I think my house is haunted and I'm not sure what to do...

[oceanauk]

Not sure what category to put this in really so hope somebody can help here! I recently moved to house which is over 100 years old. I live on my own with my 6 yr old son. When he's in bed at night I can be watching TV and I always here sounds. The first few months I was extremely stressed out as I had always lived in a flat and it was very different suddenly being in a house on your own. I also had to get used to the many, many different creaks and groans of the house - very noisy pipes. However, it's been 3 months and I'm still getting the sounds of other things - usually what I can only describe as running upstairs my what sounds like children. The other night there was a hugh thump and then running across from one room to another and I bolted upstairs thinking my son had fallen out of bed only to find he was still fast asleep and hadn't even changed positions!! It really frightens me as I am in a semi detached place and the house that I am attached to is empty!! I've heard banging on my walls and things being moved. I don't feel an "evil presence" but I am scared all the same. What can I do please? I feel like I'm actually going a bit mad as nobody would believe me if I tell them. Many thanks.

[loopyc]

you could try asking a priest to come and bless your house.

[cascarelli]

Squatters next door?

[TopCat1]

Gosh, how frightening. Can you contact the previous house owners, and ask if they had any experiences of this?

Trying to be logical, have you a roof space? I ask this because, sometimes, birds esp large ones, like seagulls or crows, can sound very noisey running across a hollow floor, or rats?

On the other side of things, with no logical explanation, I would contact the previous residents, and also a priest, and failing that, a medium (as some people do believe in them, I'm not too sure about my thoughts on that particilar thing).

Keep us update.

[noxlumos]

If you don't feel an "evil presence" then just relax. I happen to believe that all around us are things and people across many planes of existance and we have similar things to the ones that you mention in our house as it was built about 1540 and had all sorts of goings on here.We hear movements in the attics which was the old servants quarters when there's no-one up there and a really strong smell of pipe tobacco despite no-one smoking in the study.My little girl keeps seeing a dog that runs towards the pond then disappears, she's seen him 4 times now. There's honestly nothing to be woried about at all from what you said, it's quite common as you can see but I know it's easy to give yourself the heebies. Just relax and accept it as part of where you live and don't be frightened, nothing can harm you.

[gleaveyweave]

I believe you. It sounds very much to me like you do have a spirit present. It's good that you don't feel that it's evil, from what you say, it sounds like the spirit of a child. If I were you, i'd contact my local spiritualist church and see what they can do to help.
Try not to be scared in the meantime, if you are feeling brave enough, (perhaps get a friend round for support) you could try talking to it, I have heard that some noisy spirits simply need to be told to stop and then do so - give it a go.
Has your son seen or heard anything? Children are usually more receptive than us adults because of their innocent minds so I am curious. Hope this goes some way towards helping, good luck and keep me posted x

[Amara]

oceanauk - try not to worry too much - most spirits will not do anything untoward. If you want to tackle this yourself ask for your house to be surrounded by light, call the light in and call in The angels, Archangel Michael in particular. tell the spirit to go to the light and ask the angels to take it. If you are too frightened to do this call your local spiritual church or a local medium and ask them to help you - they will not refuse. If I was in the UK I would come and do it for you. If you are based in the South I can give you details of people who can help. Much love - Amara xx

[mimififi]

ask a friend to come over and stay the night, or house swap with someone for 1 ro 2 nights and see if they hear them too. they might even recognise the noises as to a particular cause.

If you are still worried, I would contact my parish vicar or any church person in a local church and ask them to come and bless/pray in the house for you. it may put your mind at rest.

[violetblue]

I think the loft space idea makes a lot of sense. Houses (even entire terraces) often used to be built with just the one common space.
Also, you say the house is officially empty, but are there kids around that may be playing in it as if it's a den? I'm sure you've considered that already but it may be true.

[Champagne]

I too believe in ghosts so don't doubt your sanity.

So long as the presence doesn't feel evil then you're absolutely fine. Don't be scared by it, it's quite a novel thing to have a haunted house!! If I were you I would chat to the spirit during the day. Supposedly most hauntings occur when a spirit still has something left unsaid. Maybe you could do a bit of research into the property's past?

