Single hen

[Charlottechicken]

Help!

 

I have just been told by a friend that her ex's house is er haunted and her 11 year old daughter will no longer stay overnight with daddy when required. I have told him to get in touch with the nearest Church and ask for advice. Is that correct? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

I don't know who in their wisdom decided to tell an 11 year old girl her dads house was haunted though

[Guest]

Can't offer much advice Claire, but I never believed in that sort of thing until a few years ago when Dan and I viewed a house that was very eerie

 

Suffice to say we didn't buy it

[Guest]

Help!

 

I have just been told by a friend that her ex's house is er haunted and her 11 year old daughter will no longer stay overnight with daddy when required. I have told him to get in touch with the nearest Church and ask for advice. Is that correct? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

I don't know who in their wisdom decided to tell an 11 year old girl her dads house was haunted though

 

 

You're right - it's probably not a great idea to tell an 11 year old that the house is haunted - but, what's done is done!

 

This is a complex area - and I am no expert.

 

It might help to waffle around some general thoughts first... (or it may not!)

 

I'm to some extent agnostic on this issue. 99% of me believes there is no such thing as ghosts - BUT experiences that people who I know are not nutcases (!) have had have taught me to leave some room for doubt!

 

I personally believe that 99% of the increasingly common idea of a "presence" in the house (sometimes malevolent - but often comforting!) is a part of psychology and empathy that we just don't understand very well yet - and it is easier to describe it as a ghost or a spirit.

 

personally I believe that most so-called "mediums" often subconsciously and with all integrity have an empathetic gift that they can read... (but that's another story altogether!)

 

whatever causes it - it is a very REAL experience for those who feel it - and it can be manifested in many ways..

 

so - some people turn to an "exorcist".

 

There is a problem with that word - largely because of the film! Many people half expect a tall bloke, dressed in black with bony features to arrive with garlic round his neck and a giant silver cross... (honest - they do!)

 

what the church usually offers is something less dramatic - a house blessing.

 

Symbolism is important, though - because it speaks to our psyche on a level beyond words - so regardless of what the minister/priest personally believes is actually "happening" s/he will often dress up - at least wear a collar - and wear a cross (though not a huge brass one!) and probably bring some "Holy Water" to sprinkle around.

 

this isn't because these things are magic in any way - but because they are very deep symbols of cleansing and purification.

 

the minister/priest will probably wander around the house with the family and pray in certain rooms and sprinkle some water. I have done this myself - and have found it to be almost 100% "effective" whatever that means. Am I banishing Spirits?? Who knows!! - but I have banished fear - which may very well be the same thing...

 

it is quite a calm process aimed at bringing a sense of peace (sometimes a candle will be lit - another powerful symbol) Having children present should be encouraged - then they can see for themselves what is being done. (if left to their imagination - they will dream up all kinds of horror!!)

 

so...

 

to cut a long story short - contacting the local church may well be a good idea - depending on their own beliefs. I am sure that Pagan practitioners have a very similar routine (except they would use different language).

 

not all churches respond well to such requests - so advise them to be patient - many ministers are just as scared and "spooked" by this whole thing as anyone else!!

 

if they live anywhere near Upminster - then PM me - and I'd be quite happy to talk with them.

 

 

I'm sure Morag will be along with some more advice, shortly! But I hope that begins to reassure you that this is not unusual and many people have been helped to overcome it..

 

Phil

[Charlottechicken]

Thanks Phil, I knew you would be one of the members best placed to offer advice.

 

The house in question is only half a mile from me, so not near you!

 

I am neutral on this subject also as I have had no experience, but cannot dismiss other people's experiences.

 

The owner of the house isn't a follower of any particular religion but I imagine contacting a church would be the most traditional and acceptable route for him. I'll let him know it's a house blessing he is after, and that the daughter should be there as well then!

 

Thanks! I'll let you know what happens.

