Mental Floss

HAUNTED

The real-life 'Amityville Horror' house looks a little different these days.

Learn more about the supernatural incidents that inspired haunted house movies like ‘The Amityville Horror’ and ‘The Conjuring,’ and discover the truth behind the scares.

Garin Pirnia


On the set of 'The Haunting'

The haunted house is one of horror’s most time-honored tropes, a dark twisting of the place we call home into a maelstrom of terror and things that go bump in the night.

Matthew Jackson
















An 18th-century painting of an exorcism.

Exorcism has a fascinating, unsettling history, and it’s left an indelible mark on pop culture thanks to films like 1973's 'The Exorcist.' Here are six historical exorcisms that are every bit as chilling as anything Hollywood can produce.

April Snellings




Reference these terms on your next ghost hunt.

From orb to ghost box, these are the terms to learn before embarking on a paranormal investigation—or binge-watching your favorite ghost-hunting show.

Michele Debczak