I’m freaking out and please talk some sense into me!

[Ohdearlove]

Long time lurker first time poster but I’m alone tonight apart from DD and need to feel less alone!

So to start, I am not woo! I’m actually a physics teacher and pride myself in teaching my students that ghosts, just cannot possibly exist.

But, We moved house around 4 months ago, just me and DD 3. Our new house is not some old scary home just a 1970’s semi, around 50 years old. Since we moved in, DD will not play in her playroom. (It was used as a dining room by previous occupants). It’s been painted white and has a cream carpet so it’s not scary looking. When prompted she always says it’s because of the “shadow” which I just assumed was her own shadow casting- never had this problem anywhere else and still don’t. But alas, she won’t and is utterly terrified to even peek round the door causing hysterics. I’ve sort of given up trying to get her in there and brushed it off.

Anyways onto tonight, DD in bed and I’m cooking in the kitchen, cup of tea and podcast on and I walk out into the hallway on my way to take something out to the bin and I see as clear as day a white (figure?!) or sort of shape- fluorescent white dart into the playroom from the living room. I did stand there for a minute confused until it sunk in and now I’m in my bedroom thinking I’m crazy (and maybe DD was onto something!)

it honestly looked like a thick white rounded shape. I’ve gone through a lot of possibilities in my head but the hallway and the living/dining room were dark- they face the back of the house so no change of it being a car. No light casting in there! I’ve messaged my mum but she hasn’t replied so I’m hoping mumsnet can offer an explanation! Also for reference, I wasn’t thinking about ghosts and my DD hasn’t mentioned “shadow” in a few weeks!

You need you eyes tested? Or a brain scan? Not sure that's better than a ghost though!

I can't get past the 1970s being 50 years ago!
Sorry not helpful!

I know! I said to my friend when the “shadow” stuff started oh the house is quite new, and she said actually it’s half a century!

I have a similarish professional background to you and had a similar encounter whilst with a friend. I have never found an explanation for it.

The age of a house doesn't make a lot of difference.

As to what it is, there are a lot of things it could be or it could be nothing at all.

I've seen a ghost before so totally believe you could have seen one. (Sorry, probably not very reassuring but it doesn't sound like it's got bad energy). Maybe you just need to learn to co-exist!

I've seen ghosts since I was tiny.

If you don't like it ask it nicely to leave, doesn't always work but worth a try.

The house does not have a “bad feeling” but for DD’s sake I’d not really like anything to be in here! For those that have seen ghosts, were they white ish shapes? Or actual people? I stood there with my mouth gaped open for what felt ages after!

Could you have had an afterimage in your eyes of something that you had been staring at? They dart about in an odd way and fade rapidly

My brother says he cannot for even a second consider that any strange house noises, smells, sights etc, have anything other than natural (rather than supernatural) origin.
He is probably right.
I however, used to live in a house that terrified me to the point that I was avoiding going home. My mum told me to imagine a blue protective light around myself, and then project it outwards to encompass the other rooms, people etc. It always helped.
Until you find the (almost certainly very normal) cause, this might be a good way to relax. x

(Btw, being a Physicist I would say you should be more open to most to unexplained phenomena! 😁)

People haven't seen ghosts, just think they have. You know they aren't real, I wouldn't worry about it. It gives people comfort to believe they have seen proof an afterlife though, even if it isn't real, so I don't see too much harm in it.

Ring your local Catholic Church. Ask them to bless the house. If they can’t/won’t come out then get some holy water and sprinkle it around your house

It was very large and not see through, it wasn’t really like that white flash you get if you’re looking at light too long then look away

I would sit in the room yourself. Just sit - on floor to get the feel of it.

Sleep there.

Nothing will happen and if it does then wow, go with it.

My house is 1970s build - when we moved in, I was constantly shouting upstairs after hearing "Mum!" - "Hang on can't hear you" Adult son would be non plussed as hadn't called me.

Then he'd hear me calling him and come down.

Bit wiggy.

Just sit in there and feel the energy, it will change your energy and DD will come in.

I'd suggest putting a kitten in the room, then see how much she hates it 🤣 sorry.

ive Been shot down in flames here for sharing experiences…usually by ignorant LTB posters (I imagine).

imI’m not woo…but have had THE strangest experiences.

I would also suggest sitting in the room concerned to see what happens.

