A 1st Person, True, Ghost Story Thread

[eridu43]

Greetings everyone,
As I write this, Halloween is in the air. Tales of hauntings and ghost stories are being told with abandon. Some of the stories are true. Some are fiction. Some are just meant to give goosebumps. I'm only interested in the true ones.

I would love this thread to be a place where we can tell our personal ghost stories, not just for Halloween, but throughout the year. You will rarely find a more open-minded and supportive group than we have here at the Project Avalon Forum. So please consider sharing your experiences.

Three simple, informal rules before for posting your ghostly encounter:

1. First Person Stories Only -- it had to happen to you. (Not something told to you by a relative, or a second-hand tale from a neighbor or co-worker.

2. Clear-headed, Waking Experiences Only -- if you were drinking at the time or under some other medicinal or recreational fog, this isn't the right place for your story. The dead sometimes make themselves known to us in dreams, but let's limit this thread to events that happened while we were fully awake.

3. True Stories Only -- no embellishments or outright lies please. We get enough of that sort of thing elsewhere in the world.

I'll start things off with an incident that happened to me in the early part of 1995.
I've heard of people seeing ghosts, or hearing and feeling ghosts, but I've never heard of anyone else hugging a ghost. This is a ghost hugging story.
I was, as per the thread ground rules, fully sober, wide-awake, and this really happened.
We'd rented the third floor of a Victorian Brownstone in Oak Park, Illinois -- near Chicago. We were about a block away from the Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District. One of the rooms over-looking Ontario Street was our toddler-free, home office.
It was around three in the morning. Ellen and the boys were fast asleep. I was in our office working on a cover design for what would become my first novel, Glamour Job. The office was being lit by a halogen floor lamp. When I realized what time it was, I shut down the computer, and turned off the bright lamp. Now, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to sudden darkness and I carefully felt my way over to the baby-gate that separated the office from the rest of the apartment. As I stepped over the gate and as my foot touched the floor of the hallway in total darkness, I heard an unfamiliar woman's voice say in my left ear, "Hi!"
Instant panic mode. I bolted down the dark hallway and locked the bathroom door shut thinking that would somehow protect me from what could only be a ghost who had shown up in our apartment! No sooner had I locked the door, I became angry at myself for that reaction. Dang it! Here a ghost merely said hello to me and I ran away like a character in a Casper The Friendly Ghost cartoon. What a missed opportunity! I was mentally beating myself up as I walked to our bedroom. I looked for any sign of the ghost. Nothing.
I got into bed next to my sleeping wife, Ellen, when I realized I had another reason to be mad at myself. I'd just been in the bathroom and I hadn't take care of business while I was in there. I grumbled to myself, got back out of bed and walked toward the bedroom door to revisit the bathroom. Then I saw her. There was a young woman standing in the hall. She was back!
She had blonde hair in a 1960's flip cut. She was wearing a blue flannel shirt, worn blue jeans and had bare feet. She looked to be in her early twenties, and was pretty without any trace of make-up.
I gathered my thoughts. I'd been given a second chance, and I didn't want to blow this again. I asked quietly, "What's your name?"
She answered, but this time I couldn't hear her. Her lips looked like she'd said, "Debbie." It was as though she'd put all her strength into making herself visible to me and didn't have enough left over to be heard. I even wondered if it was an "either-or" situation -- where you had to choose between being seen or being heard. My mind raced for a way to tell her I was sorry that I'd run away, and that I was glad to have the chance to meet her. I needed a way to communicate with her non-verbally that I wasn't afraid of her. That's was when I thought of author and motivational speaker, Leo Buscaglia.
Leo Buscaglia was known as "Dr. Love" and often appeared on Public Television. He was a bearded, bear of a man who I'd seen on TV a few times telling audiences, "Come on people, HUG each other!"
That was my answer to perfect, non-verbal communication -- a simple non-sexual hug! Now while she was pretty, I swear there wasn't an ounce of lust in my heart when I thought of hugging her. I was only thinking of a simple Leo Buscaglia hug. I put my arms out in a non-threatening way, thinking I'd go through the motions of the hug. It would be a gesture only, I certainly didn't think I would feel anything. If anything, I thought it would feel like hugging air or hugging a cloud. I was wrong...
As my arms came around her and my fingers touched the sleeves of her shirt, I felt the texture of flannel. She didn't feel cold like a corpse. She felt warm like a living person! She gently hugged back.
This did not compute. Ghosts shouldn't feel that way. Warning sign!
This is not a ghost, I thought. The only other explanation was that, "Some strange woman HAS BROKEN INTO OUR APARTMENT!! Danger! Danger Will Robinson!
I stepped back from our embrace, once again in full fear and panic mode!
That's when she gave me a sad look and slowly disappeared. Gone into thin air, in the time it takes to count to five. Turns out she was a ghost after all, and that was the last time I ever saw her.
I woke Ellen up and told her what had just happened. As she sat up in bed, she seemed unfazed by my story. She believed me, and didn't seem to have a shred of jealousy over my hugging a pretty ghost only a few feet from where we slept. Ellen merely shrugged and offered, "Maybe she just needed a hug." Then Ellen went back to sleep.

