Things That Go Bump in the Night!

C 2008 By Kirby Robinson

Does you house or apartment make as much noise as Disney’s Haunted Mansion? Do you hear a lot of creaking and groaning noises issuing from your living room or an upstairs bedroom? What about that noise down in your basement that seems to happen in the middle of the night? Does this mean that your residence will be featured on the next episode of “Ghost Hunters” or “Paranormal State” as it’s being swept for poltergeists, ghosts, or demons? Have you pondered the idea that if you do have a ghost, or ghosts, it might make your place an attraction on a ghostly guide, which would then make your house famous?

Another thing to consider before you contact a spiritual advisor/psychic/ghost hunter/exorcist is the fact that there are many who operate on the notion that they’re the experts and you’re not. Therefore, they may charge you a lot of money to determine that the creaking noise on the staircase you hear is a ghost, when in reality it’s just that: a creaking noise caused by a weakening piece of lumber. Those groans that resound through your bedroom vent and whisper ominous coded messages are just wind, not a long-winded ghost or goblin!

Please use your common sense when investigating “strange” noises that you hear or if there are peculiar flashes of light that you might see. Call in a friend or relative to help out, or back you up. Test connections to electric outlets if you happen to see flickering lights. Make sure that creak in the attic is just that, a part of the floor or wall that can shift when there is seismic activity or just the natural shifting this planet of ours does every day and every night.

In my home I was recently noticing the fact that one of the lamps liked to flicker late at night. A ghostly nocturnal visitor? No, in that room the light only goes on at night. And when it made a loud buzzing noise and caught fire, I didn’t suspect a mysterious entity. In fact, I wasn’t really surprised. For several weeks the light bulb had momentarily flickered when the light was switched on, and the lamp had a socket problem causing it to “give up the ghost.”

You may need to visit your local Home Depot instead of summon an exorcist! Your house may not be visited by ghosts but just is settling down like a senior citizen with bad gas pains. Sure, you might have ghosts out there, or you might just have a night time symphony of creaks and groans that need fixing.