Thursday, October 28, 2010

Boo-fest... For something very different, keep reading after the ghost count.

So sorry for being late. But I remembered just now that I promised Quinn I'd take part in the Boo-fest if my schedule opened up.

It did -spectacularly, I might add - so here I am.

BUT. As the heading says, something different is down there in the last half of the blog. So sceptics and people inclined to thing I might be slightly insane might want to stop around the eighth paragraph. You have been warned.

I don't think I've ever not believed in ghosts. In fact. I can't say that I've ever not believed in anything paranormal. Oh yes, this comes with lots of teasing - even from my father who is a full blown sceptic in all things generally considered dead. But if both your grandmothers have seen ghosts (my writing Gran has seen several including an interesting one I might tell you about.), your mother have seen ghosts and everyone (except your father) has independently been convinced even once (at the same time) that you're living in a haunted house, it seems a whole lot stupider not to believe them.

So... our count so far...

Full body apparitions: Three. (or four or five) My dad's mother once, twice by my gran the writer and two possibles by me. I say possibles because I saw them, went on with what I was doing and then double-took. Once I was half way between sleep and awake, but I'm pretty sure she was real since we were told the legend of the ghost residing in the residence after the dream. She wore what I saw in my dream and she died in the room beyond the room she entered by. Still. I've never been sure.

Shadows: multiple. Particularly noteworthy are a black spot moving around a sitting room of a friend's house when my mother was in high school. It moved randomly, occurred regularly and have been seen by several people at the same time at several occasions. Another one is a shadow man seen by my mother and my brother in the same room of a house we wanted to buy. Power of suggestion? They were both freaked out and told me this separately over the course of a week. The kicker was that I didn't tell either of them what the other said until he had left. They didn't want to tell each other 1) because he was afraid of being ridiculed and 2) because she didn't want to scare him. Final shadow of note is the one that always passed beneath my door with grunts and heavy breathing and the sounds of light switches... I always knew it was my grandfather... until my cousin and I (who were sharing the room at the time) saw it again - two years after he had passed away. It turns out that my cousin (who had taken my room after I moved out) saw it every night too, but never thought of it since it never occurred to her that shadows could also be ghosts. When we told our gran about this, she burst out laughing and told us that it is believed by the local Sotho population that the house is haunted by an old gentleman. So I assume my confusion was natural. This is also the only haunting that I experienced that didn't give me a single creepy feeling. If ever there has been a benign house ghost... that gentleman was it.

Poltergeists: Me and my mother at the same time, but I was a baby. This was in my other Grandmother's bedroom. She got hit with it very often until she had moved out. My one cousin sleeps on the floor quite often because he gets tired of being shoved out of bed by nothing.

Demons: One demon, seen by both my mother and grandmother. And... I'll get to this later. Maybe.

Omens: My mother was in hospital the night before the c-section delivery of her twins. She woke up when she felt a someone walking into the room. She saw a woman who had drawn the curtains of the window and was staring at the town's lights below (the hospital is built on a hill). My mother demanded what she was doing there, but the woman just nonchalantly looked at her over her shoulder and said: "Hah. And you think you're going to raise twins." My mother launched over to the light switch, but when the light was on, she was gone. Sadly, my mother gave birth to Siamese twins who died four days later. She was never even allowed to see them.

Angels: Many experiences, but as far as I have been told, I'm the only one that have seen them. One when I was little in a house I knew was haunted by something that scared the bejeebies out of me. Once again I was in a sleep like state, so I can't really confirm. The other, on the other hand, made its way across my living room in right in front of my eyes - quite leisurely I might add. No doubt there.

There's actually a long story behind this. But lets settle to say I'm a bit more in tuned with the realm people like to believe doesn't exist than is normal.

No dears. I'm quite serious and for all my insanity, I am not delirious. Also, I am not a medium, psychic or in by any stretch of the imagination satanistic. I'm am blessed with what is referred to in the Bible as the Gift of Discernment of Spirits. Basically, the sensitivity to thing that can't be seen. It's just one of a list of gifts. Other Christians can pray for people to be healed, can speak in tongues, can prophecy etc.

Me? I am aware of things that can most of the time not be described as a picnic by any stretch of the imagination. Which is why I went to the seminar I mentioned before. I needed to find someone who understands. Fortunately I did, but neither of us understands a lot of it, simply due to the fact that it seems to be quite rare - or else people rarely want to use it. I would not blame people for this. It does get a bit of a downer when you look at people and see someone in the clutches you would rather not have them be in. Still, there's little I can do except for praying. I mean. Imagine the conversation that would follow if I actually approached the person. Not pretty. 

But I digress. All this hit me earlier this year when it was pointed out to me by a real person that I did not know previously that I can be seen there, so my hiding from what I know is out there is pretty pointless. My hiding comes from something different altogether, but 1) I'm writing this at eleven at night and 2) I still prefer to not think of it. Which is why despite the earlier promise, I decided to rather not expand on it.

