How long would you stay...

[markclaire]

...in a haunted house?

One of my in laws thinks she has a ghost. Years ago, before they move into the house, the previous owner died in the kitchen on boxing day.
Now she has been experiencing bizarre little things for a few years, but doesnt really believe in the paranormal, so shrugged it off. However, a few months ago, my wife and her were sat in the kitchen, when one of the kitchen draw handles that swings began moving backwards and forwards on its own, Quite violently. The way my wife described it (who I trust 100%) was that it couldnt have been a breeze, because all the windows were shut and more importantly, it was swinging consistently without stopping for a good three minutes. They even stood up to see if they could feel anything, but couldn't.

The big thing that has spooked her is this. When in bed, she always leaves the bedroom door open so the dog can get in and out. She was woken at 3am by the bedroom door slamming shut. The problem with this is that the carpet pile near the door frame is incredibly thick (I checked this myself just a few days ago) and you cannot shut the door fully without really using some force. But this night the door was shut tight, and no one else was in the house. Needless to say, she cacked it.

Other things include light bulbs blowing randomly out of their sockets, the dining room door opening on it's own, and a very cold spot on the landing when the central heating is on full blast. I have also heard footsteps coming up the stairs when laying in bed, and have also heard a large crash in the kitchen about 4am in the morning, and upon investigation, could not find it's source.

The question is (to stop this being an IHTM post!) how long would you stay in a house like this? I personally would be out of there quicker than Linford Christie, but some people dont let these things bother them? I saw the film Paranormal Activity the other week, and they lasted 24 days? My version of the film would have been much shorter!

Answers please!

 

[Moooksta]

Why not do the Paranormal Activity thing and leave a camera on overnight?

If it's not harming you...what's to worry about?

Try some EVP.

Or as someone on these boards once said, ask it what it wants.

Or ask it to leave politely. It's not the "ghost's" house anymore it's your in-laws!

 

[escargot]

Personally, I'd stay. It wouldn't bother me or Techy. In fact, we'd enjoy it.

T'other night I was happily net-surfing on t'sofa when the lounge door, standing open to let the dogs'n'mogs in and out, very slowly swung closed on its own. I watched it and thought, huh, they'll have to try harder than that! :lol:

Just a draught really, I s'pose, but still, I'm unscareable.

Tell the in-laws to stay put - as Mooks points out, it's their house now!

 

[Twin_Star]

Since you've asked a direct question, i'll give you a direct answer:

At the current time in my life, where there's only 2 quite-sensible-really adults that would be living in this supposed haunted house, i'd stay as long as i would if there was no haunting at all (ie: up/downsizing, moving for work, moving for family reasons etc). Real Life isnt a Machen, Poe or Lovecraftian tale; at best its more like Well's novel The Red Room. In the case of direct paranormal manifestations, as you have described in your OP; i can tell you i'd make certain steps to address the situation but move out? Pfft

 

[escargot]

Twin_Star, I like the cut of your jib. 8)

What steps would you take, though? Surely you wouldn't cruelly evict the hapless spook? :lol:

 

[SHAYBARSABE]

The question is (to stop this being an IHTM post!) how long would you stay in a house like this?

Well, I wouldn't leave.

The light bulb problem requires an electrician, and the sooner the better.

Cold spots in our house are due to drafts from the second floor, or, in really cold weather to the cold seeping in through the windows. (Shut the drapes!)

Doors closing at odd hours can be put down to shifts in the house due to temperature changes.

The crash in the kitchen? Some animals (vermin or pets) bounding around inside the cabinets. I'd get that checked out in a hurry, too.

Best to you all!

 

[Twin_Star]

What steps would you take, though? Surely you wouldn't cruelly evict the hapless spook? :lol:

I'm loathe to derail a thread so new, and from such a rare poster; suffice to say there'd be nothing cruel about it, in fact it would be more of a :grouphug:

 

[escargot]

I'm sure Markclaire'd love to hear a fuller explanation.
Us too!

