[besson3c]

Just returned from a trip where we visited the house my wife lived in as a girl, and were given a tour by the house's current inhabitants.

One of the first questions the current inhabitants asked my wife was whether she knew of ghost(s) living in the house. My wife said she did, and the current inhabitants asked "a man, right?", and sure enough my wife was able to confirm this based on her Mom's experiences, and things she heard and remembered (although I suspect the existence of this ghost was not discussed a whole lot as to not scare her or her younger sister).

As it turns out, several generations of people have been "haunted" by this ghost. The former owners were so bothered by this ghost that they moved out. Tracking down the history of this 150 year old house with my wife, we figured the ghost was the original owner.

Both the wife and husband living in the house had seen the ghost on multiple occasions, and my wife's Mom had seen it. A relative of the current owners had seen it too. Enough people I trust have confirmed that there is a ghost in this house that I believe it. However, the important qualification is that the house is not "haunted", but rather co-habited. In other words, this ghost is benevolent and has never caused any harm. The sightings were not terribly eventful, didn't freak out people like they do in the movies. If any, for most they were more fascinating than horrific.

Anyway, this visit made a believer out of me. I'm wondering if anybody else has similar stories they'd like to share?

[budster101]

I saw the Ghost of Xmas future, and he said, you're not getting that reference system you are dreaming about next year.. you've been bad.



Ghosts?

Sure. I was lying in the basement about 17 years ago, and it was pitch black. I was on my back and suddenly felt a pressence and then opened my eyes to see a figure darker than the surrounding blackness hovering directly over me. I immediately closed my eyes, rolled onto the floor when I got the nerve and sprinted towards I thought the stairs might be... missing by 3 feet and slamming myself into the column....

I bounced back, caught my bearings and then ran up the stairs faster than I have ever run in my life...

[Kerrigan]

Budster, you may be interested in reading about sleep paralysis.

http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P2.html

Sleep paralysis is a condition in which someone, most often lying in a supine position, about to drop off to sleep, or just upon waking from sleep realizes that s/he is unable to move, or speak, or cry out. This may last a few seconds or several moments, occasionally longer. People frequently report feeling a "presence" that is often described as malevolent, threatening, or evil. An intense sense of dread and terror is very common.

[hip(2)b⟡]

I have had that, Kerrigan.



Freaked me out. I've had it a couple of times.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Budster, you may be interested in reading about sleep paralysis.

http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P2.html

I have had that happen to me twice. The first time I thought something like an gray alien was sitting on my back. The second time I saw some figure rush my bed. The were horrifying experiences but luckily I looked into the cause after the first time.

My friend who is not the least bit religious thought he saw Jesus across the room

[wataru]

"Sitings?" Is that like making a website for a ghost?

[hip(2)b⟡]

Yeah, I've had that feeling of terrible overpowering evil near me and feeling unable to move. It was terrible. Now I'm so freaked out I can't walk to the kitchen for a glass of water. And I'm an adult.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Budster, you may be interested in reading about sleep paralysis.

http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P2.html

Interesting...

This sounds like what I can do whenever I'm dreaming, realize I'm dreaming, and decide to force myself to wake up. This sounds exactly like what happens, except for the supernatural part (I've never felt a presence).

It can be a little scary though since I can't move or say anything. It seems like I'm awake when I do this.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by wataru

"Sitings?" Is that like making a website for a ghost?

Whopps! Too bad there isn't a way to change the thread name to "sightings" (there isn't, is there?)

[- - e r i k - -]

Ghost in da TEEVEE!!!1

[historylme]

I have had it a few times too. Once, I even heard sounds.

[JazzCatDRP]

My previous apartment was haunted by a poltergeist. I've had books thrown at me, pictures switched around on the walls, bizarre knocking, possessions hid from me, that I'd later find in the weirdest places...I could go on for hours.

After a while, it became less creepy and more annoying. I'd just yell "go away" and usually it would. Nowadays, every time I can't find my keys or my sunglasses, I always start wondering...

[loki74]

Hmm. I've had numerous experiences that fit the sleep paralysis bill, only minus the feeling of an evil presence. On the contrary, it felt quite desolate, alone, helpless, etc. odd.

