Ask a Ghost Hunter

Daytime investigations?

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

    Hi. I'm fascinated by the paranormal and we watch all of the 'Ghost Hunting' shows on TV.

    My question, which may be an old one, is why search in the dark at night.

    It seems the people who see the 'full-body apparitions', etc., see them in the daytime.

    Why never search in the daytime?

    Thanks,
    J - Atlanta, GA

Hi J,

Great question! Many investigators prefer to do their research at night because it's quiet. Most people are out of the building or the area is cleared out and there are less distractions. Daytime brings investigators focusing on getting to work or grumbling about an empty coffeepot, the night gives us a chance to tune into activity that may get lost in the shuffle in the light.

Investigating in the dark is a personal team preference. I don't think it makes much of a difference unless you're using equipment made for the dark such as infrared cameras/goggles. Since I rely more on my senses instead of gadgets, I prefer to be able to see to take notes and not fall over a chair. ;)

Thanks for writing!
Stace

Old Crone or something else?

2010-09-07T12:40:00.000-07:00


Photo credit: watchmojo.com

RE: 13 year-old-brother:
This first started off when he was finding things misplaced. He could feel like there was something in the room, some kid of presence. Then it went to where he could hear someone talking to him but could not understand what it was really saying. Next, he had a dream and woke up feeling like something was there and heard a deep mans voice saying "I'm Not Gonna Hurt You." Then some time went by and nothing happened. This morning around 5:30 in the morning he had another dream and woke up and couldn't move and felt something pull his arm and he grabbed whatever it was and my brother jerked his arm away. Then he heard the deep voice laugh and then my brother ran downstairs. Then he went to the living room and sat on the couch and was scared and stayed there for about 10 to 15 minutes and went back to his room and heard footsteps in the kitchen. Then he went downstairs and didnt see anything. He went back to the living room and sat back down and heard the man's voice from back upstairs and the voice said "Come Here".Then he ran upstairs and told me. He was so scared. What does this mean? Is this a bad spirit or good spirit that might harm him? Also i forgot when he heard the voice say he would not hurt him he saw a black dusty figure.
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How old is your brother now? Has he had an experience since then? How frightening for him (and you) and have you told your parents about this? I can't tell you if this is a good or bad presence, I think you'll need more information before determining if this is a series of bad dreams or something else. There is a sleep paralysis that happens to some people, they feel as if they're trapped and can't move. It can be scary, I've had it happen myself. As for the laughing, I'm afraid I can't explain it.

If you're comfortable, and with your parents permission, you could contact a local paranormal investigative team to talk with you more about what your brother is experiencing. They may have you start a journal to record when these things happen - and there could be weeks/months between them - and look for patterns. You'll want to write down: time, date, who is in the house, weather conditions, stress level in the house (exams happening, etc), new construction on the house if applicable. Talk to them about doing your own Electronic Voice Phenomenon tapes as well, you may be able to record sounds in your house that are not physically present. I use a digital recorder: ask a question in a quiet room, wait a minute or so, then ask another question as you move from room to room. It is possible that you'll hear voices answer back when you play it later so be ready to write down what they say to give to the team; this may help in determining who is in your house.

Please keep me posted and best of luck!
Stacey

Teenagers never grow up, do they? wolf whistle

2010-09-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: sugarscape.com

Hello, my name is J, I'm from Texas. I never displayed an interest in the unexplained, but things changed now. There's a presence in my apartment which manifests itself as a child - a bratty one at that.

Sometimes I can see it, sometimes not, but it keeps calling me a 'blondie' and tells me it'll leave me alone if I wear little yellow dresses and heels. I asked why it wants that, it told me 'because you're eighteen tall blondie.'

This entity scares me, it uses 'boo' sounds and I'm literally cowering in the corner and screaming when this happens. For some reason, when I scream it leaves me alone for a while. I don't know what I did to attract the attention of this entity. Please, any sort of advice would be helpful.

Thanks!

