How to tell if your house is haunted and what to do about it

This post came from www.examiner.com


June 6, 3:33 PM by Patricia Marin


No one really knows why one place may appear to be haunted, while another is not. Sometimes it can be traced to a history of violence and death at a particular location; in other instances, nothing out of the ordinary may be found in a site’s history. In fact, even new houses can be haunted, even though there would seem to be no logical reason for them to be.


Jim and his family moved into their house in a suburb of Washington, DC in the late 1970s. The house was new; in fact, it had been the model home in the development and they were the first permanent residents. Prior to being cleared for development, it had been thick forest land. Jim recalls that he felt uneasy from the moment they moved in and never slept at all that first night. “There was always a feeling of being watched,” he remembers. Although Jim and his brother had been given separate bedrooms downstairs, which created a private haven that would normally be valued by two teenage boys, Steve – Jim’s brother – adamantly refused to ever sleep in his room.
In fact, Steve found excuses to spend more and more time away from home, usually coming in late at night and collapsing on the sofa in the upstairs living room. Although Jim gradually became more comfortable in his own room, he was never really at ease there. There were some odd events throughout the rest of the house, including toilets that flushed by themselves and faucets that turned on and off on their own.
Several plumbers brought in at different times were unable to find the cause. Both Jim and Steve moved out as soon as they were old enough to do so. As an adult, Jim stayed in his previous room once on a business trip back to DC, only to find that his suitcase had been thrown across the room during the night and its contents scattered. Strange events continued in the house until a clearing in 2004 changed the atmosphere of the house completely.


Signs of Possible Paranormal Activity


Whatever the age or background of a location, there are certain signs to look for – and common causes to eliminate – when attempting to determine if a house or property is truly exhibiting paranormal activity. Even if you think your house may be haunted, odds are that it’s not. There are many logical explanations for most seemingly paranormal activities and these should be checked out thoroughly before even considering the possibility of something paranormal in nature. The following is a list of common occurrences that MIGHT be paranormal in nature, assuming all logical causes have been investigated and eliminated.


• Feelings of being watched
• Objects being moved or lost
• Finding objects/apports
• Lights/appliances/televisions/radios that turn on or off by themselves
• Battery drain (this is frequently experienced by paranormal investigators at allegedly haunted sites)
• Doors/cabinets/cupboards opening or closing by themselves
• Unusual noises (knocking, banging, rapping, scratching, sounds of something being dropped and also problems with plumbing and faucets)
• Shadows/Shadow People
• Being touched (including a type of “spiderweb” feeling or having one’s hair touched)
• Being pushed
• Cries, whispers, hearing your name called
• Cold or hot spots
• Perfume, tobacco, or other distinctive smells for which there is no logical explanation
• Pets that react to any of these signs or exhibit other signs of fear or affection towards someone or something unseen
• Children who talk to and about their “invisible friends”

Rare and Unusual Phenomena


Other signs are much rarer, but are sometimes reported. These include:

levitating objects such as plates sliding across the table or pictures flying off the walls; physical assaults including scratching, slapping, and shoving; unexplained writing on walls or footprints/handprints appearing and disappearing; and, last but not least, an actual apparition. Of course, it’s much more credible if these events are witnessed by more than one person.


Common Causes to Eliminate


Strange noises could be animals in the walls, attic, or basement – birds, squirrels, even raccoons. Houses tend to “settle” and some are simply noisier than others. Plumbing can be extremely noisy and unreliable; always have a plumber do an inspection to eliminate faulty valves, banging pipes, and other possible causes. Shadows could be caused by natural means, including trees, shrubbery, the headlights of passing cars, or reflections of some sort. Check out your property carefully with these potential explanations in mind and see if you can re-create the experience. Faulty wiring can cause lights and appliances to turn off and on by themselves, so it’s probably a good investment to have an electrician come in and check it out. Drafts and uneven flooring have been found to be the cause of many doors that open and close on their own. An HVAC expert may be able to fix cold/hot spots. As far as losing objects, you may be going through a period of being forgetful – perhaps you’re under more stress than usual due to work or school pressures. There is even a phenomena called “hypnagogia” that MAY be the culprit in some cases.


The Next Steps


If you’ve investigated and eliminated as many possible “natural” causes as you can, it’s time to take the next steps.


First, start keeping a journal about your experiences. Whenever anything happens, carefully note the date, time of day, circumstances, feelings, and witnesses present. This will be an invaluable tool should you call in a team to do a professional investigation. You will not have to rely simply on memory and the investigators may be able to spot a pattern in the activity.


Once you’re convinced that something truly strange is going on, you might want to contact the American Ghost Society (AGS). AGS was founded in 1996 and is run by Troy Taylor, one of the most experienced and professional researchers in the paranormal field. The AGS maintains a nationwide roster of Area Representatives and will refer requests to an experienced paranormal investigation group in your area.

When contacted by a paranormal investigator, be completely honest and don’t hold back potentially valuable information. For example, you will probably be asked about drug or alcohol use; that’s not out of any prurient interest on the part of the investigator and it is not meant to be judgmental. However, the investigators need to have a complete picture about what is going on at the location, including any drug or alcohol use that could have contributed to erroneous perceptions.

If you’ve only ever seen the shadow people after your usual three glasses of wine before bed, that’s something they need to know. Prior to launching a full investigation, the investigator may ask a potential client to bring in outside experts such as plumbers or exterminators to eliminate suspected natural causes. Potential clients are also usually asked to fill out a Questionnaire. Surprisingly, many potential clients often never return the questionnaire, which is usually a tip-off that they were most likely never really serious about suspected paranormal activity. Many people are simply looking for attention or think that it would be fun to have an investigation done.


Remember that most paranormal investigators do this on a part-time basis, investing their own time and money to help others, so be sure to cooperate fully. Don’t treat the investigation date itself as an excuse to have a party and invite family and friends over to watch, thereby ensuring noise contamination and time lost in mandatory social interactions. Many paranormal teams travel 4-5 hours or more to do an investigation. Be respectful of their time, money, and effort by keeping onlookers to a minimum and arranging conditions so that they are able to conduct a professional investigation with as few distractions as possible.


Conclusion


If the team does find evidence of paranormal activity, odds are it’s not something truly scary. If you decide you want a clearing, many groups can offer assistance or refer you to someone who can. Sometimes simply understanding what’s behind this type of activity is enough to cause it to diminish or even disappear completely. Often, people may find that they and their “ghosts” can co-exist happily enough together, once certain grounds rules are established and followed.