Please don’t laugh at me, I’m freaked out.

[Connie222]

So I posted a thread two nights ago where I woke up to see a white figure standing by my bed. It was an white sort of see though figure, looked like a shortish, stubby old man in a suit. I screamed, jumped out of bed, screamed for Dh who was downstairs. Some posters on the thread said hypnopompic hallucinations which made sense. I’m pregnant, stressed and tired.

Woke up this morning to a very tired Dh who hadn’t slept. Ask him what’s wrong and he’s skirting round it, nips off to do Dd breakfast. He comes back and I ask him to tell me what’s up.

Last night he woke twice (2am and 3am) to bright white flashes and a smell of cigar/cigarette smoke so strong in the room that he had to go down stairs and check. But the smell was only in the room. And then he noticed a small burn mark on the carpet (we only moved in to this rented house 5 weeks ago, new carpets, Dh had thoroughly, obsessively checked every inch of the place so we don’t get stiffed on deposits again for things that were here before - he insists carpet was perfect).

None of us smoke, no family smoke. I’ve been hiked up in this room with HG since we moved in.

Dh works away two nights a week, he’s going tomorrow and I’m feeling a bit wobbly.

Please don’t take the piss! I know rationally that ghosts don’t exist. I just feel a bit weird.

(P.s is Birdie friend still around? Would like his/it’s opinion).

The flashes weren’t near any electrical sockets or lights and the burn mark looks like cigarette Mark, again not near anything electrical.

I believe in ghosts. Have had a few encounters that couldn't be explained any other way.

Ask him what he wants and tell him that he scared you and you know that's not what he meant to do. Acknowledge him and he will (hopefully) go about his business leaving you in peace.

Yes, I know it sounds mad but I do talk to any presence that I feel/see - it makes me feel better to make it seem human if nothing else 🤣

I'm a firm non believer in ghosts. I'm not laughing at you, but would put any ghost sightings down to tiredness, stress, HG in pregnancy and vivid dreams.

I think it's best to be rational about this. It would be better to investigate the burn mark and find a logical explanation. If it was done last night, the carpet would still smell freshly burnt- a bit smoky and soot would come off on your fingers if you rubbed the burn.
Check any possible fire risk in the room.

Don't dwell on any idea of ghosts. You're just creating a drama. Relax as much as possible tonight, bath, read a book (non horror ) and sleep with a light on if it helps.

Part of me thinks that If I had never panicked and screamed and scared dh half to death the other night that it wouldn’t have been in his mind (he thought I was misscarrying again). Maybe he’s been over thinking it.

Yes I think your mind can play funny tricks on you sometimes. Do you have smoke alarms? I would have thought a strong burning smell or smoke would have set those off (?)

Yes, smoke alarms in every room, all working. One right above the bed in fact.

I’m with @yatapina my parents house seemed haunted by the old lady that died there years previously, they were told to say hello to her and tell her that they were fine with her being there but she had scared them so would she mind stopping and it actually worked, so i’d say that’s worth a try!

I often wake up thinking I've seen a flash of light, I'm sure I've read that this is a normal thing, I'm sure someone will be able to explain better than me.

In light of the burn I would contact your landlord and get the electrics checked.

FUCK. THAT.

Sorry that was ridiculous unhelpful of me

I think you’ve shared your experience and hid is based on that. I personally don’t believe in ghosts but do suffer with sleep paralysis in which I can ‘sense’ someone standing over me and have auditory hallucinations however it is all a trick of the mind. Powerful thing the brain.

Deffo investigate the burn though, that could be wiring issues.

His not hid

In all seriousness, it's not your landlord letting himself in? Or someone he knows?

No, landlord not letting himself in. I’m here day in, day out. I’ve been too sick to leave the house.

The burn is nowhere near anything electrical.

Like coco said, the flashes of light in sleep is quite common and is just in the mind. It's similar to the hypnic jerk, when you suddenly jump when falling asleep or when you "hear" a loud bang when asleep- called Exploding head syndrome.
I think all of these are made worse by tiredness, excess caffeine, and physically or emotional stress.

First thing I would do is ask for the locks to be changed, ifI'd be more worried it was an alive person smoking in the room watching you sleep than a ghostly apparition.

@DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou 😂 Dh and I used to watch a lot of horror films and we always said we would have the code word “Travelodge” which would mean get the fuck out now if there was even a sniff of anything paranormal. Not so easy in practice!

Check for mirrors that may be directing light to that spot - magnifying mirrors especially can be a culprit and make cigarette shaped burns.

Well, if it’s any reassurance, the burn mark alone means it can’t be anything paranormal because ghosts don’t smoke real cigarettes which would leave burns.

And your hallucinations are most like a symptom of sleep paralysis or the like.

Do you have a loft/could someone be living up there?

Do you have a gas leak detector?? If not, get one! Hallucinations can be caused by gas leaks and are very dangerous.

Check your carbon monoxide alarms.

Just had the new gas sadly check done last Saturday, all was fine. Carbon monoxide detectors working fine etc.

That's a really good point about the carbon monoxide detector.

It'll also make your sickness worse if there's a leak.