To those of you who think I'm spinning a yarn here, I say, "This really happened to me." It may be hard to believe for some of you but it is true nonetheless.
I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't under the influence and my wife, (who is a psychotherapist), assures me that I'm not crazy. I'd be willing to take a lie detector test or to swear on whatever book you find most holy, that I hugged a ghost. Pretty weird, huh?

So that's one of my personal ghost stories. I'd love to hear yours.

Best,
Doug

[Lord Sidious]

I was working in an officers mess in an army barracks at one stage.
Been a naughty boy, so I was assigned to run it.
Anyways, I was in the building alone, doing some small tasks, when I heard the front door open and someone run up the stairs and along the corridor on the first floor, where all the accommodation was.
Then, I heard a door slam and a radio come on. I knew this routine, it was a major posted there from the SASR.
I wanted to talk to him about some stuff, as he was a very interesting man.
A Sgt in Vietnam, he had been field commissioned and he had a lot of stories.
Anyways, I went up to his room and it was quiet, no radio.
I knocked on the door, no answer.
I heard a noise in a vacant room about three or four doors up the corridor, so I went for a bo peep.
I walked into that room, to find it was empty, but I could hear the sound of someone opening the draws and shutting them again in the desk.
Then, the noise stopped and footsteps started, coming straight toward me.
They stopped before they got to me and I thought it all very weird.
The Sgt running the Sgts mess came up later so I told him about it and he laughed at me.
A while later, sometime in the next month, he came back and told me that he had experienced it too.
A Captain told me he had heard it in the early hours of the morning one night, when he was meant to be the only guy there.
He got up to investigate and saw nothing, however he heard the footsteps coming towards him, something cold hit him in the chest, went through him and passed out his back.
The footsteps continued down the hallway and down the stairs at the end.
He told me that a naval officer (bloody navy, figures) had been drunk during a party in the mess and jumped from the balcony running along the back of the accommodation units, into the pool, but hit his head and drowned.
I only heard the sounds that one time.
I never saw a thing, though.

[Corncrake]

Thanks both of you for posting those stories. I love real ghost stories and have heard some beauties but unfortunately I have never experienced anything myself. I have felt uncomfortable in certain places and have had chills run down my back but do not know if this was due to my imagination or something else. I live in hope!

[Cidersomerset]

Now this is spooky I don't really go for ghost stories, no particular reason. earlier on about 8.50pm I put the tele on to watch 'Have I got news for you' and pressed Channel 12

by mistake and it was a channel called' yesterday',normally I would have just turned over but what caught my eye was an old pub. The programme title underneath said British

ghost stories , I hesitated to turn over and the screen showed a pint of beer falling off the table so I listened to it and it turned out to be cctv footage and the witnesses and

landlord swore it was genuine.....In the programme the segment is quite long, but I cannot find the link....but UTube has another interview as this incident is quite well

known apparently....I think non-physical wanted me to post this for some reason.LOL as the last time I saw a ghost vid is when someone posted the Hampton Court ghost last year.

