Seven Signs You May Be Experiencing Paranormal Activity

Hollywood would have us think that there would be no shred of doubt if our house was haunted. The poor soul unfortunate enough to find themselves in this predicament would have blood that oozed from the walls and deep bellowing voices ordering them to "get out!" Or maybe the homeowner would be haunted by the good ghost of a little child that just wants to find their mommy and have someone to play with. Ghost stories and paranormal tales clog the airwaves of television and the Internet reporting tales that border on the incredulous, and in some cases just plain absurd.

How then, is a person that thinks they might have some sort of paranormal infestation going on suppose to know what to look for and what could be the signs of real paranormal activity? I am sure most rational people would have no doubt what was happening if they saw something that was a Hollywood style caliber. Unfortunately signs of the paranormal are usually more subtle than dramatic and do not necessarily happen all the time. Here are seven signs that could be indicators that you need the expertise of a paranormal investigative team.

1. Pets Behave Strangely- I have pets and I can tell you that pets are just strange by their own nature. There is however a point where pets are acting strange beyond their eccentric ways. If you begin to notice that your pets will no longer go in a particular area or room of your house, they just dig in their claws and refuse, you should pay attention. Likewise if you find your usual docile dog or cat growling and hissing at some unseen thing and behave in a disturbed manner yet you can not find a reason why. Finally if you notice your pet is interacting by staring, listening or following something with their eyes you cannot see, remember they have senses different then our own, they may be reacting to something out of the ordinary. Make a note of where and when these situations occur.

2. Appliances or household fixtures turn on or off for no apparent reason- Technology is a wonderful thing, that is when your gadgets work like they should. It is not unusual for electronics especially, to experience glitches that cause them to do strange malfunctional things. We all have had cell phones break in over our favorite television shows, or a clock go wonky and no longer keep time correctly. These are not paranormal events. If however you have lights that turn themselves on or off without the clapper you could have something more then a shorted wire happening. Especially if it happens with different types of lights or in different areas of the house. Likewise with water faucets that turn on or off all by themselves. Dripping is one thing, completely on is another thing.

3. Household or personal items disappear, seem to be moved , witness of things moving for no apparent reason- I am an absent minded person and lose things in the house all the time. Even in my forgetful state I can usually narrow down the most likely place I might find the lost item. Most folks can. Some people are very orderly and always have a place for everything, it can be very frustrating when things seem to grow legs and walk away on their own. This is a tricky subject when it comes to the paranormal. Sometimes you will know something is out of place, usually when this happens you find the item in a place you would never have put it and are so baffled how it got to to that location, you start to wonder if maybe someone got in the house. This could be paranormal.

Actually seeing something move on its own is one of the most frightening things someone can witness in the paranormal field. Whether it is a door opening or closing or something flying off a shelf. At first it is just interesting because you will be caught by surprise, in fact you may even try to figure out how it happened. The fear sets in when you can give no rational explanation for the event. When this type of phenomenon occurs most individuals will call for a paranormal investigator or a member of the clergy.

4. Cold Spots that seem to materialize and move - There is something very unnerving about suddenly walking into a cold spot in your own home. A cold spot is usually a small area of very cold air in comparison to the temperature in other parts of the home. It I not caused by a drafty window, and can seem to move around as if it had a life of its own. Unlike a draft that stays in about the same area and tends to be constant a cold spot will not. Cold spots tend to be temporary lasting only a short time.

5. Unexplained sounds - When you have lived in a home for any period of time, it is easy to become familiar with the sounds of your abode. Hearing something unexpected, especially if it is loud and does not seem to be from something like a mouse, can be frightening. Examples would be the sounds of slamming doors, breaking glass without a burglar or brick in sight, or banging on walls that does not seem to be from pipes. Likewise sounds of footsteps could be paranormal.

6. Eyewitness of manifestation- If you or someone that has visited your house sees something materialize other then dust bunnies you could have paranormal activity. Materialization can happen in a few different ways. Sometimes shadow people are seen, these are usually small fast moving shadows that are not cast from the furniture or surroundings. Other times someone could see wisps, things out of the corner of their eyes, or even something as substantial as a person that is there, but disappears. If their is a witness to a materialization try to get a description of what the apparition looked like. pay attention to what they wore and did. It is possible that the premises has a residual haunting.

7. Strange dreams, nightmares changes in moods or behaviors that lift when you leave the premise- By far one of the most serious signs of potential paranormal activity is a severe change in mood, the onset of nightmares that seem to be similar in theme and behaviors that are out of the ordinary but not related to anything happening in the everyday life of the person experiencing the changes. In fact the person that is besieged by these feelings may feel much better and more like their normal self when they are away from the home. Changes like this that are sudden and extreme should be carefully discussed with the individuals involved. If there are other items happening from this list in conjunction with a mood shift you should consider consulting an individual with experience in the spiritual or paranormal field.