But I do not believe in ghosts. Or incubi or succubi. (Although there are some women who I would swear are demons...)

[CreepingDeth]

Sorta OT, but is there a word for that thing you do when you're really tired…uh, y'know, you're about to collapse (usually siting), but halfway down the fall of your head, you suddenly snap back. What is that?

[sek929]

Back in the day we lived in a 200 year-old house, real spooky sometimes. I'd have quick nightmares about running on the stairs and being chased by something. Then during the day I'd see shadows out of the corner of my eye whizzing up the stairs, plus when upstairs I always could clearly hear my mother calling me from the bottom of the staircase only to find her nowhere in the area. Plus the basement had 5 foot ceilings and more spiderwebs than the entire Brazilian jungle.

I dunno if ghosts exist and it was probably my own imagination, but a year back me and my sister were talking about the old place and to my amazement we both shared very similar experiences with sounds and shadows on the stairs. Even down to the nightmares, and she was 7 years older then me....

Dammit..... I'm now at the rents new place in the middle of the woods and I just spooked myself out remembering that stuff.

[brutal]

[Gee4orce]

Just happened to see a cracking episode of Most Haunted last night - they are doing an extended 3 week investigation of the Queen Mary in LA. I think they are based there whilst they do other USA based investigations.

One of the crew offered to sleep in room B340 (or somethin'), which is not used by the hotel because so many guests have reported strange things happening. I think that whole part of the ship is the old crew area, and so not really used as hotel rooms - that's the impression the programme gave.

Anyway, they set up a locked off camera looking at the bed, running off a laptop (presumably so they can get very long recordings, and maybe use motion or sound detection to trigger recording). Richard is asleep in bed, it's about 5:15am, and pitch black...he is motionless.

...and you can clearly hear the rustling of clothing, and footsteps within the room. This carries on for a few moments. They, as clear as day, a girls voice says 'mummy ?' (in a kind of frightened, questioning sort of way). Suddenly there is a clattering sound. This wakes Richard up. He sits up and looks around confused, and eventually settles down, only for there to be another clattering sound.

...and then, 'Mummy ?' again...

This was one of the best pieces of audio evidence I"ve heard. Can't wait for next week, because they always leave the best till last.

If you get a chance to catch the show, I recommend it. Most of the time it's kind of camp 'scare yourself in the dark' fun, but every now and again they come up with the goods and it's f*cking scary !

Some notable classics (mostly UK locations) off the top of my head:

* clear sounds of someone standing in a doorway, distinct complex 'orbs' captured, books thrown from shelf when crew left room
* sound of chains rattling, crew see a man carrying chains, man disappears and sounds stop. Crew see disembodied legs walking up stairs
* in a cellar of a brewery, a barrel is rolled down towards a crewmember, from an abandoned location.
* abandoned RAF base, one of the mediums 'connects' with the wreckage of a spitfire, and is able to describe the contents of the wallet that was on the dead pilot (known only to the owners of the base, which is now a museum).

...plenty of others too !

[loki74]

hmm... was that a live broadcast? if not, I bet they did that in post.

[Gee4orce]

Originally Posted by loki74

hmm... was that a live broadcast? if not, I bet they did that in post.

Um. No.

If there was even a suspicion of them fabricating evidence then bang goes their credibility and bang goes their very successful TV series, and bang go their careers.

And FWIW, there was a recent live show where they picked up very distinct, loud breathing/groaning sounds during a live broadcast, when only Yvette was present, and holding the camera (filming herself). She didn't hear the sounds.

It's wise to be sceptical, but you can take it too far. Sometimes, there are things that we really can't explain. Maybe it's not 'ghosts' or 'spirits' but it's definitely something that we don't yet understand.

[Gee4orce]

Originally Posted by sek929

Back in the day we lived in a 200 year-old house, real spooky sometimes. I'd have quick nightmares about running on the stairs and being chased by something. Then during the day I'd see shadows out of the corner of my eye whizzing up the stairs, plus when upstairs I always could clearly hear my mother calling me from the bottom of the staircase only to find her nowhere in the area. Plus the basement had 5 foot ceilings and more spiderwebs than the entire Brazilian jungle.

