Is My House Haunted? Top Signs To Look Out For!

Have you ever felt a spine-chilling presence lurking in the shadows of your home? Heard mysterious whispers echoing through empty hallways? Or, maybe you’ve witnessed objects moving of their own accord, defying the laws of nature?

If so, you may have found yourself pondering the age-old question: Is my house haunted?

Welcome to an explanation of the enigmatic world of haunted houses, where the line between reality and the supernatural starts to blur. In this article, we’ll explore some of the tell-tale signs that you’re living in a haunted house and what you can do about it.

So, prepare yourself to venture beyond the mundane and into the realm of eerie occurrences and unexplained mysteries. It’s time to find out if ghosts are real!

10 Signs You Live In A Haunted House

It’s all fun and games to stay overnight on a ghost hunt at one of the ‘most haunted houses’ in your area. After all, it can be downright thrilling to experience the paranormal first-hand.

But when you’re experiencing a real-life haunting in your own home, it’s a different ball game altogether. Suddenly, those whispers and shadows become a lot more frightening, and you may find yourself hiding under the covers at night.

If you want to know if there’s something strange going on in your home, then take a look at these 10 most common signs that you live in a haunted house:

1. There are unexplained smells in your home

Have you ever gotten a whiff of perfume or aftershave when you’re home alone? Or maybe you’re getting a strong smell of cigarette or cigar smoke that seems to be coming out of nowhere?

Oftentimes, the spirits of loved ones who have passed bring a familiar smell with them. So, if this unexplained odour is oddly comforting, you may just be receiving a visit from a family member who has crossed over.

Of course, some ghosts may have their own peculiar scent that doesn’t seem familiar at all. When there’s a smell in your home that you can’t find the source of, or if the smell unsettles you, it may be a sign that you have paranormal activity on your hands.

2. You feel like you’re being watched

We all know the familiar imagery of ghosts peeking around corners in haunted places, or eyes looking through portrait holes in ghost stories. Just the thought alone is enough to send shivers up your spine!

If you feel like you’re being watched, particularly when you’re home alone, then there may be a ghost present. It’s important to remember that ghosts are the spirits of people who have passed, and they get curious too. They may just be watching you to find out a little more about the new person that’s living in ‘their’ home.

Although you can never rule out mischievous spirits who get a kick out of playing cat and mouse with you, this isn’t usually something to fret about.

Still, if you’re feeling unsettled, you can always invest in an EMF sensor or a REM pod. These devices record changes in the electromagnetic field in a certain location. So, if you do have unseen eyes staring at you, they may be able to tell you if there are any ghosts present.

3. You hear whispers

Haunted houses are usually sites for residual hauntings, which can explain why you’re hearing unclear whispers or disembodied voices. In these cases, a ghost isn’t necessarily trying to haunt you. Instead, they may be reliving events from their life in a constant loop.

You can think of residual hauntings like a recording that plays the same thing over and over again. For example, if a ghost has unfinished business or is on the search for closure, it will relive traumatic or stressful events over and over again without rhyme or reason.

When this happens, chances are your ghost doesn’t know why they can’t escape your house. The good news is that there’s no malice or ill intent behind these hauntings, so you don’t need to worry too much about your paranormal visitor.

On a professional ghost hunt of haunted houses, paranormal investigators often use EVP detectors, spirit boxes, or voice recorders to capture what the ghost is saying. This usually helps to bring some clarity as to why a ghost has taken up residence in a haunted house. Plus, it may help you to communicate with a confused spirit and help it cross over.

4. Your technology is going crazy

Having electronic devices turn on and off with no explanation sounds like a trope from an old scary movie. But this phenomenon is pretty common in haunted houses.

Ghosts aren’t typically able to communicate with us through conversation. Instead, our spectral friends need a conduit through which they can get their unspoken messages across. This means that spirits may try to use things around the house to get your attention – whether it’s changing your TV channel or sapping your phone battery.

There’s no need for a full-blown ghost hunt when this happens. Rather, a ghost box or other communication device can come in handy here to start a conversation. By setting up one of these recording devices, your ghost can use the energy created by the device to communicate their message more clearly.

More often than not, ghosts that take up residence in haunted houses are just trying to communicate with you. So be sure to give them a platform to say their piece. If you feel comfortable enough to do so, that is.

5. Your lights flicker – a lot

Much like the technology glitches in haunted houses, flickering or flashing lights may be another sign that a ghost is trying to communicate with you.

Of course, flickering lights aren’t always a sign of ghostly activity in your house. If you live in an old house, you may just have an electrical fault that can be explained and repaired by a qualified electrician. But if you’ve had your wiring checked out and there’s no logical explanation for your flashing lights, your house may be haunted.

The best thing to do in this situation would be to try and communicate with your spectral houseguest. It may just be the spirit of a family member or loved one trying to say hello!

6. You feel cold in certain areas of your home

When people recall tales of a ghost hunt in an old haunted house, one of the most common things you’ll hear is that they “felt cold” or that there was “a drop in the temperature.” While that may be enough to scare you away from going on your own ghost hunt, what do you do when you feel these unexplained temperature shifts in your house?

Imagine this: You’re sitting on your settee and you’re enjoying a rerun of your favourite sitcom. Suddenly, your hair starts to stand on end and you get goosebumps or a cold shiver with no explanation.

