New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
Annabelle in Warren's Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. Photograph: AmityPhotos/Alamy via The Guardian It's hard to believe that the legendary Annabelle doll, who rose to infamy in the 1970s, is still making headlines—and yet here we are. It's 2025 and the red-haired Raggedy Ann, much like her legend and the frightening rumours that constantly surround her, still persists. She captivates us, and it's little wonder why. What is the history and truth surrounding this allegedly haunted doll, though? We have heard so much, from so many sources, that it's almost impossible to untangle her fraught history. From humble beginnings at an unremarkable antique store, to her ...
Haunted dolls. The very words send a shiver of fascination—or fear—down the spines of most people. Whether you're a paranormal enthusiast, a practicing witch, or simply someone who has ever side-eyed a doll in an antique shop, you're not alone in your curiosity. Dolls that blink when they shouldn't, move when nobody's watching, or whisper in the dark are the stuff of legend—and, in some cases, real-life experience. As a psychic medium and a "good witch," I've worked with spirits my entire life. But there's something uniquely powerful, and deeply personal, about working with dolls that house spirit energy. Whether they're haunted by a human soul, charged with residual ...
Dolls inhabited by spirits or energies—good, evil, or neutral—have a long history across diverse cultures. Here are just a few examples. JapanOne of the unifying ideas about haunted dolls across millennia is that they have either been created to be, or been made into, spiritual vessels. For instance, as early as the tenth century, there was a vast wealth of folklore surrounding tsukumogami, which were utilitarian household objects that were said to be granted a soul after one hundred years of service. These objects included pots, cups, musical instruments, tools, containers, and even dolls. After becoming ensouled, the tsukumogami were prone to tricking people. In one ...
Long before spiritualism or paranormal investigation, there was a complete art called sciomancy that investigated and attempted to resolve disturbances caused by unquiet spirits of the dead, known as revenants or ghosts. Sciomancy is the lesser-known of the two branches of medieval necromancy (not to be confused with the practice of divining by shadows, which shares the same name). This ancient art is as relevant today as it was in the Middle Ages, and has influenced the development of subsequent local traditions. In Britain, the method of bringing peace to a troubled spirit is known as Laying Ghosts, a practice that has spread across the seas, from generation to generation. It is from ...
