One of the more popular searches we see when people find our site is “how do I know if my house is haunted?” I picked some random symptoms, and decided to play Mr. Skeptic.
My TV keeps changing the channel on its own!
It’s possible that it’s your dearly departed Uncle Arthur can’t stand “Knight Rider” and would rather watch the news, but it’s much more likely that your neighbor was opening his garage door than a spirit. Items like cordless phones can also affect electronic devices. I’ve heard stories about electronic devices turning on or off, seemingly at random — only to find that it always happened whenever the phone would ring. It’s much easier and way more interesting to claim it’s your uncle than your neighbor’s garage door opener. Yes, it could be paranormal, but…
… that doesn’t mean it is paranormal.
My dishwasher turns on my itself!
Did your Uncle Arthur really hate dirty dishes? When trying to determine the reason for odd behavior with electronics, you may never actually find the cause. Why? It’s simple – electronics fail. And malfunction. Of course, if that circuit in your dishwasher has been replaced, and it continues to turn on by itself, it might be more likely that the explanation is paranormal in nature.
Might. But probably not paranormal.
Wait! A book recently flew across the room!
Well, did it hit you? This too may be more likely to be paranormal, unless…well, where was the book? On a shelf that might lean forward? Do you have a cat? Was the book spring-loaded? (Mine are – they’re great at parties!) Look for the obvious, look at all possible explanations, no matter how unlikely. Once you’ve eliminated every possible explanation, that leaves…
…something not paranormal?
Yup. But again, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t paranormal. It’s just not likely.
But, but…my car keys keep moving from where I left them.
So do mine. Daily. But do I even need to address that one? Bet you know my answer.
Now, if you combine each of these symptoms, you might easily come to the conclusion that your house is haunted. Or you need to update your appliances, stop watching “Knight Rider” reruns (please, for humanity’s sake!), and put your keys in the same place every night.
Here are a few more:
The [cat/dog/ferret/hedgehog] just [sneers/barks/growls/stares] at nothing.
Animals seem to pick up the prrresence of spirits better than people – they have a different optical range than us lowly human beings, and our group has encountered animals acting strange on a number of occasions. Dogs seemingly barking at the air, cats following something invisible around the house – and after we have moved the spirits along, the animals’ odd behavior usually stops. However, I would still be suspicious of cats – after all, they are cats.
My closet door [opens/closes/yells] when I’m not looking!
Is your house old? Are the floors crooked? Is a window open? Too much WD-40 on the hinges? Again, check the obvious. If you think the door is yelling, open it and let your cat out. Uncle Arthur might be in there too, trying to tell the cat his bad jokes (which would also explain why the cat sneers).
But I feel this heaviness in the house.
This is one of the more common symptoms we hear about. Are you experiencing a heavy, draining feeling? Are you also feeling depressed? Have you been hallucinating (other than normal)? Do you have the feeling you’re being watched? Do you live near power lines? Some believe that high levels of EMF (electromagnetic fields), such as those caused by nearby power lines, can cause a variety of symptoms including those mentioned above. You might want to consider having this checked. However, in the homes we have seen so far, most haven’t come close to having enough background EMF to explain any feeling of heaviness.
I’m seeing movement out of the corner of my eyes when I do the dishes!
Darlene has experienced this first-hand (a spirit running back and forth between a chair and the bathroom). Spirits can move really quickly – so fast that your eyes can’t pick up their movement until they have just about passed you by. If you believe you’re seeing this, consider making an appointment with an optometrist. On the other hand, it really might be a ghost. Possibly with a bowel problem.
I smell [cookies/cigarettes/gas] in the house, but I’m not [baking/smoking/cooking]!
In many old houses, simply stepping on the floor can release molecules of scent from many years ago. However, it has been reported – and we have experienced this – scents such as perfumes, food cooking, cigar smoke, etc. in a home, that the client recognized as being connected to a deceased relative. In some cases, these scents were only noticeable at particular times, such as around the holidays. This may indicate the presence of a spirit. If it’s gas you smell, I would recommend checking the stove or getting out of the house. Quickly.
I keep hearing [footsteps/voices/banging pipes] when nobody else is home!
Get someone else to hear it – not only will it confirm that the noise is really happening, but with any luck you’ll also feel less nuts. And try and pin down where it’s coming from. Sound is a funny thing – it travels. Ever try to find out where a noise in your car is coming from? It’s not always easy, and sometimes downright annoying.
Just Because You’re Paranoid Doesn’t Mean They’re Not Out to Haunt You
So, if you rule out paranoia, excessive EMF and the mind’s ability to make three out of 1+1, there might actually be something ghostly going on. Especially if you observe some (or all) of these symptoms at home, and there are others in the house noticing the same things.
Just keep in mind that it may not be a haunting – just a random occurrence of something currently unexplainable, or a string of currently unexplainable events. Do what research you can to rule out all non-paranormal explanations, and if you still can’t find the answer, contact a plumber, get your cat into therapy, or contact a paranormal investigation team (you can always contact us – we should be able to tell you where they are pretty quickly). Ghosts can be anywhere, but that doesn’t mean they’re actually in your home, messing with your animals, doors or pipes, or your “Knight Rider” reruns. However…
Both my wife and I just saw Uncle Arthur!
