Line #14 Main/WhisperingGhosts


1	There's something about horror movies and that annoying and/or creepy whispering noise in the background. It seems to simply be a soundtrack thing; seldom do the characters actually hear it. Maybe it indicates that the supernatural horror is nearby? Perhaps it's simply indicative of the characters' paranoia? Who knows, but ''everyone uses it.''
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3	!!Examples:
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6	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
7	* Used in ''Film/TheAmityvilleHorror2005''. Here they symbolize the late Ketchum messing with the husband's head.
8	* Lots of this in the background noise for ''Film/BlackSwan'', along with what sounds like fluttering wings, to symbolize the protagonist's mental state.
9	* ''Film/CriesAndWhispers'': The title isn't for show. Unintelligible whispers can be heard whenever one of the main characters has a flashback. Also heard in the strange climactic scene that may or may not be Anna's daydream, when Agnes' corpse wakes up.
10	* ''Film/DontListen'': The movie is peppered with instances of ghostly whispering throughout. Eric's voice is the only one that comes through clear as a bell on the recording equipment[[spoiler:, and it wasn't even given the whole context or dialogue until the end]].
11	* ''Film/Elves2017'': Can be heard at several moments over the course of the movie.
12	* In ''Film/TheFactsInTheCaseOfMisterHollow,'' unintelligible whispering and echoing voices mumble and sussurate over the opening credits and through a {{pan}} over several {{Fictional Document}}s owned by an OccultDetective until settling on a photo (which contains evidence of a MysteryCult), fading out when the opening notes of the soundtrack play. The whispering begins again during the closing credits.
13	* ''Film/FridayThe13th1980'' has the "ki ki ki ma ma ma" {{leitmotif}}. Yeah, probably the UrExample considering how that movie predated most other uses.
14	* Whenever a Dementor shows up in the ''Film/HarryPotter'' movies, whispers are heard in the background.
15	** Also, whispering can be heard from the arch in the Department of Mysteries.
16	* In ''Film/TheHaunting1963'', the HauntedHeroine can hear indistinct whispering and mumbling voices just outside her bedroom door at night. What they're saying is unclear, but she becomes convinced that they're [[WouldHurtAChild torturing a child]], who is [[UndeadChild probably also a ghost]]. It's implied that these are the voices of the house's ghosts, though ''which'' ghosts is a matter of fan speculation.
17	* ''Film/ParanormalPrison'': Jacob hears these twice. First when he's in death row, and second when he's in a cell in Siberia (the prison's solitary confinement building). The second time compels him to decide [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere he doesn't want to be there anymore]].
18	* The American remake of ''Film/{{Shutter}}'' was both extremely egregious and random in its use of the whispers. Hell, the whispers were used both so often and in such strange contexts that they were more likely indicative of the ghost ''not'' being present in the scene.
19	* In ''Film/TrickRTreat'', a group of kids pay a visit to the local quarry, the site of the famous Halloween School Bus Massacre, with some jack-o'-lanterns that are intended as tribute to the souls of the dead. [[spoiler: It's actually an elaborate and very mean prank on one kid in particular, and nearly [[DeadlyPrank gets her killed]].]] After the last of the jack-o'-lanterns is blown out, the quarry is suddenly filled with an eerie whispering. [[spoiler: The intended victim of the prank is, ironically, the only one to make it out alive.]]
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22	[[folder:Literature]]
23	* ''Literature/BruceCovillesBookOf Ghosts'': Literal example in ''For Love of Him'', as a pair of ghosts, jealous of the living, whisper to a teenage boy to encourage his self-doubt and, in time, lure him into death with them.
24	* While on a derelict space station in ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear: Ghost of the Jedi'', Tash hears these even though [[InvisibleToNormals no one else does]]. It's a while before she can better understand the ghost.
25	** ''Army of Terror'' has the Kivan wraiths furiously whispering "Mammon! Murderer!" when [[spoiler: a group that includes someone who helped kill them]] shows up.
26	* A sign of paranormal activity in ''Literature/LockwoodAndCo''. Only those with the particular Talent can hear them.
27	* In ''Literature/DoraWilkSeries'', Bogna can hear bodies of the dead whispering to her about how they died. It helps her work as a pathologist, even though they're cryptic sometimes.
28	* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' book ''Firestar's Quest'', the new members of [=SkyClan=] end up hearing whispering voices in a cave, which turns out to be the place where they can commune with the spirits of their ancestors. Appropriately, they name it the Whispering Cave.
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31	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
32	* ''Series/{{Lost}}'', where the whispers are [[spoiler: people who died on the island and can't "move on".]]
33	* In ''Series/TeenWolf'', one of Lydia's powers is to hear the whispers of other banshees and, presumably, the dead.
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36	[[folder:Music]]
37	* Music/MidnightSyndicate includes this on many of their tracks, especially in the HauntedHouse themed album ''The 13th Hour''. "Footsteps in the Dust", "Sinister Pact", "Cellar", and "The Drawing Room" in particular make use of eerie whispers.
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40	[[folder:Podcasts]]
41	* ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'': occasional faint sounds and other happenings hint that something may be haunting, or at least watching, the Magnus Institute.
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44	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
45	* In ''TabletopGame/WraithTheOblivion'', Pandemonium is the wraithly art used to create the sorts of things that go down during classic hauntings. One of its powers, "The Haunting", found in ''Wraith: the Great War'', allows you to produce basic effects like this.
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48	[[folder:Video Games]]
49	* ''VideoGame/PaperDolls'' have several of these heard throughout the dank, dark halls of the Yin Mansion, where you'll often hear spirits of some old Dynasty behind doors before realizing you're actually alone. More often than not their whisperings reveals part of the mansion's dark history.
