Getting Spooky - Let’s talk Ghosts!
I watch a lot of ghost shows. I tend to find myself being most drawn to shows that tell individual peoples’ stories about their encounters with the paranormal, though there are a couple of ghost hunting shows that I genuinely enjoy. The few ghost hunting shows I like are not affiliated with Zak Bagins because I really hate how disrespectful Bagins is toward the history of the places he goes, and, the people once lived there. If you’re interested in ghost hunters who are respectful of the history and people who belong to the places they visit, check out the Ghost Brothers series on Discovery (no, I’m not affiliated).
So, are ghosts real?
I don’t know for certain – I know, annoying, right? – what I do know is that I believe the possibility exists. Have I ever seen a ghost? No, but I’ve also firmly shut myself off from the possibility in the past due to fear. I also think that if people are experiencing what seems to be paranormal, it’s important to look for the mundane explanations first.
Mundane Explanations
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – I bring this up first because it’s one of the most dangerous logical explanations for paranormal activity. Carbon monoxide poison can lead to illness and even death. There is a story of a man living in apartment who kept finding notes around his house and couldn’t figure out who was writing them. He ended up putting up cameras to see what was going on and found that he was, in fact, the one writing them. If I remember the story right, he posted this on Twitter, and someone suggested he get the apartment checked for carbon monoxide. Sure enough, the levels were high enough to be hazardous, and that was what was causing his memory loss. What to do: I strongly suggest carbon monoxide monitors on each level of the house, just like smoke alarms, as a preventative measure. If one of these goes off, immediately evacuate the premises and call emergency services. -
If you suspect you might have a carbon monoxide leak, call the Poison Help Line: 1-800-222-1222 For more information, see: https://poisonhelp.hrsa.gov/faq/carbon-monoxide#:~:text=Immediately%20go%20outside%20to%20get,for%20CO%20in%20your%20house.
Pests – This one can be annoying, but it has to be said. Scratching on the walls/floors/whatever can be anything from mice to birds. For example, in my office, because of the way it’s situated, when a bird lands on the onning covering outdoor stairs to the basement, I can hear it land, its clawed feet moving around, etc.
ElectroMagnetic Frequencies – There has been a fair amount of research on the effects of magnets and magnetic frequencies on the brain. In Canada, researchers u-se something they like to call a “God Helmet”. The God Helmet utilizes magnetic frequencies to induce hallucinations. Interestingly, some of the hallucinations reported have religious undertones like seeing angels, demons, and even God himself. Others report seeing aliens and experiencing the abduction phenomena while wearing the helmet. EMF detectors are standard equipment for ghost hunting anymore, though the research is divided as far as what effects EMF itself has on a human. The thought is that the levels have to be pretty high to induce hallucinatory affects as have been documented in the God Helmet experiments.
Okay, but what do I do if I do have a spirit in my home?
BOUNDARIES – In my own humble opinion, boundaries will solve a great deal of problems in our lives – metaphysical or not. Boundaries take fear out of the equation and put the power back into the individual’s hands.
Setting Metaphysical Boundaries
Setting spiritual/metaphysical boundaries in one’s home can be relatively simple. For example, when I moved into my home, I knew it had seen a few different energies. That it had been used as a rental and had been through it. So, before I moved in, I bundled some rosemary I’d dried, and, by myself, I walked through the house and burned the rosemary. While I burned the rosemary, I introduced myself to my new home and verbally released the existing energy, telling it to move on. Simply stating what you want, what your expectations are, what your boundaries are, that can be enough. This can be done in the following steps:
1) Decide what you want the outcome to be. Are you okay with a friendly house spirit, as long as they give you space? Or, do you want to get rid of all of the energies? Clarity in your intended outcome is essential – if you’re not sure what you want to happen, that’ll be evident in the energy you’re putting out.
