OK, let's get down to the nitty gritty. How do you know if you have a haunting? Sure, there are weird things going on, but you don't believe in ghosts, right? Still, something's got you spooked. If you don't get some answers soon, you might slip up and start telling people about the shadowy figures in your home. And that would be a mistake. They'd think you were crazy. So enough proselytizing about ghost theories. You're a busy bee. You've already wasted enough energy keeping one eye open when you go to bed. You need answers. You need facts. You need a good night's sleep. Well, I can't help you with any of those things. But maybe I can help by scaring you even more...
How often do you experience dejavu? Often, sometimes, not often at all? I hope the answer is not often at all. That's the best answer. Sometimes is pretty normal. If you often experience dejavu, you have my sympathies. Dejavu is disconcerting. It feels as though the world has gone crooked on you. What is dejavu anyway? Maybe it's a state of listless timeline interference. That's my current theory. Of course, I don't know for sure. However, it does seem to correlate strongly with living in a haunted house.
I know that hardly seems fair. Dealing with things that go bump in the night is bad enough. Unfortunately, living in a haunted house is not conducive to getting sufficient or restful sleep. It causes people to spend their days in a state of disorganized exhaustion. Dejavu seems to occur when the line between sleeping and waking is too often blurred. The bad news is that if you don't get enough sleep, then frequent episodes of dejavu will probably be the least of your problems.
Here's a fun fact: Ghosts are most often seen when someone is dozing off. Why? I think it's because this is when ghosts get excited. Bedtime is like an extended happy hour for haunting entities. People are most vulnerable when they are asleep. Scaring people before they go to bed is a great way to drain off energy.
Simply put, the weaker we are, the easier it is to steal our energy. Some haunting entities can even infiltrate our dreaming selves in an attempt to gain greater control. Not surprisingly, frequent, recurring nightmares will often result. In the worst case scenario, someone may begin sleepwalking. Don't brush it off. Sleepwalking is serious business. It can be an audition for full possession. But this is hardly the only sign worth noting.
Let's move right along. Do you have trouble with the smoke detectors in your home? Do they go off randomly in the middle of the night? You replace the batteries. It doesn't stop. Then, you get frustrated and dismantle the darn thing. Everyone knows this is a bad idea, but how else can you get a good night's sleep?
Haunting entities love to play with smoke detectors. If you have a bad haunting, anything is fair game, especially if it can be used to further unbalance the living persons in the house. Problems with smoke detectors can indicate something pretty insidious. Demons are most often associated with fire. The sole purpose of demons may be to burn structures to the ground. If the people inside go with it, so much the better.
Of course, there are many other signs. Haunting entities are capable of wreaking all manner of havoc. Do you feel apprehensive about spending time in your basement or attic? It's pretty common to feel this way. Basements and attics are often the darkest, dirtiest, and most forbidding areas of a home. If you have a haunting, the feelings may escalate from mild apprehension to a real sense of dread. Usually, dread is accompanied by the feeling that you are being watched.
How awful is it to know something is wrong, but not know what to do about it? Maybe not even know if it is just your imagination? How exhausting is it to feel queasy about going to certain areas of your own home? When haunting entities are weak, they will begin to gain power by draining off energy from the environment. Queasiness is a sign that this is going on. When they are strong enough, then they will move on to living beings. This is when someone may begin to feel genuinely threatened or afraid. At this stage, unexplained noises will become more common and sightings may occur. If you have pets, they might start acting strangely.
If your home is haunted, people will begin to avoid it. People can sense when something is wrong. Suddenly, your home will go from bustling to busted. It is unfortunate because having people around will help to keep a haunting under control. It is another danger sign, although it is not as immediately obvious. Also, pets can help to illuminate a potential problem. If your usually happy dog starts barking at nothing and acting fearful, it is worthwhile to pay attention. Cats do not scare as easily. But if your contented cat begins to bristle at corners and wants out of the house, then that could be a sign of real trouble brewing.
You may be wondering what are the signs that you have a more serious situation on your hands? Something more than run-of-the-mill residuals or ghosts? Two signs of a demonic haunting are smells and infestations. No two ways about it, demons and dark things stink. It is one of the first and most noticeable danger signs. If there are unmistakably foul odors in your home that are unexplained, it is time to take notice. I have heard it said (most notably in the movie 'Constantine') that the odors smell like sulfur. Maybe, maybe not. More often, these entities smell like s**t.
Another danger sign is infestations. Dark things bring forth filth. Do not ignore infestations. It is not a sure sign of a bad haunting, but the two co-occur about 90-95% of the time. Deal with them quickly and effectively. If you can do so without poisoning the air in your home, then try that first. But definitely rid your home of pests before they make you ill.
Any time there is a haunting, you will find that the environment within your home will change. The air will become colder, sunlight will not penetrate as deeply, and your house may feel like it is always dirty, even after you finish cleaning. If your home starts to feel foreign and dark, pay attention. Infestations usually follow pretty quickly. Luckily, there are simple things anyone can do to help themselves without stirring up real trouble. The struggle is won when you take control where you can without making things worse.
More on that later...
