What Was That Noise?
For decades, nay-sayers have turned down stories of shadows on the stairs and laughed at dogs who cry over certain rooms. But believers know something's going on. From running taps to footsteps in the hall, here are 20 signs you’re not alone.
Photo by Edilson Borges on Unsplash
1. Unexplained Noises
Like it or not, most houses come with their fair share of creaks and pops. But there’s a big difference between the odd groan and persistent unexplained noises. If it’s something new every night, you could be dealing with much more than the wind.
2. Flickering Lights
At first glance, flickering lights only need a changed bulb. Maybe a flip of the breaker switch. However, a presence in your house won’t let basic DIY fixes deter them—if you’ve exhausted all the practical options and still experience outages, it's time to keep an eye out.
3. Moving Objects
Wait a second, you didn’t leave that plate there. Wasn’t that box on the other side of the basement? While it’s one thing to be scatter-brained, it’s another if objects keep finding new homes for themselves.
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4. Television Turning On and Off
Lately, it seems like the TV doesn’t know if it’s coming or going. Flickering screens are often considered a sign of paranormal activity—spirits are said to pull energy from powerful sources. Swap the remote’s batteries, manually reset your TV…it likely won’t matter.
5. Strange Footsteps
Footsteps are a spirit’s calling card. Whether they’re lost in what used to be or roaming around today’s world, frequent steps usually mean there’s activity afoot. They’re often so noticeable that most people mistake them for family members.
6. Odd Shadows
We’ve all been there—we’re wiped after a long day and thought we caught something in the corner of our eye. That’s not what we’re talking about. No, we’re talking about those faces in the window or the human-shaped shadows lurking in hallways. Anyone who’s seen them knows the difference.
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7. Feeling Like You’re Being Touched
As if nefarious spirits in our home weren’t bad enough. People who’ve lived through the supernatural commonly experience inexplicable touching. Those particular entities are known as “interactive spirits,” and they’re not good houseguests.
8. Plumbing Concerns
Any homeowner can encounter clogged pipes or burst water mains. Only the unlucky, however, experience toilets flushing on their own or faucets running by themselves. The plumber came and left. Your FIL tweaked the tap. Yet, water still drips at night. It could be a sign of something more serious.
9. You Can Feel It
Say what you like about the paranormal—there’s no denying a gut feeling. People can tell when they’re being watched and they can certainly sense bad energy in the home. Pay attention to your body, especially if it’s telling you that something’s wrong.
10. Doors Keep Closing
There’s no reason for doors to close on their own. Well, no good reason anyway. Sure, the windows are closed, and it’s not like your doors hang off their hinges, but you just can’t get them to stay shut.
11. You’re Having Nightmares
A nasty presence in the home doesn’t stop at footsteps or cold spots. The more serious cases can seep into our psyches and cause terrible nightmares or sleep paralysis. It’s never a good sign to experience them more often, out of the blue.
12. Significant Temperature Drops
Speaking of cold spots, keep an eye on temperature swings. It’s believed that sudden frigidity means you’re not alone. Cold spots are commonly considered to be visitors or you actually passing through them.
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13. You Wake at Witching Hour
There’s a reason paranormal experts stay vigilant during witching hour. Though it’s attributed to folklore, nothing good happens between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. While some believe it to be nothing more than a hoax, others swear it’s bad juju.
14. Pets Avoid Certain Rooms
If you trust your pets around bad people, surely you trust them around bad energy. Though we can’t ask them what they see, we can certainly tell when they avoid specific rooms or whine at the foot of the stairs.
15. Your House is Old
Buying that Victorian home seemed like a great idea—until all the shadows and footsteps crept in. Old homes often retain the spirits of previous owners, and those entities don’t always know time has passed. For all they know, you’re in their house.
16. Batteries Keep Draining
We’ve all swapped batteries out of remote controllers or nightlights. Not all of us have gone through several packs of them, though. Much like how a presence zaps energy, they can also drain fresh batteries.
17. You Actually Saw Something
People may not believe you but you know what you saw. It might have been a shadow, it could have been a cold touch on the arm—either way, it was something. Don’t ignore your instincts or your eyes.
18. Your Kids Saw Something
Parents frequently dismiss kids’ visions as playful imagination. But when they call spirits by name or identify people in old photographs, it’s hard to dismiss them any longer. Children don’t mean to scare us when they introduce a new friend, but they do.
19. Weird Smells in the House
Victims of malicious entities have reported smelling burned hair or even sewage, though not every scent is so terrifying. Some smell their grandfather’s pipe and others pick up their mom’s favorite dish. Whatever it is, strange odors often mean someone paid a visit.
20. You’re Renovating
How would you like it if an entire family moved into your house, tore down your walls, and started sleeping in your bedroom? Hardly ideal, right? Imagine the spirits. Renovations can drum up all kinds of activity, particularly in old homes.
