Thursday, October 21, 2010

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Since it's October and all, I figured it'd be a good time to talk about things that go bump in the night. First, do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever been visited by a spirit? Well, I have. And here's what happened...

It was back when my oldest was still just a baby. I used to have this routine when I put her to bed at night. I'd sit in a chair next to her crib, reach my hand through the railing and rub her arms, legs, back, and sing to her. I can't hold a tune, but I'd sing things like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". She'd eventually nod off. Kati always had trouble sleeping, but that seemed to help. Anyway, I found I looked forward to these quiet moments. The room would be dark, and it gave me a chance to unwind from the hectic day I'd had.

Then it happened.

One night, as I was singing to Kati and rubbing her arm, an image of a teenage boy popped into my head. It wasn't a physical thing. He wasn't IN the room with us. But in my mind I saw him so clearly. As if I knew him. He had dirty blond hair and this ornery smile. He was tall, lean, and seemed, I don't know, familar. The next night the same thing happened. His image appeared in my mind, only this time I had a stray thought about my little brother, Paul. Paul had died of SIDS, so I never really got to know him or remember him, I was too young. I wasn't sure why I was suddenly thinking about him.

The next night was more of the same. This cute, blond smiling at me, and then I'd think of baby Paul. The combination made no sense to me. After about a week of this, I finally caved and called my mom in the hopes she'd have some grand answer as to why I was having these strange...visions. I explained in detail what was going on. Mom got real quiet. My first thought was 'oh no, I've upset her by bringing up Paul'. We tended to not talk about him because it hurt her. Finally she spoke and what she said sent chills down my spine.

"Today's the anniversary of Paul's death", she said, her voice trembling.

I couldn't speak, couldn't move. The thing is, I never actually KNEW the date Paul died. It was just so hard for my mom and so we never really talked about it. The fact that I'd been seeing him in these visions a week before he died, and that I would call my mom on the very date that he passed away, well, it stunned the both of us.

So, what did it all mean? I felt there was something to this. A reason Paul came to me. After mom and I both recovered, we decided that it was Paul's way of asking us to remember him. We felt he was trying to tell us that he was okay and that we should remember him with a smile, not tears.

Things changed after that. For one, I never saw that smiling boy again. Also, mom and I started visiting Paul's grave regularly. I've talked to my girls about him too. Paul's wish was granted because we'll always remember him with love and a smile. :) 


So, what strange things have happened to you? Ever have a spirit visit you in the dead of night?

21 comments:

V. J. Devereaux aka Valerie Douglas said...

I had a late night visitor of the ghostly sort. I was about seven, and woke up one night in the middle of the night to find an unfamiliar man kneeling by the side of my bed praying. He sort of had this glow about him, because I could see him clearly.
It scared me of course, so I ducked my head under the covers, then peeked out. He never moved, never stopped praying. After a moment I relaxed because he clearly didn't intend to hurt me, he never even looked at me. I just watched him pray and fell back asleep.

Maria D. said...

I have never been visited by a ghost or vision like what you describe. Very interesting story though.

Judith Leger said...

Yes and yes to both your questions. I was touched by a spirit for many years. I'm not a very brave person...okay, I admit it, I'm a frigging chicken when it comes to things like this.

I've seen ghosts, spirits, heard them, been touched by them and quite frankly it scares the bejesus out of me.

I love your story. Very touching and I believe you and your Mom are right about who the young man was.

Elizabeth Black said...

Wow, what a sweet story, if a bit disturbing. It was very touching.

I stayed in a haunted bed and breakfast a few decades ago and heard a party going on in the room next to me in the dead of night. I found out the next morning I was alone in the place all night long! I wasn't scared at all and I even returned a few years later to have another experience. I'd be happy to stay a third time.

Madison Scott said...

Wow. that's an amazing story, Anne.

I've never had anything like that happen to me, but I definitely believe in spirits and ghosts.

Barb said...

Never had visions of spirits but in the house we're living in now, we have coins that drop out of nowhere. We are living in my sisters house. My sister has had visions of her deceased husband so we believe it's something to do with him. One evening we totaled up 88 cents. 1988 was the year he was tragically killed in a car accident.

Anne Rainey said...

Valerie--wow...that gives me chills. You never knew who he might have been? Maybe a relative that passed? Did you ever tell your parents?

Anne Rainey said...

Maria--That's the ONLY time something like that's happened to me.

My daughter had an interesting visitor once. She was a toddler and we were at my mom's house. Kati pointed to the corner of the dining room and said, 'who's that little girl, mommy?' Uh, no one was there and I told her that. She smiled and said, 'she's right there. See?'

Now, some might say she had an imaginary friend or that she was making it up. But Kati never did do the imaginary friend thing and she never lied, not to me.

After that day, she never mentioned the little girl again.

Just that once.

Anne Rainey said...

