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Original poster

A bit freaked, what do other MNers think?

98 replies

Callmemadam · 18/09/2006 22:23

I am not going to change my name for this, as anyone who recognises it will probably know I come from the sound and sensible corner . I would like to know what you make of this, though. We live in an old Victorian/medieval house in the SE, have been here for 2 years. There have been times when we have heard music, smelt smells (usually boiling meat for some reason) and heard what sounds like a child's voice upstairs calling. EVERY time we dismiss it/rationalise it away. Now 2 things have happened which have started me wondering if there is something else after all. We have never ever said anything to the children about this stuff, yet a fortnight ago dd1 (11) came running downstairs in tears at 11pm saying she couldn't go back to sleep because she had been listening to heavy breathing in her bedroom. She had even got out of bed to check little sisters room because she thought little sister was snoring. When she got back into bed someone spoke in her ear. She was adamant it was a voice but couldn't say what it said, it was just a noise to her. Anyway, we rationalised that away (overtired, just dropping off etc) and then the other night a friend came to stay with me with her 3 month old dd. We were alone in the house, downstairs watching tv, and baby was upstairs in the travel cot in the centre of the spare room. About 9.45pm there was a HUGE white noise static on the listner and we both jumped and Isabelle said'what the hell was that'. She picked the listener up and we could hear footsteps, as clear as a bell, crossing the wooden bedroom floor. She went haring upstairs thinking it was my little one going to look at the baby but dd2 was fast asleep in her room. Definately footsteps, and Isabelle knows nothing at all about the house. Have to admit I'm now wondering about it.....

OP posts:
dolally · 19/09/2006 21:51

Our Babyintercom used to pick up the neighbour on his cordless phone... Fascinating thread callmemadam, not that I fancy living in your house though!

Original poster
Callmemadam · 19/09/2006 23:07

LieselvonTrap, just to reassure most baby listener users , when we lived in Blackheath we used to be able to listen in to babies across the street so I know what you all mean about proximity! The thing that was different this time was that the listener was on all weekend without any further static bursts at all, not even a momentary blip, and IMMEDIATELY after the noise we could hear clear footsteps on the wooden floor in the bedroom. They were precise, distinct, and the slightly elongated noise that is made when you step, not a random thump. There were five or six steps, and Isabelle reacted immediately because she thought dd2 was going to wake the baby up. They were also quite quiet footsteps. Because the volume was turned up they were easy to hear. It wasn't central heating or hot water because the boiler was off. We were the only people in the house other than the two little ones, and the sounds were definately in the room with the baby. I don't know what it was, and I have decided to ignore it, so maybe that will be an end of it.

OP posts:
Pann · 20/09/2006 00:13

I HATE to disagree with St. G, BUT, check out the poltergeist phenomenon.
I dont know from where you receive your wisdom St. G., but in my experience it does sound like poltergeist activity.
Goggle it and see what you find.

SaintGeorge · 20/09/2006 00:19

From the fact that my mum is a medium and house-clearer and that my sister and I are witches.

Personally, almost 40 years of experience of spiritual activity of great variety.

IME poltergiests cause far more active phenomona than smells, small sounds and footsteps. They are linked to intense bursts of energy and their activity tends to follow an equally active pattern.

Pann · 20/09/2006 00:37

Again St George, HATE to disagree, but some of the activity so described IS poltergeist.

You are a witch, and with lots of experience, and my posting wasn't a challenge to that, but from what the OP states it still is consistent with poltergeist.
It's so difficult to assess fro mthe information given, but she should still ask the poltergeist question, me thinks.

aitch71 · 20/09/2006 00:50

callmemadam, i'm a bit frightened to go to bed now... but you've reminded me of my friend's horrible experiences when she was in halls of residence at uni.

basically she would very occasionally find streaks of black stuff on her things, which confused her. then she started to feel threatened in her room, and one night was asleep and felt someone on top of her, pushing her down with something over her mouth. she was terrified but it stopped abruptly and no-one was there.

she tried to get moved from the room but the halls person didn't take her seriously so she got a priest in who said a few prayers.

neverhteless, she never felt happy there again so went back again to ask to get another room and spoke to the most senior halls manager who agreed to move her when he looked up the room details, saw that no-one had ever wanted to stay there for more than a year (it was common for people to have the same room for a couple of years at least) and that in the 70s a student had died in a motorcycle accident. she's a bit hippy-dippy but i remember her being deadly serious and very scared.