J

---------------------------------------------
Hi J,

While there is no "good" way to get rid of a ghost, telling it in a firm voice to beat it may help. Sometimes I've found that they need a little push to move along and if you stand up to them, they'll back down. If it's a child ghost, more often than not I think they're bored and messing with people kills time.

Keep me posted!

Stace

Can you hear me now? Batteries and the paranormal

2010-09-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hello!

My name is E from CT. I just had a quick question. I am a huge fan of Ghosts, (I love everything about it and I'm always on the search). Since I was a baby I've always been able to just walk into a home or place and just would feel the presence of something/someone being there (I even remember in second grade getting yelled at by a museum tourist because I told her that there were 3 male ghosts who lived on the third floor)! Though, I have never seen anything move or I have never seen an apparition (unless I have but it never clicked to me as being a ghost) But about 7 months ago my mom had passed away.I guess that when she passed away, I was expecting her to send me a huge sign that she was with me, but I haven't felt or gotten that startling surprise! But in the last few weeks I've noticed a few strange things. I will see something like a cat run by (and I do have cats but, when I do check on them they a usually asleep someplace) but my main concern is that all my batteries in my home such as, cordless phones, cell phones, toys, fire alarms etc. have been all draining out. And these are things that I have recently changed batteries in or they are being charged on chargers! Do you think that this is a ghost pulling all it's energy out of these things or just a coincidence??

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you!!!

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Hi E!
I'm sorry for the loss of your mother. Sometimes they do send a quick howdy via dreams or more tangible - and expensive - means. Draining batteries is a common way investigators have found there to be a presence. A patten of such can mean you've left the remote on the shopping channel too long or something else is to blame, so while it's good to keep an open mind about possibilities, please check all other sources first. I would purchase a surge protector for anything plugged in or re-charging, just in case.

Shadows flitting by or out of the corner of your eye is also common around paranormal activity. I have those darn things all over my house lately and I don't consider myself haunted - just annoyed. ;) LOL, speaking of annoyed, while writing the last sentence, my monitor rebooted itself. pfffft. Start a quick journal, writing down when/where you see the shadows and their frequency. Ask if others in your neighborhood have seen anything similar, I bet you'd be surprised to find out your house isn't the only one with a little shadow wandering by.

Please keep me posted if you have further activity and best of luck!

Ghost child or just really unlucky with plugs?

2010-05-04T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've been looking around the internet for answers and I came across your page, you seem to be well versed and not totally crazy so I figure you can help me. :)

I'm pretty sure I have a ghost that's been following me since I was a little girl. When I was 4 or 5 I had an imaginary friend, but my mom tells me it wasn't like a normal imaginary friend, I was totally convinced that he was real and she swears I really saw someone when I was playing with him. Now that I'm older (I'm 25 now) and I look back I can recall many events where unexplained things happened but at the time I was little so I didn't really put 2 and 2 together. Doors opening on their own, orbs, lights turning on and off, sounds like footsteps running down my upstairs hallway, and it's been happening for years. I'm not sure why but I just have a feeling that it's a little boy who's simply lonely. My husband thinks that's why he's following me, he found a friend his age to play with when I was little and just never left. He doesn't do anything bad, just plays games. Turns my TV off and on, moves my stuff around, runs up and down the hallway until I yell at him to stop, he's even unplugged all my electronics before. I tried to turn on my bedroom TV and nothing happened so I looked behind my entertainment center and everything was unplugged. (I have one of those multi plug things that allows you to plug in 5 different things) well, not only was it unplugged from the wall, but the individual plugs we're pulled from the multi thingy too. (that's the technical term, multi-thing, lol)

So, my question is, are there any books I could get to research this a little further and learn more about my trickster? (that's what I call him) anything to explain why he stays with me? or maybe a way to find out who he was when he was alive?

I really appreciate any help you can give me. Like I said, he's not bad, he doesn't do anything scary, I am pretty confident he's just a little boy playing around, but I still would like to know more about all of this.

