Over the last several years, since creating this blog, thousands of people have written in asking for help or seeking guidance on ghost and/or spirit related issues. I’ve written several posts addressing a good majority of those questions, but my purpose for writing this one is to address the ones I get asked on a regular basis.

First, I’d like to clear up the difference between a “Ghost” and a “Spirit”. A ghost is residual energy generated from repetitive behavior or from an emotionally charged moment. The “ghost” replays the behavior or moment over and over again (think of a scene in a movie on continuous replay). Ghosts do not have a consciousness so you cannot interact with them. If there is one thing you do NOT have to be afraid of, it’s a ghost! A spirit, however, has a consciousness, making it possible to interact with them. Spirits can be good or bad (ghosts are neither) and since they have a consciousness (and thus a personality) they can manifest for good reasons or not so good. Most spirits, however, are not out to cause trouble. At least, in my experience that is the case.

So with that understood. Let’s proceed!

1. You get a FEELING that someone is watching you. Although you can’t see anyone, you KNOW you aren’t alone. If there are others nearby, you also know it isn’t them you are sensing. Sometimes you may even hear noises like footsteps or the rusle of clothes. You might even hear breathing!

This is very common and I would even venture to say that MOST people have experienced it. Sensing the presence of others, be it a person, spirit or ghost, is your extra-sensory perception at work. We can sense them because we are beings of energy and as such can naturally sense other energy bodies (be they physical or spiritual). This is especially important because its a defense mechanism as well, a sort of safety-design feature in our DNA makeup.

If it’s a ghost you are sensing then you might also hear a repetitive sound, like walking, sobbing or laughter. Ghosts do the same thing over and over, which is why people often report similar experiences in places known to be haunted. If it’s a spirit, however, then whatever it is they are doing, it isn’t repetitive. It’s usually a one-time event that is often (but not always) accompanied by other paranormal phenomena. For example, a rocking chair might suddenly start rocking and then you might feel someone touch you or breeze past you. Both are separate, non-repetitive events. Ghosts do not make chairs rock. Well, if it was a repetitive behavior they often engaged in they might do that, but then you wouldn’t also feel them touch you or breeze past you. Besides, ghosts do not do any touching and you certainly won’t feel them breeze past you. They simply are on “automatic rewind”, doing something over and over. As I’ve explained, ghostly apparitions are caused by emotionally charged events or repetitive behavior. For instance, if a person often paced in a particular room of a house and their emotions were charged (the emotional factor is what creates the ghostly event), that repetitive, emotionally charged behavior might become part of that room, making it possible to still hear their pacing long after the person has passed into spirit! It’s a crazy, interesting and sometimes scary phenomena.

Another explanation for those feelings of being watched (and the most likely one, especially if nothing else accompanies the feeling … i.e. no sounds) is that you are sensing your spirit guide or your guardian angel! Both are with us ALL THE TIME. We are most likely to sense them when we are at rest … such as when we are napping or retiring for the night. So, if you are just FEELING like you are being watched or sense that someone is near but you don’t hear any accompanying noises or other phenomena, then it is likely your spirit guide or guardian angel. How comforting, right?

So what can you do about it? Well the first thing you should do is protect yourself because, after all, you aren’t sure what it is you are sensing. You do this by focusing on your spiritual energy (which is very powerful) and then giving this energy an intended purpose. One way to envision your spiritual energy is to imagine a bright ball of light glowing within you, near the center of your being. To activate it for the purpose of protection, you simply see this light (in your mind’s eye) expanding throughout your entire body then glowing outward around you. While imagining this, know that your purpose for this imagery is for protection. Negative entities (of the spirit world) cannot enter your spiritual light and if you are not comfortable with loving entities being within it, then ask them to leave. Anytime you feel scared in this regard, just envision that light glowing in and around you! It’s that easy, folks. Seriously. In fact, whenever you are encountering negative energy of any kind, you can activate your spiritual light to protect you from becoming engulfed or influenced by it!

