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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

COULD MY HOUSE HAVE A GHOST?

235 replies

user1473872482 · 27/09/2016 20:52

Since last year I have had strange going ons in my house. For example - seeing things out of the corner of my eyes, a quick glimpse of ghost child, a white sort of apparition walking around my bed at night when I was trying to get to sleep and something white being thrown in my direction and when I look to pick it up it is not there.

Could I be imagining these things?

OP posts:
ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 28/09/2016 16:23

I assume that you have a phone with a camera OP so why don't you take a picture or a video next time you see something that seems like it could be woo and post it here? People will see it for themselves and be in a better position to advise what it could and what you can do about it.

hopetobehappy · 28/09/2016 16:23

I don't understand how people can say with such surety that ghosts don't exist. I've never seen one myself (but know people who have) but tbh I'd be more shocked if they didn't. People have such narrow views.

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 28/09/2016 16:24

...what it could be...

BertrandRussell · 28/09/2016 16:29

"don't understand how people can say with such surety that ghosts don't exist"

Well, it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that ghosts do not exist. But every single time a potential ghost has been properly investigated there has been a perfectly rational, non supernatural explanation. Every single time. So it seems to me to be pretty reasonable to say they don't exist.

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 28/09/2016 16:30

but know people who have

How do you (and they) know for sure that what they saw was a ghost?

I've had a couple of experiences that could be considered woo and I'm sure that if I believed in ghosts then I would no doubt use those experiences to "prove" that ghosts exists and say that I'd seen a ghost.

As it is however I don't believe in ghosts. Those woo experiences I had all had other possible rational explanations and I'm inclined to think they had one of those rational explanations rather than being a ghost.

There's a rational explanation for everything imo.

MrsHiddleston · 28/09/2016 16:32

OP have you got a carbon monoxide detector? If not get one ASAP. Experiencing 'ghosts' can be down to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Also this is interesting.
www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/03/15/ghosts-created-by-scientists-in-disturbing-lab-experiment/

blushrush · 28/09/2016 16:34

Can't help being picky but BertrandRussell "Every single time"? Really?

You're saying that, in the entire history of paranormal investigations, every single time there has always been a solid, scientific explanation?

Unlikely. There are still many incidents documented throughout history that as yet have no plausible explanation.

BertrandRussell · 28/09/2016 16:36

"Unlikely. There are still many incidents documented throughout history that as yet have no plausible explanation"

Documented- but have they actually been investigated? The OP's experience has been documented..........

blushrush · 28/09/2016 16:41

But that's not what you said. You said "But every single time a potential ghost has been properly investigated there has been a perfectly rational, non supernatural explanation. Every single time. So it seems to me to be pretty reasonable to say they don't exist."

For example, the Dyatlov Pass incident. There are many theories and plausible explanations, but nothing has ever been proved

(Not my best example, but all I could find quickly)

By the way, not looking to argue here, but I love a good debate :)

hopetobehappy · 28/09/2016 16:47

Ordinary people who have seen ghosts won't have had them "properly investigated" . I would imagine in most cases it would be hard to do anyway.

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 28/09/2016 16:49

Someone already mentioned this up thread but carbon monoxide poisoning can cause hallucinations.

There was a thread here a while ago where the OP was concerned she was either hallucinating or her house was haunted because she kept seeing people who weren't there and hearing people whisper things in her ear. It turned out she had carbon monoxide poisoning and it was making her hallucinate.

Luckily there were sensible posters on the thread who encouraged her to get checked out and it was lucky she listened to those sensible posters rather than the posters who were screeching "OMG, it's a ghost! Call in the priest/get some holy water/some garlic/etc". Things could have ended up a lot worse if she had disregarded all the so called mean advice to see a doctor.

So I know when I advise people to see a doctor I'm not trying to be mean or bitchy or implying that they're crazy. I just think that they need to get something like carbon monoxide poisoning ruled out before they explore other avenues.