My little sis had an 'imaginary friend', who she says to this day she can still picture clearly. I remember how she used to go and play with this little girl, and I witnessed one-sided conversations that to the honest made me feel very spooky. Quite an impressive feat of imagination for a 3 year old, no ?

My mother was also locked in a room when the door shut itself, and locked. The key was not present, it was was not the kind of lock that could lock itself.

[Doofy]

Uncle Doofy's patented explanation for ghosts (not confusing the concept with demons, angels and Windows 98 users):
They're not the spirits of long dead folks who still hang around. They're cross-contamination between times.

All time happens at the same time - we just don't realise it. Like the mp3 file is all on your HD at the same time but you're only accessing a small part of it while it plays.
Ghost are "leaks" from one time into another. Like a few bytes of one file ended up in another.

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally Posted by Gee4orce

Um. No.

If there was even a suspicion of them fabricating evidence then bang goes their credibility and bang goes their very successful TV series, and bang go their careers.

And FWIW, there was a recent live show where they picked up very distinct, loud breathing/groaning sounds during a live broadcast, when only Yvette was present, and holding the camera (filming herself). She didn't hear the sounds.

It's wise to be sceptical, but you can take it too far. Sometimes, there are things that we really can't explain. Maybe it's not 'ghosts' or 'spirits' but it's definitely something that we don't yet understand.

A program about ghosts afraid of losing credibility? Surely you jest.

[Zimphire]

I've had my experience with "haunted houses"

I don't however believe the dead come back to haunt houses.

[hip(2)b⟡]

Then there are the ghost investigators that record places and then have a computer analyze the recordings by enhancing them (turning UP the sound, speeding up the recording, slowing down the recording) and that sort of thing...they leave the recording device in the location (graveyard, house, etc.) then get it later.

Check it out.

[JazzCatDRP]

I didn't used to believe in ghosts either. I was a complete skeptic. Then after several personal experiences that had no other plausible explanation, I realized there is something unexplainable out there. If not ghosts, then some other bizarre, supernatural energy exists that we don't know much about.

On the subject of the Queen Mary, my girlfriend's mom got a picture of a ghost from a tour she took there. She was snapping pictures left and right without seeing anything out of the ordinary, but when she looked at them later, there was this ghostly image of a guy wearing a captain's hat. Clear as day...no room for interpretation. Another interesting tidbit, right after she took that picture, EVERYBODY's cameras just turned off, and wouldn't turn back on. The tour guide said that was fairly common...and as soon as they stepped out of the Queen Mary, they all turned back on again.

[RAILhead]

My mom was visited by my dad's spirit after he died. I've told it here before, though I don't remember when nor do I feel like searching for it.

In a nutshell, she had always prayed for his salvation but he died without her knowing for sure what his eternal situation was. She had been thinking about it for several days and began praying that God would ease her mind and settle things either way so that she could stop thinking about it.

A few days later, she's woken up and sits straight up in bed. She said my dad was still sleeping, and she was in like a sleep-walking daze but fully aware. She was also fully aware that "Dad" (that's what she called him" was in the room. Seconds later, she felt him sit on the bed next to her. He then said to her "Don't worry, I'm okay" and he kissed her on the cheek. She put her had to her face where he kissed her, she felt him get up, felt him "leave," she laid back on the bed, went to sleep, and hasn't worried about it since.

Was it really him? I think so. As a Christian, my Faith has no problem with the issue of the living and the dead communicating with one another outside of the living are forbidden to call upon the dead. I have no problem with God answering my Mom's prayer by allowing my grandpa to visit her.

Sweet story, in my opinion.

Maury

[mitchell_pgh]

One time I slept on my arm... and it felt dead when I woke up... A few minutes later it was fine...

Does that count?

[hip(2)b⟡]

I saw angels once. As God is my witness, I did. At least I thought they were angels. I was in a room napping in the late afternoon and I woke up at about dusk and when I looked around there were hundreds of beautiful crystal clear points of light floating everywhere. I could hardly believe it. I pinched myself to make sure I was awake. I got up and walked into them and they slowly moved away. They were floating in the air. I tried to touch one and it slowly moved out of the way - I couldn't quite touch it. But the most amazing thing was the beautiful feeling of calm and peace in the room. It lasted for about 2 minutes and then they disappeared. I wanted them to stay so badly. Then I went to lay down and that night I dreamt about a beautiful woman/person talking to me and telling me that I needed to take a chance and move forward with a decision I was thinking about. I did, in fact, move forward and that decision has brought me immense amounts of joy and happiness.