Science experiment - get your phone ready to take a photo of it next time
a) this will ward it off, as it is a well-known fact that no-one has ever taken a reliable photo of anything of this nature
b) if you do get a photo you can become the famous physics teacher who photographed a ghost

Love the kitten idea - although if it didn't like the room then tat would freak me out even more
When we moved into our new build house in Ireland, the local priest came to do a blessing of the whole estate ! (Early 2000s)

We had a ghost in our house. He and I had an encounter and I think we both scared each so much he went to the other side.

It’s still as clear as day decades later. I will never forget it. He was fully formed, dressed and in full colour.

And I too was very sciency and non woo. I didn’t accept it until I was in my 20s having taken plenty of hallucinogenics and never seen a single thing. I also had a psychotic episode late 20s (intrusive thoughts) and never saw anything either.

I finally told my mum about it and she didn’t even blink or look up from her crossword. She was just like ‘ahh yes the man’ and told me some of her stories.

I was so perplexed I asked a science forum once (might have even been a physics one). One person said something that will always stick with me which is - of all the people in human history who have seen a ghost, how statistically likely is it that every single one was wrong?

No advice on what you can or can’t do as no idea. But I believe you and not all ghosts are bad. Ours didn’t have a bad energy. It was more the pure shock of seeing each other!

Smudge it with sage (pls buy from Native American companies) and set up a mirror in there with clear quartz set around.

I agree with smudging google smudging

Physiological. You can get some really weird visual effects moving between areas with different levels of lighting. Add stress and your mind conjures up all sorts. Our brain processes the deluge of sensory input we experience. We don't need to /couldn't cope with consciously processing it. Our conscious mind only alerts to certain things. It doesn't always identify them correctly. It's fascinating stuff and some of it has to do with the electrical impulses in the brain which as a physicist should be up your street.

If your DD is scared of a room, there is probably something about it that reminds her of something she found traumatic. As a small child I was traumatised by tests I had in hospital. I was then utterly terrified of the bakery counter at local supermarket and had nightmares about the bakery for years. As an adult, still having the nightmares, I realised that the bakery staff white overalls and hairnets were similar to those worn by the hospital staff. Add in lots of stainless steel and artificial lighting and O Dear. Hysterics any time 3year old me went near the bakery.

Could it have been your eyes? I have a problem with mine - sometimes see imprints, flashers & floaters. Can be startling sometimes esp when not expecting it

My daughter flatly refused to go upstairs alone in our last house. It’s not uncommon.

I don’t know anything about ghosts, but I do know a LOT about brains. And any function your brain has (and it has zillions) can also malfunction. Either because of a health issue, or just a blip. I’ve seen people who have strokes and can’t see things out of their affected side (vision is fine, they just don’t perceive things) That don’t know one arm belongs to them, that can no longer speak their native language, that have sensations of being wet, smell smells that aren’t there, pains in limbs that they no longer have. People who sweat down one side of their face or whose leg’s move without their owners intention. And that’s just physical stuff. Perception is very, VERY complicated and influenced by senses, knowledge and experience in very strange and unconscious ways. For example, if you reach for a strawberry, but can smell oranges, you will often open your hand to the size of an orange, then consciously correct. It’s just a glitch. People on drugs or with temperature see are things that aren’t there all the time. We’re very easily fooled, and it always seems completely real.

If ghosts did exist (and there’s no logical reason why they wouldn’t, and it’s ridiculous to imagine we can perceive everything going on in a very complex world) what would they want with us? It sounds awfully self centred to assume these departed or other-worldly beings are interested in us at all. Presumably they have their own agendas (I was gong to say lives to lead!) and just want to get on with them, like everyone else. It always seems so dramatic and unoriginal, so while I do think there are plenty of things going on we have no idea about, I don’t think hauntings etc are part of that. If nothing else the accounts your hear of it are always so very dramatic and unoriginal.

However, it’s still not nice and very unsettling, especially when you are on your own and I really hope you feel better soon. I don’t mean to be dismissive of your experience.

So We had what we thought was a ghost issue. There was a room that terrified my teen self. We bought some sage and looked up a special prayer. We walked around and saged the house and asked the ghost nicely to go away or at least stay out of sight. We also grabbed some holy water and sprinkled it in the "scary" room.

I have walked around with incense in a house before when I was shit scared of some odd presence. My children were little and I was sleep deprived. I'm not from a Christian background so no sage or holy water. I now believe that whatever I did made ME more relaxed and that's why it had an effect.
Don't forget your daughter is also in a new environment and can take a while to settle.