Now just before I go to bed I see this thread ..LOL..Spooky....Steve

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Sorry Eridu I'm so freaked out I just read the rules......

But I claim this as first hand because I would not normally have watched this ,so I think someone is guiding me to the story.....'Good night'

[Unified Serenity]

I grew up with a ghost and shared a couple of the tales of "Jonathans" antics. Jonathan came with the antique bedroom set my mother bought from a neighbor for very little money. It was made in the 1800's and mom asked the guy why he wanted to sell and and why so cheap, and when he told her it was haunted she gladly bought it.

Jonathan liked to open the bathroom door which was locked usually. It was a bathroom that went to both the master bedroom where the bed was and the hallway. It was a bit unnerving to be sitting on the throne and see the door unlock and open. I would tell Jonathan I was busy and could he please leave, and the door would shut and lock back. Jonathan would open cuppard doors, move spoons in cups, and walk up and down the hallway. One night he spoke through my father who did not want to lay down because his side of the bed was warm when the sheets should have been cool. No one had been on the bed. Jonathan told us he died from grief after his wife had died, that he owned slaves, and one night the bed caught on fire from a bed warmer that tipped over and the coals caused a fire which when we examined the bed we could see scorch marks on the lower left corner at the foot of the bed.

One night Jonathan alerted my foster sister and me of an intruder when he turned on the back porch light and we saw his face in the sliding glass door as he was trying to jimmy the door. Dad got up very fast and the intruder was busy jumping chain linked fences to get away.

We lost Jonathan when we went to Saudi Arabia and didn't take the bed with us. All in all it was a positive experience and I wish we still had the bedroom set.

[NeverMind]

Interesting! The steps in the barracks story is somewhat similar to what happened to me... only I was asleep at the time, and too little to remember, anyway, so I suppose I don't qualify for a post here. :-)

Oh, what the heck.... Here goes anyway. :biggrin1:

My mother - absolutely NOT a person to invent silly stories - told me this.

My grandfather died when I was two years old, so I only have a single memory of him.
But I am told that, whenever we were residing in the same house (our family and my grandparents, that is), he came without fail to my bedroom at night, to see me while I was being tucked in by my mum.

One night, while he was at a hospital, having suffered a stroke, my mother was tucking me in at the usual hour, when she heard the door open behind her back.
She turned around, but there was nobody, and the door remained closed. Then she heard six steps approaching the bed - it always took my grandfather six steps to reach my bed - and then there was a silence. After a few seconds, she heard the steps again, returning towards the door.

Yep, you guessed it. :)
They soon found out he had died.
At the time that my mum was tucking me in.

Make of it what you will.

[NeverMind]

I love real ghost stories and have heard some beauties but unfortunately I have never experienced anything myself.

You know, this is only speculation, of course, but there may be very specific reasons - that we know nothing of - for such phenomena to be observed by certain people but not by others.

I never liked the term "ghosts" because, I feel, it somehow seems to reduce such phenomena to a single "type", when in reality they may be extremely different in nature.
In cases such as the barracks incident, or my own (my mother's, actually), it appears that the person simply did not acknowledge the limitations of "death", if you will. :)
He simply did what he was used to do, or felt very much like doing, and no death was going to stand in his way.

But other cases, such as the famous case of the Roman soldiers in York for example, appear to be something completely different. Not so much entities as residual images, or sounds, or both, of events that SEEM past.
(It was Lethbridge, wasn't it, who coined the term "natural tape" or something like that?)

Anyway, as I was saying, some people seem to have a natural predisposition to trigger such phenomena.
My mother, I suspect, would be such a person.
The event described above was not the first or the last such event to happen when she was around the house, which leads me to believe that she was somehow an "attractor" for the energies driving such events.
Yet she never dwelt on such things, or even thought about them, let alone invent stories (unlike a sibling of hers, my aunt R., who very much liked to "embellish", yet never experienced anything remotely para-normal. :))
My mother never talked about such things, an she only told me the story above - reluctantly - when I was around 15.
(She never told her siblings, which is very interesting.)

In other words, it may be that you never experience anything like this, but if so, there's probably a good reason behind it, even though we know very little about the laws of this type of physics for the moment being.

