Ghosts, ghouls, and spirits. As Halloween nears, we become more cautious of what goes bump in the night. Although many of our questions about the afterlife haven’t been answered, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still ghosts haunting this plane.

In search of answers, paranormal investigator Zak Bagans will be opening “the most haunted object in the world,” the Dybbuk box. This event will be the main focus of a “Ghost Adventures” four-hour live special on Wednesday, October 31. It can be watched on Travel Channel, or on Travel Channel’s Facebook page at 8 p.m.

In Jewish folklore, a Dybbuk is the soul of a dead person that can possess others. They are usually malevolent spirits, but their goal can also be to punish a wicked person. The Dybbuk Box supposedly traps the evil spirit, but many people who have come into contact with the box or opened it have experienced strange phenomena and suffered many illnesses.

However, this doesn’t stop people from being excited.

“I want to see some really cool paranormal activities,” sophomore Grace Patterson said, “I want to see someone get possessed.”

(Luckily, Bagans will have an ambulance and exorcist on site in case of emergencies.)

The Dybbuk box has been shown on Bagans’ show “Deadly Possessions” and is currently kept in Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum. However, Bagans has never opened the box—just coming into contact with it is enough to cause damage. In fact, visitors of the museum must be 18+ and sign a waver just to look at it.

“He better be careful,” sophomore Marissa O’Connor said, “ I’ve seen people open it before, so I’m interested in what other things could be in the box.”

Apart from the Dybbuk box, Zak Bagans and his team are also planning on interacting with Peggy the Doll, who is believed to cause heart attacks. Bagans is also planning on recreating some of the dark rituals that were rumored to have taken place in the museum’s basement during the 1970s. (He bought the building originally because of its haunted past.)

Although some may not believe in the supernatural, the stories these objects hold can be interesting. “Even if it might be fake, I’m excited,” junior Claire Gordon said.

“Ghost Adventures Live” will give viewers the opportunity to experience paranormal activities in real time—raw and uncut. And more than 30 cameras positioned around the museum will dismiss any thoughts of smoke and mirrors.

Malevolent ghosts, haunted artifacts, and dark rituals. Suddenly, what goes bump in the night becomes much louder. And although we don’t have many answers, we gain knowledge from the lingering whispers of what was once alive.

WARNING: It is believed by some that spirits and other-worldly beings can pass through electronic devices. Watch at your own risk.

In Depth Story Of The Dybbuk Box

The Dybbuk box was originally owned by a survivor of the Holocaust named Havaleh. She had bought the wine box in Spain before coming to America. At some point, a Dybbuk was summoned and imprisoned inside the box. In Jewish Folklore, a Dybbuk is a malicious possessing spirit. It is not a demon, as it is sometimes mistaken, but a soul of a deceased person. A Dybbuk can either be a malevolent spirit or a neutral spirit that wants to punish a wicked person. Dybbuks possess people in order to fulfill their goals.

In 2001, Kevin Mannis, a writer and antique store owner, bought the box at an estate sale. He found out it was a family heirloom and offered to give it back. However, Havaleh’s granddaughter insisted he kept it because she knew a Dybbuk was trapped inside it.

Even though the granddaughter warned him not to open it, that was the first thing he did when he brought it home. The box contained two 1920s pennies, two locks of hair bound with a cord, a small statue engraved with the Hebrew word “Shalom,” a small gold wine goblet, one dried rose bud, and a single candle holder with four octopus-shaped legs.

Mannis then left to run some errands, and when he returned, the shop was ransacked. However, nothing was stolen. The clerk said she saw light bulbs smashing by themselves, and she heard a disembodied voice cursing. There was also a patch in the store that seemed to smell of jasmine flowers.

Not making the connection, Mannis proceeded to give the box to his mother as a present. Minutes after receiving the box, Mannis’ mother had a stroke. She survived, but she lost her speech and 80% of her eyesight. She could only describe what was in the box as “pure evil.” She gave the box back to Mannis. Mannis’ sister also had experiences with the box; she said she felt a sense a dread when she was around it, and she claimed it would try to open on its own. People would either smell jasmine from it or cat urine. Everyone in the house would also start seeing shadow figures in their peripheral vision. Even a customer that bought the box, returned it almost immediately, saying it was evil.

When Kevin Mannis bought the box, he began having recurring nightmares of a hunched over, old hag stalking and brutally attacking him. These nightmares lasted for weeks, and even visitors would sometimes have them.

Scared, Mannis put the Dybbuk box on eBay, along with a detailed description of it. In 2003, it was purchased by losif Nietzke. He also experienced strange phenomena: Electronics in his house would malfunction or stop working entirely, objects would be inexplicably moved around, strange smells would appear, and shadow figures appeared. He also claimed that his hair began to fall out and he had a sudden insect infestation. Although there are many stories about losif Nietzke, it is questioned whether or not he actually owned the Dybbuk box.

Losif Nietzke then put the box on eBay again, and this time it was bought by Jason Haxton. Haxton reported that he began to have a plethora of health problems after purchasing the box. He had inexplicable welts, rashes, and hives on his body, as well as constant coughing, fatigue, nasal problems, and even coughing up blood for some unknown reason. Haxton consulted some rabbis (Jewish spiritual leaders) and had the Dybbuk sealed in the box again. Haxton then hid it in a secret location on his property. After the box was sealed and hidden, the effects calmed down. Although the Dybbuk harmed him, Haxton believed it was a neutral spirit. He believed it was only aggressive towards those who prevented it from fulfilling its goal.

In 2016, the box was shown on Zak Bagans’ show “Deadly Possessions.” Both Kevin Mannis and Jason Haxton spoke about the box on the episode.

In 2017, Zak Bagans spent tens of thousands of dollars for the Dybbuk box and now owns it. It is currently held in Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum and hasn’t been reopened. Visitors of the museum must be 18+ and sign a waiver just to look at it.

In 2018, the Dybbuk box has also been accused of cursing Post Malone, an American Rapper. He came into contact with it while visiting Bagans’ museum. Zak allowed him to see it without signing a waiver. Unfortunately, Post Malone touched Bagans while Bagans was touching the Dybbuk box. Zak Bagans believes that was enough for the spirit to attach itself to Malone. Since then, a string of bad luck has followed Malone. He got into a car accident, his airplane had to have an emergency landing because its tires blew out, and one of his old homes was broken into by armed robbers when he wasn’t there.

On Wednesday, October 31, Zak Bagans will be opening the Dybbuk box as a part of his four-hour live special on “Ghost Adventures” on Travel Channel or on Travel Channel’s Facebook page at 8 p.m.