THINGS THAT GO BUMP...
I don't believe in the afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear. - Woody Allen.
Most of us love to hear a good ghost yarn and when there may be an element of reality to a tale of the dead walking among us; it makes the whole thing even more exciting… and spooky I suppose.
Nowadays, there are many excellent shows on our TV screens where the ‘guest stars’ of the show have left this mortal coil many years ago. It definitely seems that ghost hunting has never been more popular and the publics’ fascination with the dead doesn’t seem to be fading at all. As usual, I don’t claim to know everything but through personal experiences I have reached some conclusions about hauntings and ghosts.
In the past I’ve visited numerous allegedly haunted houses and in most of cases, found nothing strange apart from noisy pipes and creaking timber… and of course over active imaginations, or sadly on occasion, downright fakery. However, once or twice I’ve walked into a location and either seen, heard or sensed something paranormal there right away that would freak out the most rational of minds.
I’ve seen people literally driven out of their homes by aggressive paranormal phenomena and they end up feeling as if they’re crazy – this isn’t helped by the cynical buggers in this world who snigger and sneer at something they could never understand, thus making the poor victims feel depressed and isolated.
I believe, the key to helping in a situation like that is for the investigator to look at the facts, rule out all natural causes and then attempt to communicate with the entity and clear the place of negativity. I’ve found that sometimes in a location the ‘ghost’ ignored me and other times I’ve been lucky enough to have received either vibes or direct communication from him/her as soon as I arrived.
Contrary to popular belief, I’d say a spirit who haunts an area doesn’t have to be filled with rage or sadness as they wait to avenge a death or for their lost love to return or some other dramatic tale. I’ve found that most genuine hauntings are simply the dead attempting to communicate or exist beside the living that are inhabiting the same space and unintentionally terrifying them in the process! And I really have to add that in my experiences over the years I’ve rarely seen a real haunted location.
My granny used to tell me never to fear the dead because ‘it’s the living that’ll hurt you’ and now when I think back I kind of agree with her. Some malevolent spirits have been known to scratch their victims and throw objects around, but this is so rare I doubt most of you reading this will ever see or even personally hear of such a thing.
Lose the Fear
People wonder why I have absolutely no fear of spooks, ghosts, poltergeists, apparitions or dark haunted places, but believe me, neither should you - if you see a ghost, remember we are only dealing with four possibilities: imagination, hallucination, fakery or simply a human being who once lived, breathed, loved, laughed, cried and finally passed away like you or I.
To witness a genuine ghost or spirit is a real honour and I believe one of the most amazing experiences a living person could ever have. I know this because I’ve seen them many times and still get excited every time.
If you ever witness a ghost please try not to be scared. Remember, fear doesn’t do anything positive in a situation relating to the paranormal.
In the dark, our minds sense real danger and our instinct of course, is to naturally get out of there! But take a moment, think, just analyse what we are running from... Something that can give you a cold chill down your spine… throw a wee stone at you… whisper in your ear… or at worst, appear in front of you. I think you’ll agree it’s hardly the same as meeting Michael Myers!
I wholeheartedly believe in the afterlife of course but y'know I do agree with the sceptics - the only thing you have to fear is your own mind.
Cheers,
Tom
