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AIBU?

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Original poster

to seriously consider getting my house 'blessed'

70 replies

Ozziesmom · 20/09/2010 20:02

Urgh HELP!

My 3 yr old DS has had an 'imaginary friend'- 'Anna' since he began to talk. We don't encourage it nor ignore it but it is becoming an increasing problem. he is genuinely scared of her (having read up on imaginary friends it doesn't sound like she is much of a friend) he doesn't talk to her, just about her. She apparently tickles him in the night and he can feel her breathing.

It is slightly spooky because we found out that the person who lived and died in our previous house (where this began) was call 'Anne'- however- we have since moved and she has seemingly come with us.

Over the last 6 weeks or so he will not let me out of his sight, he refuses to go to the toilet on his own and has to come with me when I go, I can't leave the room without him becoming anxious and having to come with me (even at the expense of watching Peppa Pig- serious stuff) He says he is worried that Anna will come.

He has now began waking 5+ times a night calling me and wanting me with him because he is scared. We are both utterly exhausted.

I have tried moving his room around/ putting a 'robot' to stand guard by his door, teddy bears, 'asking' 'Anna' to leave. I have tried being firm and tried being reassuring/ comforting.

My SIL suggested a blessing and I am seriously considering it. We do not practice any religion but I need to try something else as it is becoming so difficult.

As I said she does not fit into any of the descriptions of imaginary friends (she is scary and not a companion to him of any sort)- could it be more sinister or am I so exhausted my own imagination has gone gaga?

OP posts:
eaglewings · 20/09/2010 23:25

just seen dandy's post and agree 100%

sunshineriver · 20/09/2010 23:32

We have a "man" that Charlie sees sometimes. Before we moved in here, a man hung himself upstairs. I don't see him, and this house does not feel bad in any way. I just ask him what he's doing when he mentions him, though it is pretty fuckin freaky when it's 2am!

My nan also had a ghost that followed her home from my Aunt's house in a taxi one night. It used to linger above her near her lamp above the chair where she'd sit and watch telly in the evenings. I think that she said it used to pinch/thump her arm.

I never used to worry about it, nan's house always reminds me of happy years and her having a ghost about at night didn't change that.

It seems to me (in my very honest opinion) although DD has started something and you've acted on it and now it's spiralled out of control. I think that if you do have a Priest come round and bless the house, that you'll need to explain to DD on the day that Anna's going away.

I wonder if there are any books/websites about imaginary friends going bad?

Will have a Google and come back to you on that. I'll be up late waiting for DP who's in Austraila to WAKE UP so that we can Skype... Hmm

HTH, Sarah x

Anenome · 20/09/2010 23:35

Oh...another suggestion...move DS's bed and furniture about...the change can help...check there are no weird sillohettes being caused by lamps or shadows from hanging clothing etc.

It's worth checking. Also my DH slep in DD's room one night to check if anything odd happened...he never saw ladies in the wall but he DID see some odd lights Shock

moominmarvellous · 21/09/2010 08:02

Ozziesmum, I've got to go out in a minute sio have only read first 10 or so posts, but my friends son saw a little girl in his room in the night.

My friend was sceptical until she woke to a child calling for 'Mummy' her son was asleep and her daughter is only 6 months old.

Her son was becoming quite distressed about it and was acting like he was depressed, I don't think he could sleep and it was affecting his school life, he wasn't eating and kept bursting into tears.

Eventually she called her local spiritualist church and a woman from there came round and said there was a presence of a child and it was being drawn to the house by the new baby and felt she had found a friend in her son. However she said she'd communicated with the spirit and explained that friends son was afraid and asked her to come and play another time.

I'm not a great beleiver and am quite sceptical, however after this womans visit her son hasn't mentioned the little girl and has been pretty much fine since. He doesn't even know about the lady's visit so I don't know how to explain it........

Rosedee · 21/09/2010 09:28

You could try at bedtime the both of you imagining a protective bubble of White light around him to keep anything negative away. I've heard of this as a deterrent to nightmares.
Just talk thru imagining a big bubble surrounding him that nothing horrible can get thru.
Might work as a mind over matter, if he believes it's there and protecting him then "she" won't show up.

