Who here believes in the paranormal? Update in Post #1

[AlmiraGulch]

I do.  I'm a skeptic by nature, but I've had "experiences" my  entire life, many of which could not be explained away.  I know we've had threads here before that ended up in discussions about the paranormal, but I'm really curious about people's beliefs and experiences.

 

I actually have had so much activity in my house recently that I contacted a paranormal investigation group.  They'll be doing an overnight here as soon as we can get it scheduled.  

 

So.....what's happened to you?

 

UPDATE:  In case anyone is interested, they're officially scheduled to spend the night in our house on 8/10!  I hope they're able to detect something when they're here.  My husband and I were just saying we haven't noticed anything for a few days now.

 

And on a side note, I never realized how hard it is to find a pet-friendly hotel that doesn't charge a bazillion dollar non-refundable deposit.  Sigh. 

[sparrow]

There was a lot of unexplained phenomena that occurred at my aunt's house years ago. I witnessed locked doors opening on their own, an alarm clock going off in an upstairs room that no one had been in for 2 weeks, and beds shaking.

 

I'm also skeptical, but there was no denying what I witnessed. 

 

I'm looking forward to hearing what the paranormal group finds at your house. Do you know its history? My aunt's house was once a stagecoach stop and had also been used as an antique store at one time.

[unsinkable]

I believe things that happen that we don't understand/can't explain.

 

I don't know what to call it.

[AlmiraGulch]

There was a lot of unexplained phenomena that occurred at my aunt's house years ago. I witnessed locked doors opening on their own, an alarm clock going off in an upstairs room that no one had been in for 2 weeks, and beds shaking.

 

I'm also skeptical, but there was no denying what I witnessed. 

 

I'm looking forward to hearing what the paranormal group finds at your house. Do you know its history? My aunt's house was once a stagecoach stop and had also been used as an antique store at one time.

This is the type of thing I'm talking about. There are just some things that have no logical explanation.

 

As for the history....it's new construction!  Only 7 years old and I've lived here the entire time.  That said, we are right next to a major Civil War battleground site, so it could be related to that.  We also have some furniture and other belongings of a person who my husband was very close to who died young, unexpectedly, tragically.  Several things have happened here at the house, as well as some other places where he and my husband were closely connected, that have been impossible to ignore.

 

I'm excited to find out what they have to say.  It doesn't feel like a negative energy at all, but the activity has picked up quite a bit over the last few months so we're just intrigued to find out why, if possible.

[sparrow]

This is the type of thing I'm talking about. There are just some things that have no logical explanation.

 

As for the history....it's new construction!  Only 7 years old and I've lived here the entire time.  That said, we are right next to a major Civil War battleground site, so it could be related to that.  We also have some furniture and other belongings of a person who my husband was very close to who died young, unexpectedly, tragically.  Several things have happened here at the house, as well as some other places where he and my husband were closely connected, that have been impossible to ignore.

 

I'm excited to find out what they have to say.  It doesn't feel like a negative energy at all, but the activity has picked up quite a bit over the last few months so we're just intrigued to find out why, if possible.

 

Oh, wow! Now I'm really interested in hearing what they say! 

 

My aunt's house never seemed scary either. It was just unexpected occurrences.

 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

I believe things that happen that we don't understand/can't explain.

 

I don't know what to call it.

 

This.

 

I also think over time we'll learn more and more and it won't be paranormal. It just will be.

[AlmiraGulch]

So here are some of the things that have happened:

 

The first time I "felt" anything I'd been here for 3 or 4 years.  I started to walk down the stairs and had the distinct feeling that someone was right behind me, rushing me.  I actually went faster and arched my back.  As soon as I got to the bottom of the stairs my daughter said "Mom!  That lamp just turned itself off and on!"  Weird,but definitely could have just been a weird coincidence.

 

Since then, we've had:

 

1. Many, many, many sightings of a figure walking up and down the hall, in and out of my bedroom, and in the doorway.  By all of us in the house.  This happens a few times a week.

 

2. Many, many times where my dog is visibly agitated by something.  I've seen him jump from the couch or bed, rush to the hall, stare intently at something, growl and bark (he's neither a growler or a barker...only when someone comes in the front door, and only for a second), lay down, sit up, turn in circles, and follow something across a room, slowly, with his eyes.  You may have to see it to understand how odd it is.

 

3. A wooden bowl rattling and bouncing up and down on a coffee table.  My 20 year old stepson, who was sleeping on the couch, was awakened by it. He actually came and woke us up to tell us what happened.  He was a bit freaked out, and hadn't heard any of the stories about anything else because he doesn't live in this country and doesn't visit often. 

 

4.  The stereo in the living room turned itself on.  It's not a touch screen.  I was the only one in the room and nowhere near the stereo.