[Jools]

I had some unpleasant experiences at our last house - mainly foul smells, but also feelings of terrible sadness and misery. It didn't affect hubby, only that he was worried about me, especially as he works away during the week. It got to the stage where I felt extremely low, desperate even, so he asked a friend of a friend to telephone me to offer some advice, and although it sounds a bit odd, it did actually work for me.

 

Sage is meant to be a cleansing herb and apparantly it was often dried and twisted into lengths and then lit so that it smouldered. When wafted around all the rooms in a house, it was meant to send away any bad spirits (for want of a better description). But the most important thing was to really, really will the bad spirit away, to concentrate really hard and to use all your energy and being to make it go away. I was in such a state when I did this that it did actually work for me.

 

Now I don't know what was real and what was in my mind. I just know that the smells were vile and I felt awful, but after I did the above, everything thankfully went back to normal. I don't remember too much about it now, even though it was only five years, but if you want any more info, maybe pm me?

[Paola]

It might be best to contact the local Spiritualist church. Am sure they would be happy to help. Do let us know how they get on

[Egluntyne]

Here is my family's ghost story.

 

When my mother was a small child she used to have an “imaginary” friend that she played with in an upstairs room in the big old house that they lived in on Wellington Road, Withington, Manchester.

 

This “friend” a girl aged about 9 only played in the bedroom in which my mother slept, and my mother called her "Ronnie" of all things. She said that the child had told her that was her name.

 

When my mother was about 10, there was great excitement as the people who had lived in my mothers house before her family, were visiting the next door neighbours. As they had not seen them for many years, it was a great occasion.

 

They asked if they could have a look round their old house and in particular, my mother’s bedroom.

 

Their daughter, Veronica, had died in that very room years before, having fallen out of a tree and sustaining unsurvivable head injuries. The family had brought her home to die.

 

The father produced a picture of Veronica, which he carried always.

 

 

………You’ve guessed it...... It was Ronnie!! And yes, she always known to the family as Ronnie.

 

My mother stopped being visited by Ronnie when she was about 12, but she often dreamt vividly about her.

 

I never found this tale frightening when I was a child, in fact it was strangely comforting.

 

My mother never forgot Veronica and mentioned her often.

[Karen & co.]

We had our house blessed a couple of years after moving in, because my son kept seeing a man dressed in a big coat with a beard (seen also by the central heating engineer, next door neighbour, all of our family, and various visitors )

 

It was never a scary sighting, more of 'why is he here?' thoughts!

 

Our local minister took it very seriously, and came with 2 other people who walked round the house and blessed each room.

 

Not sure still to this day it did any good as he is still seen frequently, but it made my son a lot happier to be in certain rooms by himself

 

Off to apply my rather fetching straight-jacket

 

karen x

[Egluntyne]

I reckon that there are many more dimensions to the Universe than we realise, and that children in particular, with their open minds, are more receptive to "crossovers" from these other dimensions.

 

Anyone read A traveller in Time by Alison Uttley? This captures the flavour of what I mean.

[chelsea]

Oooh, I like hearing people's different tales.

 

I definetly believe....what I believe in I dont know, but I believe !!!

[kazaddress]

What an interesting thread.

 

I hope the situation is resolved. My step father was a "ghost" hunter in his spare time. and spent ages recording them etc.

 

I must admit i never really took much notice untill I had a shock at work one day.

 

lets just say my mind was changed!

[fourfinches]

revnev wrote

I'm sure Morag will be along with some more advice, shortly!

 

I haven't got much too add - I agree with Phil!

 

In the CofE usually the local vicar would be happy to meet the family and do a house blessing. If your friend wants to find the local parish church this can be done by entering the postcode of the house on this site http://www.achurchnearyou.com/

 

If there were still concerns then the diocese usually has advisors on "healing and deliverance". The diocese of Birmingham can be contacted on 0121 426 0400 http://www.birmingham.anglican.org

 

Hope this might be of some help. I just hope it can be sorted soon for your friend's daughter.

