Guest Author - Kim DeLeary

Many people do not like dolls. Dolls have been reported to be possessed by spirits as a paranormal phenomenon. The possessed doll is a common theme in popular horror movies.

For many of the people who are made uncomfortable by dolls, porcelain dolls can be the most disturbing. Dolls with jointed arms and legs are sometimes reported as being the scariest type of porcelain doll. It is possible that the feeling of being in the presence of an "other" is increased the more closely an object resembles a human being. Some people will turn dolls around so the doll will face the wall instead of into the room, move the doll out of the room entirely, avoid the room with the doll and if possible, will get rid of the doll. People also sometimes report nightmares where a doll or dolls come alive and even aggressive.

Spirit attachment to any object is weird. Among the many types of objects that are reported to be possessed, dolls could be the most frightening possessed object. Theories about the cause of doll possession or spirit attachment include a traumatic event that happened near the doll, a child's emotional attachment to the doll as being comforting and inviting to a nearby spirit, the energy focused on the doll results in the summoning of a spirit, a ghost's continuing attachment to the doll and rarely demonic possession.

It is thought that because the doll is such a weak vehicle for possession that it is not a very desirable object for spirit possession. Some of the types of paranormal phenomena associated with possessed dolls include hearing voices, laughter, crying, cold spots, feelings of being watched the unexplainable movement of the doll and unexplainable movement of furniture or objects near the doll. The doll may be described as having personalities that range from comforting to evil.

Pinocchio is an example of a doll that comes to life in classic literature. This wooden doll is tame compared to some of the other possessed dolls that can be found on television and in feature films. Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone was an early paranormal television series that displayed many stories including ones about a possessed ventriloquist’s doll and an evil talking doll. In Toy Story, the entire box of toys comes alive at night and all the toys have lives of their own, regardless of the quality of their form.

The idea of evilly possessed dolls coming to life is so creepy that that you can find many horror movies that feature them. There is a scary moment in Poltergeist when the clown doll comes to life as an omen for the rest of paranormal activity that escalates in the film. The Chucky films feature a doll possessed of an evil and murderous spirit. In Doll Graveyard, murderous dolls terrorize people in an old house. The movie Magic features a ventriloquist’s evil doll, which attempts to take over a man’s life. In Puppet Master, the evil puppets come to life to commit murder.

The idea of dolls coming to life can be a frightening idea. Tapping into this fear has been a lucrative business for some filmmakers in the horror film industry. The theme of haunted dolls is popular in literature and movies because it is such a naturally scary concept shared by many people.

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