28 True Horror Stories From Hospital Staff That Might Make You Look Twice In The ER

There’s this never fully answered question – do ghosts exist? Well, technically, it is answered – there is a consensus in science that there is no proof of ghosts. For this reason, ghost hunting and anything like that is typically classified as pseudoscience. You know, a belief that isn’t really compatible with the scientific method. 

But while science cannot prove ghosts’ existence, it has managed to find certain reasons why people think they see ghosts. For instance, there are toxic and psychoactive plants (like datura and henbane), which contain anticholinergic compounds that are pharmacologically linked to the development of dementia and neurodegeneration.

It can also be due to both prescription and over-the-counter medication (for example, sleep aids), which, in rare cases, can cause hallucinations that can be mistaken for ghosts. The same goes for carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Yet, despite all of these explanations, there are people who firmly believe that ghosts exist, whether because they want them to or because they've experienced something that feels too real to not actually exist. 

For instance, various doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers who experience something creepy in their workplace might tend to start believing in the paranormal. For examples of such happenings, we've prepared a whole list today – it’s compiled from various testimonials of said hospital workers that they shared online. 

Well, it’s not that surprising that so many creepy stories are coming from hospitals – let’s admit, they can be pretty creepy. Let’s take the infamous former Pennhurst State School and Hospital. This place is widely considered to be haunted, as quite a lot of people have reported paranormal experiences there. 

You see, it used to be an overcrowded and underfunded institution for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This kind of leads us to the topic of mental institutions developing rather negative reputations in people’s minds when associated with ghosts and stuff like that. 

Getting mental health help is already hard enough, and these negative stereotypes don’t help the case. Like if a person has an image of a mental hospital being a creepy, haunted place, they might feel discouraged from seeking help to avoid being placed in such a scary place. While in reality, nowadays mental hospitals aren’t that scary. They might be kind of sterile and clinical, but not haunted. 

Maybe in the past, they were way worse, like the Pennhurst institute, where people were neglected and exploited, but things have improved since then. Now, the aforementioned hospital is used as a haunted attraction and a museum – it doesn’t treat patients anymore. 

So, anytime you read ghost stories, keep in mind that, scientifically, they don’t have that much support, thus they might be experiences brought on by certain personal experiences and contexts. Or, science hasn't evolved enough to prove ghosts just yet – only time will tell. 

Do you have any ghost stories you've experienced yourself? We’re eager to hear about them in the comments!