I'd love to live in a proper''aunted 'ouse.
I've lived in a couple, but wouldn't say I'd been thoroughly haunted myself. Pretty half-arsed ghosts. I'm putting a complaint in.

 

[PeniG]

Not one of us knows what we'd do until we do it. However, I've spent so much of my life being scared of the dark, I doubt I'd be any scareder in an actual haunted house.

Per Tex-Mex folklore, you should address ghosts by saying "In the name of God, tell me what you want." These stories almost always end in the ghost leading the querent to buried treasure and then resting in peace, so be sure and try it.

Remember that many, many people have lived for decades with ghosts and come to no harm. Ways to cope include laying down the law firmly: "This is my house now. You're dead, so behave yourself," taking control of the space by putting your own stamp on it, and making decorating choices that respect the history of the house while relieving the atmosphere. You want light in dark corners, good air circulation, and a minimum of spooky, unwelcoming cul-de-sacs. Don't encourage the ghost by taking too much notice of him if the "tell me what you want" experiment fails.

 

[Zilch5]

I've had a good discussion with an Australian-Aboriginal "Medium" (for want of a better word) lately and she told me the following:

a) "They" ("The Spirits" as she called them) can scare you, but "they" can't harm you

b) You have to be firm with "them" and tell "them" in no uncertain terms to "rack off" (she didn't say "rack" but, you know... )

I hope this helps. A former work mate of mine also had her place "spiritually cleansed" as she said she was having a problem with the spirit of an old angry woman in the kitchen. So I'd say these things can be solved.

 

[escargot]

Yup, I'd agree about the 'can scare you but not hurt you' bit.

As I've stated previously, a ferocious Jack Russell terrier sleeps on my bed and I trust her to protect me against anything biteable.

Anything unbiteable wouldn't scare me anyway. What could it do, apart from moan and move the forks around a bit? :lol:

 

[coaly]

I'm sorry, but I've stayed in many "haunted houses", and never seen anything which, upon more investigation, turned out to be either trickery *Yes, it happens! :lol: *, and mundane things.
The house I live in currently was, apparently haunted, but after getting a plumber, pest controller and electrician in, I have had no further incidents of noises or disturbances. Not once have I seen any convincing evidence of ghosts or poltergeists in any of the reported places, or otherwise. *I was just saying the other day, "I wonder how many reports of seeing things in places, (apart from when one is either near sleeping, or shortly after waking!)... like ghosts, objects moving, were witnessed by people who were wearing spectacles?" The reason being, that I wear reading glasses, and not for long, so I am not completely familiar with the distortion and flaring one experiences from the lenses, especially when it's getting darker, and you turn lights on *also an important note*... and I have been "spooked" by differential caused by objects in the peripheral of my vision, entering the edge of the lenses. *etc etc etc. So, I would say, I would remain in said house, as long as I was permitted, or could. I certainly wouldn't move because I heard shit. I would certainly investigate a stiff door being slammed though, and not write it off as a ghost!!!! :?

 

[MsQkxyz]

I used to stay in a house with a resident ghost quite regularly and would do so again. However there were no scarey experiences, though a few odd ones.
I would draw he line at staying in a house with a seemingly angry and violent polterguist. Or some of those bizarre situations you hear of where unexplained puddles of blood and fecal matter appear around the house and awful smells etc.

 

[Naughty_Felid]

Personally, I'd stay. It wouldn't bother me or Techy. In fact, we'd enjoy it.

T'other night I was happily net-surfing on t'sofa when the lounge door, standing open to let the dogs'n'mogs in and out, very slowly swung closed on its own. I watched it and thought, huh, they'll have to try harder than that! :lol:

Just a draught really, I s'pose, but still, I'm unscareable.

Tell the in-laws to stay put - as Mooks points out, it's their house now!

:lol: hehe I've never heard the term "dogs'n'mogs" but what a lovely term to describe my childhood with monsters from both camps lying on my bed!

 

[Naughty_Felid]

I also agree with Escargot1 I'm quite happy to live in a haunted place even without my army of kittehs to protect me, (sadly no dogs at the mo), However I can't imagine life without the kitty-folk.

