Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever spent time in a haunted mansion?
I produced a feature-length documentary about ghosts, exploring some of the world’s most haunted places in ‘Chasing the Shadows.’
During the post-production process, we narrowed down hundreds of hours of footage into the most compelling film possible. What I experienced while editing was downright, creepy.
For inspirational purposes, I decided to have the film edited inside of the historic Peabody Mansion in Denver, Colorado. With a history of poltergeist activity being reported there, it seemed like the perfect place to craft a film about ghosts. It also happened to be the location of one of our more intense investigations that we filmed.
Our experiences while editing were far from normal.
We never felt alone. The office door frequently opened and closed on its own, right before our eyes. I searched for a rational explanation, but found none. There were no air drafts, no vents, and the door was attached solidly.
It was only the beginning; things kept getting weirder.
On one occasion, I was in a heated discussion with an editor about the creative direction of the film when a pop bottle flew off of the windowsill! Again, there were no gusts of wind, there were no fans, nor air vents nearby. The window was closed.
The bottle soared into the air, hitting the computer that we were using to edit. It landed on the spacebar, which in-turn began playing the film and the audio blurted out the dialogue, “it’s haunted by a ghost named George.” The film was not set to that part of the movie prior to the bottle flying. Needless to say, it was eerily creepy.
Could it have been pressure in the soda bottle that somehow self-combusted, sending it flying across the room on its own? Was it simply a coincidence that it landed on the spacebar and started playing that particular audio? Perhaps…or perhaps not. Either way, it raised the hair on the back of my neck.
On another occasion, during a rather intense exchange with an editor, a loud and jarring clapping noise erupted directly in-between us! We were only 4 feet apart when this happened. The noise interupted us, but we saw no one clapping. It was terrifying; our heated discussion immediately smoldered. We stared at each other for a few seconds in abrupt silence…questioning what the hell had just happened. It was bizarre and to this day, we can’t explain it…at least not rationally.
If it was inspiration that I saught, I certainly found it at the Peabody Mansion.
I realize that it’s difficult for some people to believe in ghosts. After all, why would you if you’ve never experienced something for yourself? In that sense, it’s similar to Plato’s, ‘Allegory of the Cave.’
I’m not here to convince anyone of anything; I merely wish to share my experiences.