Then again, there may be phenomena that don't need any sort of living "input", so there's hope for you yet! :-)

[Nyce555]

Growing up, I lived in an older duplex house and our neighbors on the other side were very close to my family. They used to babysit my cousin's two small children (boy and girl) both under the age of five. The children often played in the attic in their home. My bedroom was on the other side of the wall as it was also the attic made into a bedroom.

When I was in college, both children were killed in a fire at their grandmother's home (my great aunt). The family was devastated, but maintaining. A few weeks later, I was in my bedroom in the attic doing my homework. I was alone in my house and my neighbors were not at home either. I kept hearing voices and movement coming from the attic next door. So I got up and put my ear against the wall and I heard the laughter and voices of my two little cousins just as if they were alive playing in that room like they always did. I was startled, but not afraid as I knew they were happy and enjoying themselves and visiting a place that they were very familiar with. It was very comforting to know that even though they were not here in the physical form, they were still there in spirit and happy as can be.

[eridu43]

NeverMind,
I've had similar theories about that myself. Some people are more open to having paranormal experiences and have them. Others would not like to have paranormal encounters and they don't. It is kind of like the "you create your own reality" idea.
For instance, I've led a number of paranormal investigations in haunted places. I've had full blown skeptics taking pictures at the same time as folks who believe in the afterlife. Nine times out of ten the skeptics don't capture orbs or any other ghostly manifestations, while the believers catch a bunch. The small number of skeptics who do catch something weird on film, told me later that the really hoped they might finally see something that would challenge their mindset. My point here is that one's openness to the experience seems to shape the outcome.

I'd like to give a frame of reference to those of you who are new to all of this.
There are roughly four main types of hauntings. Here we go. Welcome to Ghosts 101.

1st. An Object Haunt is where a spirit travels with a prized possession. You might not have any ghost activity until you pick up an antique chest of drawers at a yard sale, and then suddenly there's an old lady in your rocking chair. Estate Jewelry and personal effects are common examples. Unified Serenity, Jonathan might fit in this category, (although he probably is in the 4th category as well.)

2nd. A Residual Haunt aka a Cinematic Haunt, is a repeating action, like doors opening and closing at the same time every night. These events occur whether or not you're in the room and you cannot interact with the source of the event. It is like you are watching a film loop that plays over and over at regular intervals. There is no active intelligence behind the goings-on. Lord Sidious, the mess hall footsteps sounds like maybe a Residual Haunt.

3rd. Poltergeist Activity, where things seem to move by themselves across a room, is usually caused unwittingly by psychokinesis from an adolescent young woman in the house. Theories usually hint at a potential excess of energy during early puberty as the cause. Although in some cases you actually have an intelligent, mischievous spirit behind it. I've run across a few of those myself. Which leads us to the last category...

4th. An Intelligent Haunt. This is the Holy Grail of Ghost Research. Here you have an active intelligence with which you can interact. This is where you can ask questions and get real answers -- like those caught on tape during EVP sessions, (Electronic Voice Phenomenon.) These spirits are also the best candidates to be "sent to the light."

In understanding spirits of the dead, energy is the key. Einstein and others have postulated that all matter is another form of energy. We even have energy systems in the body that flow along meridians -- used by acupuncturist and energy medicine workers.
Doesn't it make sense that if we are energy, that some form of our energy could hang around when we die.

[eridu43]

Sorry Eridu I'm so freaked out I just read the rules......
But I claim this as first hand because I would not normally have watched this ,so I think someone is guiding me to the story.....'Good night'

No worries, Cidersomerset. The rules are informal. I'm not the "rules ogre" -- I'm glad you & others have shared their experiences.

