Statistics claim about half of Americans believe in spirits and hauntings, and the other half do not.

I don’t think it’s that simple. If we had a thoroughly candid national conversation on the subject, the truth would look more like 80% having only a leaning one way or the other, but it would be shrouded in doubt. Some of us surely believe in ghosts to a degree but have moments of ‘mmm, no, this is silly.’ Just as the most skeptical among us must have the occasional experience, they just cannot explain away and are given to at least a momentary curiosity.

That’s certainly where I’ve always landed. I’m too skeptical to fully believe, but I’ve had too many experiences to dismiss fully.

A study suggests that New Jersey is one of the most haunted states in America. It was conducted by affordableurns.com.

Scary road / ghost
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They analyzed data from a paranormal investigation site and factored in square miles per state. They found a huge amount of activity was reported here, so much so that it placed the Garden State as the fourth most haunted state in the nation.

“This Halloween, we're shining a flickering candle on America's most haunted locations. But be warned: those who seek out these paranormal hotspots may find more than they bargained for,” said Alex Wilson, CEO and founder of Affordable Urns, in a news release.

The report even named a paranormal highlight for each state in the Top 10. For New Jersey, it was the Emlen Physick Estate in Cape May, an 18-room mansion built in 1879.

The report says this place is “home to several restless spirits, including Dr. Emlen Physick himself, whose apparition roams the halls in period dress.

Cape May ghost tracks (Urban Explorers via Youtube )
Cape May ghost tracks (Urban Explorers via Youtube )
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Visitors report chilling encounters throughout the house, from phantom touches in the bedrooms to inexplicable whispers in empty rooms. The estate's most unsettling resident might be the ghostly dog, believed to be Dr. Physick's beloved pet, whose spectral form darts between rooms with an otherworldly jingle of its collar. As night falls, the Emlen Physick Estate pulses with supernatural energy, daring guests to confront the spirits that stubbornly cling to their grand Victorian home."

Top 10 Most Haunted States, according to the study:

1 — Rhode Island

2 — Connecticut

3 — Massachusetts

4 — New Jersey

5 — Delaware

6 — Pennsylvania

7 — Maryland

8 — Ohio

9 — Indiana

10 — Kentucky

FBI's Top 5 Most Wanted violent fugitives in NJ

The FBI currently lists more than two dozen fugitives with ties to New Jersey on their ‘most wanted list.’ These are the five most violent and dangerous suspects.

Gallery Credit: Eric Scott

The 10 best and 10 worst states to retire

For their 2024 report, Bankrate.com analyzed factors such as cost of living, health care and crime to rank the 50 states as places where you might want to consider retirement. Visit this link for the complete report.

Gallery Credit: Bankrate/New Jersey 101.5

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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