New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
It's been a deep interest for me for many years, the idea that dolls (or any object, really) can actually be haunted. The suggestion that something as innocent looking as a child's doll could actually inhabit a spirit, or potentially even something demonic, gripped me after spending a great deal of time reading about Peggy the doll, who made headlines back in 2015 when several people who merely viewed photos of her experienced ill-health and bad luck. It was TVs Help! My House Is Haunted host and team member Jayne Harris who "adopted" Peggy the doll at that time and investigated her (before eventually handing over the spooky toy to Zak Bagans for his Haunted Museum). I reached out to ...
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 ...
