We've moved! Please visit the expanded blogsite for Mobile Ghosts, with new stories and more! www.mobileghosts.net
About Ghosts in General
What is a ghost? A spirit is not stuck and can come back and forth between this world and the next at will. An imprint, or revenant, is a sort of picture or impression of a person, animal or event that once happened and was of such impact, through everyday repetition or trauma, that it repeats over and over like a tape loop. It is impressed into the atmosphere of a location. A true ghost is stuck, by choice or circumstance. I believe where you find one ghost, you will find more.What do ghosts want? I believe that ghosts want what everybody wants -- to be heard. Everybody wants to tell their side of the story. Ghosts stay, or get stuck, because of this powerful need. Listen to me. This is what really happened. Listen to me. This is my house. Listen to me. I mattered to somebody, once. Listen to me. I'm frightened. Listen to me. I am so sorry.
Have you ever seen a ghost? Yes, many. I have also been shoved, grabbed, run through, called and have had my hair stroked. However, if you go out looking for a ghost, rest assured you won't find one. They turn up when you least expect them and they do not perform on command. They are a lot like cats, actually. And yes, sometimes I can still get so scared.
How do I get rid of a ghost? Ghosts are very fragile creatures, despite what you may think. Their mysterious natures can make them seem very powerful, and they do have the decided advantage of being invisible. If you are frightened by your ghosts or haunting, and let the ghosts know it, things will intensify. Not because they got stronger, but because you got scared-er. Ghosts are desperate for attention, and it encourages them when you react. It's important to keep your house clean, light, uncluttered and happy, for starters (trust me on this one.) You do not have to tolerate them if you are uncomfortable; talk to them and tell them to get out. This usually works but you may have to do it more than once. You should be careful not to undermine your strong stance if you tell them to leave by then continuing to talk about them, or speculate about whether or not they are really gone. They'll think you weren't serious.
This assumes your ghosts are obnoxious and acting very badly, or you have a ghost was a nasty person in life and continues to be so in the afterlife. Many times people love having gentle ghosts around and feel fond of them. If you have a ghost that makes you uncomfortable, but you don't feel right about running them off, you can respectfully ask them to not show themselves or make their presence obvious while you are sharing the residence. Then, as in the case of a bad ghost, stop talking about them and get busy making your home a cheerful and happy place again.
Very often, people with even really nasty ghosts are loathe to get rid of them because the haunting keeps life dramatic and exciting, and they get a lot of attention from friends. An unhealthy relationship is an unhealthy relationship, and some people cling to them.
What do you think of ghost photography? Ghost photography is amazing, once you rule out a laundry list of other reasonable explanations for the strange things that turn up on film. The internet has plenty of information and samples of what can, and can't, be explained in photographs. My Facebook page has some ghost photos on it, and I hope to add more, if I am lucky enough to take some of my own or find some taken by friends.
What do you think of EVP? I'm not experienced enough with Electronic Voice Phenomenon to express an opinion one way or another. If you want to read an outstanding book featuring EVP that will scare the bejeebers out of you, try Katherine Ramsland's "Ghost."
Shadow People: I've seen plenty of impenetrable shadow forms in Mobile's haunted homes, as have several credible friends. In my experience, they are just ghosts or spirits appearing in yet another of their many guises. Who knows how a spirit manages to manifest itself in the first place? How much oomph or skill does it take to appear as a full apparition as opposed to a ball of mist or a shadow outline? Are some ghosts just really, really better at it than others? The "shadow people" I've seen have never filled me with foreboding. But apparently there are some who have felt very threatened, or had incredibly weird or scary Shadow People Experiences, and think they are a whole 'nother supernatural or alien creature. There are websites devoted to this and I gather Shadow People are a frequent topic on shows like talk radio's Coast to Coast.
Do you think the ghost hunting shows on television are legitimate? I feel pretty confident that the experiences portrayed on TAPS are legit, and respect their work. The other well known shows, while entertaining (and sometimes unintentionally hilarious) may or may not be on the level -- I am particularly skeptical about the ones that seem determined to find demonic activity in every case -- but I watch them, anyway. Bad ghost hunting shows are better than no ghosthunting shows, to those of us who love them.
Do you think the local paranormal investigators in our area are legitimate? I don't run into these groups so can't comment. In any field of interest, there are people who are terrific and some who are not.
Do you hunt ghosts? I do not.
Is your house haunted? We have activity in any house we live in; it's not the house. It's us. When I have a book in the works, it seems to attract extra attention.