I’m always hearing about unexplainable paranormal experiences people have had.
I hear about them while I’m at my local coffee shop. Also while I’m setting flowers out at the local cemetery. Many people go there to visit with their past loved ones — and sometimes they speak back.
See if any of these are familiar to your personal real ghost stories.
Dianne was out shopping with her sister.
When they were checking out, her sister remarked, “I’m so tired, I can’t wait to rest my head on my pillow.”
A week later Dianne’s sister was attacked and killed while walking to her car after work.
A month later Dianne was putting away clean linens in the closet when a pillow case fell from the shelf.
Dianne felt at first uncomfortable, then a sense of well-being came over her. She took it as a sign that her sister was telling her everything was all right.
We do have our loved ones contact us beyond the grave in many different ways.
Penny dropped a friend home one night.
Her friend lived out on a dirt country road. Penny was feeling uncomfortable about driving out there, but she was a friend and needed a ride.
On her way home after dropping off her friend, Penny’s car just died. It was dark all around her. She couldn’t get the car started. Her headlights didn’t work, there was no signal for her cell phone. She found a flashlight, stepped out of the car to look around. She saw a handmade sign on the side of the road that read, “Heaven is near.”
She heard footsteps behind her and got back into her car and locked the door.
Penny was sure the grim reaper was after her.
Penny was so scared, she fainted.
When she awoke about two hours later — it was after 7 PM when she dropped her friend off and it was then after 9 PM — the car was idling and the headlights were on.
She drove home in a haze not knowing what happened.
Some may say alien abduction. Others may say that her imagination got the better of her and she may have blacked out and in that blacked out state got the car running again.
I believe things happen for a reason. It’s possible that Penny needed to stop for awhile before exiting the dirt road and getting back on the highway. It’s similar to being delayed when we’re ready to go and we can’t find our keys.
We do have angels looking out for us.
Grandma Rita’s “Sittings”
Ralph’s grandmother was a medium. Every Friday night without fail she had what she called “sittings,” but they could be considered séances.
Ralph’s grandmother, grandfather, mother, father and Ralph were always there. Friends and neighbors would sometimes attend or invite a friend. It was nothing formal and there was no charge for participating.
One fall evening Ralph’s family was in attendance with two neighbor ladies. Rita was getting ready to begin when the flash of headlights shined through the front picture window. They heard a car door slam, followed by two more.
Ralph’s father got up to greet the late arrivals. He looked out the front window, but saw no car outside. He opened the front door and there was no one there.
Everyone heard the same thing, everyone looked out the front window — nothing was there.
Rita said something quite strange, “Now that we’re all here, shall we begin?”
Everyone returned to their seat and the “sitting” began.
Ralph doesn’t remember anything special about that reading. It may be his imagination, but he thought there may have been three more guests sitting at the table he couldn’t see.
Strange and unusual things happen all the time. Rita knew what was going on, but didn’t enlighten her family or guests. Spirits are individuals with personalities. These spirits were having a bit of fun in their mode of transportation. They knew how to make an entrance.
Brian’s Scary Night Alone
Brian was home alone to catch up on some work while his wife and children went to a movie after dinner. He was in his office when he heard water running in the kitchen. He thought his family was home and his wife was doing the dishes. He checked — no running water and no dirty dishes in the sink.
He returned to his office when he heard the television turn on and the distinctive sound of channels being changed. Brian went to check. The TV was off.
He called out to his family and even went upstairs to check all the rooms. He found nothing except a teddy bear in the hallway. He picked it up and tossed it on the bed of his youngest daughter.
When he returned to his office, the teddy bear was in his desk chair.
He was going to move it, but with all the other activities of the evening, he backed away and went into the living room to watch television. He channel surfed for awhile and decided to watch a DVD.
When Brian returned to his chair, the teddy bear was sitting there with it’s glassy eyes staring at him.
This time he threw the bear out of his chair and across the room.
He was so unnerved by the experience, he decided to go to bed and read. On his way up the stairs, the bear tripped him and he fell hard on the stairs knocking himself out.
When his family returned home, Brian was still sprawled unconscious on the stairs. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital.
His wife removed the teddy bear from the house after hearing Brian’s tale. Before returning home she had the house blessed, but when Brian returned there were still strange things going on in the house.
They soon moved.