Thanks for your help,
L
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Hi L,
Thanks for writing! I'll try to tone down teh crazy. ;)

Often, ghosts of children get attached to the living because they remind them of someone they knew (such as a sister or mother) and they're not really sure on how to cross over so they remain. Since you're receptive to your ghostly cling-on, he feels welcome and decided to hang out with you longer. Mischief is common with these ghosts, they get bored. If you'd like to find out more about him, do research on the house you were living in when he first appeared in your life, as well as the neighborhood. There may be history attached to that area that could help. Look for influenza outbreaks, accidents, car wrecks, etc. Most should be easily researched via your local newspaper on the internet. As in previous posts on the blog, I've suggested EVPs, that may also be a good option on learning more about your friend including his name, age, etc.

Like a child, he may respond to you telling him to cut down on the rotten behavior. Use a firm voice and tell him you won't tolerate (fill in the blank) . It will probably need to be repeated at least a few times. Hopefully you'll see some results with some ground rules in place. :)

Keep me posted!

Stacey
Ask a Ghost Hunter

Ghost hunting birthday party

2010-02-20T13:08:00.001-08:00

My 8 year old son is very interested in ghost hunting. My wife and I were wondering if there is something like a ghost hunting birthday party for kids. We were thinking how much fun he would have if he and 3 or 4 other boys could have a ghost hunt instead of a party. I realize that they would be much too loud and rowdy for most real ghost hunters (or ghosts for that matter). We live in Ohio.

Do you have any suggestions or possibly any local contacts for us?

Thank you,

M

--------------------------

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Hi M,
This sounds like a great idea! At this age, they may want to focus on the basics instead of doing an full investigation. Most of them are too long and boring to keep a kid's attention for long. What I'd suggest would be checking out public areas where hauntings may be reported: check the haunted places index at The Shadowlands for Ohio and take a field trip. Before the trip, go over what ghost hunters do, what they'd be looking for and some of the equipment they can use. Get them started with some stories first so they'll be in "the mood." No need to go at night, ghosts don't wait until after it's dark to get active. ;)

The voice recorder is a great way to have them act as a group and concentrate on the investigation (as most of the rest of it is either research or sitting still for a period of time and waiting for something to happen). Recording EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) is a fun way for everyone to participate with a question then play back to see if someone answered. ;) Finish up with a sleepover and Scooby Doo DVDs.

Ghosthunter kit for kids:
notepad/pencil
camera
watch
voice recorder
flashlight
walkie-talkies if split into groups

Kit for parents:
first aid kit
video camera

Have a great time and happy birthday to your son!

Stacey

Ask a Ghost Hunter is now on facebook!

2010-01-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all!
I'm branching out and expanding Ask a Ghost Hunter as an interactive forum on facebook. Please join me for discussions, questions and the odd contest or two. Questions will still be answered on this blog as well as on fb. Come by and say howdy! :)

Stacey

Ghosts before the fire

2010-01-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

Hi Stacey.
I'm sorry to bother you. you don't know me, i'm some random girl with a few questions on ghosts. When i was two i moved to this old house built about 94 years ago and we bought it because we couldn't afford much at that time. I'll start telling you the story and then i'll get to the questions. My sister was 15 when this happened. She had a room in the attic and was going up the stairs and tripped over something. She looked up and saw a man all in black and screamed. she told this to my mother while i was hiding and listening from the next room. Another thing that happened was my brother who was also walking up the steps and saw a lady in a misty white - he explained it. My mom thought he was lying, but i knew there had to be something up.

Five years ago my house had a huge fire and that brother, two more brothers and a different sister from the story had passed away. I was wondering if those things they saw would be ghosts. Also, is it possible that my brothers and sister would be haunting the house? The house is still standing, so do you think if i go inside and try to talk to them they would answer we in a way? I really miss them and want to know if i could connect to them through that. Thank you so much and i would appreciate if you would reply.

-----------------------------

My deepest sympathies on the loss of your siblings, what a tragedy!

Regarding the ghosts seen in the house, your family seems to be sensitive. However, it's hard to say if what they saw where ghosts or not only because there isn't more evidence than random sightings. I'm leaning toward yes though since it was repeated. I can't tell you if your siblings are earthbound but unless the house was absolutely safe to enter (and you had permission of course), I would stay away. If you cannot get into the house, you could try to communicate with whatever remains by being on the property. Ghosts aren't limited to a physical structure.

