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Real Ghostbuster
I was in my late teens and had been taking psychic development classes with my mom for a few months. We were on our way to visit Carol — a friend of my mom’s — who said she heard noises and footsteps up in her attic. I remember naively asking my mom what we were looking for. When the light bulb went on and I realized that her friend might have a ghost, I anxiously asked what ghosts looked like and what we were going to do if we found one. Neither of us had any reference to ghosts (other than Casper), and we weren’t sure what to look for. But I can tell you one thing. We had each other scared to death by the time we pulled into Carol’s driveway. As we made our way up her stairs, my heart was pounding in my throat. I just didn’t know what to expect or what to do if we did find a ghost. I opened up my psychic abilities, and as I scanned the attic room, I had a faint image of four transparent people standing in the corner of the room. An adult man and woman and a young boy and girl. I had never seen "see-through" people before and wasn’t sure what to make of this. I continued to look around for a white floating thing, but kept being drawn back to this family. I looked at my mom to see if she was seeing the same thing and she described the same four "people" I was seeing. I had a thought: I wondered what they were doing there. The woman sent a thought back to me, telling me that "he" wouldn’t let them go on to heaven. I wondered how she knew what I was thinking, and she indicated that she could hear my thoughts. I stood there a little dumbfounded because I had never had any kind of encounter like this before nor had I ever seen "dead people." The woman sent several more thoughts to me, explaining that her husband was an alcoholic. One night he passed out with a lit cigarette. The whole family perished in the fire. She said he wouldn’t let them go on to heaven because he was afraid he would be sent to hell for killing his family, so they were all stuck in this house. Unfortunately, because this was our first encounter with ghosts, we had no idea what to do with these folks. We told them they had to move on because they couldn’t stay there. They did leave the room, but when mom called the next day, Carol said the noises had started up again as soon as we left the house. It’s been close to thirty years since our first encounter with these earthbound spirits, and I’ve learned an awful lot since then. I had many such experiences before I felt qualified to be an actual "ghostbuster." For the longest time, I was stuck with this belief that ghosts were supposed to be white and filmy like a sheet with two holes cut out. I don’t know how long it took before it dawned on me that all these dead people walking around in regular street clothes with drawn, unhappy looks on their faces were actually ghosts! Here are some of the common symptoms to indicate if you have a ghost: You hear tapping or knocking on the walls. Your doorbell rings when no one is there. Your radio or television turns on and off by itself. You hear footsteps, breathing, or voices when no one is there. Your water faucets turn on by themselves. You hear music, but there is no obvious source. You find books or other objects knocked off shelves. Your clothes are thrown out of closets. Your waste paper baskets are turned upside down. Your stove or oven is turned on. You feel a definite cold spot in the room, and no draft or window is nearby. You notice that personal objects have been moved from one room to another. You see a white or gray haze floating through a room. You feel something touch you, but no one is there. There was a lot of trial and error involved in learning how to get them to go to the other side. I also discovered that ghosts have a variety of reasons for remaining earthbound. Here are some of their reasons: They did some negative things, and they are afraid they will be sent to hell. They don’t want to run into a certain person on the other side (e.g. an ex-husband or wife, abusive parents, siblings) They think heaven will be a drag (this is common with teens). They don’t want to let go of life. They don’t want to let go of a material possession (such as a home), so they stay and guard it. They are afraid of change. They don’t know they’re dead. They don’t believe in heaven, so they stay earthbound. My work as a ghostbuster is really more like "ghost counseling." I talk to the ghosts, find out what’s keeping them here, and then ask my guides to help them cross over. Because I can see both the ghosts and the tunnel of light, I can guide them through the tunnel to the other side. Sometimes their deceased loved ones will come and assist us. There is also a group of former ghosts who call themselves the Squadron. They have assisted us in helping these souls return home. If you have a haunted house, I suggest calling on the Squadron. Just say their name out loud and ask them to please come to your home and clear it of any unwanted spirits. This work can be very draining, because I’m trying to convince the ghosts to do something they don’t want to do. You might wonder why I don’t just leave them alone. Usually, home owners are scared out of their wits by the time they call for help, and it’s important to clear the home so they can have peace of mind — and so the ghost gets unstuck. Echo Bodine is the author of A Still, Small Voice and Relax, It’s Only a Ghost. Echo will speak at the downtown Seattle Barnes and Noble on Halloween at 7:00 p.m. She will also be signing copies of her newest book, Dear Echo: Answers to Your Questions About Ghosts, Hauntings, and Things That Go Bump in the Night. |
The first
time I ever saw a ghost, I had no idea that that’s what
I was seeing because, in my mind, ghosts were something white
and floating, like Casper.