There have been possessed dolls — why not teddy bears? There have been poltergeists and ghosts in houses. Brian believes this was the first time he was home alone. Had his family been with him, he would have thought nothing of the teddy bear being moved around, thinking his daughter or one of the other children did it.
It’s always fun to hear about the experiences of others — some are similar to our own — and some, thankfully haven’t happened to us.
I hope you enjoyed this post of a few real ghost stories — maybe there weren’t any real ghosts . . . but it does fit the broad definition.
David bought a small house a year after his wife of 40 years passed.
He needed a change. The house was a constant reminder of the life he shared with his family — the children were grown with families of their own. So, David decided he needed to move on and maybe a new living environment would help him not be so lost and lonely.
In his new home, David. noticed the rooms were filled with junk from the previous owner. He phoned the realtor to see if they needed more time to remove all the old belongings they left. After an hour he received a call saying they took what they wanted and he could do as he pleased with what was left.
He busied himself disposing of all that was beyond repair and put other items into another spare room, for the next trash pick-up day. He also set aside some miscellaneous items to see if at a later date he might find a use for them.
He found a set of iron shelves he put on the wall as a bookcase, he used a couple of old chests to display his wine collection and used a sofa, chair, end tables and coffee table to balance things out a bit.
He was pleased there was a dining table with chairs already set up in the dining area and the kitchen still had dinnerware, silverware, and cookware in the cupboards.
He found an old bird cage he cleaned up and decided to put candles in.
He spent most of the day and evening putting together an old broken rocking chair.
He was sitting in the rocking chair and smelled honeysuckle. He wasn’t aware if any was planted outside, but he liked the scent and if not, he was going to definitely plant some outside.
He looked around the room, admiring all he accomplished and then wondered what was missing. He was positive something was missing. Consciously, this was the first time he started furnishing his house, but this was all odds and ends of another life, long ago — not David’s life. Was he remembering something? Was some entity there directing him?
He walked into the spare bedroom for anything he could add to his living room. He found a clock he could put on the mantle and some figurines of wild life.
When he arranged them on the mantle, he was feeling a bit more “complete.”
He turned around and said very seriously, “Is there someone here? Were you helping me? I hope you don’t mind my using your furniture, book shelves and these pieces I put on the mantle. I couldn’t throw some of this stuff out. I didn’t mean to interfere . . .” David didn’t want to say the next part. He really liked this little house, but he knew in order to have peace with spirits he would have to get it all out.
“If you don’t want me to be here, I guess I’ll have to sell the house and find someone else to buy it and find someplace else to live. If this is what you want, let me know, but please don’t move things around and make a bunch of noise. That would scare me half to death. Thank you.”
It seems everything is fine at David’s house. He’s been there for 5 years now. He has noticed the rocking chair rocking slightly and he feels there is someone there — an older man keeping him company when he doesn’t have friends or family visiting.
Yes, it does seem possible for the living and the non-living to share a space compatibly together. Very few mention having a resident ghost in their house, but sometimes they do seem just like one of the family.
Patty and her daughter, Heather of The G Team Paranormal Investigations were given a Mystery Basket by a friend.
They decided to open it while filming.
You can see for yourself that strange things were going on outside of Patty’s house. No simple explanation could be given for the events they experienced and recorded. There was something paranormal at play here.
What do you think was going on?
Some viewers thought it had a Dybbix sealed up inside. I don’t believe that was the case. These were the treasured possessions of the woman whose picture was in the metal pot.
I can understand the “curiousity” factor of wanting to know what is inside and also being “attracted” to the basket . . .
I had a similar experience with a pair of moccasins I found at an antique store specializing in Native American memorabilia.
The moccasins were high on a shelf at the back of the check-out stand. I zeroed in on them when I walked into the store. It was the strangest thing. I’m not actually sure why I went there — I wasn’t looking for anything in particular and a pair of moccasins was definitely not on my “must have” list.
But, to make a long story short, I inquired about the moccasins and was told, “You can have them, let me get a box for you.”
The man behind the counter went into the back room for a box . . . I studied the moccasins — I liked the beading on them — a beautiful pair of roses. But . . . there was something about the moccasins — they were used and almost worn out.
I remember hearing how many Native American Tribes will burn the belongings of a deceased person after their death — no matter how valuable or sentimental certain items were to loved ones — everything would be burned.
Upon examining these moccasins, they should have been burned, not put on display . . .
