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October 09, 2006
Central State Movie will Promote Paranormal Nonsense
Central State, a new movie by Hoosier filmmaker Dan T. Hall, will premiere on October 21st. The title of the film refers to the now defunct Central State Hospital which housed the mentally disabled and mentally ill of central Indiana between the years of 1848 and 1994. The film treats quite seriously the claims that the hospital is haunted.
Modern science is just beginning to understand why people attach strong emotions to objects and places. Bruce Hood, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Bristol, is currently conducting research in this area.
Professor Hood asked members of [his] audience, if they were prepared to try on an old fashioned blue cardigan in return for a £10 reward. After receiving no shortage of volunteers, he then told the volunteers that the cardigan used to belong to Fred West, the mass murderer. On hearing this most of the volunteers put their hands down. Though a few did try it on, others moved away from them.
In fact, the cardigan had not belonged to Fred West. The experiment demonstrated that the belief that it had, made even the most rational of people feel uncomfortable.
Professor Hood said: "It is as if evil, a moral stance defined by culture, has become physically manifest inside the clothing."
It is true that many criminally insane people spent time in this old hospital. It is also true that some of the early practices of both medicine and psychiatry were painful and barbaric at best and morally abhorrent at worst. However, neither the bad people nor their bad deeds can stick to a place after the fact. A place is just a place, no matter how awful its history.
Update: This story (Indianapolis Star: 2006-10-06) discusses the film and has quotes from Mr Hall
Update: The Indiana Medical History Museum is located in the old pathology building on the grounds of Central State Hospital. They have a number of artifacts from the early history of the medical sciences in Indiana. Their FAQ indicates that they don't believe in ghosts either. Sounds like a sensible and interesting place.
Update Again: It looks like WTHR, the NBC affiliate out of Indianapolis, linked to us in their story about this film on 2006-10-23.
Posted by nolandda at October 9, 2006 12:39 PM