Has anyone else observed a mentally challenged person in a haunted setting? Over the past 30 years I have had hundreds of encounters with the mentally challenged in my community. There are several facillities in the area, group homes and institutions designed to help those that can, learn to take care of themselves. In the two years that I have been working in a museum, I have observed several occassions when a severely mentally challenged person has reacted very strongly to the exhibits. One, a female started crying, and her worker couldn't calm her, so they had to leave because she was scared of the place. Today, a group of six came in with two workers. One man became so scared he couldn't be calmed, so they had to leave. One fella was so cute, he was all happy to visit, then sad because he had to leave. There are the regulars that come in and I think are definately having expereinces, but are not afraid of them. One always asks me about ghosts, and I always ask him if he has seen one. Then he gets all big eyed and leaves. Another, high-functioning autistic female visits regularly, and engages in conversation with some of the exhibits. Sometimes I swear she is answering questions. It leaves me wondering about their receptivity to the spirit world.

I've thought about this myself. I taught kids with severe emotional/mental disorders for several years, and I was always amazed when I would hear them talk about ghosts. The stories the kids would come out with held some credibility, and I always was interested to just sit back and listen to them.
It does make you wonder about some of the folks diagnosed with schizophrenia and such...maybe they are actually seeing and hearing things that the rest of us don't? Maybe their "wiring" is just a little different, enough that they are more tuned in with another realm?
One of our members, Dinky Dave, would probably be able to shed some light on this topic. Dave works in a mental health facility and has had some interesting stories to share.
These folks may actually be picking up on something at the museum but just aren't able to articulate exactly what they are experiencing. Interesting topic!

It would not be surprising that the mentally challenged would react to museum exhibits. Most art work comes from the emotions or experiences of an artist, and can resonate on some leval with a viewer. I think the only difference is that most people have the "social skills" or "control" not to react in such a demonstative way. God only knows that some of the things I have seen over the years at MoMA have made me want to react in an overly demonstrative way!

As for the paranormal I think the same thing holds true. I do remember reading a post on some web site a while back. The poster sent an old family picture he had come across. In the picture was several family members and behind one member, there were shadowy figures of people and animals such as a bear. The upshot of the story was, no one in the picture had noticed the figures in all those years and the man in question had a life long history of mental illness, talking to "imaginary" people and animals.

I will try to see if I can locate that post and picture.

I think that mentally ill people are sometimes blessed with an acute sensitivity for things that most of us aren't even aware of, for the most part. And, from this sensitivity comes what we identify as irrational fears and talking to one's self, etc. Are we perhaps on a different plane of existance than many of these people, and we are trying to make sense of what they are doing by applying the 'rules' for our plane, and it just doesn't fit the situation??? I really wonder about this.

I've always thought along the same lines as Carrie; maybe they are able to see and hear things the rest of us can't. Given the complexity of the brain, I think it's entirely possible. What if the voices in a schizophrenic's head are those of ghosts? Yipe! I wish there was some way of knowing!

I'll alert Dave to this topic and see if he has anything to add.

Kell

I'm not sure about the mentally challenged, and boy I gotta watch how I phrase this!
I have noticed and have been aware myself that when there is something wrong with the brain, for example chemistry is different or out of kilter compared to the average person who has no neurological problems that quite often they are more aware of the paranormal. This is not to say all of them are, some tune out just like the rest of us, but being epileptic since I was young I've noticed the difference between myself and the average person.
I don't claim I'm psychic, I just 'see' more or feel more than say my next door neighbour. Epilepsy isn't mentally challenge, but it does sometimes come tied to psychological problems. With that in mind, many psychological problems are linked to deficiencies in chemicals and or the problem is caused by an overload.
I'm currently looking at the linkages between brain disorders and spiritual awareness or awakening.
There appears to be a link, and maybe the disability or slowness some experience in the natural causes a greater gift in the supernatural.
Would just be a lot easier to prove these things if it was a 100% likeness across the board!

Thank you for all your interesting feedback on this topic. I posed this same question in a chat room and was met with an immediate negative response. Which was surprising, and seemed to be a very closed minded reaction. So, thank you for reaffirming why I enjoy the discussion on this message board, it is open minded exploration of the world around us!