Because of your family's history, I would try meditation first to make contact if you wished to. Find a quiet spot near the house (or in it if allowed) and close your eyes. Allow whatever images/sounds/feelings to come to you and write them down in a notebook. Note the time/date/weather/whom you're with for reference later. If nothing happens, try again a few times at a later date; you'll get better with practice. You may want to try Electronic Voice Phenomena as well, take a voice recorder with you and as you wander the house/grounds, ask questions while pausing between them. Play back the recording and listen to see if anyone has answered you back (again, have the notebook ready).

Good luck and please let me know if you have any further questions. :)
Stacey

A brother's last visit

2010-01-29T06:56:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is M.
2 years ago my older brother passed away in a car accident. About a year ago when i was laying in bed i heard my door open a bit i looked up and saw an unrecognizable figure of a man sitting beside my bed staring at me. Then he disappeared. Up until about 3 months ago i hadn't thought much about it, thinking maybe i had imagined it but shortly after i started to hear a voice nearly every night before i went to bed. It wasn't very distinct at the time and i couldn't make out what was being said, but just last night I heard my brothers voice. My boyfriend and I were laying in bed about to fall asleep and i heard a man say "Hey". I said what, thinking it was my boyfriend but then he started to snore. i looked at him and right after i heard a very distinctive voice say "Hey, M. hello." I couldn't sleep. I woke my boyfriend up and we went to his house. When i got home today i found that some pictures hanging on my wall that once belonged to my brother were on the floor. No explanation for why they would be. Up until I saw the ghost standing in my room and started hearing his voice i never believed in ghosts. I second guessed myself thinking I was just imagining it, but last night I know I heard his voice, and why would only the pictures that were his be on the floor, and all the others untouched?

Maybe there is something psychologically wrong with me, or perhaps my brother really is still with me. He was my best friend and i would really like to know what I could do to know for sure. I am devestated about knowing whether or not this is real. I am not scared, I would probably find comfort knowing he is still with me. But I don't know for sure.. Is there something I could do to find out the truth? Please help me.

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Hi M,
I'm sorry for your loss, it's heartbreaking to lose someone so close in such a manner. I believe what you may be experiencing is a visitation of spirit. If you recognize the energy as having your brother's voice, you may be in tune more than you think. Sometimes those that have passed over will appear as the sleeper is about to drop off. There are theories that we are at our most receptive during that twilight of consciousness and they are able to communicate easier. As for the pictures, please check for the simplest solution first: bent nails, snapped wires, any movement of the wall (such as when a door closes and may knock something off the wall) before concluding it was a ghost. Sometimes our minds see patterns that may not be accurate if we are already thinking there is a ghost present. As for why they all belonged to him... it's a mystery.

There are a few things I can suggest to help if you'd like to explore this deeper.

1. Try meditating before bed, clear your mind and be receptive of images, sounds or feelings that may appear. There are several good websites online to help with teaching meditation. Keep a notebook and pen handy to write down when/if you experience anything. This may take time so be kind to yourself if you don't have results the first few times.
2. If you're really curious, you can try Electronic Voice Phenomena. With a voice recorder, ask questions in a quiet house, pausing between rooms and questions. Try this for about 20-30 minutes, then play back the recording. You may hear sounds or words that were not present when you recorded earlier. Write down anything you hear that is an anomaly. If in doubt, give the recording to a friend without telling them what you've heard and ask for their opinion on the tape and compare notes later. If you're trying to reach your brother, ask questions specific to the two of you so you can identify him.

Sometimes they simply want to reach out and tell us they're fine. It can be a final gesture in a loving relationship so please don't be afraid, it's just your intuition calling. ;)

Best wishes,
Stacey

Was that the bed shaking or are you just happy to see me?