Judith--See, now that just fascinates me! And I'm way too chicken too. Actually being touched by a spirit would totally freak me out. Have you ever recognized them? Loved ones? Or just strangers? Are they friendly or not so friendly?

This stuff is very interesting to me, as you can see. LOL

Anne Rainey said...

Elizabeth--That sounds like it'd make a great start to a story! And did you ever ask the folks who owned the place if other guests ever had the same thing happen to them?

Max M. Power said...

Where to begin. I have had paranormal experiences since I was in the 4th grade. Some good, some bad, one tried killing me. I had one that was a female who liked to play jokes, till she went to far and broke a mug that I had made with my family photo on it.
Ghost are real, I know, I deal with them often.

Max M. Power said...

My daughter had a visitor once. It was an aunt of hers that had passed away from cancer. In her last days she had asked to see my daughter, who was 2 at the time, but everyone agreed it would not be a good idea for my daughter to see this aunt in her condition. My daughter use to bring a smile to the aunt's face every time she saw her. I was at home taking care of my daughter while the rest of the family was saying goodbye. My daughter was quite in her room then started talking to someone. I went to check on her and she told me she was playing with her aunt. At that moment the phone rang and when I answered it I said SHE'S GONE ISNT SHE? She had just passed one minute before the call.

Natalie Dae said...

Awww, bless the little man. Such a sad thing to have happened.

Yep, I believe in spirits and ghosts.

:)

Anne Rainey said...

Barb--I've never heard of objects dropping out of nowhere like that. You must have been absolutely mystified when it first happened!

88cents=1988...oh wow!

Anne Rainey said...

Max--I'm so glad you popped over her to share those stories. So, what did you do the first time it happened? Did you tell anyone?

And I think it's awesome that your daughter got to play with her aunt one last time--even if it was just her spirit. :)

Judith Leger said...

Okay, you asked for it. When my oldest son was little, he would sleep with me and DH. He and I would go to bed early and DH would come later. Our house at the time belonged to hubby's deceased grandparents. Our bedroom was in the center of the house. The very center. Not really sure when this started but I know it had been going on for a while before I realized it wasn't what I thought it was. I always sleep on my stomach. Shortly after I would begin to doze off I would feel a bump or tap on the back of my left calf. I sleep on the left side of the bed. At first I would get up to see what had made me feel that but nothing was ever there. This continued for several days and I never found out what it was. I thought because the house was old maybe, just maybe, we'd gotten a mouse in the attic, and it was coming through the ceiling fan to fall on my bed. (Can I say I was not thrilled with this thought?) Then it hit me. The ceiling fan was always on. There wasn't any way something could fall from it straight down onto the bed. That's when the taps and bumps became stronger.

I would pray for who or what ever it was to stop cause I was in a constant state of fear whenever it happened. It would stop for a day or so but would always start up again.

Then one night (a Saturday if I remember correctly) I went to bed last. I'd just laid down and had closed my eyes. All of a sudden I could hear someone running from our sun room in the front of the house through the living room, in the kitchen then the hallway in front of my bedroom door. The steps were so heavy my waterbed shook. As the sound grew closer, my eyes were glued on the door. I thought maybe someone had broke into the house.

No, I saw a body the size of a young child about 10ish or so dressed in swaddling clothes. The figure was very thin and glowed white. It run passed my bedroom door and then the sounds and movement stopped. There had been a body with chest, arms and legs but no head. Nothing, just black emptiness.

I was unable to move for a long time. I reached out and touched my husband and child. They were both sound to sleep. I gathered my courage and checked the house. There was nothing there. Also for anyone who are curious, no I did not dream or imagine this. I was wide awake.

The next day I told my MIL about it and she swears it must have been my DH's little sister who died when she was 9. The sister had been a waterhead baby and she had never come home but she was the sweetest child. Always smiling.

Knowing this gave me some peace but I still didn't like the fact that the tapping still went on. Even after we moved into our new house, I still feel it every now and then.

Anne Rainey said...

Judith--I'm truly sorry for the sister. I wonder why she latched onto you?

And let me just say that's the most frightening situation! There is no way I would have been able to sleep in that house. :-/

kittykelly28 said...

I've never met a ghost or anything like that but I hear things going bump in the night all the time! I'm just too chicken to get up and look. :)

Kelly
kittykelly28 at hotmail.com

Zina said...

I've not ever had that experience and I;m glad of it.
Zina

Max M. Power said...

First time I ever had an encounter I was 5 and it scared the crap out of me, literally. I nearly drowned, I was held underwater by a spirit and then let go. My stupid cousins were taunting some spirit is all I remember.
Like I said, I've had both good and bad experiences. I had a spirit that use to play with my water bottle, moving it around my desk every time I stepped away from my desk.

Max M. Power said...

I can email you some stories if you want, just let me know.