I decided to walk out and leave the moccasins behind. But before I reached the door, the man returned with a box. He was saying, “You won’t believe this, but this is the original box the moccasins were brought in with. I remember it as though it was yesterday . . . but it was quite some time ago. I was told that someone, a woman, was going to come into the shop and ask about the moccasins and I was to give them to her free of charge.”
“Well . . .” I hesitated. “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want them.”
The man laughed, “Yes, yes, I was told you would say that, but they are meant for you.”
This really creeped me out!! If it was a scam, it was clever . . . but no way did I want anything to do with the shop, the man and definitely not the moccasins with the rose beading.
I ran out of the shop, got in my car and drove away as quickly and safely as possible.
Before going home, I stopped to meet a friend and get something to eat. I told June of my strange experience with the moccasins and the strange man at the shop. She agreed that those moccasins should have been burned along with the woman’s other personal possessions — not given away.
Late that night, I heard a cracket at my front door — It sounded as though someone was trying to kick the door down . . .
I opened the door . . .
Looked down . . .
And saw the moccasins with the red roses beaded on them . . .
I absolutely couldn’t believe it — they followed me . . . Buy why?
I seriously didn’t want to have anything to do with them . . . Obviously, they didn’t want to be set free . . . There was something I had to do for them.
I went into my backyard with the pair of moccasins and prepared my fire pit . . .
Yes, I was going to burn them — to set them free in a different way, perhaps for the deceased owner to use in her afterlife . . . or do just complete the job someone else was unable to do.
I placed them in my fire pit . . . said a little prayer, hoping I was doing the right thing . . .
I saw a beautiful orb come out of the ashes of my fire pit. I believe I did reunite the woman with her moccasins.
It seems my local coffee shop is the place for me to learn about the paranormal experiences of others. I guess I’ve gotten a reputation in my little corner of the city that I’ll listen to the strange and unusual stories of others without judgment. All I can say is that I’m delighted most of these things haven’t happened to me . . . but I’ve had my share of experiences.
It’s unfortunate that in many places throughout history there have been men and women murdering their families. For this and many other possible reasons, one never knows for sure what has happened in their own homes by previous owners or visitors.
Sonny lives with his grandmother in an old mansion near the cemetery. That, in and of itself is spooky enough, but that has no baring on this story — the location. What is significant is that there was a murder in the house. It seemed back in the 1940’s a family of five invited a long lost cousin to stay with them for a visit.
What happened in the house?
Hugh and Suzanne Williamson lived in a lovely mansion with their two sons and a daughter. Mrs. Williamson was in contact with a man who claimed to be a cousin from Montana. In their correspondence (this was during the 1940’s when snail mail was the preferred means of communication) it became clear that Suzanne’s father and Brian’s (the cousin) mother were cousins. As usually happens when one exchanges letters Suzanne extended an invitation to visit if he’s ever in California.
After a year of corresponding, Brian says he’s taking a train trip out to California for a visit. He gives Suzanne the details of when he’ll arrive.
The Williamson family picks up cousin Brian at the train depot and brings him into their home. He does come with gifts and photographs of the shared family history in Montana. It all seems legitimate and true. Suzanne has photographs of similar pictures. What the family doesn’t know is that Brian had a troubled upbringing and for the past several years was institutionalized for the criminally insane.
It is unknown if he escaped or was released.
Brian was the perfect house guest for the first couple of days. Then he stopped interacting with the family. He would stay in his room all day and would be out all night.
Suzanne and Hugh waited up for him one night and told him it was time for him to return home — his visit was now over.
While the Williamson family slept, Brian murdered them all and was on the train early the next morning, destination unknown.
It took a couple of days before the bodies were found. (This was told to Sonny’s grandmother by a neighbor who lived next door to the Williamson’s when it happened.)
Sonny is a college student. He lives with his grandmother, aunt and little cousin, Gillian.
One Saturday morning, Sonny was doing laundry in the basement. His grandmother, aunt and little cousin were out shopping. He saw a little girl he thought was Gillian playing in the basement. She asked him for a glass of water. He went into the kitchen to get the water for her. He set the glass on the counter when his grandmother, aunt and cousin walked in with their arms full of grocery bags. He went out to the car to help bring in more bags.
