Haunted Asylums

Perhaps some of the most haunted buildings around are those that were once home to the mentally ill and insane. Insane asylums and psychiatric hospitals were built early on to house individuals with mental illnesses who were thought of as a nuisance or disruption to society and others. In more modern times, families who were unable to care for there loved ones had no choice but to institutionalize them. All to often these individuals were left there and forgotten.

A bit of history for you:

"The first psychiatric hospitals and insane asylums were built in the medieval Islamic world as early as the 8th century. Muslim physicians and built the first ones in Baghdad from 705, followed by Fes in the early 8th century, and Cairo in 800. Other famous psychiatric hospitals were built in Damascus and Aleppo in 1270.

Bethlem Royal Hospital (Bedlam) was the first known psychiatric hospital in Europe, founded in London in 1247 and by 1403, had begun accepting social outcasts, the "crazy people", "lunatics" and those who just couldn't stay hidden in society anymore. It soon became infamous for its cruel treatment of the insane, and in the 18th century would have outsiders pay a penny to come and watch their patients as a form of torturous entertainment. " (wiki)

Sometimes horrible experimental procedures were performed, like Lobotomies, often killing a number of the patients in the process or leaving them as vegetables. In numerous facilities abuse, neglect and suicides were taking place on a regular basis.

It is no wonder that these buildings are believed to be the most haunted around.