 

5. The top of a martini shaker flew across the kitchen counter, from one end to the next.  I was the only one in the room and didn't touch it.

 

6. When my husband and I were on our honeymoon in Key West, I was awakened in the middle of the night by what sounded like a really large dog's nails clicking across tiled floor.  I thought maybe the owners' boxer had gotten into the room somehow!  I got up and tore the room apart, looking for the dog, an iguana, a rat...anything.  There was nothing, and no place to hide.  Plus, we heard it even while we were looking for it, in the middle of the room.  Right as we were falling back to sleep, something strummed my husband's guitar.  HARD.  The guitar had not fallen, and there was nothing near it in the room.  It was a full strum, from top to bottom, of all the strings.  The weird thing about that was this Key West was where my husband met the friend I talked about who died, and whose chair and some other things we have in our house.  They met playing a gig. Both are (obviously) musicians. 

 

7. A couple of weeks ago, the light in my daughter's bedroom turned itself on in the middle of the day.  No one was home but my husband.  In fact, my kids and I were all out of town, so there's no chance that someone went in and forgot about it.  

 

8. Last week my husband and I were in bed watching a movie.  Every light in the house was off.  As I sat here, I looked into the hall and watched as a light downstairs turned on.  It was the bathroom light (on a switch, not a lamp, so it wasn't just some strange electrical thing...the switch had to be flipped up and on). 

 

Anyway, these are just some of the things.  Too much, with too many witnesses, to ignore.  I'm very interested to see what they have to say.

 

[Guest submarines]

 

I believe in paranormal, but nothing definitive has ever happened to me.

[Guest submarines]

That's some list!

 

I'd videotape my dog while he's agitated by nothing. Curious stuff.

 

About the lights. I have a question I wanted to ask for a long time. Why do those "entities" choose affect electrical circuits? Is there some theory about it?

[AlmiraGulch]

That's some list!

 

I'd videotape my dog while he's agitated by nothing. Curious stuff.

 

About the lights. I have a question I wanted to ask for a long time. Why do those "entities" choose affect electrical circuits? Is there some theory about it?

i have no idea!  It's a good question, though.  I'll ask.

[Pawz4me]

My oldest son (17) has a friend who lives in a house where the previous owner committed suicide many years ago.  DS's friend says the downstairs toilet frequently flushes by itself, doors have opened and closed on their own, there are sometimes drafts where there shouldn't be drafts, and several times they've heard what sounds like harmonica music coming from the basement.  He's a well-grounded, sensible boy, so I believe him.

[Parrothead]

Depends on the specific paranormal. Some things I believe are plausible. Others I think ate a bunch of hooey.

[Starr]

I have a friend that says to put out a bowl of citrus, oranges, lemons. It makes the ghosts happy.  In your case, it can't hurt. 

[WishboneDawn]

No.

 

A note on skepticism though, you're not properly skeptical if you scoff at claims of the supernatural. A proper skeptic, faced with strange events would search out natural and rational explanations, not appeal to the supernatural.

 

Those are some interesting events. I may have to spend some time with Google.

[Guest submarines]

No.

 

A note on skepticism though, you're not properly skeptical if you scoff at claims of the supernatural. A proper skeptic, faced with strange events would search out natural and rational explanations, not appeal to the supernatural.

 

Those are some interesting events. I may have to spend some time with Google.

I'd love to hear how the above can be explained naturally!

[kiwik]

Well for years I didn't - I believed everything could be explained if we know the right questions and got a big enough knowledge base. Then 3 years ago I started attending church and I cannot see that I can reasonably continue to flat out deny the paranormal. That said most of the things called paranormal can be explained or are rubbish. But maybe not all.

[speedmom4]

Last April my stepfather was in the hospital. He was dying and my husband and I left the hospital to get some sleep. My mom stayed the night to be with him. We got home and my husband and I were laying in bed watching TV in their bedroom. In the corner of the room, for a split second I thought I saw him. Ten minutes later my mom called and said he had passed. She said she had waited a few minutes to call us because the doctor was in the room recording the time of death. I thought that was really odd because I'm not one to think there are ghosts around. I usually am pretty skeptical about those kinds of things. Over the next few days strange things began happening. My stepfather was a wonderful man but a bit of a hoarder. My husband and I began cleaning things up and getting the house nice for my mother. Water pipes burst (in the middle of spring in the South), unusual sounds, etc. We all started to feel like he was angry that we were cleaning up his clutter! There have continued to be strange events related to the house. My stepfather loved his home and didn't like people rummaging through his belongings. It all is a bit too strange to be just a coincidence. 

 

Interesting thread!

