Phantom Cries: Phantom Wails : Voices From the Other Side

What Is a Phantom Cry?

A phantom cry is an eerie, unexplained sound. It’s most often a child’s wail, a woman’s sob, or a distressed voice that is heard when no physical source exists. These sounds are commonly reported in old houses, historic sites, or locations marked by trauma. The reason these cries feel so unsettling is biological: humans are hardwired to react to the sound of suffering, as if it’s a signal that someone needs help. When no one is there… it triggers something primal. Some researchers and paranormal investigators suggest explanations such as residual hauntings, emotional imprints “recorded” into a place, or moments where different timelines or layers of reality momentarily overlap. Whether paranormal or psychological, phantom cries stay with you long after the sound fades. 

Memories from the notebook Is that a ghost baby?

Years ago, on the very first night my husband and I slept in our newly purchased century old home, we were awakened by the sound of a baby crying. The house was completely empty except for an air mattress and a few blankets, and it was late October when the cry pulled us from sleep. Using only a battery powered lantern, we searched the house, certain the sound was coming from an upstairs bedroom. I clutched his arm through the entire ordeal. Something was with us that night and I could literally feel it in the air. Yet we found nothing, no people, no animals, no explanation, even after checking for rodents. Five years later, I heard the same cry came again from the same room, a detail I hadn’t thought about until writing this. If you’d like to read more about that experience, you can find it in my other blog post.

The Legend of La Llorona

One of the most famous legends tied to phantom cries comes from Latin America: La Llorona, the Weeping Woman. According to folklore, La Llorona was a mother who drowned her children and now wanders near rivers, bridges, and lakes at night, crying “¡Ay, mis hijos!” (“Oh, my children!”). People across Mexico, Central America, and the American Southwest report hearing her cries especially near water.

The Myrtles Plantation Cries

In Louisiana, The Myrtles Plantation is consistently ranked among the most haunted homes in the U.S. Visitors and guides have reported hearing a child crying in a nursery long after tours have ended and halls are silent. Legend ties the cries to tragedies in the 1800s, when children were poisoned under mysterious circumstances. Witnesses describe hearing the cry rise from nowhere and disappear just as quickly as if waking from a nightmare. In general, The Myrtles is renowned for may paranormal events in which both the children and Chloe (Of whom I based a character in my book after) are said to wader throughout the property. Definitely on my bucket list for trips!

The Gettysburg Phantom Child

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania , ground zero of one of America’s bloodiest battles, is also known worldwide for unexplained sounds and ghostly reports. While many stories involve phantom soldiers, some hikers and visitors report hearing the distressed sobbing of a child in the woods, often near the old railroad cut. Despite searches and responses, no physical source is ever found.

Why These Cries Linger

Paranormal Explanations

• Residual Energy: Places with intense emotional events might “imprint” sounds that play back like a recording. Many movies capitalize on this common occurrence. If you remember the recordings from “The sixth sense” when a man can be heard repeating himself “I don’t want to die” in Spanish after being accused of stealing a horse.
  
• Thin-Veil Moments: Some paranormal researchers believe overlapping layers of time or reality allow snippets of past sounds to bleed into the present. Many religions, especially Christians and pagans alike, capitalize on this for All Hallows Eve
  

Psychological & Scientific Explanations

Ah, gotta love the scientific community ! But lets give this a go ….

• Auditory Pareidolia: The human brain can interpret ambiguous sound patterns as familiar sounds like voices or cries especially when primed or anxious. So much like seeing the Virgin Mary in a pattern on your bathroom floor, it is believed we take sounds and create something that “makes sense of it” . I know , there have been times I’ve had the fan on and can swear I hear music in the background.
  
• Environmental Noise: Infrasound and natural acoustic anomalies in old buildings can produce chilling audio illusions. On a recent visit to Scotland, I can absolutely tell you the Stone castles walls throw sounds around that will make your skin crawl.
  

Phantom Perception: Just as some people hear phantom baby cries due to heightened sensitivity (e.g., in parents), the brain can sometimes “fill in” sounds that align with emotional expectations or fear. So yes, in easy terms , the mind id playing tricks on you.

Final Thoughts — Primal Fear or Portal to the Unknown?

Phantom cries tap into something deep: the human instinct to respond to distress, the dread of losing someone we love, and the possibility that not all sounds originate from what we currently understand. Whether you lean toward paranormal interpretation, psychological explanation, or something in between, phantom cries continue to fascinate, terrify, and haunt those who hear them.

For an Audio version of this please visit the PodCast on EyeOpenerSociety where I post from time to time under my name Ann Lund as well as Haunted and Waiting.