Best,
Doug

[Axman]

My wife and I and a ghost when we where first married.We lived in a house that was split in to a apartment upper level was one and the lower level was the other we where in the lower. It started at night I had a heavy bag in the basement That I used for working out a 80 pound bag,it would start to swing at night I would go downstairs and there was nothing there.That when on for months and a lot of little things like water dripping on your head from now where.Well the wife and I went out with friends one night let me explain that at this time in our lives we where just married and had two babies and no money. The next morning my wife tells me her dream she always as told me her dreams and still does she said this was weird that someone keep trying to come in our bedroom.Well my wallet was gone could not find it anywhere now we never put the dream and this together at this time.It was gone for a 1 week . I was going the next day to get all of my identification replaced the next day.The wife comes out and says to me why was it that you did not tell me you found your wallet I said really where was it she says come on you know it was in your pants that you had on yesterday I said no it was not.After that it took my clothing and I found it in my basement all rotted a month later.You would hear it walking back and forth upstairs when no one lived there. There was a whole lot more I just do not remember it was 28 years ago. when we moved it did not come with us thankfully. After that I was a believer.


The Axman

[Lord Sidious]

I would say that usually, there is no need to fear a spirit.
What you should do is assure them that everything is ok and try to help them to move on.
Move on to wherever they are meant to go.
Focus on the spirit whilst at the same time focusing on something/one that you love and send that feeling to the spirit.
If it doesn't move on, I doubt that it will ever harm you or play tricks on you.
My opinion/theory.

[jackovesk]

I would say that usually, there is no need to fear a spirit.
What you should do is assure them that everything is ok and try to help them to move on.
Move on to wherever they are meant to go.
Focus on the spirit whilst at the same time focusing on something/one that you love and send that feeling to the spirit.
If it doesn't move on, I doubt that it will ever harm you or play tricks on you.
My opinion/theory.

This Coast to Coast Show backs up your Theory Rob, and provides an interesting insight into the Spirit World...

Spirit Consultations

Date: 10-26-11
Host: George Noory
Guests: Mark Anthony


Mark Anthony, the "Psychic Lawyer," a medium who specializes in communication with spirits, made his debut on the show. He sometimes uses his psychic skills on his cases as a criminal defense attorney, and some of his legal clients have sought him out for his psychic edge, he noted. Interestingly, he's found that most of his clients who have addiction or impulse problems that have gotten them into trouble with the law, experienced the death of a loved one, and never fully dealt with the grieving process. This had led them to self-medicate or seek out adrenaline highs such as from shoplifting, he explained. The grieving process means accepting the reality of the death, and finding peace with it, he added.

In one of his cases as a medium, he gave a reading to a woman whose young son had been murdered by a sex offender. First, the boy's spirit came through, with a beautiful energy, but all of a sudden, the energy changed and darkened. The killer, who had been executed, came through asking for forgiveness. The boy then said, 'we must forgive him. Here, he isn't evil,' Anthony recounted. He believes there are different planes on the Other Side. For instance, a father who killed his children was in a lower realm than his kids-- they could visit him if they chose, but he couldn't ascend up to their location, he said.

Spirits are always surrounding the living-- at any time there could be as many as 50-60 spirits around us, and we are never alone, Anthony declared. He also talked about how world leaders have consulted with psychic advisors. One of the most influential was Jeane Dixon, who advised FDR, John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. "What's really uncanny is that in 1956, she had a premonition that JFK would be elected...and that he'd die in office," he reported.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPyGCcElykI


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRwj6jez0Po&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlH-r2KJreo&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[eridu43]

I would say that usually, there is no need to fear a spirit.

