What to Do About Ghosts

(See WHAT ARE GHOSTS? for clarification before reading this section.)

If you believe you are having a paranormal problem in your home, here are some steps you should take:

1. Don't jump to conclusions. Always look for everyday explanations for whatever is happening before deciding that you have ghost problems. Consider psychiatric and other health factors as well. (Hearing and seeing things can be a sign of schizophrenia or temporal-lobe epilepsy.) Banging sounds on the walls or in the heating system can have very mundane explanations!

One fascinating explanation for many phenomena are very low-frequency sound waves or "standing waves." Trapped in a building, these can cause many of the phenomena associated with ghosts. These waves are inaudible to humans but not to many animals. In humans, they can cause feelings of cold, nervousness, "hair standing up on the back of the neck," minor poltergeist activity and even your basic apparition.

2. Bear in mind that if what we've said about "quantum reality" is true, every person and every house will experience space-time "glitches" now and then: the occasional shadow seen out of the corner of your eye, or the iron or bit of clothing found now and again where you didn't put it.

Don't let your imagination take over!

Remember, too, that in places where highly traumatic events are occurring in your house in other areas of space-time, you may experience some of the psychic "ripples." Violent deaths, great suffering and other such events that happened or will happen there can affect your reality. Depending on how sensitive you are, you may hear or see things that don't necessarily mean that your house is "haunted" or that you or other household members are the targets of negative entities.

Nevertheless, it's always best to be on the safe side and to do what's suggested below.

It's when these "glitches" begin to rule your everyday life, when you feel threatened by them and/or when entities begin to clearly manifest and interact with you or your family that you have a paranormal problem.

3. If you conclude that you do have such a situation, realize that you and/or one or more household members are part of the problem. Consciously or unconsciously, people in troubled houses always have a part in causing and/or feeding the phenomena. So you need to find what you're doing that's introducing or encouraging negative energy.

4. Then you need to stop it and bring in positive energy to replace it. I find this always eases the situation and often cures it.

Examples of negative energy: using Ouija boards or other occult practices that "open the door" to parasites, negative feelings among those who live in the house (fights, grudges, financial strains, etc.) and the extreme depression or anxiety of you or any other household member.

5. Part of bringing in this positive energy is fostering good feeling, humor, love and other unifying and uplifting factors in your household. Also, good physical exercise and developing healthy interests outside the home will help.

This is always good for a household, whether you have paranormal problems or not.

6. If you do encounter an "orb," entity or other manifestation, try to avoid fear or anger. If it really is a negative entity, this will deny it the negative energy it subsists on. As a matter of fact, always try to send out feelings of love, compassion and peace.

7. In general, however, do not give these entities attention. Do not try to communicate with them: They are not your friends! Don't try to get "chummy" and don't convince yourself to feel comfortable with them around, even if they seem "friendly."

Instead, concentrate on fostering positive energy among the household members.

8. Anytime you are afraid, pray in whatever way is comfortable for you. Visualize yourself, other household members and your home engulfed in a peaceful, positive white light. This will "take the wind" out of a negative manifestation by strengthening you instead of it.

9. This is not advice you often hear in the Western Hemisphere but, when you are afraid, you can call upon your good ancestors (not the horse thieves or mad monarchs) to help protect you and your home. I find that this is a very powerful practice! Each of us is the sum of our ancestors, no matter how far back they go. We are part of them and they are part of us. Since there really is no death, these loved ones are always in some parallel world and there is a bond between you and them. Many are in a position to help.

Call especially on particular loved ones you have known, a beloved grandmother, for example. If you are fortunate enough to have a picture of the person, put it in a prominent place in your home or carry it in your pocket or purse. These people will manifest as quiet and loving presences, and some may be protecting you already. Their presence is a far cry from the cold, sterile and sometimes violent presence of parasites and tulpas.

10. If you belong to a particular religion, praying and using "sacramentals" and sacred objects such as icons, your scriptures or holy water can help. Strange to say, beware of calling in clergy unless you are very sure they can be trusted. Believe it or not, very few of them are trained in how to deal with these phenomena and if they don't know what they're doing they can complicate the situation.