A woman who lives with 54 haunted dolls has revealed what they’re like during the festive season.
Paranormal investigator and collector Teej has spent the past five years amassing ghoulish artefacts, and now lives alongside dozens of them.
Her collection has grown so large that the dolls have their own room, and often wreak havoc, flickering the lights, raiding the fridge, and even hijacking her electronics to play their favourite songs on Alexa.
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But at Christmastime, things go to another level.
From unexplained movements to decorations mysteriously rearranged overnight, Teej says the festive period brings a surge of paranormal activity.
“I’ve had a few favourite moments happen around Christmas,” the US-based collector told What’s The Jam.
“Once, I had hung small stockings on the shelving unit where I keep the dolls.
“What started as a festive gesture quickly turned into a full-blown prank war.
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“Every time I turned my back, the stockings would get pulled down.
“It became a daily routine in December, where I’d hang them back up, and they’d knock them down.
“Eventually, I told them that whichever spirit kept their stocking up until Christmas without messing with me would get an extra gift, because I was getting tired of picking them up!
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“By Christmas Day, only two stockings were still hanging.”
And another instance happened while she was filming a TikTok clip.
Teej said: “Just as I was wrapping things up and telling everyone I was about to log off, music suddenly started blaring from my Alexa downstairs.
“I went to check, and sure enough, a Queen song was playing.
“Fittingly, that’s the favourite band of my haunted teddy bear, Jeremiah.”
But she does have set rules with the dolls to ensure the mischief doesn’t go too far, which she introduces when welcoming them into her home.
Teej said: “We clearly explain our expectations: no harm to us, our pets, or anyone who visits the house.
“The only formal step we take when welcoming a new haunted doll is setting verbal boundaries.
“While we’ve never had an issue, it’s something we do out of precaution, since every new spirit is an unknown until we get to know them better.
“We also ask that no exterior doors or windows be opened, mainly to ensure our pets stay inside.
“And, believe it or not, we’ve had to add a rule about not blasting music or TV at full volume – that one came from experience!
“Once, I came home to find a movie playing so loudly that I could hear it from the street, so we had to put a stop to that pretty quickly.”
Teej’s lifelong interest in spirits sparked after a dramatic encounter when she was just six years old and in first grade.
She and her family, who also share an interest in ghost hunting, were using an Ovilus, a device said to convert environmental energy into words displayed on a screen.
Teej said: “Out of nowhere, the Ovilus said ‘Get out of the way, fast’.
“We didn’t wait, we moved immediately.
“Right after we cleared the area, a car whipped around the corner.
“It was really dark, and if we hadn’t moved, there’s a good chance we could’ve been hit.
“That moment stuck with me, not just because it was my first clear experience, but because it felt like a spirit was trying to help us.
“That was the first time I felt like a spirit interaction was actually positive, and that’s something I’ve kept in mind ever since.
“It’s a big part of why I’m now interested in haunted dolls, specifically ones with positive energy.
“That early experience shaped the way I look at the paranormal today.”
Since beginning her collection five years ago, Teej has encountered dozens of haunted toys, researching their histories online and visiting exhibitions to meet them in person.
Despite the unusual antics of her haunted collection, Teej says the holiday season brings a special kind of joy to her home.
From mischievous stockings to impromptu music performances, her dolls help turn Christmas into a playful, magical time – reminding her that even the supernatural can share in the festive cheer.
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