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 28/09/2016 16:53

I know that (thanks to that thread) if I was seeing things on a regular basis rather than just as a one off incident carbon monoxide poisoning would be the first thing I'd think it might be and want ruled out.

ToadsJustFellFromTheSky · 28/09/2016 17:00

Funnily enough the wikipedia page on carbon monoxide poisoning even has a bit about hallucinations and people thinking they're seeing ghosts;

"Carbon monoxide poisoning has also been speculated as a possible cause of apparent haunted houses; symptoms such as delirium and hallucinations may have led people suffering poisoning to think they have seen ghosts or to believe their house is haunted."
--en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_poisoning

paxillin · 28/09/2016 17:04

No ghost. No fairies at the bottom of the garden, either.

BertrandRussell · 28/09/2016 17:49

The Dyatlov incident? Where some skiers died of hypothermia and their bodies were found weeks later? There was a very sparse report produced in the 1950s - and lots of spooky detail added since!

SpaceUnicorn · 28/09/2016 18:03

Could I be imagining these things?

Yes, you could be imagining these things.

SpaceUnicorn · 28/09/2016 18:15

I'm quite new here and (genuinely) a little confused. Last week I really enjoyed the 'woo' creepy stories thread which ran to many pages and suggested lots of people had unexplainable experiences - why is this post not being greeted with the same glee?

Different thread, different posters, different viewpoints.

There's also something a bit 'iffy' about the wording of the OP, which is possibly colouring the responses.

blushrush · 29/09/2016 08:26

"The Dyatlov incident? Where some skiers died of hypothermia and their bodies were found weeks later? There was a very sparse report produced in the 1950s - and lots of spooky detail added since!"

Yes, that incident, where the most likely scenario is that they died from hypothermia. It's never actually been conclusively proven.

I'm with you SpaceUnicorn, not sure why there isn't more wonder and open-mindedness directed at posts like these?

Ah well, each to their own I guess

BertrandRussell · 29/09/2016 12:44

"Yes, that incident, where the most likely scenario is that they died from hypothermia. It's never actually been conclusively proven."

Well, they were found naked and dead in the snow-and removing clothes is a symptom of hypothermia. So why would you look for any other explanation?

And as for a sense of wonder- as Terry Pritchett put it, isn't the garden glorious enough without wanting fairies at the bottom of it?

blushrush · 29/09/2016 12:55

Ah okay, fair enough. From now on, I'll just assume the obvious and never question anything further...;)

Nice Terry Pratchett quote, except that was Douglas Adams, and he was saying it about religion, not the paranormal.

BertrandRussell · 29/09/2016 13:01

But why wouldn't you choose the most obvious explanation? The world is full of amazement and mysteries- aren't they wonderful and exciting enough without inventing more?

Oh, yes, my mistake- wrong atheist.

But I don't think it was just mant to be about religion alone - I think it was about all supernatural things.

Jasonandyawegunorts · 29/09/2016 13:03

Last week I really enjoyed the 'woo' creepy stories thread which ran to many pages and suggested lots of people had unexplainable experiences - why is this post not being greeted with the same glee?

CandyOcean
Because it's AIBU rather than chat.

blushrush · 29/09/2016 13:04

"mysteries"

But, but, but, wasn't your original post about why people are certain ghosts exist - and surely ghosts are mysteries, so you are agreeing that the "world is full of mysteries" and ghosts can be mysteries, so we're agreeing?

Yay! Agreement! :)

blushrush · 29/09/2016 13:07

And let's not forget, that Adams' quote is taken from hitchhikers, and in that particular story, the garden does indeed have fairies at the bottom of it! (the legendary planet, etc...)

But anyway, we're off-topic now. OP, I believe ghosts (or the best approximation of that term) exist and some do not. What's important is what you believe :)

Jasonandyawegunorts · 29/09/2016 13:08

I've seen a shadow person, stood in the corner of the room watchign me, then walked towards me. it was a terrifiying experience BUT i don't think it was a ghost, rather some kind of hallucination.