 

Elise in NC

[WishboneDawn]

Last April my stepfather was in the hospital. He was dying and my husband and I left the hospital to get some sleep. My mom stayed the night to be with him. We got home and my husband and I were laying in bed watching TV in their bedroom. In the corner of the room, for a split second I thought I saw him. Ten minutes later my mom called and said he had passed. She said she had waited a few minutes to call us because the doctor was in the room recording the time of death. I thought that was really odd because I'm not one to think there are ghosts around. I usually am pretty skeptical about those kinds of things. Over the next few days strange things began happening. My stepfather was a wonderful man but a bit of a hoarder. My husband and I began cleaning things up and getting the house nice for my mother. Water pipes burst (in the middle of spring in the South), unusual sounds, etc. We all started to feel like he was angry that we were cleaning up his clutter! There have continued to be strange events related to the house. My stepfather loved his home and didn't like people rummaging through his belongings. It all is a bit too strange to be just a coincidence.

 

Interesting thread!

 

Elise in NC

I don't think your experience sounds that strange. Your stepfather was dying and so he was likely pretty close to the front of your mind. You thought you saw something and your preoccupied brain told you it was your stepfather. I've had similar experiences. Then your mother called shortly after. There is some coincidence with the timing but not as great as you think considering he was dying and you were primed by concern for an incident like the siting.

 

Your other experiences could simply be coincidence as well. We tend to greatly underestimate the occurrence of coincidence when it's actually a pretty common thing. That and/or by cleaning up you were disturbing things. Possible poster pests that were disturbed as well?

[Parrothead]

Last April my stepfather was in the hospital. He was dying and my husband and I left the hospital to get some sleep. My mom stayed the night to be with him. We got home and my husband and I were laying in bed watching TV in their bedroom. In the corner of the room, for a split second I thought I saw him. Ten minutes later my mom called and said he had passed. She said she had waited a few minutes to call us because the doctor was in the room recording the time of death. I thought that was really odd because I'm not one to think there are ghosts around. I usually am pretty skeptical about those kinds of things. Over the next few days strange things began happening. My stepfather was a wonderful man but a bit of a hoarder. My husband and I began cleaning things up and getting the house nice for my mother. Water pipes burst (in the middle of spring in the South), unusual sounds, etc. We all started to feel like he was angry that we were cleaning up his clutter! There have continued to be strange events related to the house. My stepfather loved his home and didn't like people rummaging through his belongings. It all is a bit too strange to be just a coincidence.

 

 

Interesting thread!

 

Elise in NC

I believe my grandmother came to say goodbye in a similar manner. She showed up in my bedroom and waved one afternoon not too long after she died.

[DragonFaerie]

I believe in possibilities.  After all, who am I to say something definitively does not or could not exist?

[WishboneDawn]

http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/afterlife/ghost1.htm

 

I'd love to hear how the above can be explained naturally!

The link above your quote (I'm having a hard time formatting my posts on this phone) has a bit of information on a possible explanation for the feeling of being followed. I'd be calling an electrician and possibly electrician about the lights and such going on regardless of the age of the house.I'm a bit stumped about the things moving but that coupled with the sounds might have me wondering about rodents. Some sounds and the sightings, it's generally a Sharon taken the wrong we but we humans are pretty open to suggestion and if we're in an atmosphere where we're unsettled to begin with and there's an expectation of something like ghosts, our brains are adept at manufacturing "proof".

 

I lived this one year when we were in a house that had rats. I had ridiculously realistic dreams that I had to convince myself didn't happen, I saw things, heard things, all related to the rats, that likely were nothing. It was awful but it opened my eyes to how powerfully our brains can trick us.

[WishboneDawn]

I believe in possibilities. After all, who am I to say something definitively does not or could not exist?

Good point. Let me qualify my no. Since there is no evidence of such things and since most off not all have our likely have a natural, reasonable explanation then no, I won't accept that there are ghosts.

[GailV]

My oldest son (17) has a friend who lives in a house where the previous owner committed suicide many years ago.  DS's friend says the downstairs toilet frequently flushes by itself, doors have opened and closed on their own, there are sometimes drafts where there shouldn't be drafts, and several times they've heard what sounds like harmonica music coming from the basement.  He's a well-grounded, sensible boy, so I believe him.

 

For the record, our powder room toilet flushes itself at random intervals. We figure it's a problem with the flapper valve.  You can google how to fix that.

 

I'm always fascinated by air currents in houses.  They're often so surprising.  I notice them because I have sensory issues with how things smell, so I'm often analyzing where the heck a smell is coming from -- why do I notice it in this spot, but not that, and not between here and there?

 

Not to pick on your post.  I'm totally okay with paranormal phenomena, but I also have a lot of experience with not-so-great toilets.

[Ravin]

Much of what gets dubbed "paranormal" is integrated into spiritual worldview for me, and the rest I happily chalk up to the world being a weird and wonderful place we don't fully understand--ourselves included.