Anyway. Well... I decided to stop hiding and promptly got hit by something beyond your wildest imaginings. But, for fear of being too vague, here's an analogy what fits quite well. Imagine this, if you have not been exposed to anything of this nature. 1) You have placed yourself in a bullet proof room. 2) A huge bomb is set off right next to it. 3) The blast didn't get through to you, but you sure as hell felt it.

Not fun when the attack is relentless for about four hours. One of which was an economics lecture. And due to my sensitivity to it, I got treated to every freaking second of it. Finally I asked God to protect me, at which point I was told that I had been surrounded by angels - even though I had been protected before.

I still felt the attacks though, but I felt a lot more at peace about them. Still part of me wondered if I imagined what I heard. At which point I looked up and saw Mr. Angel sauntering past.

Still, things can get pretty creepy. For example, I also have someone haunting my dreams. And my general impression is that he isn't exactly a nice someone. Note. Someone. Not something.

I'd have your generically random dream. It would be vivid and raucous and would hardly ever make any sense.

And then - as if someone had cut the film running in my head - everything would stop and go very quiet. I would be in my room and he would be staring down on me watching me sleep. The thing about him that gets to me, though, is that he never actually does anything. He just stands at the corner of my bed and stares. I used to wake up almost instantly and freak out. But then I realized that a) he can't hurt me and/or b) he doesn't want to.

I'm pretty sure that option a) is the thing, but whether or not b) is actually a factor bothers me when I'm awake. Because if b) is true... why in the name of all that is holy does he hang around staring at me while I sleep? Why, if he doesn't seem to be a nice guy (and instinct says he's as strong as any of the culprits that hit my defenses every now and then) does he come back night after night just to look at me?

I mean... once is weird. Twice is a weird coincidence. Four times can be seen as recurring. But he's been coming by since March. If he doesn't make his presence known in some way or the other at least once a fortnight, part of me wonders where he is. And no. My subconscious wondering don't summon him. He comes and goes as he pleases. In fact, if I don't wake up when I see him, he'll stare, I'll stare, he'll stare some more and then he will just not be there. He doesn't vanish, he doesn't walk out. I'll just realize that he isn't there any more, turn around and go back to dreams per usual as if they hadn't been interrupted.

Thing is.. Last Friday, I think he did a walk by while I was showering. He didn't peek or anything. I just saw someone move past through the shower curtain, did a double take and followed his silhouette moving across it. Oh and... the window in my bathroom gets no light, so shadows aren't just coincidental. Curiously, I wasn't freaked out as much as ticked off. I mean... I was showering! Where is his sense of decorum?

Tss... but then it wouldn't fit with his not quite nice persona either.

Anyway... before I start to really freak you out by turning this into a novel, I'll stop now.

I'd love to hear from you all about this. Ever ran into ghosts? Sceptic? I don't mind, but I'd like to know why. I won't argue with you on this though.

Anyone else had someone walk into their dreams that you instinctively know is actually more human than the normal dream fodder? If so... How did you handle him/her?

If you have a ghost story to share, please do!

18 comments:

  1. I spent a time working on night shifts. I experienced footsteps coming along the corridor, and printers switching themselves on. But no manifestations at all. After a while I realized whatever it was wasn’t going to hurt me, and we learned to ‘live’ with each other (for want of a better word).

    I’m really interested in what you mean by “see someone in the clutches you would rather not have them be in.”
    The enigmatic, masked blogger

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  2. You already know from my post that I'm attacked in my dreams. I'm attacked out of dreams too, and I think he's attacking my youngest in her dreams. I find it strange how he's getting to us that way. I wish I knew why- but I could never confront him.

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  3. I've never experience anything like this and hope I never do. I'm glad you've found some peace with all of this at least! christy

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  4. Wow that's a lot of haunting. The guy over your bed is particularly creepy.

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  5. Hey blogger :-)
    I think weird things going off would freak me out completely. Luckily I've never experienced something like that. My gran has though. Someone played with the lights. But she decided then and there to sweep, because she didn't want to show fear. I guess the two of them made peace, since they lived together until she moved in with my family.

    As for clutches. People do things that they think will make them more powerful. But I see the puppetteers playing with them behind the scenes. I don't really know how else to put it without reeeeally freaking someone out.

    Yes, Summer, I've been drawing from my own exepreriences, but I don't know... Firstly, would you say that he is human(ish)? The guy I'm talking about just watches and I doubt he'll ever attack me.

    Yours, on the other hand, really gave me a bad feeling. I really don't like that he's going after children either.

    Have you ever discussed this with a reverend or pastor? I seriously recommend that you do. If you think that you current one will ridicule you, find another one that won't. Something really isn't right there and you need every bit of advice and/or help you can find.

    One other thing. Don't cower in your own home, but do not DO NOT try to confront him unless you have gotten some guidence from the above mentioned.

    Please let me know if you do take me up on my advice, and how it goes.

    Misha

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  6. Christy, I'm trying to, but it's really hard when half the people you usually talk to about hard stuff refuse to believe that such things exist.

