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Signs Your Home Might Be Haunted

Updated on September 25, 2011
Spirit Angel on the stairway at The Pub in Gettysburg.
Spirit Angel on the stairway at The Pub in Gettysburg. | Source

by Christine B.

There are many indications that you might have paranormal activity, including ghost images or spirit manifestations in your home, no matter how old it is. Often ghosts and/or spirits are connected to the land and to buildings that are no longer on the property.

There is a difference between a ghost image and spirit manifestation. A ghost image is also called a residual image and is not intelligent. In other words, you cannot communicate with a ghost image as it is a traumatic event or series of events that have actually impressed itself onto the atmosphere. It repeats in the same way over and over again, usually appearing after a trigger date or event. A spirit manifestation is intelligent and is the actual spirit energy of someone who was once living and who is now deceased. They are moving about in another dimension, but can sometimes be seen and felt, and they have the power not only to communicate, but also to move objects around. Ghost images are 100% harmless and can in no way cause any damage. Spirit energy, on the other hand, are not always harmless, but are benign in 95% of the cases. They are attempting to let you know they are still present. Once you acknowledge their presence, they usually leave the residents alone, with the exception of an occasional reminder that they are there.

Some of the signs of a haunting can be explained away by normal defects in the home wiring and other normal maladies. If you have had your home checked out by a licensed contractor, and you are still experiencing unexplained activity, then your next step should be to have a paranormal investigative team investigate your home. Keep in mind that not all hauntings are alike and it is not necessary that you experience all of the events listed below. These are events that are typical at most hauntings:

1. Unexplained noises, including footsteps, knocks, banging, rapping, scratching sounds, sounds of something being dropped or in the case of cupboards and cabinets, doors being opened and closed on their own.

2. Doors, cabinets and cupboards opening and closing on their own. As mentioned above, any doors opening or closing without the aid of human or gravitational influence can be a sign that a spirit is attempting to make itself known. These will be doors that you use on a regular basis and include outside doors that lock or unlock seemingly on their own. (This could also include garage door movements and door bells ringing on their own)

3. Lights and electronic equipment that starts or even changes channels on its own, even if it is not plugged into an outlet. This would also include light bulbs blowing out on a more than regular basis. Because there is energy involved with these electrical appliances, it is easier for spirit energy to affect it. Alarm clocks going off at times they were not set for, or it they weren’t set to go off at all.

4. Items moving and/or disappearing and sometimes reappearing. This phenomenon occurs with items you use on a regular basis, like car keys showing up in the freezer. Items can sometimes been seen moving, but in most cases, you put something down, walk away for a few minutes, and when you return it is gone. Sometimes these objects disappear forever. It is uncertain where they go when this happens, and is most bizarre.

5. Unexplained shadows. Dark or light shadows or mists appear briefly in broad daylight or at night in front of you or seen out of the corner of your eye. Your peripheral vision is very sensitive to viewing things in other dimensions so spirits are often seen first in this way. There are paranormal dark shadows called “Shadow People.” No one knows for sure what they are, but several have been captured in photographs. Orbs in your photographs or seen with the naked eye have also been reported.

6. Strange animal behavior. If your dog and/or cat seem agitated and defensive of something that you can’t see, or if they refuse to enter a room or run from one without explanation, this could be an indication that there is spirit energy present. Animals can perceive things at a higher level than humans.

7. Feelings of being watched, touched, and atmospheric changes. All of these symptoms can indicate the presence of spirit energy. Usually a person feels as though someone touches their hair, arm or leg. Usually these occurrences are also accompanied by atmospheric changes… like the air becoming close or “thick” and difficult to breathe.

8. Cold or hot spots. If one walks into an area or a room and the temperature seems to have dropped or raised drastically, and if no windows are open or no other explanation suffices, this is an indication of the presence of spirit energy.

9. Unexplained sounds and/or voices. These are almost always ghost images/residual phenomena. Spirits don’t have a voice, except when they are able to communicate through a medium or psychic telepathically. If you hear voices, especially a group of people, don’t be at all afraid, as ghost images/residual phenomena has no negative affect. However, hearing your name being called would be true spirit energy.

10. Items falling off a wall for no explained reason. If a decorator item falls off a wall, and the nail that was holding it up is still in the wall, and no one had slammed a door or any other natural vibration (earthquake) has occurred, then this can also be a sign of spirit energy active in the location. This is especially true if the item does not fall straight down and ends up in the middle of the room or not close to where it would be if it had fallen naturally.

11. Familiar smells. These would include pipe or cigar smoke that reminds you of your father or grandfather, cologne that grandma or mom used to wear, or any other unexplained scent that reminds you of someone who you have known who is deceased.

12. Imaginary Friends. Nine times out of ten, imaginary friends are spirits. Children can often see into the spirit dimension, maybe because it hasn’t been that long since they were there themselves. If your child tells you they have a friend you can’t see, believe them! In most cases, the spirits they see are relatives, but sometimes they are not. If you child seems afraid of these spirits it would be a good idea to attempt to convince the spirit to leave the home and to go into the light.

13. Figures or objects seen in mirrors that when you turn to look at them, there is nothing there.Legend tells us that Vampires cannot be seen in mirrors, but in the spirit world the opposite seems to be true. Spirits can often be seen in mirrors before they can be seen head-on.

14. Finding coins, especially pennies. For some reason, probably because of their high cooper content, pennies and some other coins can be moved easily by spirits. One of the tests of a spirit presence is to put a stack of pennies in an out-of-the way location and check on it every once in a while. If the penny stack moves on it’s own, it’s a sign of spirit activity. You might also find pennies laying around with no explanation as to how they got there.

15. Beds shaking, moving or being bumped by unseen hands. This seems to be a fun activity for spirits, probably because it is very disconcerting for the person in the bed. Some people have also reported feeling as though someone or something gets into the bed with them, but when they investigate, no one is there.

There are several physical reactions to a spirit presence in a room or at a location. The air becomes “thick” as if it has turned into a liquid. The hairs on your arms, neck or other areas of your body stand up and you get goose bumps. It becomes more difficult to breathe. You feel a pressure on the top of your head or on your chest. The atmosphere feels suddenly much colder or warmer. You feel light-headed or dizzy. You have the sensation of being watched. Although disconcerting, none of these symptoms are life-threatening.

If you have experienced any of the above-mentioned unexplained events at your home, you can assume that you are dealing with paranormal activity only when all other normal explanations have been ruled out. Remember that most often spirit energy is benign and it is likely one of your relatives attempting to communicate with you, and therefore wishes you no harm. Even if the spirit is not a relative, the worst thing you can do is be afraid of the unexplained activities. If it is negative energy (very, very rare) then it will feed on the energy your body expels when it is afraid. Get rid of the fear, and you will discover how interesting the experience can be.

Keep in mind that there is only ONE WAY to get rid of a spirit, and that is to convince it to leave. Aside from that, nothing else you do will eliminate it. As I mentioned, most spirit manifestations in a home are relatives watching over you. These spirits are not only benign, but also protective of the family members.

I suggest you keep a journal of the events that occur in your home. This will give you a better idea of what the spirits are attempting to tell you. It is a good idea to also keep track of the witnesses to the events, in case you ever need to refer to that information later.

If you can sustain an open mind about the paranormal events occurring, you will discover that the experience is interesting and not frightening. "The more you learn, the less you fear!"

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