Signs of a Haunting


OK so maybe you have had a few strange experiences in your home or elsewhere.That doesn't necessarily mean the area is haunted,or does it?Keeping in mind that every haunting is different here are some of the most commonly reported phenomena.

1.Unexplained noises such as banging,rapping or knocking or things being moved around or dropped

2.Doors or cupboards being repeatedly opened and/or closed-this can be seen,heard or both

3.Things being moved around anything from furniture to car keys normally kept on the kitchen counter showing up under the couch

4.Objects moving or levitating dinner dishes being moved across the table or glasses etc.seeming to pick themselves up

5.Electrical problems Lights turning themselves off or on or televisions changing channels-I have even heard of tv's and radios playing while they are unplugged.Also any unusual flickering of the lights or unexplained "streaks of light"being seen

6.Animals behaving strangely Dogs,cats even birds may seem afraid or seem to be attacking something unseen

7.New batteries losing their charge new or hardly used batteries may suddenly die with little or no use or no use.

8.Unusual Noises such as the sound of footsteps when no one is around or unexplained voices,most likely very muffled or whispers.You may hear moaning or crying very clearly or ,if you have ever had an unexplained voice or"animal type growl"show up on video or audio tape recoded in the house or area

9.Feelings of being watched or touched You may experience an overwhelming feeling that you are not alone when you know you are or may feel a sensation of being touched by a cold unseen hand.You may feel as though someone is sitting or lying next to you(possibly even see an imprint of a person)but no one is there

10."Glimpses of things out of the corner of your eye" this can be anything from white spots that seem to be there until you turn and look to dark shadowy figures

11.Cold or hot spots these may appear in the same spot all the time or can move around a house or area

12.Strange smells or odors Any odor you know is not common for the area such as cigar/pipe smoke ,unusual colognes,a smell of rot or of flowers

13.Unexplained bruises or scratches these may appear anywhere on the body for no apparent reason

14.ApparitionsOf course the most undeniable sign of a haunting is an actual apparition.Ghosts can appear in many forms.They can range from a solid or transparent person to only a head or part of a body.This includes misty or smokey apparitions or streaks or balls of light.Also,if any of these things have ever tuned up on photos or video taken in the area.

There are many other signs you may experience.Generally anything that seems strange or impossible that happens on a recurring basis.


THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A POLTERGEIST AND A HAUNTING

Most poltergeist activity falls within the first 7 signs on the list while a haunting can be any combination of the signs.Poltergeist activity also seems to occur only for a short time compared to a haunting.Poltergeists may last a few weeks to a couple of years where hauntings can continue for any amount of time.Often we hear stories of hauntings continuing for hundreds of years. It is not known exactly what makes a poltergeists appear.Unlike hauntings they don't seem to be connected with a place but they can be connected to a person.They do seem to be more frequent around homes with teenagers,particularly girls.Why is not known but there are a couple of theories.

The first is that the teen themself is unknowingly causing the activity somehow.It is my personal opinion that this is not the case.If it were then why would it not be much more common.Another is that the poltergeists are Spirits of children.This is thought because of the meny child-like pranks they play.The idea here is that they naturally are attracted to this teens just as any child is.It may also be easy for them to get the energy they need to manifest themselves in our world from the energy of a teen.


WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT A HAUNTING


Well the first thing you can do if you are in Washington State, is to contact us.We are always looking for sites to investigate. There is never a fee and no information is ever released without the consent of the family. Even if you are not in Washington State we have made many contacts throughout the country and chances are we can find an investigation team near you. Now,having said that let's talk about what you can do on your own.My first advice is to talk to the Spirit.I know how silly this sounds.When I was living in a haunted house and didn't know beans about ghosts,I contacted a researcher in New England who gave me this same advice.I thought she was crazy but after researching hauntings my self I believe this is the best advice.You must speak to them with authority.Let them know they are hanging around our world and it is a world we can still control.I don't mean to be cruel about it but if they are doing something that is frightening you,let them know and tell them to stop.You should also remind them that it is time that they move on.We know from people who have had near death experiences that there is a light that greets us at our last hour.You should remind them of this light and tell them to go to the light. Of course there are those who will not listen.This all relates back to why the Spirit has chosen to remain here and the personality of this person when they were living.

Rule Out Rational Explanations

A person who has experienced some of these phenomena might have cause to believe that his or her house is haunted. But maybe not according to some. They claim that the human mind and human senses are easily fooled and people can often mistake explainable occurrences in their homes for the paranormal. Before you decide there's a ghost in your house or move out from fear, do your best to find rational explanations for what you are experiencing. Virtually all of the phenomena listed on the previous page could have perfectly natural causes so use your best judgment and trust your instincts.

Try to Capture Something

If you feel you have ruled out rational explanations for the phenomena that are taking place in your house, and they are still occurring on a more or less regular basis, try to capture these occurrences in several ways.

The first would be to keep a journal of the phenomena as they happen. For example: November 19, 2002; 11:30 p.m. - Sitting in kitchen when radio turned on by itself. Got up to shut it off.

November 20, 2002; 8:16 p.m. - Sitting on couch and TV started flipping channels on it's own. Also heard footsteps at the same time.