    That's true Sondrae, but it's so ingrained in my family that a regular conversation between us at a strange haunted location goes like this:

    Me: Brrrr... anyone else feel weird?
    Gran: Yep.
    Brother: I'm feeling watched.
    Gran: I think the place is haunted.
    Me: Yep.
    Mom: (glances about. then:) I love the wallpaper.
    Me: Yes! I love this shade of blue...

    Unless, of course, something REALLY weird happens.

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  7. WOW, so much haunting! That's all pretty intense.

    You're gift... well I'm sure it can be awful but it's also really neat. You have it for a reason.

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  8. Misha, I am truly worried about you now. I have always been able to see them and feel them. So I guess your quote from the Bible covers me too since I am a born-again Christian. Have you rebuked them and told them to get lost in the name of the Lord? E-mail me...gillael@aol.com
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, fantasy author

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  9. Wow, this is all very intense! I think I would be a basket case if I experienced half of that. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us!

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  10. Love your stories. I have a sweet cat, a shadow that moves through my apartment. I noticed it when I first moved in more than a year ago. She's sweet and sleeps on the bed.

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  11. I'm so glad you could participate, Misha! It was really interesting to read about your experiences with all variety of paranormal activity and beings.

    I'm actually curious about some of the things you didn't elaborate on.

    I'm also curious about the shadow. You said that was the only time that didn't give you the creep factor. I've seen a shadow man before (I have the link to this story at the beginning of my Boo-Fest entry). Anyway, I just felt dread and evil coming from the shadow and I got the distinct impression that he was not (and never had been) human. He didn't do anyhting but watch as I walked down the hall, but I wouldn't say he was benign either.

    There haven't really been times when I've felt that someone in my dream was something more, but I have had my dreams manipulated and twisted by something or someone else.

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  12. So I had this great long comment and it got deleted! Grrr.

    Anyway, the point was that I believe in a lot of those same things because of experiences I've had. The shadow ones freak me out the most.

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  13. Melissa it is. Both counts. On the one hand it isn't always fun - say when I close my eyes to pray at an alter call. Nine times out of ten I get to watch the adversary lining up too. BUT. That also means that I get to help get rid of them. Which can be quite a perk when half the time I get to watch them watching me watching them. It's a step by step process. :-)

    Nancy it sure does cover you too. ;-) I would love to hear about your experiences, since as I said, people with our gift are pretty rare.

    Regina, who knows maybe you'd get so used to the abnormalty that you start to think its normal.
    ;-)Thanks for dropping by.

    Aw Jean that is actually so sweet. It's funny how people associate all ghosts with fear.

    Hmmm... Quinn... I think I'm going to e-mail you on this one.

    Shame LT I hate when my beautifully long comment gets deleted. I know what you mean about the shadow ones though. Most of them do seem to permeate the air with fear and despair.

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  14. I loved reading your Boo-Fest entry!

    I've never had a ghostly experience before . . . really, I haven't. But I suppose there's still ample time for some to occur.

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  15. There are certainly things out there we can not explain. I try to keep an open mind. I would be scared if I ever saw a ghost though.

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  16. No ghosts that I can recall, but sometimes I've sensed a presence. I feel there's a logical explanation for most things in life, and perhaps I'm not very observant at times and miss things like spirits and such. For that matter, sometimes I don't even notice real people.

    I am very fascinated by my dreams and try to heed whatever I encounter in them.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  17. Wow, you're a ghost magnet, one of those people really susceptible to supernatural experiences. I'm afraid I'm a sceptic, because nothing like this has ever happened to me, not even when I went looking for it (think entering supposed haunted places on a dare), plus I'm too much the rational scientist. But that's not to say that ghost stories don't creep me out!

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  18. Golden there is still a lot of time. ;-) I think the biggest thing is the fact that we tend to live in places where there were some bad battles and barbaric histories. I.e. plenty of violent deaths. My family and I love history, so we love living in old houses. If there's an extra not quite alive occupant, so be it. :-P

    Janete that's the funniest thing about them, though. You see one, and usually you realize after what you saw. So the OMG!!! moment comes a few hours late.

    Lee, I must say that for every thing we've seen, there were hundreds that we only felt. That's quite normal, I think. As for not being observant, it happened with the other full-body apperition I think I saw. We were walking around in an old street and there were a group of people walking. Me -with my compulsive people watching habit- casually cast a glance at everyone there. One guy was standing slightly aside and watching the group too. I went on with the people and then did a double take when I realized that something (except for the fact that he was wearing an old-fashioned suit) was off about him. When I looked back at where he was, he was gone. All this happened in less than ten seconds. So theoretically I should have been able to spot him moving around. Still, because I haven't been paying attention, I can't be sure... Sigh.

    J.C thanks for the honesty. :-) BTW. The thing with ghosts are that they don't generally stalk about a haunted house every night. So it's much more likely that you would find nothing. I went to one of the most haunted houses in the country - at night. And none of us (about forty students) saw anything. We did all get a creeped out feeling though. But like I said, most of the haunted places I've been too never show anything. Sad/weird but true.

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