If your'e going to a historical house where others say they think there's a ghost..what should you look for?

Question

Tomorrow I'm going to babysit at a historical house in town where the ones who used to live there(&have now moved back in after remodeling) say they have reason to believe there is/was a ghost. Also, the relative who stayed while remodeling it said he also had "experiences". What should I look for or be aware of? Today she said there's not one...but I'm thinking there might be. I'm not "brave". lol..but need the job & want to see the house. Any suggestions? Hope my fear doesn't make it appear...or make me imagine something is there when it isn't .They have 2 big inside dogs. Maybe they'll protect me.lol I sure don't want to bring anything home with me!("Been there..done that!") lol Hellllllppppp!!!!!!

Answer 1

The same thing I look for whenever I go somewhere new.

The bathroom.

When you get older, bladder control is an issue.

pee s. There are no ghosts.

Answer 2

the one thing you don't want to do is look for anything. this will make you think of ghost and you will surely see them, even if it just from you fear and imagination.

Try to forget rumors, and assume it is not haunted until something happens that cant be your imagination. good luck

Answer 3

Like Jason and Grant from the show Ghost Hunters always say. If you go to a house to try and prove a haunting (in this case see it or something) everything you look for will become evidence of a haunting. But if you go out and try to disprove a haunting (or in this case don't care) your only left with the things that you can't explain. Hope I sorta helped!

Answer 4

Depends on the ghost...

Don't worry, just do your job....although, you may not have a choice if they want your attention. You may hear walking-foot steps, things being moved around, tapping.

Especially when a old house is being redone, remodeling. The ghost that lives there, doesn't know that it's dead, therefore a ghost would act up all the more, the ghost sees the house changing and becomes confused and angry, and would start acting up.

Don't worry they don't usually hurt anyone, it's an adventure:)

Answer 5

The #1 cause of reported hauntings is the knowledge that other people have reported hauntings.  Any house, especially if it's old and creepy, will have ticks, creaks, moans and groans.  If you can't immediately determine what the cause of these sounds are and you have heard the place is haunted, you might be compelled to blame anything unexplained on paranormal causes.  In a related vein, many ghost hunters are quick to conclude that any anomaly (irregularity) at all is, by default, paranormal in nature.

So if your primary interest is to make observations that are as objective as possible, then you will want to avoid being persuaded by the power of suggestion.  If you are interested in coming to an informed and logical conclusion, then it's important you base your conclusions not on guesses or suppositions, but on what is immediately observable.

I love old houses.  I hope they didn't restore it too much.  I also hope you have time to explore a bit.  Don't spook yourself out though.  Have fun!

Answer 6

Never have figured out, why ghosts  all like to live in historical several story houses.

Answer 7

Look for Ghosts!

Answer 8

You hear heavy footsteps in the upstairs hallway when you know no one is up there. Doors slam unaccountably. Commonly used items disappear and reappear without cause. The kitchen light turns on by itself. There's the unmistakable scent of a strange perfume in the air.

These may be indications that your house is haunted. True hauntings are rare occurrences, and it may be difficult to determine whether or not any strange phenomena you are experiencing in your home might be due to a haunting. For one thing, no one really knows what a "real" haunting is - what causes it or why it starts. There are many theories, of course, which we have discussed in this space in the article "Ghosts: What Are They?" But if you think your house may really be haunted, what can you do about it?

The Signs of a Haunting

The first step is to determine, as best you can, whether or not you truly have a legitimate case of a haunting.

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Not all hauntings are alike, and they may exhibit a variety of phenomena. Some hauntings feature a single phenomenon - such as a particular door slamming shut that occurs repeatedly - while others consist of many different phenomena, ranging from odd noises to full-blown apparitions.

Here's a partial list of phenomena that might indicate that your house is haunted:

Unexplained noises - footsteps; knocks, banging, rapping; scratching sounds; sounds of something being dropped. Sometimes these noises can be subtle and other times they can be quite loud.

Doors, cabinets and cupboards opening and closing - most often, these phenomena are not seen directly. The experiencer either hears the distinct sounds of the doors opening and closing (homeowners get to know quite well the distinctive sounds their houses make) or the experiencer will return to a room to find a door open or closed when they are certain that it was left in the opposite position. Sometimes furniture, like kitchen chairs, are perceived to have been moved. Very rarely will the experiencer actually witness the phenomenon taking place.

Lights turning off and on - likewise, these events are seldom seen actually occurring, but the lights are switched on or off when the experiencer knows they were not left that way. This can also happen with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items.