Yeah, it was probably him. Did he finally turn off the TV?
If you would like a more serious look at determining a haunting, or more detailed info that isn’t so Hasselhoffed (or if your Uncle Arthur is alive and well), I recommend reading Steven Wagoner’s 16 Signs That Your House Is Haunted at about.com, or read the WikiHow – How To Tell If Your House Is Haunted. Also, for more on electromagnetic fields, read Are EMFs Hazardous to Our Health, at Mercola.com. And yes, I do like cats.
Interesting article…but I feel people are more concerned with dealing with/getting rid of the paranormal symptoms or at least determining the causes. So here’s MY guide:
“I feel an uneasy feeling whenever I enter my basement.”
This may be due to the fact you haven’t finished unpacking from when you moved to your new house 10 years ago. The cure? If after 10 years you still haven’t unpacked your stuff, have a tag sale…or simply stay the heck away from the basement. Duh.
“My pet lizard keeps changing colors when it crawls around the house.”
That’s because it’s a Chameleon, idiot. Research your pets before adopting them.
“Ever since we moved into our new house, I don’t hear the crickets chirping at night anymore.”
Talk to your lizard. He may have useful information.
“The eggs I bought just jumped out of the box and started cooking themselves on the counter!”
Stop doing drugs. Remember, speed kills.
“I hear radio stations in my head.”
Talk to your dentist – it seems he has a warped sense of humor….
Once I was sleeping and this candle i had on my dresser fell, it was about 3-4 inches away from the edge and it just fell and nothing was around it to make it fall. Also my cat often stares at places in my home when nothing is there. Another time was when i was eating pancakes and I heard a deep voice, my sister thought it was our neghbors[b/c I live in a apartment] but b/w my kitchen my neighbors home is my bathroom. No one was in the house except for my, my sister and my cat.
well i take a bunch of pics up stairs and i see floating dots so i looked it up and it said those were called orbs that means your house could be haunted thats one sign my house is haunted another is that when i was home alone my dog just got up and barked at the fire place this was odd because he is trained and he doesnt even bark when we let him out side so i didnt think much of it when he barked but then he whimpered and ran in a closet and hide witch he hasnt done before so like a week later he did it again so now im confused on what to do
Well I need help because in my home, and i’m only 12, there are weird noises and my dog, Sandy, sometimes just stares at emptines. The other day I had my makeup on my dresser and I know that no one else touched it, it was moved when I came home…also, my dog is now afraid or dislikes going into my room and about a year ago, my dog started growling INTO my closet. Last night I saw this weird glowing thing under my borhter’s bed, I don’t know if I was imagining it, but minutes later, it was in a DIFFERENT spot…I’m definetly freaked out…by the way, the orb was dark blue/purple, i Think that means shy…and I said out loud ‘if there is a spirit give me a signal, and immediately after I said that, my brothers phone went off….please help me, I’m scared to sleep in my room, although I think the ghost if there even is one, is harmless since last time my dog growled into my closet (she also did that in my parents room) was about a year or two ago…but if she was barking at it, wouldn’t that mean it’s angry or something or just becausde my dog is scared….please help!!!
I have shadows in my house that turns off our humidifier and talks to our 17 month old daughter.. she’ll laugh or cry to the spirit it’s just unusual. I’ve had the spirit touch and held down my feet also. I could be wrong but it’s hard to turn my head to obvious signs. Cleansing the house ourselves was apparently wrong because it’s been way more active.. how do we still it?
I need advise… I’ve had a few experiences that I cannot explain. It’s not something I’m looking for or want to be getting into but I’m starting to feel I need to embrace it as becoming to frequent.
Experience 1: lived in a bedsit in ski resort in France. I was disturbed by most likely a demon or bad spirit. Jumped on my bed crawled up my body. It was crawling on it’s hands and knees was like the weight of a big dog. It Lay next to me breathing heavily. Only had 1 demon.
Experience 2: Was in a new relationship with this guy, he live in London, old Edwardian house, he slept in the top floor, (roof) just going to bed (boyfriend left the room to brush his teeth) day on his bed, then suddenly I burst into tears uncontrollably for no reason ( I felt a compelling energy of sadness) I could stop for over an hour…boyfriend was asking what was wrong I could answer him. It wasn’t me crying!? I had no control! I wanted to impress this guy I’m surprised he didn’t dump me there and then it was bizzare. I can’t explain it?
Experience 3: my Grans house, my grandfather died 25 years ago, he was an artist, he painted pictures in the loft, nice man. I lived there caring for my gran for 1yr. Digital radio, unplugged, no batteries, would start playing up. Footsteps going up to the loft. Smells of body odour in the hall, below the loft. Grandads Clock my uncle has got never has had new batteries for 25 yrs since grandad died. Voices in the night. It’s freezing cold upstairs in the front room, where he slept. Not self inflicted, lol I experienced A warmth, something took over my body, a sense of complete happiness. Someone was watching me all the time. I need to tell my grandad to move on … How do I go about this? And why are these things happening to me? My mother said my other grandparents were mediums. Maybe it’s in the blood! But not sure I’m as enthusiastic to be involved.