[luckyeight]

Very much doubt your house will be haunted - I've had very similar experiences in certain houses - some buildings have very unusual sounds going on which can make your imagination run wild but it doesn't mean there are spirit presences. I agree that if you don't 'feel' anyting then you shouldn't worry.. After a while living there you will probably stop noticing noises, or get used to them. There are so many possible explainations- birds, drainage, wood expanding and contracting, wind blowing thru things etc... The most innocent things can cause you to 'invent' an interpretation of sounds eg noises upstairs and you imagine it sounds like a child running... Not sayin you makin it up, just saying that is probably the most likely explaination..

[Octavius]

I don't think you are going mad, but equally I don't think you have anything to fear. And I doubt you are imaginging what you are hearing. Perhaps though, you believe that the sounds are not natural and therefore your mind/subconcious is running away with itself.

You wil be amazed at exactly how much noise an old house can make. Even new ones in fact. The basic fabric of a building is made up of many many components, which I am sure is not new to you, but each of these components has different physical properties which react to nature in a different way. Without getting too technical, hot and cold and wet and dry weather all have a major impact on the bits that form our houses. On top of this we have artificialk elements such as heating, pipework and electrical bits and pieces etc etc.

If you are a car driver, you must have noticed the odd bump, knock or grind when you are trundling along the road and your mind will automatically put this down to a moving or mechanical part. The same can be done with a building, there are parts of a house which are designed to move and those which are forced to move by nature and artificial (as above) forces. It is not supernatural.

[Froggy_Queen]

Houses do make noises but that sounds too much to be that.

Sounds to me like you might have a poltergeist. Basically a mischeivous spirit but not likely to harm you.

I would recommend you speak to them, it may sound strange and will feel damn spooky but basically saying that you know they're there and you don't want to see them or hear from them again.

Apparently poltergeist also react to a stern telling off if it gets too much, like you would with a small child.

Failing that you could contact your local catholic priest and get the place exorcised.

[alunrw]

I dont normally contribute to this section, but would go along with the views that this is in all probability just general household noise, ive heard footsteps in my loft space many a time and whereas it didnt worry me, it did seem rather strange, until one day whilst in the bathroom and hearing the "usual" runnning noises,saw a black shadow through the window which was nothing more than a Jackdaw that had been nesting in the attic and running across the roof.
Also,any noises do seem amplified at night and can lead you to think theyre something that they are'nt.
I also have a six year old (daughter) who does run across the landing occasionallyt (to the toilet) and also drops things off the bed in her room, when I go up to see her shes often asleep within seconds.
Wishing you all the best anyway,

[oceanauk]

Gosh - what a lot of responses - thank you everybody. Because my initial question/info was so long I couldn't fit everything in - but in answer to some questions you've posed to me - As an ornithologist the first logical thing that came to my head was of course birds/animals. But although I did have a recent rat problem under my house there is most definately nothing in my attic as I have had it checked by environmental health!! I mentioned the house I'm next to is empty - there is an owner but he is away for many months at a time - definately no squatters - I know when he's there and his car will be outside. With regards to the running across the floor, it's only when I'm downstairs that I hear the sound, when I'm in my room upstairs I don't hear anything from the attic. However, there are no explanations that I can find. I did get my house blessed within the first month when things were quite bad and it was ok for a while. As I mentioned before, I don't feel anything "evil" but it's the sudden loud noises I do not like - if something gets knocked over, you think somebody has broken into your house - which is frightening. I also get very strong smells of perfume or flowers and then sometimes smoke then it suddenly goes. The running across the floor is not my son - he just wouldn't do that (the bathroom is next to his room in a different part of the house) but the footsteps do sound like children, not adults. I know that pipes and walls etc creak but you cannot mistake the sound of footsteps or things being knocked over!! My son has not seen anything however, he has been woken on a couple of occasions by knocking of his wall - I've just told him it's pipes of course so he is not frightened. Amara - thanks for letting me know it's Archangel Michael that can help me. I would be grateful if you can let me know of somebody local who can help. Failing that I will contact my local spiritulist church. Thank you everybody for taking the time to respond.