If it’s a ghost you are sensing, your spiritual light (powered up by your visualization) will dissipate its energy. Although there is no need for protection because ghosts can do no harm, it’s still comforting to know that you have a safety net cocooned around you!

If it’s a spirit you are sensing, your protective spiritual light will keep you safe, even if it’s a particularly nasty spirit. YOU are in power here in the physical world and when you consciously take charge, they are powerless against you. Since I expect you’d rather the spirit not hang around, you can order it to leave you in peace. But do this while your spiritual power is boosted by your visual stimulation. You might not be able to vanquish a spirit forever (they, too, have free will after all), but at least it will leave you in peace for that moment. Negative spirits shy away from spiritual light and loving spirits will leave because you asked!

If it’s your spirit guide or guarding angel but you aren’t SURE, ask them! Seriously. Put out the mental question … Are you my spirit guide? Are you my guardian angel? The first answer to come to you, without having any time to THINK about it, is likely their answer. Take comfort in it. Don’t ask them to prove it somehow, they don’t play those games and besides, it’s likely to only frighten you if they did! You should feel a sense of peace within you when you acknowledge their presence. They truly do promote good feelings within you. Trust me on this one!!

2. You feel a sudden chill or a sudden warmth, encounter a cold or hot spot, are suddenly overcome by a sense of dread, become nauseous or smell something that has no logical explanation for its source.

If what you are sensing is unpleasant, then it’s likely that it’s either a negative spirit or a horrendous past event took place there. If what you are sensing is from a horrendous event from the past, then you should encounter nothing more than the unpleasant sensations. No harm will come to you. People who have visited the concentration camps in Germany, for example, have often experienced some of the above mentioned phenomena. The location of where the twin towers in New York used to stand is another area that might cause these unpleasant sensations.

If you are sensing a negative entity, however, then get your protective light powered up!

In the case of it being residual energy from a past event, there isn’t much you can do other than leave. But if you are stuck there for whatever reason, you can try to dissipate the negative energy to make it more tolerable for you. You do this by envisioning the area glowing with bright, bright light. Picture the light (in your mind’s eye) coming from above (though “heaven” is not ABOVE you, per se, the imagery of light coming from above is symbolic of God, or whatever higher intelligence you believe in). This visual represents the awesome power of spirit and your use of it, which we all have the ability to do, simply by using our imagination. It also wouldn’t hurt to activate your personal protective light just to be on the safe side!

If this is happening in a place where you will be visiting often or spending a lot of time, then try smudging. Smudging is the use of sage or sweet grass (or a combination of both) to dissipate negative energy. Other herbs or incense can do this as well, but this is my preferred method. You light a bundle of it on fire then blow it out and the resulting smoke is waved about the area. Disseminate the smoke from the smoldering bundle as much as possible. Another thing you can do is say a prayer over the area, asking for it to be infused with love and spiritual protection.

All those measures just mentioned can also be used to dissipate the energy of an unpleasant spirit. In addition, however, while envisioning the area infused with light, say a prayer of protection, requesting that negative entities not be allowed to return. Ask the angels to protect the area as well and then, for added measure, place something of meaningful spiritual value in the room. Such items can be a cross, an angel figurine, a picture of Buddha, ANYTHING that means something to you. Not only will that promote positive energy, but whenever you see it, your understanding of WHY it is there is reinforced! Another added visual is to imagine the doors and windows sealed with a force of light. Such areas are portals to the spirit world and “sealing” them in this way closes the portals. And don’t forget the fireplaces if one is present. The chimney, after all, is an opening to the outside and thus another port of entry!

Now sometimes people get pleasant smells, like flowers or a perfume that reminds them of someone who has passed into spirit. You might smell tobacco smoke or the aroma of a pipe that is associated with a loved one who has passed. Unexplained smells that remind you of someone in spirit is very likely that person coming around for a visit! Embrace these special moments, open your mind to them, picture that person being with you and enjoy their company!

3. Objects fall from their location, are moved or are moving, are suddenly found though you haven’t seen them in ages, or they disappear altogether.