I think you have all touched on some key issues regarding this topic. I think that some people are more open to the spirit world, than are others. Perhaps those with mental conditions can more openly tap into the spirit world, because their thoughts are not clouded with all of junk that clutters our thinking. Just day to day pressures.
For example: at the facility that I work at; I believe that the coworkers on the am shift are so busy taking care of the Patient population that they just don't notice the spirit activity.
While the pm shift is less hectic, so more staff experience more of the hauntings that take place in this facility.
I work the Grave Yard shift, I and others on this shift frequently experience paranormal events, as our work levels are so low, that are very nearly fighting to stay awake. However I notice that when I'm concentrating or am eager to experience a paranormal event, the less likely I will. It generally occurs when my thoughts are the furthest away from the paranormal realm; when the activity is at it's highest.
A former coworker who worked in a large state run facility for the mentally challenged, had told me of several incidents of having seen vast "Orb" activity in the units he worked, when the clients were all asleep at night.
None of knows for sure what the answer is. Some people probably do tap into more easily, while others are certifiably insane and are just hallucinating.
However one unique situation that happened to me was when I was working on the Women's Locked Ward. We had a female Pt. that had remained awake for 3 days straight. Despite the loads of Ativan, Klonopin, and other meds to calm her down. Meds that would have floored even an elephant, but she kept going strong. Yelling, cursing, growling, obviously interacting with entities that we could not see. I stood in the middle of the hall outside this Pt.s room and whispered to an LPN, "When she is like this I truely believe she is Demon possessed."
There was no way the Pt. could have heard what I said, but she immediately turned and looked at me and growled in a deep gutteral voice; "And you need to loose some weight! Fat Boy!" Then she aburptly turned away from me and began growling and cursing at the wall.
15 mins later she was sound asleep.
I believe that she was Demon possessed, and that the Demon was going to keep on tormenting her, until someone would acknowledge it's existence. Once I did that, she was released from the Demon's grip.
Other's at worked said, they disagreed with this. Saying she would have moments of lucid thought, in the midst of these Schizophrenic episodes.
However I maintain, that she was possessed. She talked in a deep gutteral voice, deeper than any male voice that I could conjure up on my own.

At one point, I would have dismissed the idea of demonic possession, but I have seen enough that I do believe it exists.
Two of the kids I taught had been friends for many years. One of the boys had a real interest in the occult, the other, was just a very sweet, confused child. My aid and I both noticed that on days that one would be relatively normal, the other would exhibit some really odd, aggressive behaviors. The most dramatic episode occured with the sweet kid curled up in a fetal position, chanting words or sounds I could not identify, alternating in a small child's voice, and a gutteral male voice. The aid brought her Bible with her and layed it quietly on her desk. At that point the kid, whose back was turned to her, went ballistic. I was speechless.
I don't think the two boys were playing a "hey, I'll be bad today, you be bad tomorrow" game. I don't think the kids were even aware of the pattern. It certainly gave me food for thought. It was almost like "something" would jump from one of them to the other. I always wondered if the other kid had done some experimenting and had something attached to him that also for some reason, attached itself to the other child.
A similar thing happened to my husband. After graduating college, he tried his hand at teaching home-bound children, who either for medical or behavioral reasons could not go to regular schools. He was assigned to a little girl, about 6 years old. To make a long story short, this child exhibited some pretty bizarre behaviors. One day, she was having a particularly bad episode, and James was sitting there, silently thinking to himself, "Okay kid, if you really are possessed, go over there and pick up those tennis shoes on the floor..." The little girl quietly got up, walked to the shoes, picked them up, brought them to him, and smiled the most sinister smile he had ever seen. Had I been there, I would have made a new opening in that house.
I think for the most part, diagnoses of mental illnesses are accurate. There are just those few that leave some doubts in your mind.

Carrie,
I completely understand what you mean about demonic possession. We're supposed to believe it's just us, but there are times you can see something else that isn't the person looking at you or acting very unlike them.
I don't think it's a case of multiple personality disorder because the person themselves doesn't really change, but something IN them does. Like their spirit.
I've also seen a couple of cases of it.