I fully agree. Like the living, ghosts have a need to be acknowledged. Quite often, spirits can be looking out for your best interests, as with Jonathon's intruder alert (mentioned above by Unified Serenity.)
Sometimes they'll even have your back in a fight. This is my story of how a ghost saved me from having my *ss kicked.
Back in 1974, when I was an undergraduate at Shippensberg State University, I spent a lot of time in the theater building -- acting and painting sets. I noticed, when the place was supposed to be empty that sometimes I'd hear someone call out my name, "Doug." After this happened three or so times I started asking whether the building was haunted. I was told the story that a student had died in the crawlspace under the stage. He'd accidentally broken a steam pipe when he'd been working under there and was killed by the steam. That's a horrible way to die.
There was a stairwell to the right of the stage that led down to the set and costume shops. It was always cold there, and plants placed in the sunny windows going down the stairs, always died. I started to have my lunches in that stairwell, in order to reach out to the ghost and befriend him.
After few weeks I noticed the plants were looking healthier and had new shoots and leaves.
It was during this time that the concert choir I was in, was getting ready for a big performance. We'd set up the collapsible risers in a semi-circle near the back wall of the stage. At the end of one of our rehearsals, one of the male members of the choir said menacingly, "We have to talk... Stick around until everyone else leaves."
I'm not a big fighter, and this red-faced guy wanted to beat me up because I'd been taking to some girl he liked. Raging testosterone was making him think I was a threat to his love life. He and I waited until everyone else had left the risers.
When the building seemed empty, I tried to tell him, he could have her. I wasn't really into her, etc. Which was true. I'd set my romantic aspirations on a totally different girl, but he didn't care. He wanted to fight me there and then.
As he slowly edged me up the riser, a thought popped into my head.
"You'll be okay. You're not alone here."
We stood at the top of the risers. I was on one riser unit and he was inches from me on an adjacent unit.
I said, as he was drawing back his arm to take a swing at me, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
He laughed, "What's that supposed to mean?"
I answered without having a fully formed plan, "I have friends?"
"Well, they're not here now to save you, are they? You're dead!"
No sooner had he said that, when the riser on which he was standing collapsed out from under him. He went flying into the concrete back wall of the stage.
As he stood up, disoriented and holding the back of his head, he looked up at me with growing fear.
I said, "I tried to warn you. Leave me the f*ck alone!"
He did. I never had a problem with that jerk again, and all because I took the time to acknowledge a ghost and treat him the way I would want to be treated if I were in his shoes. ;)
Best,
Doug

[eridu43]

I am adding to the post that my husband, Doug started. On this past November 2nd, the Day of the Dead was celebrated to honor those loved ones whom we miss. It was also the date of my 50th birthday celebration. I honor my beloved relatives by sharing this story about one of my ghostly encounters.
Though I have had the more traditional kind of encounter, I want to preface this story with a slightly different slant on the idea of what a ghost IS. I believe a ghost is just a soul without their physical form. At one time in my life I was doing Intuitive healing with Reiki, and giving readings for people to help them connect with their Spirit guide/s (this was six years before I got my got my Master's degree in Psychology/Counseling, and started a holistic psychotherapy practice).
At the time, we lived in Taos, NM... it was the summer of 1995. A woman called and asked, "Do you connect with passed over loved ones?" No – I said, though I never really know exactly what will come through, I could not promise that I could do that. However, I told her, I had 'seen' many times, my clients' relatives/friends, etc., whether alive or passed on, when doing energy work or readings in the past, and had many confirmations about specific information. I told her I always ask for the highest level of love, wisdom, and healing, and that was all I could guarantee. She said thanks, and we hung up. Later she called again, and said she was guided to connect with me anyway even though the outcome was unclear. So we met to do the reading. However, instead of seeing a guide come through the wall of mist in the usual way, this time it was a young man I saw before me. He had dark brown hair, a beautiful smile, and he told me (telepathically) that he was 14 years old. He seemed so animated, yet mature, and with some urgency to connect.
I began conveying what I was seeing, at which point the woman (my client), burst into tears. She said, "That's my son... that is who I wanted to speak with, yes he had a smile that would light up a room." I then began to be shown (like a video) the young man had been in a car accident, the car tumbles, he dies quickly. He wanted her to know he did not suffer, and that it happened so quickly. He could see her ongoing distress, and he wanted her to know so she would not continue to suffer. My client was so relieved to know that. Her son went on to give his take on several issues related to the dynamics of the family, his insight about the family, and his love for his mother.
He asked her to please help others who suffer from a loss, and to provide group grief counseling, so others can know they are not alone. After the session ended, the woman told me she was a therapist (which I had no way of knowing - she was just briefly vacationing in Taos), and that she would follow her son's request. She knew she had connected with her "passed over" son. And from the experience, she knew we are eternal, that life and love transcends death. Both souls were grateful to have connected – and it was a ghost 'sighting' that I am also grateful to have been able to facilitate. Blessings to all - may we remember that we are all forever souls.
Namaste, Ellen Farrell

Namaste, Ellen Farrell