[Murphy101]

That's some list!I'd videotape my dog while he's agitated by nothing. Curious stuff.About the lights. I have a question I wanted to ask for a long time. Why do those "entities" choose affect electrical circuits? Is there some theory about it?

 

 

Well there is some theory that we are all energy producing, therefore our energy affects things around us. Just like in small ways we can be affected by the energy around us.

 

 

Depends on the specific paranormal. Some things I believe are plausible. Others I think ate a bunch of hooey.

Yes. Don't eat the hooey. It makes you hallucinate something awful. Especially if you wash it down with koolaid. ;p

 

Sorry. Couldn't resist kidding over that one. :)

 

I think there is lots of stuff I don't know or don't understand the explanations for.

 

I'd have called an electrician, a plumber, and a priest. In that order. :)

 

Oh! oh!

 

Dean and Sam Winchester and the Ghost Hunters! LOL

[Parrothead]

Oh, Sam and Dean :wub:

[beaners]

I'm pretty sure my husband believes in that stuff, but he might just be spinning yarns. He has some stories, but I never know when he's serious and when he's putting me on with that sort of thing.

 

After we sold our last house, we found out that the former patriarch of the family had hung himself in the room we used as a bedroom for the kids. The guy we bought it from inherited the house after his mother passed away, and it had been the original farm house for the entire valley we lived in. Our nextdoor neighbor was the great-niece of the man who built it, and the ninety year old woman who lived across the road had used our yard to sled in as a child. That house had a lot of character and history, whether or not it had any supernatural ghosts.

 

There were all kinds of weird things going on in the house and on the property where we lived in NY right after we married.  My great-grandfather had owned our house and a second house where my grandfather grew up, turned the surrounding land into a pet cemetery where a few people were buried with their animals, most likely killed his second wife in a bathtub that was later placed outside our house as a flower planter, and so on.  My sister lives there now, and she's called me a couple times asking questions that freak me out.

 

I mostly don't believe in that sort of thing, but my disbelief isn't strong enough to not get chills when my children make weird comments.

[Parrothead]

Yes. Don't eat the hooey. It makes you hallucinate something awful. Especially if you wash it down with koolaid. ;p

Hey, now. No making fun of my unique vocabulary. This is the only place I get to use it. :lol:

[fraidycat]

I believe.  My whole family believes.  I'm too tired to type out the stories right now, but there are quite a few of them.  If I remember and get time in the next few days in between packing, cleaning, getting ready for our move, and DH going out of town for a few days, I'll stop back in and add some details.

 

 

[Pawz4me]

For the record, our powder room toilet flushes itself at random intervals. We figure it's a problem with the flapper valve.  You can google how to fix that.

 

I'm always fascinated by air currents in houses.  They're often so surprising.  I notice them because I have sensory issues with how things smell, so I'm often analyzing where the heck a smell is coming from -- why do I notice it in this spot, but not that, and not between here and there?

 

Not to pick on your post.  I'm totally okay with paranormal phenomena, but I also have a lot of experience with not-so-great toilets.

 

Oh don't worry.  I'm as . . . . skeptical isn't the right word, but always looking for logical answers . . . as you.  But DS's friend's dad is a very handy and organized guy.  Not the type who wouldn't make sure that the plumbing is working correctly.

[DawnM]

Paranormal as in the dearly departed wandering around moving cups and flickering lights, no. Paranormal as in real demons and angels from the spirit world, yes.

[Guest submarines]

Paranormal as in the dearly departed wandering around moving cups and flickering lights, no. Paranormal as in real demons and angels from the spirit world, yes.

That's interesting to me. I thought that one goes very smoothly with the other. Could you explain how you make the distinction?

[DawnM]

The article below states it better than I can.

Although the article does not really talk much about angels, and I do believe angels can and do interact with humans when God allows it. If you look at Billy Graham's book Angels, Angels, Angels, there are some real life examples of angels who take on the form of loved ones.

http://www.gotquestions.org/ghosts-hauntings.html


Question: "What does the Bible say about ghosts / hauntings?"

Answer: Is there such a thing as ghosts? The answer to this question depends on what precisely is meant by the term “ghosts.†If the term means “spirit beings,†the answer is a qualified “yes.†If the term means “spirits of people who have died,†the answer is “no.†The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are spirit beings, both good and evil. But the Bible negates the idea that the spirits of deceased human beings can remain on earth and “haunt†the living.

Hebrews 9:27 declares, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.†That is what happens to a person’s soul-spirit after death—judgment. The result of this judgment is heaven for the believer (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23) and hell for the unbeliever (Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:22-24). There is no in-between. There is no possibility of remaining on earth in spirit form as a “ghost.†If there are such things as ghosts, according to the Bible, they absolutely cannot be the disembodied spirits of deceased human beings.