BeerTricksPotter · 21/09/2010 11:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wfrances · 21/09/2010 11:47

i would get your house blessed if you wanted to,my sisters bf family did and things got better.they lived in same house for 20 years no probs until daughter turned 14 ,and it was all directed at her and in her room.id like to add they are not religous people either but were advised by other neighbour as last resort.
id like to add i too had a invisible playmate
who i was was scared off he left when i was about 6/7 and i moved house.
are you sure hes not having night terrors?ds had them bad,and would wake up screaming pointing at a space,one night he was white and asked me why the children were hanging from the ceiling???freaked me about too.

veyron · 21/09/2010 12:33

I would have a blessing if I were you.

I had a blessing on a house I bought a few years ago my DD was 4 at the time and out of nowhere would start to wake in the middle of the night. Sit bolt up right in bed and shout "leave me alone, stop talking to me, I'm trying to go to sleep" after you have seen/heard this a few times, it starts to freak you out. Also the house was a 4 bedroom house, one of the rooms was a bit of a store/junk room. We always felt a little uneasy in there and our dog and also our cat would refuse to go in there. When the local vicar came to bless the house he spent most of his time in DD's room and the junk room pointing and muttering in a stern voice into the corner of the room. He then asked if I had cross that he could bless. He then advised me to put it somewhere in DD's room (which we did)

The house felt so much happier after his visit and DD had no more midnight moments.

BertieBotts · 21/09/2010 13:11

No offence taken BeerTricks :) Was just curious. It makes more sense now, thanks for clarifying.

expatinscotland · 21/09/2010 17:49

This thread is freaking me out :o.

Seriously, though, I have a cross on our front door, which has a wee window, after getting a troubled spirit who kept knocking on the door loudly.

I also have a God's eye there and an Amish tin star.

I have a blessed cross over the entrance to every bedroom in here, too.

If you are religious, RC or CoE, you can get religious candles in shops or online and burn those, too, for times when you feel extra protection is in order.

My gran was RC but she was also a Mayan indian and she'd burn white sage smudge sticks in every place before they moved in and also bury a bottle of whisky in the front yard. She disliked corners and would clap them up and even spit tobacco in them.

CaptainNancy · 21/09/2010 20:18

Ooh expat- if this one is freaking you out, please come over here... we have been waiting for you since Sunday evening... Smile

Cookie79 · 21/09/2010 20:37

I think getting it blessed or having a firm chat with this Anna is worth a try.

I've had to ask a spirit to leave my daughter's room - someone was talking to her and keeping her awake. I explained to 'it' that it was nice that they wanted to play and talk to her but they were keeping her awake and causing me a lot of stress and worry. There have been a few instances since then but nothing too bad. I was curled up in bed with her once (before I decided that was a big old rod for my back) and she looked up and said 'bye bye grandad' - eeeeek! I rang my dad to check he was still alive and husband texted his dad. I think it was my granddad because she points at his picture and my gran's and says 'grandad'. He died when I was 14..

x

expatinscotland · 21/09/2010 21:33

heads over to the other thread . . .

brassband · 21/09/2010 22:33

I have an open mind about ghosts but a couple of things strikeme about your DS's case
Firstly that it has been happening over 2 years ie since your DS was one.It seems strange that he would suddenly become sp frightened of something he has had as long as he can remember.
Second thing is that she has moved house with you-haven't heard of that before.
3 is the age where DC suddenly get a whole lot of new fears tehy haven't had before (eg the dark,parents dying)and I think your Ds is using Anna to personify his fears.

Original poster
Ozziesmom · 23/09/2010 18:51

Thanks so much everyone. i am meeting with a friend Mon who has had a similar experience.
We had our first full nights sleep in 6 weeks last night Grin Not sure if it was my having a little chat with Anna the night before asking her to leave.....?

OP posts:
iloveshoesandbags · 23/09/2010 21:23

Just checking in to see how you are getting on.

I'm pleased you all had a good night's sleep - I think the little chat could well have had an impact. I read a couple of books at the time - like I said, I would have tried anything! and there is a bit written about the fact that if it is something "lost" they don't realise that they are upsetting people.

hope it goes ok when you meet your friend on Monday.

I wondered at the time if it was my daughter "attracting" them - but also at their age I think they could also be more receptive.

As she's grown up and is more aware this hasn't happened since.

Just a thought.

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

JammieJamie · 09/02/2024 18:18

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BertieBotts · 09/02/2024 22:28

I think you need to take your partner to the nearest A&E.

bottleofbeer · 09/02/2024 23:14

The placebo effect is very powerful. Do it if only for this reason.

bottleofbeer · 09/02/2024 23:17

Wow, sorry. Old, old thread

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