When he went back into the basement to put his laundry into the dryer, he noticed the glass next to some toys. Sonny realized that Gillian wasn’t in the basement with him asking for a glass of water. She was out of the house with her mother and grandmother.
The creepy thing was that the glass was empty — no evidence that it had spilled.
He immediately told his grandmother what had happened. He was shaken up by the experience.
No one else has seen the ghost of the little girl or any other Williamson family member.
Sonny believes the little girl is with him all the time. He’ll see her in the house and at college and every place he goes.
I noticed Sonny brought his coffee and a glass of water to the table. He drank his coffee and never touched the water, but by the time his story was completed . . . his water glass was empty.
I was at a used bookstore one afternoon and I found this old diary.
I was excited about it, but I was also nervous about buying something as private as a diary, but I bought it and kept it in my car for a few weeks before smudging it and bringing it into the house. Then, it took me a few more weeks before I sat down to read it.
The year was 1864.
The diary opened with accounts. Adaline Murphy and Franklin MacArthur were making plans for a June wedding. They had begun pooling their accounts.
Adaline lived with her mother, father and brother outside of town. Her mother read tea leaves, cards and made potions of various kinds the “well to do ladies” wanted to keep their husbands faithful and give their children an edge over their peers. Adaline’s specialty was a face cream to keep women looking young. She always had something brewing in the cauldrons out back. There were all sorts of potions that were in demand.
Franklin was a friend of Adaline’s brother. They ran the local horse and buggy service to take ladies shopping or to take crops to market for the various farmers. They also would deliver furniture to the various mansions they picked up at the train station or at the docks. They had a good business. Adaline’s father was a businessman, but it wasn’t explained what kind of business he ran, but he was very successful in whatever he did and knew all the important people in town, but he never mixed with them socially. There was a definite line that wasn’t crossed. The fact that the Murphy’s were considered gypsies could have been the barrier, but Adaline didn’t seem to mind, they had a commodity that sold well and was always in demand.
Franklin’s family were farmers. He was the eldest of eight siblings and went out on his own as soon as he saved enough money to start his business with Bentley Murphy. He lived in a room above the barn on the Murphy property, but every Sunday he and Adaline would go to the MacArthur farm for Sunday dinner.
Adaline didn’t go to school with the other children. She learned what she needed to know about business from her father and potions, card reading and cooking from her mother. She also had her own following of “groupies” who bought her hot lunch specialties during the week. The athletes would fill up on her stews and wear amulets she made for them. It was good no one asked what meat was in the stew. From what I learned from the diary, they would cook whatever got caught in their traps — even things that most people wouldn’t normally eat.
Church Revivals were a big thing in the area and with all the land the Murphy’s had, they invited preachers from all over the country to hold their revivals on their land. Although, the preaching and the tea leaf reading, potions, etc. didn’t mix, they seemed to during these revivals. Adaline would lure them over with her cauldrons of tasty stew and whatever else they had to sell.
The sad truth revealed in the diary was Adaline had no loyalty to the hometown team. Money was money to her and her family. They would tell fortunes and make amulets for anyone who wanted one and would pay the price.
There was a big cross town rivalry homecoming game that was the talk of the town.
Both teams bought from the Murphy’s and both teams thought they had the edge to be the winner.
After the game, with a close score of 56 to 57, the losing team heard about the Murphy’s and how they must have made stronger amulets for the opposing team and they were going to get even with them.
Adaline was killed and never did marry Franklin. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy were out of town at the time and Franklin and Bentley were busy with their buggy service that night.
Franklin was heartbroken and never married. His eldest sister took Adaline’s place behind the cauldrons and making potions and beauty creams. She had an interest in learning this craft and worked closely with Adaline and later with Mrs. Murphy.
According to the diary Adaline’s ghost had been seen on the back roads of the town. She was going to the school with her hot lunches. She was also seen in the woods selling amulets to women who passed through on their shopping trips. I believe Franklin’s sister wanted to keep the legend alive and she would dress like Adaline and appear in the woods and sell amulets and potions. It seemed to be the talk of tea parties when someone bought an amulet or potion from the ghost of Adaline Murphy.
One incident occurred at the wedding of the star football quarterback. Some of his friends got a bit too drunk and loosened the reins of the horses on the buggy. The idea was for the horses to run off leaving the newlyweds stranded in the buggy, but something went wrong and when the men fired their guns they shot the young couple and the horses took off with the buggy and the dead newlyweds.
