The thought of living in a haunted house may conjure up terrifying scenes of possessed dolls or blood running down the walls. actually living with the deceased-for those who have experienced a supernatural presence and lived to tell their stories advert—maybe a little less cinematic, no less scary.

Chelsea Smith hated the Palmdale, Calif., house her parents rented in the spring of 1997 from the moment she first stepped inside when she was seven years old. She remembers hearing figures repeatedly slamming and seeing figures in the Jack-and-Jill bathroom she shared with her sister, Courtney. Courtney remembers the television and faucets turning on randomly. One day, while the family was spending time together at the house pool, Chelsea entered the house alone, and when she headed for the exit to join her family outside, she saw that the sliding glass door she had left open was closed. closed, locked and secured with a dowel rod. Even then, their parents insisted that shadows or air conditioning were responsible for these strange occurrences, not a supernatural entity.

For those who believe they have a home hauntedDealing with the problem may be a little more difficult than dealing with other household problems. While everyone believes in bedbugs, the same cannot be said for ghosts. According to a 2021 YouGov poll, 41% of Americans believe ghosts exist and about 20% say they have encountered ghosts. Jane PhillipsA paranormal investigator, psychic medium, and medical intuitionist, common signs of paranormal activity include hearing voices, seeing dark shadows on home or outdoor cameras, and a general feeling from unrest.

Paranormal investigator and co-founder MacKenzie Koncher XX Paranormal CommunicationAn all-female paranormal team based in Colorado says people may feel like they’re being watched or like there’s someone else in the room. “We hear a lot about things moving,” he says. “Like, ‘This picture fell off the wall, and I keep hanging it, but it keeps flying off the wall.'” Christine Hendrickson, Koncher’s fellow paranormal investigator at XX, says that in her experience, children can be particularly perceptive when shown pictures. begins to detect paranormal activity.

What finally convinced Chelsea and Courtney’s parents that something was wrong was one of the family’s more surreal experiences at home; Five-year-old Courtney once exhibited strange behavior after getting out of the shower. “My mom said my face went blank, and I kept repeating, ‘I don’t want to die, but I know I have to,'” says Courtney. “Then as soon as my face went blank, I blinked and came back to my senses and said I had no idea what he was talking about.” The family, who planned to buy the house, moved out soon after. “That’s how you know Courtney is the favorite because I was complaining about the house being haunted for almost a year,” Chelsea jokes. Although the Smith family has chosen to leave their ghosts behind, there are other things you can try before calling the movers.

Learn to live together

Although a person’s first instinct is to “catch” the ghost, Koncher recommends a gut check. “I would ask the person: Is what you are experiencing disturbing?” he says. “Does it give you a negative or bad feeling, or do you feel like you can coexist with this spirit?”