When you start noticing strange things happening in your home, you may find yourself either dismissing the occurrences or jumping to the conclusion that ghosts are to blame for your problems. If you're beginning to believe that your house is haunted, check for these common signs of paranormal activity. You may be surprised which signs are associated with ghosts—and which just mean you need a new furnace.
1. Sudden chills
Your furnace is working just fine, but you experience a sudden chill. You may be in the presence of a ghost. It’s a common theory that ghosts pull energy from the surrounding air, creating a cold spot. A scientist might scoff, but those who’ve experienced this strange chill claim there’s no rational explanation.
Related: 5 Haunted House Books That Will Make You Think Twice About Moving
2. Strange behavior in your pets
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Photo Credit: greg / Flickr
Animals may be more able to see ghosts than we are. Does the cat puff up in alarm for no reason? Is the dog barking at empty air? You may be sharing your home with a ghost. If you suspect a spectre, but can’t see it, keep an eye on your pets
3. That strange feeling you're being watched
We can usually tell when someone is watching us. It’s a strange kind of sixth sense, and we don’t find it supernatural… unless we feel it when no one’s there. You spin around, but you’re staring at empty space. Or are you? Your sixth sense may be better than you think, and your house may be haunted.
4. Doors opening and closing on their own
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Photo Credit: Cristian Menghi / Flickr
It’s the signature sign of ghosts in movies. A door opens on its own or, better, slams shut with a bang. But it may also be a sign of real ghosts. Interestingly, the owners of real haunted houses, as opposed to the movie kind, rarely report seeing the doors move. But they do hear the creak or the slam, or they return to a room and find the door isn’t how they left it.
Related: House of Horrors: 15 People Share Their True Haunted House Ghost Stories
5. Unexplained physical manifestations
You wash the window, and the next day there’s a very distinct hand print on the glass. Maybe it doesn’t match the size of anyone in your house. You may have a ghost making itself known. Do you see shadows moving from the corner of your eye? That’s another common sign you may have company.
6. Strange images in photos
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Photo Credit: Simon Davison / Flickr
Is that just a smudge? A light flare? A scratch on the lens? You check the lens. No smudge no scratch. No strange sources of light. You may have a ghost trying to tell you it’s there.
Related: 10 Insanely Creepy Ghost Photos That Defy Explanation
7. Unexplained noises
Bangs, footsteps, scratching, even voices. The noises of the paranormal aren’t always soft and subtle. Sometimes they are loud enough to set your heart banging. Some of the most interesting reports from haunted houses have music or voices coming from empty rooms, loud but not quite intelligible.
8. Items disappearing and reappearing
It’s called the DOPler effect. Physicists have another definition for the term (Google it). But for denizens of haunted houses, DOP stands for Disappeared Object Phenomena. You looked everywhere for the scissors, and there they are right in front of you on the desk. You definitely looked there. Who put your shoes under the couch? Could be your invisible housemates saying hello.
Featured photo: Holly Lay / Flickr (CC); Additional photos: greg / Flickr (CC); Cristian Menghi / Flickr (CC); Simon Davison / Flickr (CC)