The Bible teaches very clearly that there are indeed spirit beings who can connect with and appear in our physical world. The Bible identifies these beings as angels and demons. Angels are spirit beings who are faithful in serving God. Angels are righteous, good, and holy. Demons are fallen angels, angels who rebelled against God. Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light†and as “servants of righteousness.†Appearing as a “ghost†and impersonating a deceased human being definitely seem to be within the power and abilities that demons possess.

The closest biblical example of a “haunting†is found in Mark 5:1-20. A legion of demons possessed a man and used the man to haunt a graveyard. There were no ghosts involved. It was a case of a normal person being controlled by demons to terrorize the people of that area. Demons only seek to “kill, steal, and destroy†(John 10:10). They will do anything within their power to deceive people, to lead people away from God. This is very likely the explanation of “ghostly†activity today. Whether it is called a ghost, a ghoul, or a poltergeist, if there is genuine evil spiritual activity occurring, it is the work of demons.

What about instances in which “ghosts†act in “positive†ways? What about psychics who claim to summon the deceased and gain true and useful information from them? Again, it is crucial to remember that the goal of demons is to deceive. If the result is that people trust in a psychic instead of God, a demon will be more than willing to reveal true information. Even good and true information, if from a source with evil motives, can be used to mislead, corrupt, and destroy.

Interest in the paranormal is becoming increasingly common. There are individuals and businesses that claim to be “ghost-hunters,†who for a price will rid your home of ghosts. Psychics, séances, tarot cards, and mediums are increasingly considered normal. Human beings are innately aware of the spiritual world. Sadly, instead of seeking the truth about the spirit world by communing with God and studying His Word, many people allow themselves to be led astray by the spirit world. The demons surely laugh at the spiritual mass-deception that exists in the world today.


Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/ghosts-hauntings.html#ixzz2aLOKTNCM

 

That's interesting to me. I thought that one goes very smoothly with the other. Could you explain how you make the distinction?

[AlmiraGulch]

Depends on the specific paranormal. Some things I believe are plausible. Others I think ate a bunch of hooey.

So what do you think is plausible and what is a bunch of hooey?  Just curious.

[AlmiraGulch]

No.

 

A note on skepticism though, you're not properly skeptical if you scoff at claims of the supernatural. A proper skeptic, faced with strange events would search out natural and rational explanations, not appeal to the supernatural.

 

Those are some interesting events. I may have to spend some time with Google.

Yes, I completely agree.  In my case, there have been several things where my husband, for example, has immediately jumped to some supernatural conclusion where I've found completely logical, completely natural explanations.  

[Parrothead]

So what do you think is plausible and what is a bunch of hooey? Just curious.

Not saying. I don't want to inadvertently offend anyone.

[elegantlion]

I believe in many aspects of the paranormal. I think these are events that science cannot yet explain, but will be considered less "hooey" in future generations. I've had too many experiences - not necessarily ghostly visitors - yet things that there are no scientific explanation for. Even with all of our technology, I think we are still in the infancy of discovering about the world around us and even our brains. 

 

If you took an average person from 400 years ago and tried to explain wireless printing, wifi connections, and the Internet, they'd be baffled. 

 

Is every paranormal event truly paranormal? No. 

 

 

[AlmiraGulch]

I'd love to hear how the above can be explained naturally!

Me, too!  

 

I always try to find a logical explanation for the things I see, but there are some where I just couldn't find any.  For example, I know that a lamp might be able to turn itself on because of an electrical surge or short, but I can't figure out how a switch on a wall can flip itself on.  I can't think of how a martini shaker top can fly across a counter (I checked for water on the counter and there was none. There's also no slant to the counter and it wouldn't roll on its own when I tried to get it to do so). A guitar cannot strum itself.   If there is some other logical explanation for some of this stuff that I haven't already thought of, I'm totally open to it.

[AlmiraGulch]

Not saying. I don't want to inadvertently offend anyone.

Oh, yeah.  I guess that makes sense.  

 

For the record, I would not be offended if everyone here thought that everything I've written is hooey (well.....I'd be offended if people assumed I was lying, but not offended if people think there must be some logical explanation)!  I can't explain it, after trying to figure out logical explanations, so I have to consider that maybe it's something paranormal.  I completely understand that others don't and would never even consider something other than some natural explanation, even if they don't know what that is.  I get it.

[elegantlion]

When I was a kid my great-grandmother basically died in our living room. We had moved her there after an illness, and while she was declared dead at the hospital, she was gone before they took her away. The next year her daughter died and we inherited her piano. We put it in the same living room. The entire house woke up in start one night because the piano was playing. I had left the keyboard cover open and the cat was walking on it. We really wouldn't have been startled more if the cat hadn't been there as my grandmother and her mother had a really contentious relationship. 