Yes, there IS something out there.

I know this story sounds weird, but as God is my witness, I would take a polygraph test about what I saw - I would pass it.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by RAILhead

A few days later, she's woken up and sits straight up in bed. She said my dad was still sleeping, and she was in like a sleep-walking daze but fully aware. She was also fully aware that "Dad" (that's what she called him" was in the room. Seconds later, she felt him sit on the bed next to her. He then said to her "Don't worry, I'm okay" and he kissed her on the cheek. She put her had to her face where he kissed her, she felt him get up, felt him "leave," she laid back on the bed, went to sleep, and hasn't worried about it since.

Sweet, plus she managed to experience every ghost cliché imaginable. Well that or she doesn't have that vivid of an imagination.

[Zimphire]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Sweet, plus she managed to experience every ghost cliché imaginable. Well that or she doesn't have that vivid of an imagination.

What are you going on about now?

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Sweet, plus she managed to experience every ghost cliché imaginable. Well that or she doesn't have that vivid of an imagination.

I can't believe it took you so long to come an and spout crap into the thread.

Try growing up one of these days, you know?

Maury

[esXXI]

Only time I've heard a believable story from someone close to me was from my sister. She, her husband and their two sons went to hotel for the weekend. It was in a quiet place and had a pool, but during the night the eldest son (about five then) would wake them up and say that a 'wet little boy' was bothering him.

They assumed it was a bad dream and sent him back to bed, the next night they heard him saying 'No! Leave me alone! I don't want to swim, I want to sleep!'

The next day when they were leaving they mentioned it to one of the staff. A young boy had drowned the previous year in the pool.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by RAILhead

Try growing up one of these days, you know?

Maury

Actually I was one of the first posts and it didn't involve any crapping.

If you want me to grow up kiss me on the check or something

[suvsr4terrorists]

Cool thread. When I was really young, I was being babysat by a sitter, and we were playing hot potato in the living room of my grandparent's house. I remember it clear as say. The ball we were playing with was clear plastic, and had one of those butterflies that spins on it's axis inside of it. It was my sister's toy. Anyway, I was facing away from the window, towards the hallway. Suddenly I went white and frigid,a nd the sitter started freaking out, asking me what's wrong. Behind her, I saw a very dark, very tall figure 'glide' from the hallway to my grandparent's bedroom. it didn't walk. It just slid. It didn't have a sicle or anything, but it was so dark it seemed to be wearing a cape. Nothing ever happened to my grandparents (well, at least for over a decade), so I don't think it was the infamous death, but I'm dead sure it was something supernatural. I've never seen anything that .... wild... since. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.

[hip(2)b⟡]

Mothman.

[ThinkInsane]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Budster, you may be interested in reading about sleep paralysis.

http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P2.html

I've had that periodically (once or twice a year maybe) since I was about 12 years old, always thinking there was an old woman in the room, just visible in the peripherally. I had never told anyone about it, because it seemed kind of psycho. Then one night I was watching a program about dreams on the Discover Channel (or maybe TLC, I don't remember) and they started talking about this phenomena. It was kind of refreshing to know that my egg wasn't cracked or that I was being haunted by some nasty hag, and that others get to enjoy this treat as well.

[itistoday]

*ahem* Why haven't these people won a million dollars then? *cough*

If that "video crew" that Gee4orce was talking about (Most Haunted) really had bulletproof evidence then why haven't they won this? Or anyone else for that matter? This guy has been offering this prize for over a decade now, I think. Just search for "ghost" on that page and see how much stuff comes up.

[Zimphire]

Originally Posted by hip(2)b⟡

Mothman.

I live about 45 minutes from Point Pleasant.

The REAL one.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by itistoday

*ahem* Why haven't these people won a million dollars then? *cough*

If that "video crew" that Gee4orce was talking about (Most Haunted) really had bulletproof evidence then why haven't they won this? Or anyone else for that matter? This guy has been offering this prize for over a decade now, I think. Just search for "ghost" on that page and see how much stuff comes up.

