They’re seen at the edge of roads. Sometimes in fog. Sometimes in the backseat. Always silent. Always watching. These are the faceless ghosts of the West Coast. And they’re a lot more common than you’d think. Get the spectral scoop after the jump.

What Is A Faceless Ghost?

A faceless ghost is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a spirit that appears without any facial features. No eyes. No nose. No mouth. Just smooth skin where a face should be.

They usually take the form of women in dresses often white, gray, or black. Their hair may cover their face, or they turn just enough for you to see nothing where their features should be. Sometimes they vanish quickly. Sometimes they follow you.

But they always leave you shaken.

Why Are They Faceless?

There are a few theories. Paranormal researchers believe these spirits suffered deep emotional trauma. They lost their identity in life, so they manifest without one in death.

Mediums say they hide their faces out of shame. Some believe they were murdered or abused. They don’t want to be recognized. Others think it’s not a ghost at all; it’s something pretending to be human.

Faceless ghosts could also be tulpas, or thoughtforms. When people talk about them enough, or fear them, the energy might create a real entity. These are dangerous. They feed on fear.

No one knows for sure. But every story agrees on one thing: If you see a faceless woman ghost, don’t look too long.

West Coast Sightings

Faceless ghosts appear up and down the Pacific coast. Most of the stories come from California, Oregon, and Washington. Here are a few well-known encounters:

Los Angeles, CA: Drivers on Mulholland Drive report a woman who appears in the backseat of their car. She’s wearing a vintage dress. Her face is blank.

Portland, OR: In Forest Park, hikers have seen a woman in white. She stands on the trail, unmoving. When people approach, she looks up. But she has no eyes.

Aberdeen, WA: Near the docks, fishermen claim to see a woman floating just above the water. Her dress is tattered, and her face reflects the moonlight—but has no features.

Eugene, OR: A ghost hunter reported a faceless woman standing outside a 1920s house during an investigation. She pointed at the attic window, then vanished.

San Francisco, CA: In the foggy alleys of Nob Hill, several residents have seen a figure staring up at their apartments. Every report says the same thing: She has no face.

Tacoma, WA: Along North 30th Street, a young woman walks, her head tilted down, her black hair covering her face. Later that night, she appears sitting at the foot of a young man’s bed, sobbing. When he wakes up and asks her if she’s OK, her sobbing becomes uncontrollable and vanishes.

These sightings often occur near bodies of water or places with tragic histories.

A Personal Encounter From Bremerton, Washington

Ted* had his own brush with one of these spirits.

It happened just outside Bremerton, Washington. He was driving home from a late-night ghost hunt along a forested highway. There was a pullout by the side of the road, so he stopped to stretch his legs.

That’s when he saw her.

She stood across the two-lane road, maybe fifteen feet away. Ted thought she was a person at first … just a woman walking in the woods. But then she turned toward him, and pulled back her wavy brown hair.

And there was nothing. No eyes. No mouth. Just skin.

The air got heavy. He couldn’t move. His heart thumped like a drum in his throat. Ted blinked, and she was gone.

That night, his dreams filled with the woman’s missing face. Her burning in a house fire. And the house collapsing from the flames.

Ted experienced that same nightmare over and over, all night long.

^{*name changed to protect identity}

How to Investigate a Faceless Spirit

If you’re a ghost hunter, here’s what you should know:

Use thermal or infrared cameras. Faceless spirits often appear in low light. Thermal imaging might pick up heat distortions or cold spots.

EVP sessions are tricky. They rarely speak, but you might catch a faint whisper or static when they’re near.

Avoid mirrors. Some witnesses say these ghosts appear behind them in reflections.

Bring a partner. Never investigate alone. People who encounter faceless ghosts often experience time loss or confusion.

And trust your gut. If you feel something is wrong, it probably is.

Don’t Do This

• Don’t challenge the spirit.
• Don’t stare directly at its face.
• Don’t bring home anything from the location.

These ghosts might seem passive, but they’re not harmless. Their faces stick with you. So do the nightmares they create.

Cultural Connections

Faceless ghosts don’t just appear in the Pacific Northwest. Variants exist around the world:

• Japan: The Noppera-bō is a faceless ghost from Japanese folklore. They approach travelers, then reveal their blank faces.
• Europe: Tales of women in white often include distorted or hidden features.
• United States: Slender Man isn’t a ghost, but he shares a faceless design. And the more people talk about him, the more people claim to see him.

The faceless spirit could be a symbol of identity loss, trauma, or forgotten souls. Or it could be something much stranger.

Why They Scare Us

Faceless ghosts terrify us because they strip away humanity. You can’t tell what they want. You can’t read their expressions. They just stare.

They’re silent. Empty. Alien.

And deep down, we fear becoming like them—forgotten and unseen.

Poll: Have You Encountered A Faceless Ghost?

Don’t forget to leave a comment with your encounter.

Have you encountered a faceless ghost?

Sources

“Noppera-bō.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 May 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noppera-bō.

Foster, Michael Dylan. The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. University of California Press, 2015.

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits. 3rd ed., Visionary Living, Inc., 2007.

McNally, Raymond T. and Radu Florescu. In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires. Houghton Mifflin, 1994. (for folklore patterns)

“Noppera-bō.” Yokai.com, Matthew Meyer. https://yokai.com/nopperabo/

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Have you encountered a faceless ghost? If so, tell me about it in the comments.

Thanks for reading Ghostly Activities. Much appreciated and take care!