaced travelers into their homes. They can also remind us of the limitless compassion that people can have for one another. And, ultimately, despite the tragic and terrible things that can happen, there can be love and hope, and we can learn from, and hopefully seek to prevent, such tragedies from occurring again.

Shayna and I hope that, in reading this book, we helped you to explore some of the fun and eerie tales that Montreal has to share. We hope that you have gained a new appreciation for a truly world-class Canadian city. Perhaps we have shared a few tales in this book that made you think. Perhaps some of the stories inspired you to keep an extra light on, or had you quivering a little beneath the sheets at some odd and unexplained sound that woke you in the middle of the night. And perhaps after reading something within the pages of this book, we helped you to learn something fascinating about Montreal and its dark, ghastly, and sometimes macabre history, that you came away with a nugget of a story to share at a dinner party or a social event.

I know that, after the intense and fascinating research that we engaged in while collecting these stories, both Shayna and I have a whole new understanding of the richness, the complexity, and the history of the people and places that make Montreal so wonderfully unique.

Mark Leslie