Sensitivity to Ghosts
Eerie Feelings on the USS Hornet
The first time that I recognized that I was sensitive to ghosts was while visiting the USS Hornet Museum at the former Naval Air Station in Alameda, California. I grew up reading ghost stories and somehow always thought that I’d get chickenskin, as they say in Hawaii, or shiver like Shaggy in those old Scooby Doo cartoons. But for me, it was more like a void.
Approaching the huge aircraft carrier, the air felt heavy. Which was strange as we were all in a happy mood. But images of war evoked darkness and smoke. It was hard to imagine my father-in-law spending months at sea as a career sailor.
The captain’s quarters was smaller than my college dorm room but when we got to the rows of triple-decked cots, the captain’s room seemed luxurious in comparison.
We stepped into the infirmary and that’s where I felt the distinct void. Eerily quiet like my ears had been stuffed with cotton. Even on the video, there were no background noises, like the audio had been muffled. A stillness. Like death was all around. I had a similar feeling at Peace Park war memorial in Okinawa but I didn’t recognize it as a void until my husband mentioned that he had “that eerie” feeling aboard the USS Hornet. And then my son agreed and said that it was strangely quiet and still. He described it like walking into spider webs, not…