[AlmiraGulch]

Paranormal as in the dearly departed wandering around moving cups and flickering lights, no. Paranormal as in real demons and angels from the spirit world, yes.

So interesting!  For me, it's the opposite.

 

I'm not a Christian (I'm not religious at all, in fact) so Biblical explanations and passages about angels and demons don't ring true for me.  What does make sense, for me, is science, and so I think some of what we consider paranormal to be based in science.  I think that since we're all just big bundles of energy anyway, and energy does not die, I think it's not impossible that a strong energy, either positive or negative, can "imprint" (for lack of a better word) itself on a place or a person.  I don't have any explanation how this would work, but this is the basis for my not completely dismissing things I just can't explain.

[redsquirrel]

I don't believe in magic.  When it comes to things like the 'paranormal' I like to remember what Agent Scully said, "Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only what we know if it."

[4kidlets4me]

I saw a ghost once. It was nothing like the movies portray either. I was sitting on the couch watching tv, during the day and I glanced over to my left and there was a little girl with pigtails standing there. She didn't say anything, she didn't even look at me. At first I thought it was my daughter but she was sitting on the couch with me. The girl was only there for a few seconds and I never saw her again.

[AlmiraGulch]

I saw a ghost once. It was nothing like the movies portray either. I was sitting on the couch watching tv, during the day and I glanced over to my left and there was a little girl with pigtails standing there. She didn't say anything, she didn't even look at me. At first I thought it was my daughter but she was sitting on the couch with me. The girl was only there for a few seconds and I never saw her again.

That would freak me out.

[DragonFaerie]

So interesting!  For me, it's the opposite.

 

I'm not a Christian (I'm not religious at all, in fact) so Biblical explanations and passages about angels and demons don't ring true for me.  What does make sense, for me, is science, and so I think some of what we consider paranormal to be based in science.  I think that since we're all just big bundles of energy anyway, and energy does not die, I think it's not impossible that a strong energy, either positive or negative, can "imprint" (for lack of a better word) itself on a place or a person.  I don't have any explanation how this would work, but this is the basis for my not completely dismissing things I just can't explain.

 

This is what I think, too.  I don't believe in angels and demons (or any being that is wholly good or wholly evil), but I do believe in what we know of the science of energy.  I believe that all living things possess energy, and when the body dies, that energy has to go somewhere.  I believe the spirit is supposed to move on but may not always do so for whatever reason.  The manifestation of that spirit energy is what we call ghosts.

[Χά�ων]

I believe things that happen that we don't understand/can't explain.

 

I don't know what to call it.

This

[lailasmum]

I just think that a lot of the things that get lumped into the paranormal world are things are either flawed observations of explainable things such as the observer being under the influence of drugs or alcohol or stressed, tired etc or things that science hasn't yet figured out. I've been in some very creepy houses and experienced strange things but I still think those thing are explainable or will be. I have one friend who had a really horrible house. She hated being in it, it always felt bad and oppressive she blamed a lot of her lack of success and problems in her relationship on that house and was constantly trying to rid it of bad energy etc. I kind of see it flipped the other way. Her poor relationships and work issues and lack of care of their home added to the fact the house was badly built and everything was worn out led to the negative feeling in that place.

[swellmomma]

I do.  I'm a skeptic by nature, but I've had "experiences" my  entire life, many of which could not be explained away.  I know we've had threads here before that ended up in discussions about the paranormal, but I'm really curious about people's beliefs and experiences.

 

I actually have had so much activity in my house recently that I contacted a paranormal investigation group.  They'll be doing an overnight here as soon as we can get it scheduled.  

 

So.....what's happened to you?

That is uber cool to have them coming out.  I do believe in the paranormal and have has experiences with it. 

 

What group did you contact?

 

My experience goes back to when I was 16, my friends and I went through a period of using ouija boards for fun, lots of times information came through that would should not have known(like information on the birth family of an adopted person in the room that was not using the board at the time), but the biggest experience happened when I decided to use my ouija board by myself one night because I was bored.  I tinkered around with it and then put it away. I had one of those mirrors back them with the brass frame and white picture etched on it.  I had it on the wall, and my bed was pulled about a foot away from the wall that way I could sit at the foot of my bed and use the mirror for hair and makeup.  Anyway, in the middle of the night after I put away the ouija board I hear a huge crash.  I turned on my bedside lamp and my mirror was shattered on the floor.  Only it was clear it had not merely fallen off.  The frame was standing upright against the side of the bed facing out.  The glass was broken but peiced together like a puzzle facing upwards.  There was no possible way for that to land like that naturally.  From that night on I often heard my name being called, heard what sounded like trappen animals in the pipes (my bedroom was in the basement), would hear footsteps upstairs when I was home alone etc.  We moved to a new house about a year later and the noises etc continued.  It continued when I moved out on my own.  In fact it continued until I was due to have my oldest child.  My ex and I had moved into a townhome and he had some friends over and one was very agitated to come in the house, said it needed to be cleansed immediately.  She did a cleansing ritual, left salt on the window sills etc and that night was the first time in years I didn't hear the noises.  I have never heard them since.