How can anyone prove it unless some ghost does an interview on oprah? I mean no matter the photograph, audio tape or video someone will either say: 1) it was faked 2) it is a defect in the device or it is picking up something else.

Prove to me that you "Love" someone. Just as difficult.

[itistoday]

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

How can anyone prove it unless some ghost does an interview on oprah? I mean no matter the photograph, audio tape or video someone will either say: 1) it was faked 2) it is a defect in the device or it is picking up something else.

Prove to me that you "Love" someone. Just as difficult.

Maybe you should read the site:

At JREF, we offer a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. The JREF does not involve itself in the testing procedure, other than helping to design the protocol and approving the conditions under which a test will take place. All tests are designed with the participation and approval of the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be asked to perform a relatively simple preliminary test of the claim, which if successful, will be followed by the formal test. Preliminary tests are usually conducted by associates of the JREF at the site where the applicant lives. Upon success in the preliminary testing process, the "applicant" becomes a "claimant."

To date, no one has ever passed the preliminary tests.

Emphasis? Mine.

[besson3c]

It's too bad that all the Hollywood FUD and other general exploitation has made people weary about believing stories from believable sources, like some of us here...

[besson3c]

Hey, how did the spelling of this thread get corrected?

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Originally Posted by besson3c

Hey, how did the spelling of this thread get corrected?

My guess is that it was either a ghost or the mod that is posting in this thread.

[Chuckit]

I know a lot of people who swear to have seen ghosts. Strangely, all the weird things that happen around me happen to have a rational explanation. But all the other things are ghosts, honest!

Just because something weird or creepy happens doesn't mean it has anything to do with the dead.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I know a lot of people who swear to have seen ghosts. Strangely, all the weird things that happen around me happen to have a rational explanation. But all the other things are ghosts, honest!

Just because something weird or creepy happens doesn't mean it has anything to do with the dead.

That's what I used to think, except for the fact that my wife and this lady who had never met prior immediately connected with the ghost, and the prior residents left because of the ghost. There is just too much here to be coincidence.

The current inhabitants think that this ghost never moved on.

[kmkkid]

I was staying at my friends in Ft. Erie one time, and the wierdest stuff would happen. My friend told me the place was haunted, of course I didnt believe him. Then, one day we were in the garage there's a door at the front and a door at the side. Both were open, then suddenly both slammed shut at the exact same time. There was no wind that day and it got really cold, so I was freaked.

We were also having problems with the TV randomly turning itself off, and it couldnt be turned back on. We know it wasnt an electrical problem because the stereo on the same outlet was still on. So my friends girlfriend at the time, which is native told me burning sweet grass and waving it around makes the ghost leave them alone for awhile, so she did, and the TV turned back on, and fucntioned properly after that.

I'd also feel a presense in the basment in that house, a really erie chilling feeling, even though it was warm down there.


And I've also had sleep-paralysis, or something like it. I felt an EVIL presense, and it felt like 'he' was holding me down and no matter how hard I struggled I couldnt move or yell, just squeek. Happened two or three times in the same night, but never has happened since. It was really freaky, frwaky to the point where I didnt want to sleep in that bed again, but I did.

[historylme]

Originally Posted by CreepingDeth

Sorta OT, but is there a word for that thing you do when you're really tired…uh, y'know, you're about to collapse (usually siting), but halfway down the fall of your head, you suddenly snap back. What is that?

I'm curious about this too.

[brapper]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan

Budster, you may be interested in reading about sleep paralysis.

http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P2.html

holy crap. That happens to me like 2-3 times a year. Never with the feeling of a presence, however. It's to the point now, where I wake up, realize what's happening, and wait calmly for it to pass. Also, I've found that focusing on moving a finger or toe will help to overcome the full body paralysis.

[Chuckit]

I am not denying that something may be up, but where do you get from "People have left this house because something bothered them" to "A dead person is living in this house"?

As a side note, I find it suspicious that ghost experiences (including this one) are almost invariably tied to specific places. If it really were an autonomous being, I'd expect it to be able to move around and appear to people all over the place, but they almost never can. I think that's very significant.

[starman]

Originally Posted by Zimphire

I live about 45 minutes from Point Pleasant.

The REAL one.

You live in Jersey?