Why spirits take things, I cannot tell you. I know it happens often and has happened to me more times than I can count. Sometimes I find them again and sometimes I don’t. It’s very frustrating and annoying. I have had things disappear that I just set down only seconds earlier! And the question of the day is … where in the frick do they go? Someday I might actually get an answer to that one.

As for objects that have fallen … like a picture off the wall or a personal item off a shelf … these situations are attempts by spirit to get your attention. For example, if a picture falls from its location or is found out of place and it is someone who has transitioned into spirit, it’s likely that person, or someone closely connected to them. They aren’t doing it to frighten you, they are trying to let you know they are with you. If a personal object falls or is moved elsewhere, let’s say a trinket that belonged to your grandmother, then it’s likely your grandmother trying to communicate with you. It might even be your grandfather since he is closely connected to her as well. In many cases like this, they don’t have any particular message other than wanting you to know they are near and still love you and care about what is happening with you. Although many people try to dismiss such incidents as coincidental … well that in itself is proof. A coincidence is spirit in action. Many people have told me about discovering a photo of a deceased loved one and finding it in a place that it should not be. This often happens after they were thinking about the person in question. When you put your focus on a loved one, it will draw them to you. Every time. Without fail.

4. You see shadows moving about or the dark silhouette of a person. Sometimes you  might even notice lights blinking or flashing about the room (this one I see a lot!) or you might see a hazy mist or perhaps just a distortion in the air.

Spirits have many ways of manifesting into our physical reality. Those listed above are some of the most common. Another interesting phenomena is that you are more likely to see them from the corners of your eyes. I was watching a TV show once about the human body and it said that our eyes are particularly sensitive there. It’s believed this was developed as a defense mechanism for survival. Early man, as you can imagine, had a lot of enemies to worry about. Having that extra sensory perception of things approaching from outside their normal line of sight was a life-saving feature. But it also had the added benefit of allowing us to see spirits.

Although the things mentioned above are nothing to be concerned about, if you don’t want them to stick around then ask them to leave, but activate your protective light first. If it’s a negative entity, however, they might not want to do as you ask but with your protective light powered up, it’s unlikely they will stick around. If they do, though, your protective light will keep you safe. Good spirits will comply with your wishes. And, by the way, flashes of light, or blinking (twinkling) lights are often representative of angels!

5. You hear your name called, or hear disembodied voices, often indistinguishable.

I have learned that this seems to happen most often when one is about to fall asleep. I think this is because your mind is relaxed and you are sort of “between worlds” (the physical and spiritual realities). It’s a great way for spirits to actually get through to you, enough so that you can physically hear them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do much more than startle you, worry you and then make you wonder … who did it, why and what do they want. In all honesty, I just don’t know what they hope to accomplish. Maybe it’s just a good joke. You know, the “wait until they are about to nod off and then yell your name and scare the bejesus out of them” kind of joke. Ha, ha. Real funny. But seriously, I don’t see how a spirit thinks that is going to open the doors of communication. A medium might respond with a “Okay what do you want?” but most people are wondering if they really heard it and then are worried that they did! I do want to add that sometimes a spirit will call out your name and startle you awake. They might do this if you were suffering sleep apnea or were having a bad dream (for example) or they really want you awake for other reasons … fire perhaps, or someone needs you. They can be really helpful and I find that most comforting.

If you are interested in who called your name and are not afraid, then try to relax, calm your mind and invite the spirit to talk to you. Just be sure to activate your protective spiritual light first! Better to be safe than sorry, especially when working with spirit.

6. Your bed shakes.

This one is particularly scary and I’m not sure what circumstance prompts a spirit to do this. Because it is more of a scare tactic, I tend to think that it’s not a friendly spirit doing the deed. This has happened to me and it was such a frightening experience that I will never forget it. I mean, that memory is ingrained into my mind and when I recall it, I do so with crystal clarity. In fact, along with the bed shaking, I saw an object get batted around the floor. Having two different paranormal activities occurring at the same time is pretty unsettling. Again, the BEST defense when it comes to spirit is to activate your protective spiritual light (I can’t stress this enough!). Just imagine it as I’ve outlined previously and then, for good measure, imagine that light filling the room and soaking into the bed. Negative entities will retreat. Good ones might stick around and bask in the light but if you ask them to leave you in peace, they will. Again, though, I must stress that it is unlikely to be a good spirit if they are shaking your bed. In fact, it’s probably a pesky, troublesome poltergeist, unless, of course, it was just a quick shake to wake you up. That’s different.

