I'm a novice when it comes to ghosts and paranormal activity. I was wondering... are ghosts EVERYWHERE, or just in specific places? And how could I tell if my house is haunted?

As far as I know, nothing truly bizarre ever happens here. But I always get this disturbing feeling, especially at night, that something or someone is behind me. I'm chalking it up to general paranoia, though, because I usually only feel this way when the lights are out and it's dark. Also, it's always something BEHIND me; never in front of me or to the side of me. And I always feel more paranoid after reading things about ghosts. I develop psychosomatic reactions such as feeling chilly suddenly when reading about how people feel cold when a ghost is around.

Nevertheless, I'd be interested to find out whether there actually are ghosts in my house. And I'd also like to photograph a ghost or an orb someday, if at all possible. I'm going to a cemetary this Passover for the unveiling of my grandmother's tombstone. Maybe I'll take some pictures around the cemetary and see if I can catch anything.

Sorry for the babbling, but I'm a newbie so I can't help it.

Ghosts are in a lot of places, but not all places are haunted. Older houses, that have had more of an active history, are more likely to be haunted. As well as places that have had violent deaths or other events (war battles, etc.) occur within/around them. Hospitals, old churches, battlefields, historical sites are often ripe with ghostly activity.

Your disturbing feeling could be caused by the paranormal, or it could just be in your head. Maybe next time you could try talking to "it" when you feel it's nearby. Maybe it'll leave, or reveal itself in more obvious ways. That would certainly answer your question. Or if it's just paranoia, it'll help ease your mind.

When I'm in a haunted place or (presumably) near a ghost, I'll often feel this weird dizzyish or disoriented sensation. Also, cold spots are common in haunted places, though I've never experienced this myself. My house is not haunted, so my experiences are limited to when I visit a haunted sandwich shop, restaurant or church.

As for getting pictures, if you feel something, snap a few. If you use a digital camera, you won't have to worry about wasting film. Use a flash, and watch out for dust or moisture which can show up as orbs. Sometimes if you ask your ghosts if they want to be in the picture, before you take it, they will "pose" for you, and you're more likely to get an orb in your picture. Don't forget to thank them afterward.

A couple other ways to tell if a place is haunted is by smell. Sometimes a spirit will give off a fragrant odor. The entire room or area may not smell this way, but there will be a certain section that does. Similar to passing through one of those "cold spots"...

Another oder given off by spirits is one that smells like something electrical burning. I'm not sure whether there's any link to what kind of spirit you have according to the odor - i.e., good ghost = good smell or bad ghost = bad smell.

Unexplained noises or sounds can also be attributed to spirit activity. For example, have two kids, a 3-year-old girl and 19-month-old boy. So of course we are used to the sounds of kids. But what about when the kids are at grandma's for the weekend? We occasionally will hear a baby crying, even when the kids are away (maybe that's why it cries?). I haven't managed to catch it in any pics yet but maybe someday it will come out and pose for me...

And we get the odors, too... My wife's grandmother passed away a couple of years ago. There is a certain kind of perfume she always wore (can't recall now what it was) and at times we will get a whiff of it in our apartment - and we don't have any of that kind. I also get a whiff of the electical smell sometimes, too.

Hope these help ya out some...

KDogg

In my experience not all places are haunted. Yet many places will have ghosts.
I've found that just about every place I have visited had some sort of ghostie in it.
I've found that many ghosts do move around. Contrary to the belief that ghosts stick to one spot, building, path, etc.. .
I met one ghost that spent his time going through different apartments in an apartment complex. I met one that only spent some of his time haunting an old amusement park. I don't know where he spent the rest of his time.
Be more than a bit critical of the evidence that you recieve that suggests a place is haunted. You'll find that most things that don't seem readily explainable still have mundane reasons for them. Trust your intuition.

I think your feeling could be a good sign. Do you feel like that in oher places though? Like if you are spending a night alone at a hotel or friends/family. Do you generally feel watched and have the same feeling or not. If those feelings are only at your house there could be something going on.
Unexplained sounds and smells are also associated with ghosts. Things that go missing and reappear somewhere else later could also be a sign. We recently had our cordless phone end up in the dishwasher one night when all the kids were in bed =)
If you notice odd things write them down, date, time and what happened. You may end up finding a pattern or later be able to discover why a light went out do to something that was non-paranormal. If you have a digital camera take some pics around your house, especially when you feel like you are being watched.
Another thing that may help is when you are feeling watched is to just assert yourself. In your mind say something to the 'ghost' like 'this is my house and I won't let you scare me in my home' or tell them to not disturb you in your sleep. Even if it's just in your head, saying something like that might help reassure you and make you feel better, ghost or paranoia.

Most of the time, I get a really strong feeling that I cannot ignore when there is a presence around. Which is the same feeling I had as a kid when I saw my first apparition. I don't usually get scared or apprehensive. For me, I do get goosebumps, but more of a "hyper" or excited feeling, as if I'm about to discover something really cool. There have been a couple of occasions which gave me the creeps, like a not-so-nice presence around. (And that's when I get the heck outta Dodge.) But...that's not my normal experience with ghosties and spirits. I've gotten good pics and bad ones... but I usually come up with a few when I go out and about ghost hunting. I do ask if they want to be in my pic and I also thank them. Most people don't realize there is a difference between ghosts and spirits. Ghosts are those who have died but, have not crossed over for some reason. Maybe they don't realize they're dead, or there is something keeping them here, like an unfinished task or being afraid to face judgement, etc... When a ghost is around, that is what we call a "Haunting." A Spirit, is one that has "crossed over" to the other side and found peace in death and has been reunited with family, and friends. When a "spirit" visits, it's called a "Visitation". They're just popping in to check up on us or look over us and help guide us in a time of need. So, there is a difference. Then there are also those not-so-nice thingees that scare the bejesus out of you, do kinky/vile things and those, in my opinion, are demonic. Those are the ones that you can invite with a Ouija board, so stay away from the Ouija if you are going to pursue the paranormal. Ummmmm... that's all I can think of for now. Pate's words of wisdom...Chapter 1 hehe