2009-12-22T08:41:00.001-08:00

Hi Stacey,

My name is R and I live with my boyfriend D. Our bed started shaking one night and it's been that way for about 6 months. It would only shake when D stayed with me at my apartment. When I slept alone, it did not shake. I am familiar with my bed shaking, because I had an issue with it about 5-6 years ago. I was able to command it away and I had never had a problem since.... until now. I know about spirits and I know I have a different color ora (sic) from most people, so spirits are more apt to come to me. This one will not leave. We've tried to command it away several times, pray it away, yell at it, be nice to it, trick it by putting our shoes facing opposite ways at the end of our bed.... nothing works. Sometimes it only shakes my side. It not only followed us into our new home, but also shook our bed when we stayed at the Marriott Hotel last May! We're to the point where we are just ignoring it now, but that is not making it leave either. If you have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or advice you may have for us. Thank you for your time.

Very Sincerely,
R & D

Dear R&D,

Can you tell me a little more about the bed, was it new or new-to-you? There have been cases where objects are associated with paranormal activity, beds being one of them. As to why it's shaking when Dave spends the night, that's more of a mystery. Since whatever is it seemed to follow you to the Marriott, that poses another question - is it you or Dave that attracts the phenomena? Do you feel you are sensitive and does it run in your family? You may have a protective spirit watching out for you, I would continue to talk to it in firm terms that shaking the bed isn't acceptable and it's time for them to leave. Be consistent and you may see better results. Don't let it see you get frustrated or angry, they feed off of your energy and could take it as encouragement. Remember, it can't hurt you - it can just annoy the &$@)$ out of you. ;)

If it continues, contact a paranormal specialist in your area and speak with them about a consultation to investigate further. They may not be able to rid the bed of its shaking but they can usually give you a better grasp of what's going on.

Keep me posted and good luck!

Best wishes,
Stacey

Animal ghosts?

2009-07-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hello,
I came across your blog through a google search, and hope I can bug you with a few questions. My questions have no real urgency; I don't believe there is any danger involved - so no need to drop everything to respond. Thanks in advance for your time.

About a week ago, I started having mild "encounters" in my apartment building: late at night I heard a steady tapping coming from my kitchen for a few seconds. I went to the kitchen to try and replicate the noise. I found that one of the cabinet doors at floor level, when gently pushed, made almost the same noise. My windows were closed and the central air vents point away from the kitchen, so I think I can rule out wind.

My cats have been acting strange (stranger than usual). One of my cats, when fed, will wait briefly before eating, look as if she is watching someone leave the room, then begin to eat - normally she is a voracious eater who begins to eat from the dish before I even get it to the floor.

A few nights ago, in a common hallway of our building, I saw a cat at one end of the hall. I went down to get the cat to try and find it's owner, but it was gone.

I mentioned these things to my wife, who is more into the paranormal than I, who responded, "Oh, that's Roz". My wife had gone to see a medium of some sort the previous weekend to find out her "spirit guides". The medium told her she was being followed by the "spirit" of our cat, "Roz", who we had to put down a few months ago after a 14 year battle with diabetes. My wife just matter-of-factly laughed it off.

I am a bit of a skeptic, although I've read some books and been to some cemeteries at 3 am as a teenager, so I think I have at least some rudimentary knowledge of the paranormal, even if I tend to play Doubting Thomas.

I have seen the "cat" since, and have heard more catlike noises. Roz used to paw at the lower cabinets after eating, making a steady rapping noise.

The questions:

Can an animal manifest itself as a ghost?
Roz never lived with us in our current home. Can a ghost follow you to your new home? Isn't that a poltergeist?

-M-
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Pets can certainly stop in to say hello, their attachment doesn't stop just because the body gives out. One of the first ghosts I ever "saw" was the spirit of my dog, Jake, who had passed away after a fight with cancer. For weeks afterwards, I would see a shape out of the corner of my eye and could definitely feel his presence. It was comforting and heartbreaking at the same time.

It's not common, but spirits can cling on to a person or family instead of staying in one spot. You obviously meant a lot to Roz so I believe she's popping in to visit. Enjoy it, she may move on soon, Jake did after a few weeks.

Best wishes and say hello to Roz for me!
Stacey
Wee Ghosties

A Haunted Opportunity in Disguise?