7. You suddenly get a very strong memory or feeling about someone who has passed.

Sometimes, like “right out of the blue” you will suddenly think of someone who is now residing in spirit and the memories just fill your head. Depending on your mood, it could be a funny memory, a tender one or even something unpleasant. Usually it’s good memories and they bring with them good feelings. That is a loved one’s way of giving you a spiritual hug. They can get through to you easily enough by influencing your thoughts about them and along with those thoughts are often feelings of love. Enjoy those unexpected moments! In fact, sometimes you might even see other signs from them as well. For instance, on one of my birthdays I was driving down the road and thinking about buying myself an iced coffee at McDonald’s when suddenly I thought of my grandfather. It was a totally unrelated thought, the “right out of the blue” moment. It was a good memory and I enjoyed thinking about him. Then I said out loud, “Grampy, if you are here with me, can you give me a sign?” Seconds…like TWO seconds later, a car comes out around me and its brake lights come on as it stops briefly in front of me. Guess what was on the license plate. His NAME! I kid you not. And, by the way, it’s not a common name either. Grampy’s name was Lafayette and that was the name on the license plate. Oh yes, my dear grampy, I got your sign.

8. Your animals suddenly seem disturbed or they lock their eyes on something you can’t see. In fact, babies will often do this as well (track something with their eyes that you can’t see). They may even smile, laugh and bounce about with excitement.

As for animals, dogs are especially sensitive to spirit and can often detect when a presence is around. In most cases it doesn’t frighten them though they aren’t always sure what to make of it. Let me reassure you that if it does happen to frighten them, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a bad spirit in your midst. Some dogs are skittish and such things confuse and frighten them, just like people. However, if your dog goes into defense mode, baring teeth, hackles raised, ears low … then you likely do have a negative spirit energy around. Activate your protective light and mentally encompass your pet within its glow, then order the spirit to leave you in peace. If at all possible, it would be good to leave the area for a while and allow the entity’s lingering energy to dissipate. Later, when you get an opportunity, smudge the area or, at the very least, imagine your spiritual light filling the room and infusing it with positive energy.

As for babies seeing spirits, it is most often their guardian angels or a loving family member they are seeing. Babies, you see, still have their “spirit eyes” for they have not yet become blinded by the veil of physical reality. In fact, our “spirit eyes” (also called a 3rd eye) are often open through the toddler years, which is why children are most often caught talking to “invisible” companions.

Babies are in no danger from these wonderful visits, but if you notice them crying or appearing frightened, then you can activate their spiritual light for them (just imagine them glowing from the inside out) and say a prayer of protection over them. Further, ask their guardian angels to keep them safe. You might think this is automatically done, and for the most part it is, but sometimes we must ask for intervention. Guardian angels do watch over us but they must let life take its course, though they can intervene when ASKED, especially for protection.

9. Light bulbs blow out or electrical equipment acts up.

Sometimes the spirit energy is so strong or chaotic (in situations involving poltergeists especially) they can cause light bulbs to blow or they can turn things on or off. Spirits can cause radios to change channels or cause static in cable reception. In the haunted house we lived in as kids, our light bulbs were forever blowing out and my parents had to keep a good supply of them on hand. In addition to blowing light bulbs, they sometimes turned lights on or off and they also liked to play with the tuner dial on my dad’s clock radio. One night the spirits turned the heaters in our tropical fish tanks all the way up and killed all of our fish! Yet another time they turned a blender on full blast in the kitchen. We’ve even seen the burners of our gas stove suddenly light or the water faucette come on full blast.

