Work weirdness. Help.

[Methwell]

So I've name changed for this, as it's a bit outing - and long - but if you could humour me on this one because I'm a bit scared.

My office used to be a residential care home for boys with behavioural needs. One of them very sadly committed suicide on the stairs. This is all documented and factual - the records of the home are currently embargoed (is that a word?) but should have been released about 10 years ago. They're still marked as restricted, which makes me think that there was some fairly grim stuff in them. On the same site was a "home for young unmarried mothers" previous but I'm not sure that's relevant.

Anyway as long as I've worked there "Jim" has been a standing joke (we don't really call him Jim, we call him by his proper name) in that he moves things about and stomps upstairs - to the point where we had CCTV put in upstairs because it's one of those old houses like a rabbit warren, so if there was someone upstairs you could have been looking for them for hours. We haven't minded him at all. Could do without him heaving box files at my colleagues, but there.

Anyway, we're having some significant - overdue- restoration work done. We reported jackdaws in the loft space at the beginning of the year because we could hear them scratching in and out, someone came to net, there were no birds and no signs of birds. Yesterday someone came to do the initial site inspection to start the restoration work, and there was a horrible smell of rotten fabric all day. (Like a wet dishcloth that's been left damp somewhere.) The area where the smell was strongest is completely tanked and there are no fabric fixtures or fittings. There is nothing to smell of rotten fabric in that part of the building. I noticed it, the cleaner noticed it, various colleagues noticed it - it wasn't imaginary. The contractor is going to take up the (solid, tanked to 2" up the walls) floor and look later this week.

I've sort of got into the habit of talking to Jim when I'm in the office by myself, so he knows I'm one of the good guys: he doesn't have to hurt me or frighten me, and I'd rather he didn't try and see me off. I'm sure there are rational explanations for all of it, but I can't help thinking even if there is no "Jim" there is, if you like, the spiritual imprint or echo of a lot of hurt, frightened, angry young boys who suffered horrible trauma in that place, and I don't know if I'm making it better or worse. "He" seems to be getting worse, and I don't like being in there on my own now. I worry that when the builders come in there is going to be some sort of an accident.

I know it's long and I am sorry for that. But I don't know what to do!

[Methwell]

Just to add - I do appreciate it sounds like fishing for some crap sub Stephen King story ideas, but honestly, it's a real place.

[Finalcountdowntoourtripaway]

I believe you op. Could a local church come and do a blessing? When my dgm moved her new house had an evil presence.. Even my non woo woo dm hated it! Her local church offered to do a blessing. Seemed to help.

[Sharrowgirl]

You don’t know what to do? Why do you need to do anything? Ghosts and spirits don’t exist and anything you think you’ve seen, heard or indeed smelt is a combination of a very old building and your suggestible human mind.

[RaspberryChouxBuns]

Well there isn't anything you can do. If you feel comfortable enough to reach out, tell them that they are free of this miserable place and to go towards the light. If you believe in God say a prayer for the forgiveness and repose of their soul. To close out, say to them that you will no longer engage and this is the last you will speak to them. Often talking to them will keep them attached to the place or you. I hope you are protecting yourself before speaking to them and surrounding yourself with love and light.

[Ticksallboxes]

@Finalcountdowntoourtripaway

I believe you op. Could a local church come and do a blessing? When my dgm moved her new house had an evil presence.. Even my non woo woo dm hated it! Her local church offered to do a blessing. Seemed to help.

I would do this too. What a sad story OP.

[Craftycorvid]

If you do have some sentient presence, you are treating it/him in a very compassionate way. If it is just an old quirky building doing what old quirky buildings do, you know the history of the place and it’s all combining to have an impact on you. Either way, there is no harm in getting the place blessed/sending peace, love and compassion to any who experienced pain there. It seems a respectful thing to do and might help you feel better. A spiritualist friend of mine used to suggest a prayer and a gentle wish that the spirit moves on rather than staying stuck.

[Craftycorvid]

Also, friends who are into paranormal research tell me that activity does increase with changes to the environment where hauntings happen.

