# Why no ghosts in urban violent hoods? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120 "2013-03-05T21:45:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/21 "2013-03-06T01:32:58Z")
> [@SleuFeets](#): > > Shouldn’t Marcy projects/ compton/ South Side of Chicago be overflowing with ghosts? > > Or do urban ghosts not have “time fo all dat”? Ain’t you never seen [_Candyman_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candyman_(film))? It is a documentary about an urban folklorist who is stalked by a ghost at Cabrini-Green. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/22 "2013-03-06T02:27:38Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > If superheroes and Nazis won’t go there, why would you expect ghosts? Heh. But, at the risk of being too gauche, this brings up ANOTHER point: there are more than a couple of places in Europe, thanks to the Nazis, that be all rights would be _incredibly_ haunted, even if there’s only a 1% chance of any individual human becoming a ghost after death. The same could be said for sites of major battles, or bombings—Stalingrad, or Dresden, or Hiroshima. Heck, even _major modern hospitals_, by all rights, should be swarming with ghosts. But nothing. ---
**Author:** ![GythaOgg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@GythaOgg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GythaOgg)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/23 "2013-03-06T02:49:03Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Heh. But, at the risk of being too gauche, this brings up ANOTHER point: there are more than a couple of places in Europe, thanks to the Nazis, that be all rights would be _incredibly_ haunted, even if there’s only a 1% chance of any individual human becoming a ghost after death. > > The same could be said for sites of major battles, or bombings—Stalingrad, or Dresden, or Hiroshima. Heck, even _major modern hospitals_, by all rights, should be swarming with ghosts. But nothing. As a nurse, I can tell you there are many ghost stories associated with hospitals. Just in St. Louis, I’ve heard stories about ghosts/hauntings associated with the old Alexian Brothers Hospital, St. Anthony’s, and St. Mary’s. (the story around the old Alexian Brothers is rather well known as it was associated with the events that inspired ‘The Exorcist’) Gettysburg is reportedly very haunted - enough that you can book ghost tours there. Having actually inquired on this board into the existence of reports of hauntings in Hiroshima, I suspect there are stories but that they’re not available in English. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/24 "2013-03-06T03:40:17Z")
This OP is so great. I love it. You are providing evidence against your own “possible” belief in ghosts, and then questioning why it is so. Too perfect, too perfect. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/25 "2013-03-06T03:55:21Z")
The thing that’s always bothered me is why ghosts can’t manifest in proper lighting. Your night vision camera didn’t exist when she died, why can’t she just manifest at about two in the afternoon in the room with the big windows? That’s what I’d do. I’m also puzzled by the fact that we have mediums but all of the writers and mathematicians and such have given up work when they died. I would think that Hemingway and Wilde and certainly V. C. Andrews ™ would have some new material to channel. If there’s a problem with getting some message other than “The light of love is within us all” or “I have a name, it starts with a V, it might be Victor, or Victoria, or Venus, or V… does anyone in the audience have a lost loved one with a V name…?” then they aren’t making proper use of their resources. Houdini has been at this for a while, Einstein and Feynman and Crowley and Nash and Turing are all up for a go, and Tesla and the guy who chipped out the Rosetta Stone and Shakespeare’s sister are also on tap. As they’ve had several thousand years to establish communication, I’m guessing they can’t. Turning the thermostat down so there was a 3 degree temperature drop didn’t convince my daughter that she was not allowed to drink the last root beer, so I’m not sure why it would be an indication that a spirit is present. Since dead people can’t seem to file reports to deadline, sending photogenic white boys with several thousand dollars of electronics into the bad parts of Detroit seems like a losing proposition. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/26 "2013-03-06T03:58:27Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > **Ooooh** , this might not be the place foryou 😉 Exactly what a ghost would say… ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/27 "2013-03-06T04:04:59Z")
I live in Memphis, there are plenty of ghosts ([stories of them anyway](http://memphis.about.com/od/halloween/p/ghosts.htm)) here. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/28 "2013-03-06T04:08:08Z")
[Ghosts in Da Hood](http://www.musiccult.com/mcc/archive/Hip-Hop/Dirty-South-Rap-Hip-Hop/Ghosts-in-Da-Hood-Themed-Dirty-South-Instrumental/421152) even have their own song ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/29 "2013-03-06T08:17:07Z")
I’ve heard plenty of ghost stories in tha GHETOOOOOOOO… I know of a “gang leader” who along with his girlfriend and child were ambushed in bed by his generals, dude and girlfriend shot dead. House was in unclear ownership combined with being well in the ghetto and ended up being lived in by the generals, abandoned by generals due to being haunted. Placed stayed bandoned for awhile until it was set on fire by some crackhead or something, burned out structure can still be seen. Whoever said crime ridden areas are ghost free was mistaken. \*I don’t believe in ghosts just to head off posts. ---
**Author:** ![romadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@romadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romadea)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/30 "2013-03-06T08:19:03Z")
Anecdote - My cousin just moved into “the hood” a couple of months ago, and just recently she ran into someone who used to live there, and she told my cousin that her “new” abode was haunted. My cousin eats that type of thing right up, so of course now she says she already had a feeling the house was haunted and this confirmed it for her. Apparently the lights turn on by themselves in the room where a woman died, that sort of thing. So, yes, there are hood ghosts, or people who live in the hood that believe there are hood ghosts. They just don’t get as much publicity because people are more interested in visiting ghosts who live in pretty, quiet places. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/31 "2013-03-06T09:44:30Z")