All these things are scary because they are not “normal” and since a spirit is involved, that makes it even spookier. But keep in mind that none of these things have hurt anyone (well, except our poor fish!). For the most part, with the exception of poltergeist activity, these things are done to get your attention. Spirits want you to know when they are around. They are always eager to communicate, at least to a degree. Don’t expect them to give you answers to everything you ask them and don’t ask them about the future. They are not prophets.

Poltergeists, however, are chaotic, confused and negative energy. That problem takes a bit more professional help to resolve. You should probably enlist the aid of either a medium, a witch or a paranormal group experienced with such things. Additionally, besides poltergeists, some spirits are just plain bad. I hesitate to call them “evil” for that’s a bit strong, but they definitely have “issues” and those spirits will take extra help to restore peace … to both the spirit and you.

10. You see loved ones who have just passed into spirit and they seem as real and alive as ever! Or you have a very vivid dream about them.

It is a common occurrence for people to be visited by loved ones who have just crossed over. They don’t usually say anything, just look at you, but it’s a confusing experience, especially when you find out later that they’ve just transitioned into spirit. Consider this a goodbye and a blessing! Sad as it is to lose those we love, they will visit you often, especially when you are thinking strongly about them. They will do whatever they can to let you know they are there … make their picture fall or move an object out of place that you might associate with them, they might induce the smell of their cologne or perfume or they might come around as a bird or butterfly! I read a story recently where a woman told her daughters she would come visit them as a Cardinal (a bird whose presence often indicates a visit from a deceased loved one) and one day a Cardinal came and landed on one of the daughter’s arms (you can find that amazing story here). It wouldn’t leave though she tried to get him to fly away. How special is that? Butterflies are often used by spirit as well. They are delicate creatures and easy for spirit to attach to, and when one flutters persistently around you, know that you are being visited by a loved one!

As for dreaming about visiting with your loved ones, well those are NOT dreams, they are very real. In our dream state we are as close to our spiritual selves as we can be (other than during meditation) and so it is easy for our loved ones to visit with us in this manner. If, however, you have nightmares or bad dreams … those are NOT visits from your loved ones. They will NOT cause you stress and anxiety and guilt. That’s not how it works. As for why you are having bad dreams about them, well my guess is your feelings (based on worry, concern or upset) is causing the bad dreams. Believe me, when our loved ones pass into spirit, they don’t care about the stuff that happened to them “back here” in the physical world. They realize in that moment, that none of this (here in the physical world) really matters. We are here in the world to experience things … good and bad. Now when I say it doesn’t “matter”, I am not saying that we aren’t accountable for our actions while in the physical world. Oh no. We still must go through a “life review” and if bad things were done, we will be horrified and will seek redemption immediately. How that is achieved, I cannot say. My personal belief is that reincarnation will help balance such karma.

To conclude, the signs above are just a few of the many different situations you might encounter with a ghost or a spirit. These ten, however, are the most common. Please believe me when I tell you that you aren’t alone in experiencing these things and you are not crazy! Also, please know that believing in this stuff doesn’t mean you are a bad Christian (I get questioned about that a lot too!). We are spiritual beings in physical bodies and when our soul is done with this world, we shed our bodies and become spiritual beings once again, free at last from the restraints of physical life. Our love and concern for those we “left behind” never stops and that is why we get visits from “over there” and that is why they are always trying to find ways to communicate.

Before I finish this post, I want to apologize for not answering some of the questions I’ve received. Although I am busy writing, I intend to take time out of every day to attend to this blog. Speaking of my writing, I am busy with book 9 of my Tess Schafer-Medium series! Writing these books is my way of sharing my understanding about the spirit world, through fictional stories, and while doing so, I continue to learn for I believe that spirit works through me to assist with the story telling. I feel very blessed in this manner.

Until the next post, may your lives be showered with blessings! Please feel free to share your experiences with us and if you have a question, I’ll do my best to answer it. Onward, upward and ever forward! Peace out.

Please feel free to share your experiences with us! Blessings and loving light to all of you!