So youve had an encounter with a ghost.
Naysayers be damned, youknowyouve been contacted by the other side.
What do you do?
In 2019, a YouGov surveyfoundthat 45 percent of adult Americans believe in ghosts.
Take, for instance, Kristen Lee, a reporter in New York and a former staffer atJalopnik.
They always told stories about the second floor, like how they would hear noises.
He held up his arm, and all the hairs on his arm were standing straight up.
When Lee and Anthony told Anthonys dad about it the next day, he was unimpressed.
He was like, Oh, you heard the typing?
I hear that all the time, she says.
Lee has no explanation for the typing.
No house noise Ive ever heard ever sounds like a keyboard typing, she says.
I was fucking terrified.
If you have a similar encounteror an even spookier oneheres what to do.
But there are some scientific explanations for paranormal encounters.
Someresearchershave also found that unusual electromagnetic fields can trick a persons brain into believing theyre being haunted.
Sleep paralysis is a common ghost fake-out.
Places that are haunted are often places where you might find mold, Clarkson says.
Century-oldresearchhas found a connection between excess carbon monoxide and hallucinations that make people believe theyre experiencing paranormal activity.
The most important thing to do if you see or sense a ghost is not to panic.
Just as theres no proof that ghosts exist, theres also no proof that ghosts can cause you harm.
Extreme stress can cause a thinning of the veil.
If you see or experience a ghost, Grote writes, just chill.
Panic just makesyoufeel bad and theyre not here to do you harm (most of the time).
They (generally speaking) are human or spritely energies that want to playto be seento create mischief.
They arent so different from you and me.
Set boundaries
According to Grote, ghostslike roommates or (most) romantic partnersrespond well to boundaries.
Grote suggests setting boundaries using tools like telepathic communication or prayer.
You end your saging prayer with an ask of the spirit to Go Toward the Light.
Bear in mind, this usually needs to be done repeatedly.
You have the upper handbecause you have human form.
What really helped, though, was setting verbal boundaries.
If you become a problem, Ill have to ask you to leave, Gaudette writes.
Me finally speaking to her was the thing that helped.
Our dog sleeps through the night, and I havent had those nightmares.
After that, the sounds stopped.
But Samanthas never really been wrong.