 

Another weird one goes back to 5th grade.  I had this weird dream about a tall black tower in front of my school, I went to school telling my friend about my weird dream to find she had the same one.  In the end it was discovered that there was 6 of us with the same dream, not all of us from the same class, some were from the other 5th grade class.  The teacher was freaked out enough (and clearly believed us, as none of us were the liars etc) that she sent us to the counsellors office thinking we had all injested something together or something.  Everyone involved still remember the dream clearly, none of us know why or how we shared it that night. 

 

My other experiences are nothing like that.  Like I knew when my gramma was about to die without talking to her or my parents that were with her to know it was close.  I told my uncle he had to get on a plane immediately to get to her if he was going to say good bye.  He listened to me, and got to her bedside, she died 2 hours later.  As she died she saw an angel.  Her breathing, which had been very laboured, got very soft and even, she kept grabbing my grampa's arm with one hand and pointing across the room with the other saying "look at the girl! Look how beautiful she is"  And then she took her last breath and died.  I spoke to my parents a few minutes later and confirmed that yes she was gone.  I knew it, from a province away. 

 

Before I had my youngest I was not a Christian so I don't know how I would have labelled this next event back then, but I know as a Christian it was the hand of God himself, I know part of it I would have likely claimed was coincidence, but I don't believe that at all.  July '12 ds9 was in an accident when a semi hit his bible camp van.  There was a series of events involving that accident that saved his life, and that of dd14.  When we got to camp dd14 immediately signed up for horseback riding for every activity slot, she loves to ride and is very limited in opportunities.  the first day ds and I did everything together, the 2nd day Iet him go off on activities without me.  He signed up for horseback riding with dd.  Just as they went to get in the van, dd suddenly felt she should go canoeing instead.  She had never been canoeing, it had not even been on her radar, but she had the distinct impression that she was to be caneoing and not riding.  She came up to the cabin to tell me of the change in plans and I told her make sure ds got on the van so he didn't miss his chance to ride.  When ds got in the van and tried to buckle up the seat belt remained locked at the top and would not come down.  It had never failed ever before, and the camp counsellor was confused, but now that dd was no longer riding there was an empty seat available.  They moved ds over one seat and he buckled up.  And off they went out of the camp and across the highway to the ranch.  They were stopped at the top of a hill beginning to make a left turn into the ranch when a semi came up behind them, tried to pass on a double solid line, then swerved back and hit the rear passenger corner of the van, exactly where ds initially tried to sit.  That side of the van hit and broke his leg while he was in the middle seat.  Then the rolling started.  ds felt himself slipping out of his seatbelt(it was a lapbelt only), but said he knew he would be okay because he felt a hand holding him in his seat, just like I do when I reach out my hand to act like a second seatbelt when we hit the brakes (as moms I am sure you have the same instinct), he said it was not the same as when he is on a fast ride, that this was definitely a hand.  When the van stopped rolling it landed on it's side/roof, ds slid from his seat onto the roof at that point.  Because dd suddenly was led to canoe there was an open seat, that saved her life.  When the seatbelt refused to budge there was a space to move him over and that saved his life.  I know without a doubt that divine intervention saved my kids that day.  While it is not in the same genre as ghost stories it is still not a normal experience and therefore fits with this thread.

[AlmiraGulch]

That is uber cool to have them coming out.  I do believe in the paranormal and have has experiences with it. 

 

What group did you contact?

 

My experience goes back to when I was 16, my friends and I went through a period of using ouija boards for fun, lots of times information came through that would should not have known(like information on the birth family of an adopted person in the room that was not using the board at the time), but the biggest experience happened when I decided to use my ouija board by myself one night because I was bored.  I tinkered around with it and then put it away. I had one of those mirrors back them with the brass frame and white picture etched on it.  I had it on the wall, and my bed was pulled about a foot away from the wall that way I could sit at the foot of my bed and use the mirror for hair and makeup.  Anyway, in the middle of the night after I put away the ouija board I hear a huge crash.  I turned on my bedside lamp and my mirror was shattered on the floor.  Only it was clear it had not merely fallen off.  The frame was standing upright against the side of the bed facing out.  The glass was broken but peiced together like a puzzle facing upwards.  There was no possible way for that to land like that naturally.  From that night on I often heard my name being called, heard what sounded like trappen animals in the pipes (my bedroom was in the basement), would hear footsteps upstairs when I was home alone etc.  We moved to a new house about a year later and the noises etc continued.  It continued when I moved out on my own.  In fact it continued until I was due to have my oldest child.  My ex and I had moved into a townhome and he had some friends over and one was very agitated to come in the house, said it needed to be cleansed immediately.  She did a cleansing ritual, left salt on the window sills etc and that night was the first time in years I didn't hear the noises.  I have never heard them since.

