our networks
discovery channeltlcanimal planetscience channelmilitary channeldiscovery health
shop now
 

Strange and Supernatural

 
 

Life After Death

    print
 
Anne Boleyn

Spirit Links

 

Many believe that we live in a world in which the thin veil between the living and the dead is easily broken. If this is true, does it mean that death is not the end of our existence? Are there really poltergeists and spirits? And do we visit our nearest and dearest after we've died to let them know that we're OK?

Some believe that malevolent demons are only expelled through exorcism, and others that human emotions can be captured in the fabric of our surroundings. Discover the spirit world, its history and theories

Ghost History
Whether we choose to believe or not in ghosts and spirits, there is no denying that we only have to look through history to find a wide range of spooky encounters.

In the A.D. first century, a ghost was reported to haunt a house in Athens belonging to Pliny the Younger. According to Pliny, the ghost would rattle chains and take the form of an old man with a beard.

The first poltergeist was recorded in A.D. 856, at a farmhouse on the banks of the Rhine River in Germany. The spirit tormented the family by throwing stones, banging on walls and making fires. Even when several priests armed with holy relics came to visit, it sent them packing with a hale of stones.

Sightings of spectral armies after key English Civil War battles were reported in contemporary sources; similar accounts also came from Gettysburg, The Somme and Gallipoli.

The last 200 years have seen a huge increase of interest in science but also in the spirit world. It seems that no matter how much we progress, we have a natural interest in ghosts.

Fact File: Anne Boleyn's ghost holds the record for most sightings. Since her execution in 1536, she's been spotted 30,000 times in 120 locations.

Next: Famous Poltergeists

 
advertisement

On TV

Nov 07,
6:00 pm
60 min(s)
Extreme Forensics
Hunted Husband
 
A man is killed during a hunting trip with his wife. Investigato
Nov 07,
7:00 pm
60 min(s)
Solved
Behind Closed Doors
 
On March 21st 2004, Brian Hummert reports his wife Charlene missi
Nov 07,
8:00 pm
60 min(s)
On the Case with Paula Zahn
Honeymoon Hit
 
When a beautiful young woman is murdered in her own home, police
Nov 07,
9:00 pm
60 min(s)
Deadly Women
Lethal Lovers
 
Psychopathic killers lurk in society, mostly acting alone. Someti
Nov 07,
10:00 pm
60 min(s)
Wicked Attraction
Consumed by Envy
 
Unable to have children, a couple is desperate to have a son. Whe
 
 

Ads by Google

 
SITE SEARCH
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTERS
CREDITS Picture(s): Getty Images (2) | Corbis |
DISCOVERY SITES Discovery Channel / TLC / Animal Planet / Discovery Health / Science Channel / Planet Green / Discovery Kids / Military Channel /
Investigation Discovery / HD Theater / Turbo / FitTV / HowStuffWorks / TreeHugger / Petfinder / PetVideo / Discovery Education
VIDEO Investigation Discovery Video Player
SHOP DVD Sets / Planet Earth DVD Sets / Toys / Games / Telescopes / Gift Ideas
CUSTOMER SERVICE Viewer Relations / Free Newsletters / RSS / Sitemap
CORPORATE Discovery Communications, Inc / Advertising / Careers @ Discovery / Privacy Policy / Visitor Agreement
ATTENTION! We recently updated our privacy policy. The changes are effective as of September 10, 2008. To see the new policy, click here. Questions? See the policy for the contact information.