Did you ever go to a random location, only to find yourself hit with the most awful feeling? Many people blessed with psychic abilities have felt this unsettling sensation, only to find out later that the area was witness to some truly terrible events. It’s generally agreed that areas home to tragedy carry on negative energy for years after, but what if it’s more than a pall?
Can places actually become cursed?
The vast majority of cultures believe that curses are, at least to some extent, real. Most cultures also have areas that are considered to be cursed for one reason or another. Sometimes, it’s spellwork. Other times, the curse’s loom is tied to paranormal entities who call the area home. Even more often, it’s due to the sheer amount of tragedy the area witnessed.
If you want to get a glimpse of what it takes to be known as a cursed area, take a look at these places below…
1. Aokigahara Forest, Japan
With its twisted trees and incredibly thick vegetation, Aokigahara Forest looks like something torn out of a fantasy novel. Unfortunately, this forest isn’t the type of place you’d want to explore on your own. Known for being the location of over 500 suicides, Aokigahara Forest is regularly cited as a cursed area.
It’s difficult to deny that the area feels cursed. People who visit claim that the forest is eerily silent and casts a gloomy vibe throughout the region. Those who are brave enough to go, typically do so during the day. Going here at night is considered to be a death wish.
The curse at this forest is said to originate from the souls of those who took their own lives here. People who have gone into this forest claim to get disoriented or lead astray by voices begging for help. The fear of wandering into the forest too deep and getting lost is so real, many people use ropes to ensure they can come back out again.
2. Skinwalker Ranch, Utah
Deep within the Uintah Basin is a farm called the Skinwalker Ranch. Known to be cursed as a part of the “path of the skinwalker” among Native Americans, this region is infamous for being a paranormal hotspot.
Bigfoot, strange disappearances, UFOs , vortexes into other worlds, and animal mutilations are regularly reported here. Whether it is a result of unknown government experiment or an actual curse is unknown. Regardless of the cause, Skinwalker Ranch has ample evidence revealing something seriously alarming going on within its boundaries.
3. Bahla, Oman
Oman is a country that is known for its devout Islamic followers, beautiful scenery, and excellent food. Going to most regions in this beautiful country leads tourists to be amazed by the breathtaking mosques and amazing glimpses into their world.
Devout as the country usually is, there is one town that is considered to be a dark spot to be avoided: Bahla. This city is known as the black magic capital of Oman, and has been home to terrible crimes linked to its practice. People go missing, strange things happen, and once in a while, you might hear of tales involving the summoning of djinns.
Here, you can find fortune tellers, spell ingredients, as well as a litany of other things forbidden in the Islamic religion. Many believe that the overwhelming amount of black magic attracted paranormal beings known as djinn to the region.
There’s definitely something strange going on here. Fires randomly erupt. Houses crumble and no longer can be rebuilt. Locals claim to be pushed and pulled by unseen forces.Could black magic be the cause?
4. Bhangarh, India
At one point, Bhangarh was one of India’s finest cities and was filled to the brim with people. However, things changed during the early 18th century. According to the legend, a beautiful princess called this place home. She and her father were looking for suitors.
One of the most ardent suitors she had was a sorcerer obsessed with her. To get her attention, he made a love potion that would take away her will and force her to fall in love with him. She found out before he was able to give it to her, and threw the potion against a boulder which rolled on top of him.
As he was being crushed .by the massive rock, the sorcerer cursed the city and warned that people “wouldn’t live there much longer.” Not too long after, a famine hit the region, forcing people to flee the region. Soon after, locals left behind began to get sick from a mysterious illness. Paranormal activity spiked.
As years progressed, the town became more and more hostile to people. By the 19th century, it was abandoned. People began to hear stories of ghosts residing in the buildings, and now, it’s believed that staying overnight in Bangharh will lead to your death.
5. Colobraro, Italy
Italy’s long history is filled with moments of terror, murder, and mayhem. Unsurprisingly, this has led to rumors of cursed territories. One of the first on this list is Colobraro, a ghost town that is so heavily cursed, locals in neighboring regions only call it “that village” out of fear that its name could bring tragedy.
Colobraro was always a little shady, considering that its name is tied to the word “serpent.” For centuries, the town was said to have witches, strange landslides, murders, and even be home to children with two hearts.
Even so, it was still a normal town untl the earlier 20th century. At one point, Colorbraro was home to a lawyer who never lost a case. His ability to win was uncanny, with many believing him to be gifted by Satan.
One day, things started to fall apart. In court, the lawyer Virgilio said, “If I said anything false, let the chandelier fall.” The chandelier fell, and since then, he was never able to win a case again. Bad luck seemed to emanate from him, and it soon spread throughout Colorbraro.
6. Château de Montégur, France
Once upon a time, Château de Montégur was a beautiful castle built for practitioners of the pacifist Cathar faith. By the 1940s, Nazis took over France and used the Château as a place for their troops and tore apart the castle searching for the Holy Grail.
Due to the hatred of the Nazis, the Château de Montégur’s once peaceful energy grew warped. It’s said to be cursed as a result of whatever the Reich did there. People these days avoid it.
7. Poveglia Island, Italy
If there was one place that deserves to be cursed, it’s the island of Poveglia. Abandoned after the Roman Empire fell, the island was used as a place to dump bodies and dying people during the Black Death. Many of the people who were sent to the island weren’t even sick, but rather, outcasts in society who cursed the island as disease caught them.