2) Cleanse and set boundaries. The most basic way to do this is to smoke cleanse and usher the energy out of your house – be sure to open the windows and doors, and then light a cleansing herb (please use fire safety and caution always when burning things), and, USE YOUR VOICE. Your voice is essential – communicate your intention.
a. Cleansing methods can range from using salt water spray (a great option if burning isn’t right for you for any reason. The materials are simple: water and sea salt mixed in a spray bottle.
b. For cleansing with smoke, my favorite herbs to use are:
i. Rosemary – This amazing herb is incredibly versatile, and aside from adding flavor to dinner, it can be burned in cleansings. It has associations with both cleansing and exorcisms, so it’s good for kicking out unwanted spirits and energies.
ii. Sage – Sage is popular, and can be grown, then picked, and bundled. Garden sage can be found at every grocery store, and it smells AMAZING. Be careful about the kind of sage you use – White Sage is used by indigenous people for specific purposes and many indigenous people have asked that non-indigenous people (like myself) refrain from using white sage. Luckily, as I mentioned about, garden sage is readily available at almost all grocery stores, and can be dried in the oven on the lowest heat setting, and then burned.
iii. Incense – Incense is widely available, and comes in a variety of scents. My personal favorite for cleansing is dragon blood – it’s subtle, and has a clean, spicy scent.
3) Follow Up: Shadow work is a popular phrase in spiritual and magical spaces for a reason – shadow work is an important part of processing and healing unresolved traumas that are part of our “shadow” selves. For more information on Shadow Work, see my blog post about it here.
The above is very basic. It’s best for when you’re moving into a new space, or to be used during spring cleaning – anytime you want to cleanse your space, really. It’s also just a good exercise if you’re noting little things that you think might indicate spiritual activity.
But Tosh – What if it’s a Demon?
The term “demon” is a favorite among certain ghost hunters (*cough-cough, Zak Bagins*). This is largely due to the connotation that the word has. The word “demon” conjures the image of ultimate evil out to take someone’s soul. It’s a fear that feeds entertainment industries by gripping people to their screens watching with fear and baited breath.
Basically, I find myself being perhaps more skeptical of so-called “demonic” hauntings than of ones of a more ghostly nature. Regardless, let’s say you’re dealing with something extremely negative and you are scared out of your mind of it, I’m going to add a few steps to the above:
I) Ground yourself. For some people, this can be meditation, for others, prayer. You may want to enlist friends or family for help – the goal is for you to get to a place where your energy is centered, and calm. This way, you won’t be afraid. Some people choose to enlist deities as well (some like arch angels, others like gods – do what’s right for your spiritual journey), but the ultimate goal here is, again, to get to a place of calm confidence.
II) Clarify for yourself what you want to happen – in something like this, where something is genuinely frightening, the boundary will probably, “Get this thing out of my home!” Know that you are where the power comes from, and you will be able to kick its astral butt out.
III) Prepare yourself for taking control and for confronting the thing – this means gathering symbols of protection for yourself. For me, I’m a fan of pentagrams and crystals. For others, a cross might be the way to go. Blessed metals can also be a good option, depending on your beliefs. Something physical to serve as a reminder that you are protected and prepared is the important thing here. You’ll also want to gather what you’ll use for cleansing at this time, whether it’s herbs, blessed water, salt water, or incense – gather it, and verbally dedicate it to the working. You can pray over it as well, if that feels right to you and/or you’re enlisting a deity.
IV) Take control – walk through your space and claim it as yours. Think of the metaphysical beastie like it’s an annoying guest, and tell it to leave. You do not have to do this alone – we are a species that thrives in community, and having friends/family there to back you up can make you feel calmer and braver – just be sure that everyone goes in prepared. When you walk through, claim your space verbally, and tell the unwanted energy to leave. Those who are with you can join you in this too. Have the windows and doors open, and tell it to get out. Have music playing that follows the theme, or makes you feel powerful.
V) Follow up – you don’t want it to come back, so regular cleansings will be a good idea. Checking in with yourself, and doing shadow work can also help heal the places that could attract the attention of unwanted energies.
Again, the above is still fairly basic, but it’s a good starting point if you’re dealing with something that’s more than a little feisty.
Lastly – I’m always learning more about the paranormal, witchcraft, and, how people handle spirits, ghosts and energies. The above methods are what I know and trust, but, I want to make it clear that every individual and experience is going to be a bit different from one another. For some people, a quick cleanse will be enough. For others, calling in someone who has some mediumship capabilities might be the right call. If you’re not sure, I’d recommend asking the shop owner of your own local metaphysical shop – more often than not, if you have a question about a specific thing, they’ll be happy to give you an answer, or refer you to someone who might be able to help.
So, what do you think? Are ghosts real? What would you do if you moved into a haunted house?
-Tosh
