Lizzie Borden Society Forum

What do ghosts smell like? The reason I ask is that one of my workers told me that she thinks she saw a ghost that smelled like almonds. (By the way, I am totally serious with this question. Can anyone help me?)

Doesn't arsenic smell like almonds? If so, maybe that's how the ghost became a ghost, arsenic poisoning........

Cyanide is the poison you are thinking of which smells like bitter almond.

I am not a believer, but those who are tell me they smell either mold, something rotten, the smell of cold ice, damp, or sometimes if it is a female phantom, perfume.

Ghosts don't smell like anything. But I don't believe in Ghostsor the supernatural, or God.
I am an athesist.

Shelley @ Mon Dec 11, 2006 2:58 pm wrote:Cyanide is the poison you are thinking of which smells like bitter almond.

I am not a believer, but those who are tell me they smell either mold, something rotten, the smell of cold ice, damp, or sometimes if it is a female phantom, perfume.

oh yeah! ooopppsss your right!

Somtimes they smell of sulfar never heard of one smelling of almonds but anything is possible


StevenB

So, what do the ghosts at 92 Second St. smell like? It seems that people have had ample oportunity to encounter them there.

About two weeks ago at the Saturday night seance, a ghost thought to be Abby smelled like perfume.

Of course, with 11 guests in a small room- just MAYBE it was a guest-not a ghost!

I was just laughing at my own post above- of course ice is cold! Duh- what I meant was that funny smell when you stick your head in the refrigerator freezer.

ooo- sulphur-smelling ghostie sounds diabolical!

I too have heard there is a sulfer smell connected with ghostly things.

Could the odor, in reality, be methane rather than sulfur?

Maybe if the methane odor were strong enough, you might 'think' you are seeing ghosts ?!





Tracy...

Entirely possible, Tracy. Or perhaps Limbo is Hell on the digestive system?

Ulysses S. Grant is said to haunt the old Willard Hotel in DC. You can tell he's there by the smell of cigars - Grant smoked about 20 of them a day.

If I controlled ghosts, I'd let them smell however they liked. I don't yet, but I'm working on it.

Dr_OBoogie @ Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:05 pm wrote:Ulysses S. Grant is said to haunt the old Willard Hotel in DC. You can tell he's there by the smell of cigars - Grant smoked about 20 of them a day.

If I controlled ghosts, I'd let them smell however they liked. I don't yet, but I'm working on it.

Hi Dr OBoogie, Welcome to the forum. Your post got my curiousity up.
You are working on controlling ghosts? I do love all things paranormal but this is totally new to me.

bobarth @ Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:32 pm wrote: Hi Dr OBoogie, Welcome to the forum. Your post got my curiousity up.
You are working on controlling ghosts? I do love all things paranormal but this is totally new to me.

Thank you. The bit about controlling ghosts is just an eccentric trifle; I've never seen one and I wouldn't even know where to begin as far as controlling them is concerned.

Ah, Well Shoot, thought you had something there!!!!!

Dr_OBoogie @ Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:05 pm wrote:Ulysses S. Grant is said to haunt the old Willard Hotel in DC. You can tell he's there by the smell of cigars - Grant smoked about 20 of them a day.

If I controlled ghosts, I'd let them smell however they liked. I don't yet, but I'm working on it.

Dr. OBoogie, You must be a John Lennon fan. I wonder if John haunts the Dakota in NYC?

The excellent book on the Dakota by Birmingham tells about the hauntings at the old Dakota- one of my favorite residential hotels, although now I think they are more like condos. I see it is now in paperback- you will read it in one night!
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Dakota-Yorks ... 081560338X

Another all-night read featuring the Dakota is Jack Finney's Time and Again. Don't open it unless you can sit for hours to the end! It is a great Victorian time-travel adventure, wonderfully researched-with a twist of an ending!
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Again-Jack-F ... 0684801051

Forgot to mention Time and Again was also turned into a musical, which opened in 2001 in Manhattan to mixed reviews. I saw it at the Eugene O'Neill the summer before, in New London before it opened. The music is memorable. David McCallum even did some singing in his role. I wonder if it is still touring.
http://www.davidmccallumfansonline.com/ ... 0Again.htm

from my experience, every time something strange has happen ive smelled what it smells like right after a thunderstorm.... dunno how else to explain it.

Shelley, Thanks for the links regarding the books about the Dakota, very interesting! I've walked by the Dakota on all my trips to NYC. It has such an aura and strange vibe about it, not just because John Lennon lived and died there. Maybe it's the association with Roman Polanski and Rosemary's Baby as well.

This is strange you guys bringing up The Dakota.
I was just on the train Sunday and my seatmate was the retired Super of the Osbourne building- second oldest building in NYC he said.
He said the Dakota was the oldest.
Then he said Scenes from Rosemary's Baby were also filmed in his building.

And on Tuesday here you guys are talking about it.

Kat, The Dakota may have been on my mind because the 26th anniversary of John Lennon's murder was on December 8th, which also happens to be my B-day! Unfortunately, it's impossible to separate the two events for me every year.

This was on the 10th, at dawn.
Anyway, it's a coinky-dink. The Dakota And Rosemary's Baby!
They say coincidences are designed to get your attention!
I missed your birthday- did I?
Well, Happy Belated Birthday- Congrratulations!

Oscar @ Tue Dec 12, 2006 7:35 pm wrote: Dr. OBoogie, You must be a John Lennon fan. I wonder if John haunts the Dakota in NYC?

I'm a big fan of all the Fabs. It seems strange but I've never read or heard anything about Lennon hauntings, either in Britain or stateside. You'd think there'd be something, especially considering the violent way he died.

Here in Arkansas, the old state capitol is supposed to be haunted. The speaker of the House of Representatives was so displeased with something another member said that he stabbed the guy right there in the legislature. The ghost is said to still roam the building.

At any rate, I've always thought it would be cool if John and George haunted Abbey Road.

Yes, Maybe Dr. Winston O'Boogie will visit us someday! I once dreamed about being employed at the Dakota, working for Yoko. I sent Yoko a friendly letter years ago (not about working for her of course) and she was kind and sent me a post card in response, which she didn't have to do.

Kat, Thanks for the B-day wish. I hadn't entered my DOB into the profile until recently.

I'd like to know more about this ghost kitty supposedly haunting 92 Second St.

The ghost kitty got an early start at the house. Martha and Ron Evans put black cats all over the place: cast iron ones as doorstops up in the bedrooms and a fabric stuffed black cat on Abby's bed. This is the one which "moves" by itself. There is also an odd likeness of a cat in the woodgrain of the Borden room headboard.

Guests are so intrigued that they bring catnip and toys for the phantom cat. A cat mews from within the walls, and some hear purring. I have heard the cat meows, and felt a little thud and treading at the foot of the bed when I slept there once (it was August 4th actually!). Then again, most people hear or see nothing there, but a few even see a cat streaking under the bed. The story that Lizzie either chloroformed or decapitated Abby's housecat have just become legend- undocumented of course
Lee Ann sells a special edition, made just for the house, in the giftshop.

Shelley, I do remember the stuffed kitty on one of the beds, I took a picture of it, and some of the cat door stops as well. I never knew what the significance was of them.

So the stuffed cat on the bed moves by itself?

I never heard any cat meow when I was there!

Is there a reliable scientific way to record smells by one person with all the gradients?

I got *smelled* at Logan airport security. There's a thing that's like a combination wand and vacuum. They were checking my carry on. It smelled my glow-in-the-dark clock dial! Florescence, I believe.
It captured the smell, then was whooshed into a machine that told them what it was, chemically.