[Haveipeedontheircornflakes]

It's probably just a dead rat or mouse under the floorboards. Are you even allowed to talk about this on MN, 10 years ago isn't that long. @MNHQ

[VintageGibbon]

@Sharrowgirl

You don’t know what to do? Why do you need to do anything? Ghosts and spirits don’t exist and anything you think you’ve seen, heard or indeed smelt is a combination of a very old building and your suggestible human mind.

How do you know this? We scoff at the idea in the West but most cultures recognise and honour the spirits of the dead and believe they remain in other forms among us. The possibility exists.

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

Did the guy who came to do the inspection uncover and joists or remove rotten plaster to assess what needs to be done? Rain and warm weather can make damp wood and plaster smell very unpleasant. Also if he opened any area into the loft, the smell may be coming through there.

It will be structural, anyway.

[Methwell]

It's not been anything other than an office for decades, @Haveipeedontheircornflakes. It was the thing it was at the turn of the century - the records should have passed into the public domain about 10 years ago (it's available on the National Archives website) but haven't. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. I've worked for the organisation for almost 30 years and it's always been my office.

[Methwell]

Argh, just read my last post, I am that old -turn of the LAST century ie 1900s!

[NarcissasMumintheDoghouse]

In your position, OP, I'd contact the nearest Spiritualist church and ask them for advice.

[Sharrowgirl]

@VintageGibbon

How do you know this? We scoff at the idea in the West but most cultures recognise and honour the spirits of the dead and believe they remain in other forms among us. The possibility exists.

I believe that people believe they are seeing ghosts, as in they’re not making it up. But I don’t believe there’s actually anything there physically. The human mind has as yet unknown depths and is more powerful than we realise, and the explanation for ghosts lies there, rather than in the dead.

[Saucery]

Last year I visited a small town with a big old building in it that’s now holiday apartments. It sort of loomed over the town, if that makes sense. Had a really bad feeling about it and joked with DH that I’d rather sleep in a tent than rent a holiday there (I loathe camping).
I googled the building later and sure enough, it had been an Approved School with a long history of covered-up abuse. So I can well see how an imprint of that misery could linger there or in your workplace. As to what you’d do about it…..I think how you are personally handling it is fine if it gives you peace. A blessing from your local church couldn’t do any harm, but that’s aimed at the people working there, rather than banishing any spirits as such (because if you feel like a spirit has been banished, then to you, it has).
The smell I’d be more inclined to think had a physical source, however difficult it is to track down. Old buildings are really good at hiding weird stuff like that!

[GrumpyTerrier]

Renovations can stir things up. It isn't a good idea to talk to the ghost as this can also stir things up or make it latch on to you. The best thing is just to ignore the happenings. Hopefully it will settle down when the renovations are finished. Try doing regular visualisations where you imagine a protective white light all around you, then it extends out to fill the office etc. When you feel uneasy, put the radio on, keep the lights on, keep as much normality as you can, and just get on with your work. Ignoring it is definitely the best things, as long as it is possible.

[Antares444]

I believe the stories and that people actually see things but it doesn’t mean there are ghosts. The power of suggestion is huge. I once read about an experiment. They took a group of people to spend a night in an old hotel. The chose random people from that group and told them it was haunted. The other members weren’t told anything. The next morning the ones that listened to the ghost story had “paranormal” phenomena to report. The other ones slept through the night. Our minds can be easily manipulated.

[indecisivewoman81]

I would see if you could get a blessing done on the place, especially if you feel the mood of the place in the last few days have changed

[Gandalfsthong]

I believe you OP, not generally one for woo but some things we can’t explain and I also feel strong energy/trauma can leave behind a trace of something, bonkers though it sounds. We had a strange smell when my grandad passed. He died in hospital miles away yet there were patches of his distinctive smell (pipe smoke, home brew etc.) in a room at my parents house where he’d stayed once.
my mum asked him to move on because he was scaring us. Smell gone. No idea if there is anything to this but I’d agree with having the place blessed. So sad.

[TotalRhubarb]

Get somebody in from the local Spiritualist church. They will be able to help him move on. It would be a kindness to him.