One entry said that the spirit of Adaline was seen at the wedding. It is believed she was seeking revenge of her murder.
Whenever she appeared at a wedding something went wrong either that day or with the young couple during the first few months of their marriage.
I don’t know the truth of the diary. I don’t know if Adaline’s ghost appears from time to time to avenge her murder. It has become a local urban legend.
One diary entry I found particularly interesting was dated March 26, 1864:
Franklin and I are planning to go far far away once we’re married. We don’t want to raise our children here. We both know how to make money and we want to live in one of the fine houses and raise our children with all the fine things money can buy. Our children will want for nothing and they will have amulets and potions to fulfill their heart’s desires. I will not be able to practice my trade openly, but Franklin’s sister Mary may come join us and carry on in my place.
I don’t know about being a fine lady, but I will learn for the sake of my children. Being backwoods gypsies isn’t the life I want for them.
The smoke of the third cauldron foretells of my not seeing my wedding day. There will be no children and no great home. I am not meant to be a fine lady. I am who I am and the plans Franklin and I have made offended the ancestors. Franklin and I shall not be wed. My heart breaks with this revelation, but I cannot bring myself to tell him. I cannot bare to see him with another.
Mother says the smoke of the third cauldron tells the truth and it cannot be changed.
I suppose the blessing was that Adaline didn’t know the full extent of her revelation. Too bad it wasn’t a warning of what was to come so she, too, could have been away the night of the homecoming game, but it wasn’t meant to be.
I found this entry to be a bit unsettling. I do, however, find it interesting how superstitions can be self-fulfilling prophacies.
It was one of the old mansions in town that got everyone exciting about this particular estate sale.
I was there bright and early so I wouldn’t miss anything. The article said that everything had to go and the attic was filled to the rafters with cast offs from decades of storage. It’s something that feeds the imagination.
I was talking to a few people before the doors opened. Everyone had something special they were seeking: old dinnerware, toys, dolls, silver, old clothes, furniture, fixtures, etc.. I understood even the chandeliers were going and those were original with the house. I was daydreaming and missed the rush of bargain hunters when the door opened.
I was almost ready to leave as soon as I entered the residence.
I was assaulted with muggy air — it was thick and hot. I was feeling a little ill, but I continued on as though nothing was wrong. I took a hankie from my purse and gently dabbed the moisture off my face. My glasses were sliding down my nose and become a bit foggy.
I did see an entity a few feet away from me, frantically trying to get my attention or anyone’s attention in the room. Every time I walked away my legs buckled out from under me. It was awkward for me to just stop in the middle of the room and converse with a ghost, but it was giving me no choice. Every place had people milling around, so I just had to do the best I could to hear what this trapped spirit wanted to say to me. With my hankie still in hand, I thought this may cover the fact I was actually talking to something that others couldn’t see.
“My home is being destroyed, who are these vandal?” were the first words addressed to me.
I didn’t know if I was in the vandal category or if he thought I would help him in some manner — maybe to get rid of the rift-raft which I couldn’t do for him. I tried to explain that this was no longer his house and others had lived there over the years. He wasn’t buying any of it. He spoke of losing his wife after the children moved away and hadn’t seen them for a very long time.
Well, all that was back at the turn of the 20th century. I told him his wife and children and grandchildren were all waiting for him and he could leave at any time.
“I do hear my name being called. It sounds just like my Anna,” he said sadly shaking his head. “Is she trapped here? In the walls?”
“No, she’s beyond the walls. Come outside with me,” I said.
I didn’t see the bright light, but I saw swirling white mist circling the entity of the tried old soul. I just got pieces of conversation, almost like there was static on an invisible line. His wife was coming for him. He was having quite a reunion with his loved ones. I couldn’t help the big grin on my face.
Some people were leaving the estate and others were coming in while this beautiful passage was taking place. Then there was silence.
To be honest with you, I believe I came to the estate, not for antiques or a look around the mansion, but to help this trapped soul. As soon as he was gone, I felt free to go, as though my job there was done. I was also exhausted and felt the need for a nap.
In my sleep, I was visited by the man and his family. He asked why I hadn’t been there earlier. My only reply was that he wasn’t ready then. I believe I’m drawn to where I need to be. He seemed to accept that. That was good, because it was the best explanation I had at this time.