SaintGeorge · 20/09/2006 00:56

Pann - I never suggested ignoring any route of investigation, simply stated my opinion and then supplied you with an answer as to from where I get my information.

I see very little similarity between your description of poltergeist experience - which sounds very typical - and the events happening to Callmemadam which seem very ordered and sedate.

lisalisa · 20/09/2006 00:57

Message withdrawn

SaintGeorge · 20/09/2006 01:04

Yes, for ease of explanation although I don't use the term 'white' personally as I don't see the need.

Pann · 20/09/2006 01:06

Yes, I agree St.G.

Definitions of phenomena are less than complete..my experience IS typical, but perhaps not covering all of such activity. Pols. do thrive on lots of emotional energy, and with the 'personnel' in the home it shouldn't be discounted.

My experience is the only one I have to relate to.

Happy, though, to bow to your experience of these things.

Also, tbh, am a bit cheesed with the "only logigics can explain it", when I know different.

Hoping you don't mind.

SaintGeorge · 20/09/2006 01:12

" Also, tbh, am a bit cheesed with the "only logigics can explain it", when I know different. "

?? Confused by that bit, but then I confuse easily at this time of night.

Pann · 20/09/2006 01:16

Sorry, the sceptics who reject any notion of a phenomenon happening, other than that which is easily explained by conventional means. That is all.

SaintGeorge · 20/09/2006 01:23

Ahhh, with you on that.

I believe in looking for the rational and logical first but then I am obviously open to anything beyond that.

I also dislike it when people make statements like (purely for example) "...I am a fairly sensible professional person, but am also sensitive to spirit activity..."

Why the but ?

Hey ho, I will continue to live my life defending my beliefs

I am away to bed. G'night Pann. Sleep well.

Pann · 20/09/2006 01:25

night.

expatinscotland · 20/09/2006 09:44

I'm w/StG on this. Doesn't sound like a poltergeist to me. IF it is indeed a haunted, it has the suggestions of being a classic 'residual' haunting.

Original poster
Callmemadam · 20/09/2006 22:46

Expat, what's a residual haunting, then?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 21/09/2006 10:47

It's just a playback, if you will, of events that happened in the house. Almost like playing a record over and over again. The same noises, the same footsteps, the same breath in the same spot, etc.

It's quite common.

SaintGeorge · 21/09/2006 11:05

With a residual haunting there is no interaction - as expat says it is like a recording and therefore is unchangeable.

An active haunting would be more interactive and could change/respond to something you say or do. It is usually because the spirit is trying to communicate for some reason, either personal to you or because they cannot move on for some reason and need help.

southeastastra · 21/09/2006 11:07

reading this thread i can't believe the argument over poltergeists! worry poor callmemadam silly!

stg and expat seem to know exactly what they're talking about! hope all is calm soon callmemadam.

expatinscotland · 21/09/2006 11:11

A residual can be frightening, but it's really not that troublesome.

Some residuals are hundreds of years old.

SaintGeorge · 21/09/2006 11:16

We have a residual in our house that you can set your calendar by (can't say clock, doesn't happen that often!)

I assume the dates must be anniversaries or something because 3 times annually we have a guy who walks through our house. We lived here for a few years before we realised it was the same 3 days each time.

expatinscotland · 21/09/2006 11:24

The first 'ghost' I ever saw was a residual. He appears and takes the exact same walk he's walked for nigh on 300 years. He's even walked right through folks if they're in his way.

southeastastra · 21/09/2006 11:26

i've been interested in ghosty things since i was little i really wish i could experience something but think i'm not tuned in (and never will be) it's very interesting stuff.

sugarfree · 21/09/2006 11:26

This is going to sound really silly but is a serious question....do you think they mind having to do the same thing over and over?Why do they?What makes them get stuck?
I really don't want to have to walk the school run or the track from washing machine to line for all eternity.

SaintGeorge · 21/09/2006 11:27

Trust me (and expat), don't go wishing for stuff like that.

One off residual witnessed in a historic property for example is 'interesting'.

Dealing with stuff all your life is a PITA