 

Another weird one goes back to 5th grade.  I had this weird dream about a tall black tower in front of my school, I went to school telling my friend about my weird dream to find she had the same one.  In the end it was discovered that there was 6 of us with the same dream, not all of us from the same class, some were from the other 5th grade class.  The teacher was freaked out enough (and clearly believed us, as none of us were the liars etc) that she sent us to the counsellors office thinking we had all injested something together or something.  Everyone involved still remember the dream clearly, none of us know why or how we shared it that night. 

 

My other experiences are nothing like that.  Like I knew when my gramma was about to die without talking to her or my parents that were with her to know it was close.  I told my uncle he had to get on a plane immediately to get to her if he was going to say good bye.  He listened to me, and got to her bedside, she died 2 hours later.  As she died she saw an angel.  Her breathing, which had been very laboured, got very soft and even, she kept grabbing my grampa's arm with one hand and pointing across the room with the other saying "look at the girl! Look how beautiful she is"  And then she took her last breath and died.  I spoke to my parents a few minutes later and confirmed that yes she was gone.  I knew it, from a province away. 

 

Before I had my youngest I was not a Christian so I don't know how I would have labelled this next event back then, but I know as a Christian it was the hand of God himself, I know part of it I would have likely claimed was coincidence, but I don't believe that at all.  July '12 ds9 was in an accident when a semi hit his bible camp van.  There was a series of events involving that accident that saved his life, and that of dd14.  When we got to camp dd14 immediately signed up for horseback riding for every activity slot, she loves to ride and is very limited in opportunities.  the first day ds and I did everything together, the 2nd day Iet him go off on activities without me.  He signed up for horseback riding with dd.  Just as they went to get in the van, dd suddenly felt she should go canoeing instead.  She had never been canoeing, it had not even been on her radar, but she had the distinct impression that she was to be caneoing and not riding.  She came up to the cabin to tell me of the change in plans and I told her make sure ds got on the van so he didn't miss his chance to ride.  When ds got in the van and tried to buckle up the seat belt remained locked at the top and would not come down.  It had never failed ever before, and the camp counsellor was confused, but now that dd was no longer riding there was an empty seat available.  They moved ds over one seat and he buckled up.  And off they went out of the camp and across the highway to the ranch.  They were stopped at the top of a hill beginning to make a left turn into the ranch when a semi came up behind them, tried to pass on a double solid line, then swerved back and hit the rear passenger corner of the van, exactly where ds initially tried to sit.  That side of the van hit and broke his leg while he was in the middle seat.  Then the rolling started.  ds felt himself slipping out of his seatbelt(it was a lapbelt only), but said he knew he would be okay because he felt a hand holding him in his seat, just like I do when I reach out my hand to act like a second seatbelt when we hit the brakes (as moms I am sure you have the same instinct), he said it was not the same as when he is on a fast ride, that this was definitely a hand.  When the van stopped rolling it landed on it's side/roof, ds slid from his seat onto the roof at that point.  Because dd suddenly was led to canoe there was an open seat, that saved her life.  When the seatbelt refused to budge there was a space to move him over and that saved his life.  I know without a doubt that divine intervention saved my kids that day.  While it is not in the same genre as ghost stories it is still not a normal experience and therefore fits with this thread.

Wow!  That first one is scary, and the last one is amazing!

 

The group I contacted is Ghosts of Georgia (www.ghostsofgeorgia.com) and the founder, Ed Laughlin, is the one who called me after I contacted them through their web site. 

[swellmomma]

A lot of my friends in high school went through a phase of playing with ouija boards. Every single one of them ended up with something scaring them and most of them started wearing rosaries around their necks 24/7.  One friend, for instance, had appliances start running in her house with no one near them and once had a feeling that hands were around her neck, choking her. 

 

To explain my earlier comment about calling a priest, I believe, as Dawn mentioned upthread, that what we call ghosts may actually be demons.

Yeah they are something I thought was just a toy back then, heck while my best friend's had been her grandmother's and passed down mine was by parker brothers and I bought it at TRU.  Still not toys.  I was long over them long before becoming a Christian, but had learned the ard way about them.  I have talked with my kids about them for sure, actually that reminds me I have a mini lapbook on my computer about the truth about ouija boards, I should print it off for the kids to do for fun.  I agree that events like what happened after the ouija board was the work of demons, only back then I didn't know that.  Some things I think are just opening doorways and allowing the demons through (ouija boards, seances etc) and people think it is a little mystic fun, or fake, or just the spirit of a loved one.  So not the case.