Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-30**Lead**
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Capitol Building, long known as the seat of American democracy, is now the subject of a rigorous scientific investigation into reports of paranormal activity. A collaborative research team from the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies and the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage has launched a multi-year study to document and analyze firsthand accounts of unexplained phenomena — including disembodied footsteps, sudden temperature drops, and sightings of shadowy figures — reported by Capitol Police officers, tour guides, and even members of Congress over the past several decades. The study, titled “Spectral Encounters in the Seat of Government,” aims to apply empirical methods to a phenomenon long relegated to folklore and anecdote.
**Contexto**
The U.S. Capitol Building, completed in its original form in 1800, has a history steeped in both political drama and personal tragedy. The structure has been the site of two major fires — one set by British troops in 1814 and another in 1851 — as well as the 1915 bombing by a German-born professor, the 1954 shooting of five members of Congress by Puerto Rican nationalists, and the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Many of the reported ghost stories center on the building’s oldest sections, including the Crypt, the Old Supreme Court Chamber, and the Statuary Hall. The most frequently cited apparition is that of a figure in a long coat and top hat, widely believed to be the ghost of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, who died of a stroke on the floor of the House of Representatives in 1848. Another recurring account involves the sound of a woman weeping in the Old Supreme Court Chamber, attributed by some to a 19th-century cleaning woman who reportedly died in a fall.
Capitol Police officers, who patrol the building during overnight shifts, have provided some of the most detailed accounts. In interviews conducted by the research team, multiple officers described hearing the sound of footsteps in empty hallways, doors opening and closing without human agency, and the sensation of being watched in rooms known to be vacant. One officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported seeing a figure in 19th-century military attire standing at attention in the Rotunda before vanishing. The officer, a 12-year veteran of the force, said he had previously dismissed such stories as “nonsense” until his own experience.
**Analise**
While the study has drawn skepticism from some in the scientific community, its methodology is grounded in established research protocols. The team is using a combination of historical archival research, structured interviews with witnesses, and environmental monitoring — including electromagnetic field detectors, infrared thermometers, and audio recording equipment — to collect data in a systematic way. Dr. Emily Hartwell, a research fellow at the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies, emphasized that the goal is not to “prove” the existence of ghosts but to understand why so many credible individuals report similar experiences in the same location. “We are dealing with a consistent pattern of sensory phenomena reported by people who have no obvious motive to fabricate,” Hartwell said in a statement released by the university. “Whether the cause is environmental, psychological, or something else entirely, the consistency of these accounts warrants serious investigation.”
The study has also drawn attention from historians who note that the Capitol Building’s long and often violent history provides a rich context for ghost lore. Dr. Marcus Webb, a historian at the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, pointed out that many cultures have traditions of “place memory” — the idea that traumatic events can leave a psychic or energetic residue on a location. “The Capitol has witnessed assassinations, duels, riots, and the deaths of presidents and ordinary workers alike,” Webb said. “It is not surprising that a building so steeped in human drama would generate stories of lingering presences.” The research team plans to publish its preliminary findings in a peer-reviewed journal within the next 18 months, with a full report expected by 2028.
**Fontes**
- University of Virginia, Division of Perceptual Studies: official press release regarding the “Spectral Encounters in the Seat of Government” study. - Smithsonian Institution, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: historical context and archival records on Capitol Building folklore. - U.S. Capitol Police: internal reports and officer interviews (anonymized per department policy). - Library of Congress, Manuscript Division: historical records of deaths and notable events at the U.S. Capitol Building. - Peer-reviewed literature on environmental psychology and place memory, including studies published in the Journal of Parapsychology and the Journal of Environmental Psychology.