2009-07-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Hello.
Lately I've become very curious in the whole Spiritual and Paranormal area. Since I was younger I've always seen things, felt things, and even heard things but I have been blocking it out even though my mum also had this when she was my age (15) but decided it was best to stop it.

I had forgotten about it until I was walking home one day from a friends house, and on the way I passed a old abandoned house it looked amazing and just kind of drew me in! I was to scared to go in on my own so I decided it would be clever to take three of my mates with me to keep an eye out one has been into spiritual stuff since he was about five and he is now 18. They never new the real reasons I wanted to go in there.

Once I got in there I found I was being drawn to one specific room, someones bedroom. As I entered I felt Cold, Scared, and had shooting pains in my neck. I decided I needed to talk to the spirit so I made a board.

Straight away I got answers, I found out she was a 12 year old girl called Jessica but she prefers Jessy. she hung herself in that room in 1968 because her Grandfather abused her his name was Arthur and every day at 3:25am she replays this to herself over and over again. Because of this she hates Males so it was obvious why she took an interest in me. She made everyone cold, but me surprisingly warm.. until I started to feel faint I couldn't breath and needed to get out of the house. I later found out this was Arthur trying to stop me helping Jessy.

Once I got home, she was still with me obviously i started to freak out! but she soon calmed me some how. She also let me see her, shes beautiful. She thanked me because she wasn't stuck in that house no more with that mean spirit, and kept telling me things that were going to happen I didn't believe this but straight away they started to become true!

Since this whole experience Jessy has stayed with me now about 4 months on. She affects me when something bad's happening, or if another spirit is near, I still get the faint feelings and the saw neck but I guess that's just because that's how she died and that's the easiest way for her to tell me somethings there. Also because of this whole experience her being here has helped me lots, I have now learnt how to do Automatic Writing.

Because sometimes the pain can get so bad it makes me cry, my friend that was with that night thinks its best if I move her on but she doesn't want to be. I don't want her gone either, I feel as if she is trying to help me because I am the first Female to notice her.

As a professional do you think its best if she gets moved on?

Do you think she's bad?

Am I really sensitive to spiritual things and if I carry on doing this and maybe helping people will my feelings and writing become stronger?

Thanks so much!
---------------------------------------------------

Hi A-L,
Thanks so much for writing, let's see what I can do to help. :)

It does indeed sound like you're sensitive, have you had other things happen (sounds, smells, feelings of being watched, etc) before this? Since it sounds like your mum is also sensitive, it could run strong in your family. If you'd like to develop this 6th sense, there are many books available at the library to help or check online for exercises to get you started.

Entities have different reasons for sticking around and while we may want them to leave or stay, it's not really up to us. There's no true way of helping them move along until they're ready.

I think writing is an excellent way to tap into your feelings as well as communicating with the other side. Don't bother with a ouija board, it gives false information not by any demon goofiness but by our own subconscious - think of it as your dream state invading onto the waking world via a board and plastic doo-hicky. Start keeping a journal of what you're experiencing, it will help you to chart when things happen and your emotional state (happy, sad, nervous). See if any patterns emerge as to when Jessy arrives and how you feel afterward. The physical things may be heightened because you're so tapped into the phenomena; to get her to stop, tell her either verbally or in writing. Be firm and remember that there has never been a recorded true case of a ghost hurting someone though they may mess with you a little bit (I often have my hair pulled or petted while on investigations).

Keep me posted!
Stacey

PS- Since our first email exchange, A-L has written saying she'd like to explore more of this gift she's inherited from her maternal side. I think she and Jessy may have a future working together!

Grandmother's house haunted?

2008-05-27T16:12:00.001-07:00

Hi There!

I have a friend that lives in her grandmothers house. Her grandmother passed away several years ago, and she has always said she can feel her presence in the house, but it was always comforting, not frightening. In the past month or so, her children, aged 10 and 12 are getting scared and don't want to stay upstairs alone. Her babysitter has told her that she hears footsteps upstairs, and even her 2 year old daughter looks up when she hears the noises.