50	--> '''Ghost of Madam Yin''': [''heard from behind a closed door''] Why did you take my child? Why? Why???\
51	[''swing doors open to... an empty corridor'']
52	* ''Franchise/SilentHill'' The monsters the protagonists face are typically physical entities, insomuch as the creatures can directly interact with and kill them. However, there are several times where the player can hear voices and whispers in the background.
53	** One really spooky instance is in ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'', where James is in the apartment building. Upon entering a certain room, the soundtrack goes very quiet, and you an hear a soft voice whisper something unintelligible.
54	** All over the place in ''VideoGame/SilentHillShatteredMemories''. The echoes of past events usually are preceded by spooky whispers in the background.
55	* ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}''[='=]s soundtrack either used these, or had other effects to play creepy music.
56	* Spirit Healers in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', if you're dead along with them.
57	** Such whispering noises also appear in some of the haunted areas in the game, though you tend to have to have your sound settings set so that you can pick them up along with the other noises that plays.
58	* Used a lot in ''VideoGame/ChzoMythos'' as background music.
59	* ''VideoGame/CallOfCthulhuDarkCornersOfTheEarth'' uses these in the sewer section. Creepy as hell.
60	** It's just the main character's increasingly imbalanced mind, in this case. There ''is'' something in the sewers, but it's [[EldritchAbomination not even vaguely human, not even as much as a ghost.]]
61	* In ''VideoGame/XMenLegends 2,'' the Madri Temple has this as part of its background music.
62	* Featured in at least one level of ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}''.
63	* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' has this by the truckload.
64	* Happens every time a ghost is near in ''VideoGame/FatalFrame''. There are also several whispers in the background at random times, just to keep the player on edge. Several recordings that can be listened to throughout the series combine this with the "electronic voice phenomenon".
65	* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'', whispers emanate from the ash pits in Tribunal temples and ancestral tombs.
66	* From time to time, you hear harsh voices from nowhere while exploring the Roivas Mansion in ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness''.
67	** When your sanity starts going down, you start hearing a woman quietly crying in the background. Eventually she starts wailing at the top of her lungs.
68	* In ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'' you can hear the ghosts mumbling in the background of darkened areas.
69	** [[LampshadeHanging Sometimes they chuck that out the window]] [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall and decide to mumble the main theme instead]], matching Luigi's nervous humming. [[AffectionateParody It's all good.]]
70	* In ''[[VideoGame/MysteryCaseFiles Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst]]'', Emma's ghost is sometimes heared whispering vague warnings about the dangers of the manor. ''Return to Ravenhearst'' also features the same kind of whispers.
71	* ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'''s undead levels. ''Join us. JOIN US NOW!'' Killing the wraith does calm down the more aggressive whispering.
72	* In ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'', the Black Slime causes this. Neutralizing the stuff with Green Slime removes it. Sometimes what they're saying is relevant to the plot. ''You shouldn't be here... you should have run away!''
73	--> ''Should we attack now? [[ParanoiaFuel Wait until they get closer.]]''
74	* In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'', as you run around the halls of the Mallet Island manor, you'll suddenly hear a rash of whispering voices.
75	* Occurs often in the ''VIdeoGame/NancyDrew'' series, such as when the player hears a disembodied voice whispering "I see you" in ''Message in a Haunted Mansion.'' However, [[spoiler: all paranormal experiences in the games are eventually discovered to have been faked.]]
76	* Something similar is used sporadically in ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' on the Platform/AtariJaguar. But oddly, the Alien and the Predator can hear the voices in their campaigns, too.
77	* ''Videogame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'': Under the effects of Scarecrow's fear gas, Batman hears voices in the asylum morgue telling him to get out.
78	* Used to chilling effect in ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'' during the [[spoiler:Deck 12 sequence, leading up to the Exploiter Orb boss fight.]] You hear distant, unnerving cries while approaching the location. However, when you reach the main doors, the cries disappear, to be replaced by a ghostly chorus softly humming [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPTCq3LiZSE a familiar tune]]...
79	* Happens all the time in ''VideoGame/{{Control}}''. The whispering is actually in-universe, as the non-violent victims of the Hiss all babble near-incoherently to themselves. As the Hiss has overtaken most of the building, the voices are an almost constant presence.
80	* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', whoever drinks from the Well of Sorrows will hear [[spoiler: the whispering of the souls of the ancient elves]]. This includes the protagonist, and has small effects in gameplay post-finale and in the ''Trespasser'' DLC.
81	* In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' if the player doesn’t have the radio on, horrible raspy whispers will sound at random times. Ghostly whispers also feature in the soundtrack, namely Monsters of the Mojave. Whispers also are heard in Goodsprings’ Cemetery when the radio is off.
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84	[[folder:Web Original]]
85	* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', the Sinlarine can hear and see ghosts, allowing them to communicate with the spirits of the departed. This is why they are often referred to as ghost whisperers.
86	* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': PlayedForLaughs when the CreepyGood, [[MortalityGreyArea slightly undead]] warlock Laudna contacts her ally Orym with a Message spell. It comes through as an eerie whisper in the dark, with [[ActualPlay the other players]] backing it up with more whispers while Orym flails in shock.
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89	[[folder:Real Life]]
90	* Employed in Ripley's Haunted Adventure by means of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_audio_effect sound positioning]] so that as you walk through one the hallways, you start getting voices whispering from right behind you.
91	* "Electronic voice phenomena" are unexplained voices and sounds that seem to imprint themselves directly onto various recording media during paranormal investigations. Regardless of whether one believes they are actually the voices of the dead or caused by a more mundane explanation, they are certainly creepy to listen to.
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