This physical reaction you’re experiencing is a direct result of the fear response that all humans have. But why would you feel scared when you’re enjoying a quiet night in? Well, some paranormal enthusiasts believe that it’s your body’s reaction to the fear of being near a spirit.

On the other hand, some people who live in haunted houses say that certain rooms or areas of the house are colder than others. These cold spots are also believed to be indicators of the presence of spirits.

If you have an infrared thermometer on hand, you can always search your home for these spots. And, if you find certain rooms in your home are much colder than others, you may have a ghost!

7. Objects go missing or move around

If you’ve ever thought “I was sure I left my keys right here!” only to find them in an unusual place, you’ll know how frustrating it can be for objects to be misplaced in your home.

Usually, we can explain these events away by chalking them up to our memory. But when objects frequently go missing or are misplaced around your home, there may be something more paranormal afoot.

There’s no concrete reason why ghosts enjoy playing these little tricks on us. Perhaps they’re bored, or they’re naturally mischievous. Either way, when ghosts move things around your home, they’re not usually trying to haunt or scare you. Still, it can feel like you’re going crazy when it happens!

You may want to ask your ghost (politely) to quit moving your things or have a designated spot for your items to rule out the possibility of anything paranormal.

8. You see shadows out of the corner of your eye

We’ve all been there. We’ve seen something move out of the corner of our eyes or noticed strange shadows creeping along the walls. Sometimes, our brain can misinterpret shadows and make us think that there’s someone lurking around the corners of our homes – even when we’re alone.

While it may be slightly spooky, most of the time shadows can be explained away as tricks of the light or the silhouette of a tree from outside the window. Still, sometimes these glimpses of what seem like apparitions don’t have an explanation.

There are plenty of paranormal enthusiasts and people who live in haunted homes who believe that these unexplained shadows are more than what they seem. In fact, they may be ghosts paying you an unexpected visit.

9. Your pets start acting strangely

It’s widely believed that pets (and children) have a sixth sense when it comes to ghostly activity in haunted houses. So, when your pets start to bark at nothing or stare off into empty corners of your room, it may be a sign that your home is haunted.

You don’t have to start breaking out the sage or crystals just yet, though. Sometimes, your pet may just be acting out of character. Dogs bark, after all. And cats are just plain weird sometimes.

Still, if your pets are acting strangely and there are other signs of ghost haunting in your home, it may be time to ask your ghostly guest to leave.

10. You have trouble sleeping

The witching hour may seem like an old wives’ tale to most people. But if you believe that your house is being visited by a ghost, you may want to pay close attention to your sleeping patterns.

Generally, paranormal enthusiasts believe that the veil between our world and the spirit world is thinnest in the early hours of the morning – especially in haunted houses. This is generally believed to be somewhere between 3 and 5 AM.

If you often wake up around this time, it may be a sign that a spirit is trying to get your attention. You may also experience strange dreams or sensations at this time, which is a good sign that someone is attempting to communicate with you.

What To Do About Paranormal Activity In Your Home

Before you start a full-on ghost hunt in your home, there are several things you can do to protect yourself from your paranormal house guests.

As a believer, you may want to jump to the conclusion that your house is haunted at the first sign of something strange. So the first thing you’ll want to do is rule out any logical explanations for the goings-on in your house.

But if you’ve already ruled out natural phenomena that may be causing your haunting, it may be time to break out the big guns.

Cleanse your space

One of the easiest ways to clear out haunted houses is to cleanse the space. You can do this by burning sage, keeping lavender around your home, or giving your home a top-to-bottom scrub with ammonia. You can also protect your doors and windows with salt to stop any negative entities from entering your home.

Ask the ghost to leave

Most of the time, the spectral inhabitants of haunted houses don’t know why they’re there. Try to take the time to talk to your ghost and politely ask it to leave. Although it may seem silly at first, ghosts were people, too! They may not even realize that they have been taking up space in your home.

Use protective items

Protective tools like crystals and white light candles are fantastic for bringing positive energy in and ridding your home of negative spirits or energies. Be sure to keep crystals like black tourmaline, clear quartz, and black obsidian as they can work wonders in changing up the energy in your space.

FAQs

How do I differentiate between a haunting and my imagination?

It’s easy to feel like you’re going crazy when unexplained events start to happen in and around your home. If you want to make sure that what you’re experiencing isn’t all in your head, it may be helpful to keep a journal of your experiences. Try and gather as much evidence as possible, including dates, times, and any specific details about the events.

You can also use certain tools to capture evidence of your ghostly encounters. When you’ve gathered a few things together, you can consult with a professional paranormal investigator or speak to friends and family to get their takes on your experiences.

Can hauntings be harmful or dangerous?

While most hauntings are harmless, some entities may exhibit threatening or aggressive behaviour. More often than not, these aggressive poltergeists like to make themselves known in big ways. They may make loud noises or throw things around your home.

In these cases, it may be best to seek professional help or organize a ghost hunt. Alternatively, you can ask a spiritual leader to cleanse your home of any negative spirits.

Can a house become haunted or is it tied to the land?

There are many theories about where ghosts come from. But a haunting is usually associated with a specific location, like land or buildings rather than houses. Still, it’s possible for a house to become haunted if it is built on or near a site with a history of paranormal or ghostly activity.