The Strange Visitor....

[NightGoat]

Last week, I am out in the yard when a van pulls up to the curb. A young man gets out an introduces himself as a former resident of our house, ten years prior, a roommate to the previous owner.

We have lived her about that long. Without skipping a beat, he asks "Have you ever seen anything strange in that house?" I ask, "As in ghosts?" He gets a little hysterical and proclaims flat out that our house is haunted.

I informed him that in ten years, we have never had a hint of anything paranormal occur in this house. He deflated, thanked me for my time then slinked off back to the van and left without even mentioning what he claims to have seen.

He seemed a bit "disappointed," almost as if he wanted me to exclaim "Things are amiss up in there!"

Last night, as I'm returning home I happen to see my octogenarian neighbor in his yard and decided to go over and ask about the history of our house.

Since he's lived in his house since the fifties. He informs me that our house has passed through many owners over the decades, we have been the longest residents living their that he knows of, the place was built in 1920.

He also informs me that there have been rumors about the place as far back as he could remember. Odd, I thought.

This left me wondering, not whether or not our house is haunted; but if it is, why hasn't my wife nor I seen anything whatsoever to indicate it as such?

The one thing that I can think of that is different for us living here opposed to previous owners with their sightings and rumors... when we bought the place, the inspector found radon in the basement and forced the seller to install a radon removal system before we could buy it.

.

Hhhmm?

It raises the question for me, does radon produce hallucinations in humans, or possibly give ghosts the juice to manifest themselves?

[Eldorado]

Maybe you are the first residents that the ghosts actually like. (Just a thought)

[Ever Learning]

very interesting. just googled the radon ghost thing and others have had the same idea.

Radon and Paranormal Activity

Some paranormal investigators believe that in order to manifest, spirits must accumulate something from the physical world that they can then manipulate into a visible form. The idea that ghosts and non-human spirits must draw something from this world in order to act in it is not a new concept.

In magical traditions, for example, substances that emit heavy smoke are burned during manifestation rites. Dittany of Crete is mentioned in a number of recipes for incense designed to help spirits manifest (Huson). This relative of our common kitchen oregano gives off a thicker smoke than most plant material. Magical books of spirit evocation such as the Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage (Mathers), and the Keys of Solomon (the Greater as well as the Lesser, or the Lemegeton [both Mathers]) contain recipes that include resins like myrrh, galbanum, and storax, all of which produce thick heavy smoke.

Many paranormal investigators believe that spirits may be able to draw electromagnetic and thermal energy out of the environment, or even people, to manifest or otherwise interact with the physical world. Siphoning energy may seem very different than using a "physical" substance such as smoke, but remember that energy and matter are essentially the same thing (Einstein's E=mc²). The incenses mentioned above all have to be burned in loose form on glowing charcoal to produce the amount of smoke needed for a manifestation. So, if they ever worked as expected, perhaps it was the thermal emissions of the charcoal which helped the spirits to take shape, rather than the incense itself.

http://paraquake.com/id12.html for more

[DKO]

What sort of rumours were said about the house? And what sighting were there?

[Crabby Kitten]

It's weird that some complete stranger appears out of the blue like that, claims to be a former resident and asks ?? questions. He then buzzed off since you didn't get what he was hoping for.

Well I'm certain the house experienced things with different people, as houses do but...

I would've been more wary of the van driver than the house.

[NightGoat]

Finally spoke again with my neighbor, he states that the only "ghost story" he is aware of is about a man who passed away in the house around the late 60s. On occasions, people claimed to see him standing on his porch after his passing, like he did in life waiting for his ride to work in the morning. No one had seen him (alleged apparition) in years though. Probably because anyone who knew of him or the legend had moved or passed on themselves

My neighbor says he never saw the man (or alleged apparition) himself. Supposedly, others while living here, have reported unexplained noises, whispers and music from no known origin. At times when the house was vacant, lights would turn off and on. Just your run-of-the-mill stuff.

He reassured me, he doesn't believe in "all that s**t" and that I shouldn't be afraid.

Good enough for me.

[NightGoat]

very interesting. just googled the radon ghost thing and others have had the same idea.

Radon and Paranormal Activity

Some paranormal investigators believe that in order to manifest, spirits must accumulate something from the physical world that they can then manipulate into a visible form. The idea that ghosts and non-human spirits must draw something from this world in order to act in it is not a new concept.

In magical traditions, for example, substances that emit heavy smoke are burned during manifestation rites. Dittany of Crete is mentioned in a number of recipes for incense designed to help spirits manifest (Huson). This relative of our common kitchen oregano gives off a thicker smoke than most plant material. Magical books of spirit evocation such as the Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage (Mathers), and the Keys of Solomon (the Greater as well as the Lesser, or the Lemegeton [both Mathers]) contain recipes that include resins like myrrh, galbanum, and storax, all of which produce thick heavy smoke.

Many paranormal investigators believe that spirits may be able to draw electromagnetic and thermal energy out of the environment, or even people, to manifest or otherwise interact with the physical world. Siphoning energy may seem very different than using a "physical" substance such as smoke, but remember that energy and matter are essentially the same thing (Einstein's E=mc²). The incenses mentioned above all have to be burned in loose form on glowing charcoal to produce the amount of smoke needed for a manifestation. So, if they ever worked as expected, perhaps it was the thermal emissions of the charcoal which helped the spirits to take shape, rather than the incense itself.

http://paraquake.com/id12.html for more

Interesting read, thank you.

Edited August 6, 2013 by NightGoat

[Hawken]

Do you have any pets ? If so do they sometimes act strange? One night my dog was barking at the threshold

of my bedroom as if he was barking at someone. Not saying I have any ghost but I found it odd.

[scowl]

Do you have any pets ? If so do they sometimes act strange? One night my dog was barking at the threshold

of my bedroom as if he was barking at someone. Not saying I have any ghost but I found it odd.

Sounds like normal canine behavior to me.

[Skep B]

It should be pointed out, Radon can cause hallucinations

[Hawken]

Sounds like normal canine behavior to me.

Cesar Millian eat yer heart out.

[DKO]

It should be pointed out, Radon can cause hallucinations

Where did you find that info? I could only find radon causing lung cancer. There were some cases of radon mixed with other gases like CO2 causing hallucinations but that was most likely just the CO2.

[Skep B]

I meant mixed, just assumed that if a house has radon there's other things going on in the house.

and its not like carbon dioxide or monoxide is all that rare.

[skydivingstars]

It's possible that the previous guy who had lived there was just trying to get a rise out of you, as lame as it sounds.