I am convinced like HP Lovecraft, cats spend their night scrapping with interstellar monsters anyhow and a few ol' spooks generally don't faze them.

Also we have Old Granddad, (ghost of a cat anyhow), to wage war on the spirit plane for us in return for his place on the bed.

 

[escargot]

Going back to the OP, the camera idea is good but tricky. You need some possibly expensive and fragile equipment.

EVP might be easier and cheaper to set up. We've tried that, with varying results. :shock:

And yup, Felid, cats're are good to have around.
Their tendency to freak out for no reason in the wee hours can be unnerving though. :lol:

 

[Mouldy13]

Cats Don't you just love it when you're sitting reading or listening to music and the cat suddenly sits up and stares at the doorway as though the cat-eating monster was there?

Or when they look up and watch something invisible walk across the ceiling?

 

[SHAYBARSABE]

Or when they look up and watch something invisible walk across the ceiling?

Trust me: they're looking at spiders.

 

[danny_cogdon]

Or when they look up and watch something invisible walk across the ceiling?

Trust me: they're looking at spiders.

Invisible spiders?!?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :eek!!!!:

 

[McAvennie]

I generally get a 'good' or 'bad' feeling about places quite quick so certainly wouldn't move in to somewhere I didn't like the feel of.

My reaction now would be that as soon as stuff started getting obviously unsettling I would move, but of course in the real world that is not so simple.

I guess finances and other factors would determine how long you truly could stay once stuff began happening.

EDIT: My girlfriends place has a few weird things happening, kettle turning on by itself, pics falling off the wall, and on one occasion she woke up to find a large ladder had moved from the kitchen and was stood upright outside her room - although she had been out drinking so I told her it must have been her.

However, over Christmas we were both in the kitchen where a lot of the weirdness happens with the door shut. It doesn't take too much pressure to knock the door open, but as we were talking it opened by itself and swung back almost to the point that it connected with the wall. What is odd is that if you push the door and let it naturally open - as you would imagine a light gust would do - it catches on the carpet about 2/3 of the way. On this occasion it nearly opened completely.

Despite that I don't really have any worry staying over at hers. I can imagine actually seeing a physical manifestation would change that but just little things than could be explained away prob would not be enough to drive me out.

 

[cheeky381]

Invisible spiders?!?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As if the visible ones weren't bad enough!!!

 

[marion]

It depends on what is going on and the atmosphere, I've lived in three definitely haunted houses, two nasty and one benign. In the nasty ones I had lots of nightmares and weird sleep anomalies and really didn't want to live there. You could say it all came from me but many other people living in or visiting the houses had experiences in them too. I tried to get out of one place almost as soon as I moved in, I ended up having to live there 11 years, it was awful.

 

[DeeDeeTee]

Your state of mind is key here I think,

If you don't believe the house your in is haunted and you are very happy in it - you probably won't even notice the sounds it makes as it heats and cools/air pressure differences moving doors etc... (And in fact miss any Ghost as well )

On the other hand, if you are focused and somewhat interested/fearful then all sorts of things jump out at you. For example I've misheard my own heartbeat as footsteps, which was disconcerting.

I'm pretty sure as well, that there is definitely bad and good architecture/decor that can influence and perhaps set your expectations. I know for example, that if I had to sleep in an alleged haunted room and it happened to have a bunch of old dolls/puppets in it, I'm not sure I could last the night - all those eyes looking at you (and what if one of them moved....)

On a related note, I was sleeping at a friends house, when I woke in the dark to see a Yoda backback near me on the floor (Yoda cunningly stiched into the top of the pack so that it looked like you were getting Jedi training when using it a'la Luke in The Empire Strikes Back) For a split second I thought that this legless Yoda was pulling himself along the floor with his one good grasping hand, towards me. It still freaks me out thinking about it now....

 

[HollyDolly1]

Would you stay in a haunted house?