Items disappearing and reappearing - this phenomenon, which we have dubbed "the DOPler Effect" (DOP = Disappearing Object Phenomenon), has been examined in the article "The DOPler Effect." Others have called this "the borrowers" phenomenon, and it's the familiar experience of not being able to find a regularly used item - say, your set of car keys - which you believe you placed in a spot you routinely place them. But they're gone and you look high and low for them with no success. Some time later, the keys are found - in exactly the place you normally put them. It's as if the object was borrowed by someone or something for a short time, then returned. Sometimes they are not returned for days or even weeks, but when they are, it's in an obvious place that could not have been missed by even a casual search.

Unexplained shadows - the sighting of fleeting shapes and shadows, usually seen out of the corner of the eye. This phenomenon has also been discussed in some detail in "Shadow People." Many times, the shadows have vaguely human forms, while other times they are less distinguishable or smaller.

Strange animal behavior - a dog, cat or other pet behaves strangely. Dogs may bark at something unseen, cower without apparent reason or refuse to enter a room they normally do. Cats may seem to be "watching" something cross a room. Animals have sharper senses than humans, and many researchers think their psychic abilities might be more finely tuned also. (See "Animals and Ghosts" )

Feelings of being watched - this is not an uncommon feeling and can be attributed to many things, but it could have a paranormal source if the feeling consistently occurs in a particular part of the house at a particular time.

Those are some of the most common experiences of those who think their houses are haunted. Yet even stranger things can happen...

The following phenomena are more rare, but could be stronger evidence of a haunting:

Mild psychokinetic phenomena - hearing a door open or close is one thing. Actually seeing it happen is quite another. Similarly, actually seeing a light go on or off by itself is greater proof that something unexplained is happening. Do you see the TV or radio turn on? Or perhaps you're present when a child's powered toy begins to operate on its own. Doors and windows are locked or unlocked. Some people report that when they are in bed they can feel and/or hear something sitting on the bed.

Feelings of being touched - the feeling of being watched is one thing, and actually feeling like you are being touched is quite another.

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Some people feel something brush past them, something touching their hair or "a hand" on the shoulder. Some feel a gentle poke, push or nudge.

Cries and whispers - on occasion, muffled voices, whispering and crying can be heard. Sometimes it's music from some unknown source. People hear their names being said. This phenomenon, as is true for the one above, gains more credibility if more than one person hears or sees the same thing at the same time.

Cold or hot spots - cold spots are classic haunting symptoms, but any instance of a noticeable variance in temperature without a discernable cause could be evidence.

Unexplained smells - the distinct fragrance of a perfume or cologne that you do not have in your house. This phenomenon comes and goes without any apparent cause and may accompany other phenomena, such as shadows, voices or psychokinetic phenomena. Foul odors can happen in the same way.

Rarer still are more extreme phenomena, some of which have been called poltergeist phenomena, and can be quite strong evidence of a true haunting:

Moving or levitating objects (severe psychokinetic phenomena) - dinner plates sliding across the table; pictures flying off walls; doors slamming shut with great force; furniture sliding across the floor.

Physical assault - scratches, slaps and hard shoves. This kind of personal assault is extremely rare, but obviously highly disturbing.

Other physical evidence - unexplained writing on paper or walls; handprints and footprints.

Apparitions - physical manifestation of a spirit or entity. These phenomena are also very rare and can take many forms: human-shaped mists or forming mists of some indistinguishable shape; transparent human forms that disappear quickly; and most rarely, human forms that look as real and solid as any living person, but that disappear into a room or even while being viewed.

Next Page > What to do about your haunting

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A person who has experienced some of these phenomena might have cause to believe that his or her house is haunted. But maybe not. In fact, according to most experts, probably not. The human mind and human senses (as any magician will tell you) are easily fooled. And people can often mistake explainable (if unusual) occurrences in their homes for the paranormal.

Before you decide there's a ghost in your house or move out from fear, do your best to find rational explanations for what you are experiencing. Virtually all of the phenomena listed on the previous page could have perfectly natural causes:

noises could be house settling, plumbing or even vermin such as mice and squirrels

opening and closing doors could be faulty hinges or caused by drafts

DOPler phenomena could just be carelessness and forgetfulness

shadows could be just that - shadows caused, perhaps, by a passing car's headlights

as real as some of these things might seem to you, they really could be just products of your imagination

Of course, the more extreme the phenomena, the harder they are to dismiss.

