HAUNTED DOLLS

More Than Just Toys

We've all experienced it. The sweet-faced doll sitting on the mantelpiece or the child's bed. Placid and innocent. That's until... a dark malevolence comes over its cherub face.... and its eyes follow your every move!

If you haven't experienced it in real life, you've certainly seen it in the movies. In this peek into the dolls house, we will look at some of the most famous evil dolls. We will also discuss how porcelain dolls can become haunted and how to recognise and deal with a haunted doll. If you're ready - let's peer behind the curtain...

Understanding Haunted Dolls

How is it that when you enter an environment with many spooky items such as dybbuk boxes, witchcraft paraphernalia, and temperamental spirit boards, usually the most scary thing is the doll in the corner? Is it because the doll looks so innocent and human-like that you can feel its eyes following you everywhere?

Fortunately, most dolls are harmless. Then there are the others - cursed, possessed and haunted. Those like Annabelle who, according to paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, was taken over by an "inhuman spirit" seeking a human host. And the infamous Robert The Doll, who was cursed by black magic.

Dolls typically become haunted when they are cursed or possessed by an often malevolent spirit.

Signs That Your Doll May Be Haunted

• Mysterious movement: There's something very creepy about dolls that shift theirs position, twist their head, or make sudden human-like gestures. The first time you may try to convince yourself that you're imagining things. But when you witness the behaviour again, you know a disturbing presence is afoot.

• Strange sounds: Eerie wailing, sobbing, giggling, low screams, conversations, the creak of a child's plaything with no child in sight - these sounds without rational explanation will send a shiver down your spine.

• Flickering lights: Haunted dolls have been known to interfere with electrical circuits. Lights flickering inexplicably, or worse yet, the house crashing into darkness, are indicators of mischievous forces at play.

• Emotional distress: Owners of possessed dolls have reported feeling anxious, uncomfortable, or terribly sad when around their dolls. It's as though the dolls projects these emotions onto the owner.

• Poltergeist activity: Possessed dolls are often associated with poltergeist-type activity. You know, objects moving around, furniture rearranged, a sudden icy chill in the room, walls leaking strange liquids!

Investigating Your Doll Further

If you suspect something is off with your doll, further investigation is highly advisable. This will involve a combination of intuition, paranormal investigation, and an understanding of energy.

• Physical examination: It's sensible to begin by checking your dolls over carefully. Examine it for unusual markings, symbols, or anomalies that seem out of place. Pay attention to changes in the doll's appearance or condition that aren't due to natural wear and tear.

• Research the history: Your doll's history can reveal a tremendous amount. Look into previous owners and any documented paranormal incidents. Be particularly alert to traumatic events that may have occurred in the doll's life.

• Psychic mediums: Mediums or people with heightened energy sensitivity may be able to sense if a doll has an entity attached to it. Their intuitive abilities enable them to uncover subtle, telling energy forces and behaviours.

• Paranormal investigations: Investigations using EVP recorders can capture electronic voice phenomena that may not be audible to the human ear. On the other hand, EMF meters can detect fluctuations in electromagnetic fields.

• Community guidance: Reach out to the paranormal community through forums and groups. There may be someone who has had a similar experience who can share advice.

How To Interact With A Haunted Doll

Interacting with haunted dolls requires a delicate balance of curiosity and respect. Always keep your safety foremost in mind.

• Dedicated space: Create a specific area for your haunted doll. This helps set boundaries and reserves a calm, focused space for interactions.

• Protective amulets: You may want to place protective amulets around you or wear a protective djinn ring in the vicinity of your haunted doll.

• Respectful communication: Always approach the doll with respect and acknowledge the potential presence of spiritual entities.

• Personal awareness: Be mindful of your own energy and emotions when interacting with haunted dolls. If your energies and emotions are too extreme, this can cause increased tension.

• Spirit boards or pendulums: If you're comfortable with divination tools, using a spirit board or pendulums can be a method of communication.

• Embrace the mystery: Embrace the mystery of the doll's uniqueness. Be open-minded to the supernatural and allow your doll to share their story.

Calming, Cleansing And Banishing Evil Spirits

If your doll is causing you distress, there are various rituals to calm and cleanse harmful, troubling energy. These include smudging, prayers, blessings with holy water, and energy-healing ceremonies.

If more drastic intervention is needed to consider the following:

• Exorcism: Usually performed by a religious figure or spiritual specialist, an exorcism aims to expel the demon from the doll.

• Demonologists: A professional demonologist or paranormal expert can perform specialised rituals to address the malevolent spirit, luring it out and engaging with it.

• Magic spells: A witch could intercede with various magic spells to either banish the spirit, improve communications, cleanse bad energy, or protect you. These spells could be black magic or white magic spells.

Famous Creepy Dolls

Robert The Doll

Robert's first owner was Robert Eugene Otto from Key West who received the doll as a gift from one of his family's servants. It's believed the unhappy servant cursed the doll with black magic before presenting it to young Robert.

The adult Robert Eugene Otto lived in a stately home known as The Artist House. Here, the Robert Doll looked down from an upstairs window at passing schoolkids with his straw mop, shark like eyes, and spooky smile. After Otto's death, Myrtle Reuter became the doll's new caretaker. She said Robert moved around the house on his own and appeared angry if anyone badmouthed his former owner.

Robert now resides at the Fort East Martello Museum, Key West. Many visitors to the museum have reported eerie sensations when in Robert's presence, including the sounds of distant giggling.

Annabelle

Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll that was given to a young nursing student named Donna by her mother. Donna noticed Annabelle moved around and left sinister handwritten notes in the flat. A medium claimed that Annabelle was possessed by the spirit of a young girl called Annabelle Higgins, who had died on the site of Donna's home.

Further investigation suggested that the doll was haunted by a demonic presence that wanted to possess Donna. After an exorcism, Annabelle was secured in Warren's Occult Museum where her evil side is still presented periodically.

Mandy

Mandy, with her cracked and broken face, terrified her owner by convincing her there was a baby crying distressingly in the basement. The crying only stopped when Mandy was given away to a museum in British Columbia. Now, museum staff report strange phenomena around Mandy - objects disappearing, batteries draining, and creepy noises from her doll's case.

Before We Leave

SpiritShack has loads of haunted items and some haunted dolls in our spooky shop. If we have dolls in stock, we usually know a bit about their history as well.

We also have loads of ghost-hunting equipment to help you determine if your doll is haunted.