*The greatest deception of all time was the devil making us believe he doesn't exist*

Dave & Carrie, those are some truly frightening events! Although no one was hurt, it's creepy to find that the affected person knew what you were thinking (or said in a low voice, in Dave's case). I wonder if it's possible they had telepathy? Hmmm...

Kell

I wonder how many of those people in the mental wards were driven there by the closed minded environment that they grew up in? How many of us could have ended up there had we not found others that believe as we do in communication between other levels of existence?

Good point, Connie. It does make you think.
Kell, I've thought about the telepathic angle also. You could certainly tell something just was not "right" about the whole incident. James' experience was in a rural part of East Texas, largely African American. The little girl's family were HooDoo practitioners (this is said to be a negative form of VooDoo). I've always suspected they opened up a can of worms they weren't able to control and something had attached to the child. They finally ended up moving from the area and the child reportedly was somewhat better.

This is a most intersting topic-

The mental imparied have not necessarily been "trained" to turn images that do not make sense in to a Rationalization that it ust be our imagination- When the mind is given more information than it can handle -

As in small children they have not learned to fear it. Unless if freightens them. Children and even animals sometimes will see things before adults.

I use to work with a high level autistic child. He had fear of new places, changes in patterns.

I ran a daycare when my children were little- a child was referred to me- my a current parent (at the time) and I had the child two hours and made them pick up the child ASAP. I did not even charge them for the time he was there. The said he had behavior problems (this was on a whole new level- above). As my mother reminded me the devil can not read your mind (unless you talk out loud). Children like this are very very preceptive- your husband might of just for a second moved his eyes toward the shoes and this would be the clue the child would need to be put into motion.

I worked in an inpatient facitly with mentally challenged and mentally ill kids and teens. Do I believe that people can be "Possessed" by something outside themselves? After working there and experiencing many unexplainable things..yes I do believe. What it is, I don't know..but I do know that it is not good.

There was a girl on the psychiatric ward who spent alot of time in seclusion for her behavior. There was a staff member who would go into the room to talk with her about her problems..the woman wore a crucifix on a gold chain around her neck and when she would come into the room with it on, the girl would "Go balistic" at the sight of it...and the weirdest thing about it is that she would start projectile vomiting when she would see it. She showed no such reactions when the woman didn't wear it. The woman stated to me that she believed that the crucifix would protect her and maybe her faith in this is what the entity was responding to. She fully believed that the girl was possessed.

I've seen a patient in five point restraints in a heavy wooden chair with two male attendants over 200 pounds each standing on the bottom rung of the chair trying to keep it on the floor..and it would still rise up completely OFF the floor and slam back down again and again. The patient would speak and scream in some unknown language. There is more can I tell about my experiences with her but it will be very long. To this day it still chills me to the bone when I think about the fact that I actually SAW these things...and other people there did too. It was truly terrifying.

Hi Dinky Dave! I believe we had that patient on our unit also!! LOL!
Seriously, I know what you mean! We get patients like that and they get an unbelievable amount of meds too, but sometimes all that medicine doesn't touch them.
I work night shift on a Hospice unit and sometimes it's all we can do to stay awake. We don't have that much paranormal activity on night shift. I guess because we are only two years at this location, and it was a maternity ward.
Now at the other Hospice unit ( same company, different location) it was full of activity. I loved it there. And stuff would happen as soon as my mind was totally blank and I wasn't thinking about anything. I'm hoping this unit picks up activity, stuff other than the door alarm going off.
Suzy

My hats off to you folks in the medical profession. I imagine one would run into some pretty weird things.
Rustyghost is absolutely correct about a lot of these kids with emotional/mental/developmental problems picking up on very subtle cues from adults. However, in the case of my husband's experience, the little girl had her back turned to him during the entire time, so I don't think she could have picked up on anything like eye movement.
This particular child was always terrified of James and would hide from him, etc... I don't know if she just had a general fear of men due to some type of trauma, or if something else was factored into it.

Ok Carrie, my hair is standing up...

RG

Yikes, now I'm kinda nervous about working 3rd shift at the hospital

Mentally, I'm going to take all you with me to work at night, so I won't feel so alone and freaked out the first time something strange happens. It will be quieter on 3rd, so who knows what might happen??

Kell, I have thought the same as you regarding schizophrenia. Very interesting topic!