:miaow: marionXXX, maybe you can tell us about those two nasty hauntings,that is if you feel like talking about them.
I have three kitties, and sometimes they will look into the kitchen from my bed room, and just stare.They don't freak out or anything.
Once in awhile Calvin will sit in the kitchen and look down the hall way towards the bedrooms where my brother and late father used to sleep.
The only death in the house was my late mother, who passed away in her sleep of another stroke back in 1982.I have no idea what the cats see.
If it's my dad, I have no idea.I've never seen him or momma in the house.
I've had a few dreams my parents in them, but i figure it might be their way of saying "hello" and just checking on me.

Would I move out of a haunted house, no, not unless I felt really uneasy or scared.And even then before I move out I might try to have my parish priest do some sort blessing.It can be expensive to move, but if ones spiritual or psyichal health were in danger, I certainly would move.
The house i live in my parrents bought years ago and I finally got paid off.
If the cats do see something, it's not threating, but friendly.Heck, I don't even have doors slaming,etc. So can't say what they are watching.

 

[linesmachine]

I've always said I'm difficult to scare and would find living in a haunted house fascinating...HOWEVER, after a recent "experience" in a Cornish cottage (which turned out to be food poisioning playing havoc with my brain) I must admit I almost wept like a child coz I was pertrified.

If it was a long term thang I would definitely set up some sort of camera action.....to capture ghosts I mean.

 

[LordRsmacker]

Needless to say, she cacked it.

Hmmmm, yeeeeeees, I get the picture. :lol:


I can't say how long I'd stay in a haunted house, it depends on how it was being haunted, and how much "cacking it" I'd be involved in.
My parents' house may/may not be haunted, certainly my Grandad for one died there, but I've no problem with it, after all, it is HOME for me. Maybe other people would be disturbed by the noises etc, who knows?

Interesting the number of pet owners on here. (Um, is there a disproportionate amount of spinsters with lots of cats here, or is it just the way I read it? ) Anyway, my dog's the Fear Barometer for me, if she's not happy with a noise, wouldn't go into a room etc, then I'd be a lot less comfortable with a place. I'd go as far as to say that I'd take the pooch with me to see a new place - if it gets the paws-down from her, I'll pass.

As for the ghost of Old Grandad Cat, I also "rely" on the ghost of my old dog, a massive ex-army German Shepherd guard dog (not one of the agility GSD-crosses). He kept me safe in life from any physical attacks, so I choose to believe he'll be there to rip the knackers off any spectral danger I'm threatened by. Once or twice when I've been uncomfortable in the dark, alone, somewhere strange, I've pictured him there by my side, and I'm fine again. Now and again I have a vivid dream he's there, I wake up calling him, I choose to believe he "haunts" the house, and me.

I suppose that if I woke up to find a floating disembodied head in my room, moaning and a-groaning, or any "Amityville Horror"-style phenomena in the house, I'd almost certainly be down the road there and then. However, thinking of those kind of films, it's generally the soundtrack and the suspense that puts the viewer on edge, not the happenings themselves, so if I heard a low synth resonating, or a rapidly rising violin, that'd be more of a trigger for me to flee, eyes tightly shut, rather than the pretty strange but non-scary sight of the door shutting on its own.

 

[escargot]

We've just lost our big dog, at the age of nearly 14.
I will certainly be calling on him to protect me from spooks in future.

Here on this side of the Veil, we still have our fiercely protective JRT. The word 'bite' was invented for that breed.

 

[jeff544]

I'd love to live in a proper''aunted 'ouse.
I've lived in a couple, but wouldn't say I'd been thoroughly haunted myself. Pretty half-arsed ghosts. I'm putting a complaint in.

That really made me laugh - imagine a hapless ghost trying, but failing to haunt effectively.

Thanks for that

 

[titch]

All you lucky haunted house folk! why not my house? i want to do my best yvette fielding/scoobie doo, investigate but then get scared and run away like a chicken act. Now where is my ouija board? that will sort things out. But if it cant hurt you dont be scared , investigate and maybe learn something amazing about the world , or maybe something about drafts and cooling houses , it would be fun anyway

 

[escargot]

My sentiments exactly. :lol: