Have you Have you ever wondered if your house might be haunted? Maybe you've heard some strange noises or felt a chilling presence when no one was home. It's time to get to the bottom of this mystery!
If you suspect that your home is host to an otherworldly being, take the direct approach and attempt to speak to them. Ask them who they were, what they want and why their spirit is trapped in your home. While a ghost is unlikely to engage you in conversation, you may receive signs of its presence in other ways, such as doors opening or closing on their own, or manipulation of the environment that provides clues to what the ghost's intentions are.
Some good questions to ask are...
Though it's often thought of as a silly toy or gimmick, the Ouija board has long been used to establish a connection to parts unknown. Have a friend join you in trying to make contact with the other side. First, each of you will place both hands on the wooden planchette. Then, you will pose questions for the ghost and await its response. If you feel the planchette begin to move, it may mean the ghost is trying to tell you something.
Assuming you're reasonably sure that your house is haunted, the next step is to carry out a seance. Seances are ceremonies used to invite the dead to speak to the living. To perform a seance, you must gather with other believers around someone who is receptive to spiritual energies. A seance is a more formal method of contacting ghosts than simply attempting to speak with them. They are most effective when led by an experienced spiritualist or medium.
Sometimes, ghost visitations occur in dreams, where it is said that the wall separating our world from the next is most permeable. When you have vivid, unsettling dreams, write down what you saw and experienced in them. Encountering people you don't recognize or receiving cryptic messages in your dreams could be a spirit's way of reaching out to you.
Take notice of bizarre things that happen around you. This could include anything from thinking you saw something moving out of the corner of your eye or heard a whisper when you're alone to witnessing appliances turn on and off on their own. When hunting for ghost activity, your first line of research should be your own senses and intuition.
Once every few days, take a picture of each room of your home. Frame the photo so that you can see as much of the room as possible. Some theories hold that ghosts exist as a kind of residual energy and that it's possible to capture a snapshot of this energy under the right conditions.
Like with ghost photography, spirits have been known to appear on video. Set up a camcorder in the areas of your house where you feel the presence most strongly. With a video, you're essentially taking 24-30 pictures per second, which will increase your chances of spotting an evasive ghost if you look closely enough.
Run an audio recorder while questioning a possible ghost, then play back the recording later and see if it contains any sounds you didn't hear it person. EVP, or electronic voice phenomenon, describes ghostly voices that are caught on tape. These voices are usually discovered at extremely low frequencies, which means the human ear can't detect them, but sophisticated audio equipment can.
If you feel like you're in over your head, consider getting in touch with a local paranormal investigation group. The members of these groups are usually supernatural and occult enthusiasts with a good deal of knowledge about ghost history, folklore, science, and myth. They will be able to offer expertise, equipment and other resources that can help you in your search.
A ghost that is inhabiting your home most likely doesn't want to hurt you. In life, they were normal people, just like yourself. With this in mind, it may be possible for you to live with a ghostly presence without feeling the need to get rid of it. The spirit may believe that your home is still its own—activity that is frightening to you are just the essence of the deceased reenacting the events of its daily life.
Burning the leaves of the sage plant is said to purify the air in your home and cleanse it of negative and evil influences. This may serve you well if you fear that the entity residing in your home is a malevolent one. Take a bundle of dried white sage and let it smolder as you walk through the various rooms of your house, focusing your mind on bringing peace to your surroundings. Burning herbs like sage can pacify restless spirits and help you feel relaxed.
During a seance or solitary communication, gently demand that the lingering spirit depart from your home. Ghosts are often understood to have “unfinished business” that keeps them tethered to a certain place. Put your unearthly visitor at ease and inform them that there's nothing they can do by staying. Hopefully, they'll understand and be able to move on to a new, peaceful plane of existence.
If you're being plagued by wicked, mischievous or disruptive ghosts, there may come a time when enough is enough. In this case, an exorcism may be necessary. Seek out a Church official qualified to perform a proper exorcism and ask them to visit your home to get a sense of the spirit's power and intent. A well-trained exorcist will know the right invocations and ritual practices to successfully dispel spectral intruders.