Signs of Ghosts in your Home

You’ve just moved into your new house, and you’re in the midst of your first night there. As you’re trying to sleep, you’re awakened now and then by a creak here or a thud there. You can’t help but wondering what sorts of things are going bump in the night.

Could your new home be haunted?

One of the most common phenomenon in haunting is the sound of phantom footsteps. These are often heard in rooms on lower floors, on staircases and in hallways. Sometimes, there will be tapping or the sound of something hitting the wall or other had surfaces.

When this happens, it’s best to try reproducing the sound yourself and to look for possible mundane causes. On older staircases, for example, it will sometimes sound as if someone is descending the stairs after you when your weight settles on certain steps. To verify this, listen for the sound as you go down them, and when it comes, backtrack to reproduce it.

Disembodied voices are well known hallmarks of a haunted building. Most often, they’ll sound distant or indistinct, like whispering. However, it is possible that they’ll sound as if the speaker is right next to you. Sometimes, they’ll pipe up unexpectedly or answer questions.

This happened to me a few days ago. I had asked my husband if he’d wanted anything from the kitchen as I was going in that direction. I distinctly heard a male voice reply, “Milk.” Naturally, I poured him a glass, but when I set it in front of him, he looked at me as if I’d grown another head. He hadn’t even heard me ask the question in the first place. The voice had been quite, but it was very clear, and it sounded as if it had come from behind me.

Because that sort of thing happens to us on a fairly regular basis, it didn’t scare me. It did annoy me a bit, since ghosts obviously can’t drink physical liquid. However, for those without much experience, those phantom voices can be very frightening.

Since we’ve lived in this house for a number of years, I know how sound travels here. When you are in a new building, however, and always eliminate the possibility of strange acoustics by having a partner talk at different volumes from various places outside and inside the house.

There's an example of a ghostly voice in the video. At 1:43, if you listen closely enough, you'll be able to hear a distinct whisper after the man said "Grace O'Malley would have looked down from this very window..."

This usually isn’t anything like in movies like Poltergeist or Paranormal Activity.

Cabinets won’t throw themselves open at the same time, and plates usually won’t go flying at peoples’ heads. It is possible that things like rocking chairs will move without explanations, light switches may turn on or off on their own, and relatively small objects may appear in places they shouldn’t be. Doors may open or close under their own power.

There are various causes to this activity. Changes in air pressure can rattle doors or windows, and uneven floors can cause doors to open or close on their own.

To test how level a floor is, set a ball down on one end of the room and watch which direction it rolls. Try this in multiple parts or the room to determine which direction the floor slants and look at where the furniture and doors are in relation to the slant.

One of the most often observed phenomena is that the temperature will drop when a spirit is trying to manifest itself. There are places like just in front of doors and windows where there may be drafts which make those areas just a bit cooler than the rest of the house, but when spots start appearing without cause, you could have a ghost on your hand. If these spots seem to move on their own as if with intelligence, it’s very likely that there is paranormal activity present.

Keep track of where you feel these spots. Sometimes, air conditioning vents can be hidden and cross drafts inside the house can cause lower temperatures in unexpected locations.

Although full apparitions are somewhat rare, they are possible. You’re far more likely to see shadows just out of the periphery of your vision or white mists convalescing for no discernible reason. There is the possibility that the mist could appear to be rolling along the floor as well. Unexplained lights could also be a very good indicator of paranormal happenings.

Always be sure to eliminate exterior light sources, however. Cars passing by can cast surprising shadows inside of a house. Streetlamps, the moon and the sun can sometimes reflect in strange ways off of glass or metal by windows as the day or night wears on.

Phantom smells are aromas with physical no cause. They’ll often show up suddenly and dissipate just as quickly. There have been incidences where they will move from place to place on their own as well.

This is a little more difficult to debunk. Sometimes wooden furniture can hold on to the scent of smoke and release it when it warms up. There are varieties of dryer sheets and detergents which may smell stronger at different times of day, depending on heat or moisture applied to fabric.

If you experience some or all of these things, you may be living in a haunted house. If you can’t debunk them, the possibility increases. There’s no need to be afraid, especially if no one has been physically harmed. Spirits are simply people whose bodies have passed on. They generally want nothing more than company, to pass a message on or simple acknowledgement.