One thing I’ve idly wondered is whether the “recording” type haunting (you know, Anne Boleyn rushing down the same hall screaming “Henry” over and over) is more associated with an imprint of mental anguish, rather than just violence _per se_. So a store owner who suddenly gets shot & didn’t see it coming maybe doesn’t make sufficient imprint on his surroundings. (Or, granted, maybe there’s no such thing at all to begin with. But if we can talk about identity of Tom Bombadil for the umpteenth f’in time as if he were a real person, why not this?) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/32 "2013-03-06T15:27:23Z")
There aren’t any ghosts in the city. The Ghostbusters cleaned them all out. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/33 "2013-03-06T15:38:00Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > People in violent neighbourhoods have enough real things to be scared of, and so don’t have to make up imaginary ones? To be fair, there are exactly as many ghosts in violent neighbourhoods as there are in peaceful ones. ---
**Author:** ![SleuFeets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SleuFeets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleuFeets)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/34 "2013-03-06T15:42:59Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Of course traditionally violent areas are chock-full of unsettled spirits. This adds to the psychic hostility of the atmosphere. The very number of ghosts helps disguise them, as if a “can’t see the forest for the trees” situation. > > A lonesome lighthouse might have only a single entity, which will stand out against the quiet background, but too many manifestations at once just becomes background clutter. All interesting comments. From a political standpoint, I was wondering if these victims were as invisible in death as they were/are in life. I think the sentiment echod here that “ghosts in the ghetto just aren’t as interesting to producers” relate to that. That doesn’t mean there not there. I do know people who have experienced odd things on civil war battle fields. With your hypothesis; do you think that if these hostile places ever stopped being dangerous (unlikely… but one can dream) there wouldn’t be so much “pychic hostility”? Once the hoods are converted into gentrified suburbs you can expect to see deceased drug lords haunting the micro brewery? An exaggeration but you get what i mean… ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/35 "2013-03-06T15:47:40Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Then again, perhaps it has nothing to do with untimely or unseemly demises - maybe ghosts were just annoying people with issues in life who just couldn’t let it go. Of they’re figments. Either way. So you’re saying Dio might be haunting the Dope? :eek: :shudder: ---
**Author:** ![SleuFeets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SleuFeets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleuFeets)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/36 "2013-03-06T15:48:29Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I’ve heard plenty of ghost stories in tha GHETOOOOOOOO… > > I know of a “gang leader” who along with his girlfriend and child were ambushed in bed by his generals, dude and girlfriend shot dead. House was in unclear ownership combined with being well in the ghetto and ended up being lived in by the generals, abandoned by generals due to being haunted. Placed stayed bandoned for awhile until it was set on fire by some crackhead or something, burned out structure can still be seen. > > Whoever said crime ridden areas are ghost free was mistaken. > > \*I don’t believe in ghosts just to head off posts. Now let’s be honest, if you happened to land on the discovery channel and caught a snippet of some low spooky voice saying “set on fire by some crackhead”, wouldn’t you be intrigued? Candyman. A true classic. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/37 "2013-03-06T15:50:34Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > One thing I’ve idly wondered is whether the “recording” type haunting (you know, Anne Boleyn rushing down the same hall screaming “Henry” over and over) is more associated with an imprint of mental anguish, rather than just violence _per se_. So a store owner who suddenly gets shot & didn’t see it coming maybe doesn’t make sufficient imprint on his surroundings. To me, though, considering the 50-100 billion humans that have lived, over the milennia, _that_ should have resulted in so many ghostly apparitions running around screaming “AARGH! HELP! I’M ON FIRE!” in every language ever spoken that the sight would be almost routine. Boring, even. > [@](#): > > (Or, granted, maybe there’s no such thing at all to begin with. But if we can talk about identity of Tom Bombadil for the umpteenth f’in time as if he were a real person, why not this?) Damn straight, man. You got it. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/38 "2013-03-06T16:03:38Z")
Casper? In the hood? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/39 "2013-03-06T16:19:46Z")
> [@SleuFeets](#): > > All interesting comments. > From a political standpoint, I was wondering if these victims were as invisible in death as they were/are in life. I think the sentiment echod here that “ghosts in the ghetto just aren’t as interesting to producers” relate to that. That doesn’t mean there not there. > > I do know people who have experienced odd things on civil war battle fields. With your hypothesis; do you think that if these hostile places ever stopped being dangerous (unlikely… but one can dream) there wouldn’t be so much “pychic hostility”? > Once the hoods are converted into gentrified suburbs you can expect to see deceased drug lords haunting the micro brewery? An exaggeration but you get what i mean… A coherent ectoplasmic manifestation requires a strong will, an extreme emotional state, and a receptive observer. The ghost itself is not exactly a spirit or soul, that is it is not a complete persona, with all the memories and emotional range of a specific (formerly living) person. A ghost is an imprinting of a given person’s psychic state on to a local eddy in what can be called the Earth’s Noosphere, which is the unstable area of the Cosmic Background Aura created by life on this planet. The strong signal is often tied to death, but a ghost can be emitted by almost any psychic trauma. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/40 "2013-03-06T16:49:40Z")
> [@grude](#): > > \*I don’t believe in ghosts just to head off posts. He objects in text against the posts That will suggest he believes in ghosts? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120.md?page=3)