[Cinnamon]

We have had odd experiences in our house too,where the previous owner died many,many years ago.

 

We once had our neighbour ask us if we had been doing any renovations late at night as they had heard banging.

We had not,but it turned out to be from the corner of old Teds bedroom (where he died),& on his anniversary

 

That said,this is a home with a good vibe & I have never felt sad,despondant or threatened here.

 

I love hearing other peoples tales too,& hope the people in question can get their issues resolved soon & with minimum fuss.

[Louise]

My house is haunted it usually only becomes apparent when something is about to 'happen' in my life so it could be purely in my head but things flying across the room is pretty impressive

[Cinnamon]

Wow Louise,I would be impressed too

Unless they were flying across the room towards me,that is

[Popcorn]

Louise - you're in the wrong job. You could make a fortune!!

 

It's always good to hear tales of the unknown. I love it!

 

I've not had any experiences at all, but my Dad has had something similar to the Ronnie story. It is hard to dismiss something when you trust the person who has had the experience. I do think the mind is a really powerful thing though and can be responsible for many things, but who knows?

 

OOOOoooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooo

[Charlottechicken]

My house is haunted it usually only becomes apparent when something is about to 'happen' in my life so it could be purely in my head but things flying across the room is pretty impressive

 

 

Thanks for the link, Morag. It confirmed the local church is the one I thought it was, if you understand!

 

I have passed on the advice given, so will await any developments and let you know. My friend is a complete sceptic, and thinks it is all in the imagination, but her daughters Granddad also had an experience in the property so there could be something to it.

 

I had a look on some of those Godfrey Edition ordnance survey old map reprints to see if there was something on the site previously, but the house is Victorian and probably built on open fields, as was a lot of Birmingham at that time. It could be some sort of residue of an event in the house then The house does back onto a railway, so not sure if an event could have occurred there. I will see my friend tomorrow and find out all the details.

[Jools]

My mum was much more spiritually sensitive than me and regularly had visits from lost family members, usually to warn her about something. She was convinced that my experience was because they couldn't get through to her because she was so stressed at the time, that they had to try me instead. I have a real thing about smells and mum said it was probably the only way anyone could reach me. My sister suffered a nervous breakdown soon after and made a couple of semi-serious suicide attempts. I'll never know if that was the cause of my experience, or if it was an event in the past at the house, only that I didn't ever feel threatened by the house itself.

 

Whatever happens, good luck and please keep us posted.

[Paola]

We had our house blessed a couple of years after moving in, because my son kept seeing a man dressed in a big coat with a beard (seen also by the central heating engineer, next door neighbour, all of our family, and various visitors )

 

It was never a scary sighting, more of 'why is he here?' thoughts!

 

Our local minister took it very seriously, and came with 2 other people who walked round the house and blessed each room.

 

Not sure still to this day it did any good as he is still seen frequently, but it made my son a lot happier to be in certain rooms by himself

 

Off to apply my rather fetching straight-jacket

 

karen x

 

Wow Karen, have you seen him? Have you tried to look into the history of your house?

[Karen & co.]

Wow Karen, have you seen him? Have you tried to look into the history of your house?

 

Yes Paola, lots of times, he walks up the side of the house towards the garage and back door, we are having an extention starting in January, and wonder if that will make any difference?

 

The house was built in 1910ish, and named after a wood the plot of land to build on was part of. the family of the local land owners had it built for one of them to live in. It's facinating to look back and find out all about previous inhabitants

 

karen x

[Martin B]

What does he look like? White? Outline? Transparent?

[Karen & co.]

Like a normal man in a dark coat, hat and full face beard, he just fades away before getting to the back door.

 

karen x

[Martin B]

[Karen & co.]

I promise he's not frightening Martin

 

karen x

[Martin B]

Doesn't he shock you at times or do you feel worried?