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Answer 9

If you are going to be by yourself and you will be busy baby sitting than you won't have time to truly examine anything.

However, you could take a tape recorder with you (use a new tape) or a one time use CD recorder and leave that running.

You might also take a camera and attempt to photograph anything you see. Contrary to the opinions of YA skeptics you can't photograph what you are imagining only in your mind. You might even just snap pictures in places that you feel something.

If you had permission a video recorder would be great as well but since they don't think anything is there (and many other reasons) they might not want you making videos of the house.

I would take a note book and a pen and write down experiences as well.

However, as I said it sounds like you will be too busy to notice anything even if there was something going on.

My dog has never let anything (human, animal, or spirit) harm me.

Psi

Answer 10

the most classic signs are tingling ,cold spots and foul odors

Answer 11

Look for a big white sheet going...wwhhhOOOoooOOOooooOOOoo

OH - you thumbs downers just have no sense of humor , do ya?

Answer 12

As a Paranormal Examiner for almost 28 years, let me try to help you out.  I have Never went into a location with a pre-concieved Notion that it is "haunted".  Stories are just what they are..."stories".I and my Teams go in with the Mission of Objectively Explaining what the alledged Paranormal activity in Real-life terms.  80% of so-called "hauntings" can be de-bunked.  If you go there with an Open Mind, and don't think you see a "bogeyman" in every shadow, then you'll be fine.  If by some slim chance there should be Paranormal Activity...don't let it frighten you.  

Hauntings, per se fall in 2 categories....active and residual.  In an active situation, the entity may be trying to make contact to seek help, or wants to have a little "fun" by trying to scare you.  It doesn't really realize that it has passed away, and thinks that where it belongs.  A residual situation can be likened to a VCR tape...it just "rewinds" and repeats itself every so often.  It is a "memory" captured by the location, and has no knowledge of anything else existing there.

Have fun, and don't be frightened.  You can only be scared by you Let scare you.

Answer 13

Don't "LOOK" for anything.  You'll psych yourself into it and be paying more attention to being paranoid than babysitting.  Just go do whatever it is you normally do as far as babysitting.  Occupy yourself with the kids and don't occupy your mind with something like this.  You'll be fine.

Answer 14

A Ghost

Answer 15

Don't look for anything. Just focus on babysitting and the child. If it is a toddler don't worry you won't have time to focus on ghosts.

If you are looking for something you will find your imagination playing games with you. Now that the home is remodeled the

"haunting"  might be repaired so don't expect anything and try to to look at it from that angle.

Best of luck

Answer 16

If all you know about the house or property is 3rd hand information (not saying that it is not good info) then go in with a clear head and relax.

Do not concentrate on the aspect that the place is haunted.  Go into the experience that it is not.  If your client will allow it, take a camera with you and just take ramdom shots in the house.  Be sure and ask first.  Some people might not like photos done of the interior of their home.  

If you hear a noise that sounds out of place, go look for the cause.  Same thing if you see something that doesn't look right.  You will be surprised how many things you will be able to debunk as natural.

Answer 17

I used to docent at a very old row house in  our town. Some people said it was haunted and I always had a chilly feeling--even in the summer months. I never wanted to be there alone!!

Answer 18

If strange things/by your opinion/ begin to happen try to accept them with some humour.

Answer 19

Just remember Boogie men can't see you when you hide under the blankets. LOL Or at least that is what I thought as a kid!  I'm still here so it must work!

Most people see ghosts in their peripheral vision.  Don't worry you'll be OK. Let us know if you see something.

Answer 20

Things like that sensation of being watched, you know where the hair on the back of your neck stands on end?

Isolated cold spots, like just your left elbow or the top of your right hand.

An isolated tingly spot, like that sensation when your foot falls asleep? Except without the pain of the pins and needles.

ummm... gosh I'm thinking...

oh... seeing something out the corner of your eye, but when you look at it straight on, there's nothing there.

same thing only with movements, such as you swear you just saw someone walk past the bedroom door, but you search the house and there's noone there and no one could possibly have gotten into the house.

oh, BTW... I know it's spooky to feel or see things you can't see, especially if you've had experience with the darker side of the spirit world, but they really can't hurt you. Besides that, a lot of them are very nice spirits. Shoot, I told you about my friend Ashe.

So... If one pops in and says "hello" say "hi"  back. ;)

Answer 21

Take a recorder with you--excellent opportunity for EVP's.