My question is, why has this turned from a comforting spirit to one that is scaring the family? Is there anything she can do to get things back to "normal"?

Thanks!
P
-----------------------------------

Hey P!

Hmmmmm, changes in the family could be a root cause. Inner turmoil can sometimes magnify a situation in the house, especially if one or more of the family is sensitive. As children mature, they can unknowingly trigger activity. Depending on the ages and child, some are classified as Poltergeists but I think most of them are just stirring up phenomenon.

Ask your friend to talk to the kids about what they're hearing or seeing that is making them frightened. Are they centered around a significant date? Has there been construction or remodeling on the house (another source of awakening activity)? This could also possibly be a new ghost all together and not the grandmother. In any case, please tell your friend that there is usually nothing to worry about, it's more of an inconvenience than actual danger. That's not to say they won't get freaked out but remind them that there is nothing the activity can do to harm them. Look at it as an adventure. Whip out the cameras and become ghost hunters. ;)

I find that taking the fear out of it and using that opportunity to learn more about the phenomenon will counter the need to run. Have them take control of the situation before it takes control of them. As for returning to "normal," she can ask the spirit to go into the light or tell them firmly to take a hike; I've seen both methods with varying success.

If your friend has further questions, I'm more than happy to speak with her as well. If she'd like to learn more about what's going on in her house, check to see if there are some reputable ghost investigators in the area to come check it out.

Have a great night!
Stacey

2007-11-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

Stacey,

Hi, you may think that I am nuts. But that is ok cause most of my friends do also. I was doing a search on how to get rid of a ghost, but it was hard to find info on getting one out of a car. My girlfriend has a minivan that her late husband will not seem to get out of. The first time it did this with me in the car I just about broke up with this woman. We were going shopping one Saturday night, and we were backing out of the driveway when the door ajar light and buzzer kept going off. I checked all the doors and they were close tight. Then a little later the dome lights were going on and off and the buzzer kept going on and off. I told her she had some major electrical trouble. She said she had the electrical system checked and the fuse's all replaced. It kept on doing it, that it was John (late husband) Well i did not believe it. Then the power locks started locking and unlocking while all the other things were going on and off. Well I just about was ready to start walking. Well her dad called her one the way to the store, when we got out I asked how her dad was. Her 2 year old (his daughter) looked at me and told me she had talked to her daddy. Well I just about freaked out to say the least. Well that has been a about 5 months ago and it still dose it. There are more things to tell but I will not just keep on about it. Is there a good way to get this "ghost" out of the van and get him to move on?

Thanks, hope to hear from you,
D*
Rossville, Ga

Well, a haunted car is a new one on me but not unimaginable. I would certainly have it checked again for non-haunting reasons so you know there are no safety issues associated with the electrical system but after that my advice would be to ask your girlfriend to firmly tell whomever is messing with the minivan to shove off and head to a better place. This may need to be repeated until they get the message, ghosts are notoriously stubborn. As long as it isn't creating problems while driving, you may be stuck with it for a while.

Good luck!
Stacey
Wee Ghosties
Ask a Ghost Hunter

Things that go pee in the night...

2007-10-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

R* asks:
Why are bathrooms so scary? I have always been scared of bathrooms and now my kids are too. We came from a family that sees and hears things go bump in the night and I wonder if there is a connection.

Hi R and thanks for writing!
Well, there can be a few things that may account for your jumpiness around the bathroom. Mirrors reflect subtle movements that may have escaped your notice, drippy pipes creating odd noises, odd smells (I'm talking pipes here, not the more...obvious sniffs), etc. Is there a particular time when you feel more anxious than others? Is it all bathrooms or certain ones?

Most activity can be explained by natural causes, not supernatural, so identify where the problem lies and if you still find no reasonable explanation for your uneasiness, start taking notes (when/where/weather conditions/who's in the house). If you decide to investigate with a ghost hunting team later, this information will be invaluable.

One last word - many of my cases happen around water. I feel that there is a connection between the fluidity of water and that of spirit activity. It's possible that the water concentrated in the bathroom may serve as a conduit between you and the ghosts, which is why you're more susceptible it their presence.