During wars, the island was a place for looters and deadly fights. Every single century has seen some kind of mayhem occur on the lands. So many bodies were buried and burned here that the island’s soil consists of half bone.
At one point during the 20th century, the Italian government tried to rehabilitate the island’s reputation by placing a psychiatric ward and hospital on the grounds. Doctors regularly complained of terrible nightmares and being pushed by unseen hands. The hospital itself suffered from rumors of sick experiments. After a doctor known for patient abuse was flung out a window by invisible hands, the hospital shut down and was left to rot.
People who tried to spend the night in Poveglia after were chased out by haunts and regularly faced tragedy. This island is so heavily cursed, it’s actually illegal to visit the area.
8. Koh Hingam, Thailand
Believe it or not, this island is actually a major tourist attraction and can be very friendly to visitors. That doesn’t mean it isn’t cursed, though. This beautiful island is known for being covered with shiny black stones said to be created by the god Tarutao.
So, where’s the curse? It’s said that anyone who takes one of the pebbles from the beach off the island will suffer bad luck until it’s returned. Apparently, the curse is real. Locals receive hundreds of packages every year from tourists who ignored the warning in hopes of being able to shake off the bad luck that ensued.
9. Thuan Kieu Plaza, Vietnam
Unlike most of these places, Thuan Kieu Plaza is still relatively new. During its erection in the 1980s, multiple Chinese workers lost their lives as a result of poor safety conditions. One of the surviving families decided to take revenge by casting a hex on the plaza.
Ever since the curse was cast, Thuan Kieu Plaza has been a site linked to tragedy. From businesses facing sudden harships to people losing their lives, the plaza is nothing short of a nightmare for anyone who goes inside on a regular basis.
It also appears that the plaza is haunted. One taxi driver was called to the plaza to pick up a girl, only to find the entire area empty. Despite no one in the building, the driver heard muffled screams and heavy breathing. He understandably fled, and since then, the story spread like wildfire.
10. Brunswick Springs, United States
Some curses are not placed as a result of a terrible deed, but rather, a way to prevent a terrible deed from happening. Such is the case with Brunswick Springs. This beautiful set of springs are said to be cursed by Native American tribes who were sickened by the greed of local businessmen.
They cursed the land as a way to prevent their grounds from being used for profit. Ever since then, every single attempt to capitalize on the springs has failed. Buildings have been burned down, terrible tragedy befell investors’ families, and land collapses prevented people from ever making a penny off the land.
11. Hoia-Baciu, Romania
Leave it to the place where Dracula is a national hero to have a haunted forest, right? No one knows what caused the strange energy in the Hoia-Baciu forest, but it’s been a place to avoid ever since time began.
Trees grow twisted here. People who wander the forest often see strange lights, ghosts, and animals that don’t exist. Anyone who tries to cultivate plants in the regions’ soil will find that nothing will grow here. Shadow figures and electrical equipment failure is the norm here.
If you choose to walk into the Hoia-Baciu forest, it’s best to do it during the day. Who knows what you’ll encounter at night?
12. Auschwitz, Poland
Considering the atrocities that happened during World War II, it’s not surprising that many believe concentration camps to be cursed land. Millions died there, millions more were tortured or lost their loved ones as a result of them.
People who go to Auschwitz can tell you that there is something clearly wrong with the energy there. Birds refuse to fly above the camp, and animals avoid it at all times. It’s not uncommon for visitors to start crying or even become hysterical when they set foot within the area’s boundaries.
13. Dudleytown, United States
Located in the woods of Connecticut, Dudleytown was once a small village that seemed poised to become a major city. The town was established by the Dudley family and for some reason, it seemed to be built under an unlucky star.
Almost every member of the Dudley family experienced tragedy while in town. Sudden deaths, children born with illnesses, and financial loss were the norm. Within a matter of decades, the town’s population declined and stories of missing people began to swirl.
This city became famous for strange happenings, including ghost sightings and attacks by invisible creatures. Eventually, the foul reputation of the town caused it to become abandoned. All that’s left of the town’s remains are on a private estate, where no one is allowed to go.
14. Magpie Mine, United Kingdom
Mines have always carried a reputation for being cursed, but few places are quite as terrible as Britain’s Magpie Mine. During its time of operation, Magpie Mine was constantly beset by troubles including worker deaths and mine collapses. Many of these problems came from rival mining operations that interfered with the mine’s structure, but that never stopped the rumors.
At one point, the rival mine of Maypitt was attacked by Magpie workers with a bunch of explosives. Maypitt retaliated by lighting fires in the tunnels in an effort to get the Magpie miners to flee. This resulted in multiple miner deaths and a reputation for being cursed grounds.
15. Old Changi Hospital, Singapore
Hospitals always find a way of being dreary places, but saying they’re cursed is often a jump. With Old Changi, saying it’s cursed may be an understatement. This hospital was once a highly respected medical facility in Singapore, but things turned sour once World War II hit.
When Japanese forces took over Old Changi, they turned the hospital into their headquarters for the secret police and used it as a torture facility for prisoners of war. Within these halls, people were beaten, beheaded, and interrogated–often for crimes they didn’t commit. Legend says the prisoners cursed the hospital.
Ever since World War II, the hospital never was the same. When it was rehabilitated into a hospital, doctors and patients alike would hear screams and see ghosts of fallen soldiers. The longer the hospital stayed in business, the worse it would get. Eventually, it shuttered its doors.
Urban explorers now claim that they see doppelgangers wandering the grounds, often warning others to stay away from “this place of the damned.”
