Tuesday, March 24, 2009

My house is haunted

Yes, I say this somewhat facetiously, but I wonder - is there such thing as ghosts? The other day I spent the night at David's sister Grace and brother-in-law Prasad's house in Redmond. I was sitting at the table talking to Prasad, when he asked me an interesting question:

"Are you more afraid of the supernatural, or the real?"

"I'm much more afraid of a man breaking into my house with a gun than a ghost lingering in my room."

This isn't to say that I am not afraid of the idea of a ghost, and sometimes I believe my house is haunted. This usually happens when David is out of town, so I'm sure it's my imagination running wild.

Last night, I woke up suddenly from a dream. In my dream, some voice was whispering, you have to wake up now, you need to wake up now. I groggily opened both eyes and stared into the blackness of my room. I thought I heard movement on the carpet, and I froze in bed, not moving a muscle. I was sure it was kitty, until I sat straight up and felt a furry bundle on the bed, fast asleep. I couldn't shake the sensation that someone had been moving around near me, and I stared hard and fast at all the dark parts of my room, until I felt comfortable enough to drift back asleep.

Another instance I was sleeping in the downstairs bedroom - David was snoring up a storm - when I felt like there were several ghosts in my room. I felt the distinct sensation that it was several Native American men, standing in a circle and talking. I wasn't necessarily afraid of these men, I felt a kind and peaceful presence. But yes, I was freaked out. Again I froze in a very groggy state, listening, sensing. Eventually I got up the courage to run upstairs as fast as possible.

Other times I'll be in the living room, and I feel prepared to see the ghost of a little girl. I felt she'd been in the secret room for some strange reason, and I always picture her wearing a puffy white dress with a long bow. I've had these sensations when I'm wide awake. I know the original foundation is very old, decades old, so I can't rule out the possibility that someone died there.

Are these instances just my imagination running away with me? Too many scary movies? Too many thoughts about ghosts? The rational part of my brain says yes, of course that's what it is. It's your mind playing tricks on you; this always happens when you are in a dream-like state and when you're freaked out cause David is out of town. But the other half of my brain wonders - what if this is for real? What if I could sense, not see, dead people?

7 comments:

Lisa said...

I don't know whether "ghosts" as we have seen them in the movies exist. But I do believe souls have "echoes", which may be stronger in some people than others. Maybe you are peaceful enough in slumber to hear or see the "echoes".

When I bought my house, one of the first nights there, I was startled to see a little white dog in my bedroom.

Was it an echo of the future? I now have a little white dog who sleeps in my bedroom!

andrea said...

Omigosh, don't do that! That picture freaked me out! Now I'll actually read the post.

Dan-Eric Slocum said...

I'll tell you a funny story Kristin. I was watching Poltergeist in the middle of the afternoon about 10-years ago. In fact, it was just on in the background and I had to turn it off because I got so scared.

I KNOW! Poltergeist. The movie!

Easily frightened when home alone.

dog grrrrl said...

I scare very easily but I'm not easily "spooked" probably because I don't believe. However I had a roommate who did. She left the house late one night and came rushing back in to say "something" was in the bushes by her car. I went out with a flashlight to look at her urging. I stuck my head in the bush and start shaking like something "got" me.She ran back in the house and slammed the door, some help she'd be huh? Best laugh I had all year:)

Contact Travis said...

I do believe each living being has a soul. I'm not really sure where that soul goes after our physical bodies die...so perhaps there is some kind of spiritual world.

that said, I don't believe in ghosts and I don't believe in haunted houses. Our mind is so much more powerful than we can ever understand and I think more often than not what ppl think is a spirit is their imagination, a dream, or some part of their mind.

I am much more scared of things like disease, heartbreak, and loss than I am of ghosts.

danielskiffington said...

Toss my vote into the same category as Travis. I don't believe in ghosts.

Paula said...

I do believe in "ghosts", even as a religious person. I have not seen one since I was 2, however (can you believe, I remember it?) Seriously, this might make me want to move. There is a reason that is happening, and if it did not happen in Queen Anne, when you were alone, there is a reason it is happening there. Maybe there is history to the house, or maybe as you know Native Americans died in untoward circumstances there on Bainbridge. I live alone now, and have not seen any ghosts here nor felt frightened in the least. This tells me there are none here. I think when the vibe is peaceful, in terms of the history of a place and in terms of how you feel there, these things do not happen. It's probably harmless, but it would freak me out if I were in your shoes, and I don't think I'd like to experience that. I watched scary movies as a child, and had occasional nightmares related to it. But it did not conjure up ghosts. (Just weird things like "the crawling hand" dreams!!!!!)