I'm always happen to answer more questions as they arise!

Best wishes in this Halloween season,
Stacey
Wee Ghosties

Can a ghost follow you home?

2007-10-08T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hi I have a few questions to ask. If you can answer with best knowledge you can.

1. If I was on a ghost hunt in lets say an old house and I come across a spirit. Can it follow me home?
2. Has anyone that you know come across this?
3. Can A spirit be attach to a person? Not to a love one but someone that it doesn't know?

Thank You
Andrew V.

Hi Andrew,
Thanks for writing! Let's get busy:

1. If I was on a ghost hunt in lets say an old house and I come across a spirit. Can it follow me home?
I have heard of some ghosts following investigators home and I have had one myself. I wouldn't call it common but sometimes spirits are curious as to whom is chasing them around so diligently. As for my ghost, I would see a figure on my stairs while I work at my desk, just watching...watching.

2. Has anyone that you know come across this?
I have found that the more sensitive the investigator, the more likely I'll hear about activity after they return from a hunt. They may simply be more aware of their surroundings, however.

3. Can A spirit be attach to a person? Not to a love one but someone that it doesn't know?
I believe that a spirit is able to do quite a bit of what it sets its mind to. Be it following someone interesting home or staying put in a familiar place, it has the ability to attach itself to anything that it feels like. This may certainly change over the years as the living die or houses razed for newer construction but I've heard of families haunted for generations.

Thank you, Andrew, for your questions. Please let me know if there are others I may answer for you more in depth.
Stacey

Whatever walks these halls, walks alone...

2007-08-04T18:39:00.001-07:00

Not much is needed for an answer here but I couldn't resist popping in a good story to get us started. Thank you to our first contributor!
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I've had two ghost encounters that I cannot explain away. I've always been kind of sensitive along those lines, but never had anything happen quite like this. Both of these encounters occurred while I was working at a nursing home. The original portion of the building was built in the 1930s and housed the local hospital. The hospital moved out in 1975 into a brand new building, leaving the old one to eventually become a nursing home.

It didn't take long before the other staff started telling me stories about hauntings in the place. The Alzheimer's unit was rumored to be the most place in the building. It used to house the maternity ward back in the day. The staff had many stories about the patients seeming to have conversations - not unusual because the patients often mumbled at each other as part of the disease process. But oftentimes the conversations the staff overheard were like listening to one half of a phone conversation, and the residents looked like they were making eye contact with whoever, or whatever, they were talking to. Night shift staff often reported hearing babies crying, or footsteps in the hallway, or what sounded like someone falling out of bed. The staff would investigate and find all was well. One staff member told the story of how he'd hear someone falling out of bed, race down the hallway to check the room where the sound had come from, only to have it repeat behind him.

The first time I encountered one of the ethereal residents happened in October. I'd been working there for 10 months by that time. It was 4 in the afternoon, and I was chatting with the afternoon receptionist before I left for the day. As usual, it was very warm in the building, but a nice fall day outside: sunny and pleasant. As we chatted, Jennifer suddenly got goose bumps all over her arms and shook herself like she was very cold. I was about to ask if she was ok, when all of a sudden I was enveloped in a draft of very very cold air. It quickly passed, and we both looked at each other. No one had come in from the outside - and it wasn't cold enough outside to make that kind of draft anyways. We talked about it and both of us had the same impression: that someone had just walked through us and it felt like a male entity. Jennifer said she'd had that happen to her before.

A few weeks later, I was sitting at my desk sorting papers. There was a yellow pencil sitting on the corner of my desk. It had been placed there earlier in the day when someone had borrowed it to make a note. It was one of those hexagonal #2 pencils. It wasn't anywhere near the papers I was sorting. All of a sudden, it started rolling back and forth rapidly all on it's own. Like someone was rubbing their hand over it, back and forth, really fast. I stopped my sorting and just moved my eyes to look at the pencil and it slowed down and stopped. I hadn't moved the desk, and there were no drafts to make that happen.