EXPERIENCES

Davenport Spooks

submitted by Kevin

Hello, my name is Kevin; I am 28 years old and have lived in Iowa all of my life. With Halloween approaching and the fall season fast upon us, I was doing some internet browsing and came across the CIGHT's website. After reading some of the experiences, it made me think about the past experiences that I have had myself; the most notable being when I lived in Davenport, Iowa with a coworker.

It was the middle of summer and my coworker and I were doing some yard work. Our neighbor lady was an odd duck and was starting to mow our grass on our property. Not a big deal, except she had always cut her grass much shorter than what we cut ours making her yard look bigger and ours unkempt. I had enough of this and found the property markers. I ran a string from the alley to the front sidewalk in doing so found out that part of the flower garden next to the alley; which had been planted by the original home owner, had grown over into her yard. I took it upon myself to eliminate the flowers on the neighbor's property with a shovel and a hoe.

Later that night while laying in bed in my roommate bedroom (the only room in the house with air conditioning), I decided that I would take another shower to cool down since it was roughly 80 some degrees that night. I left the bedroom closing the door behind me, I entered the bathroom, did not bother to turn the light on, and took a quick 10 minute shower.

When I stepped out of the shower, it was as if I was stepping out into the Antarctic. I could see my breath and I was freezing. I was frozen in time; I could not move or speak. It felt like several minutes passed before I could say any. I started to yell for my roommate; I was still unable to move. It felt like an hour had past. My roommate finally came into the bathroom and asked me what I was doing. At that instance, the coldness left and I was able to move again. I had told him about the coldness and that I had been yelling at him for an hour. He told me that it had only been 15 minutes since I had gotten up.

We both came to the conclusion that the woman that originally lived in the house whom had planted the flower garden was unhappy with me for tearing up her flower garden.

This was my most notable experience with something that I could not explain. I am curious if it is me? Am I creating these things myself? Do I attract the unexplained? What? I don't get it!

Myself and my parents have had unexplainable happenings and seen other in their home (my childhood home). The neighbor's house which I used to stay at frequently as a child had mysterious happenings like glasses breaking and then falling on the floor. The second home I lived in, I used to hear strange noises outside as if an animal or creature was being attacked. A friends house that I used to stay while living at my second address (I did not like staying there by myself when my roommate at that time wasn't there) at had a floor to ceiling mirror that always creeped me out and made me feel unwelcome. The third home that I lived in being the house with the flower garden; which, I also would hear someone walking in the attic; starting above one bedroom and then to the other bedroom, out above the living room and then would sound as if it had fallen on the attic floor. The fourth, also my pervious address, my roommate of that time and I would hear someone walking up and down the 16 wooden indoor steps to our apartment. We were told that this apartment used to be lived in by the doctor whom used the 1 of the downstairs apartment as his doctors office.

Ghost of a Child

submitted by Dianne

Hello, I think my apartment is haunted by a child and would like to know if there is a way, besides the police dept to look into any crime history that could have happened here. The police records only go back two years and my place was built in 1930. Here’s my story: I’m renting an apartment that was converted from a large old house. The house was divided into four sections making two apartments upstairs and two down. I moved into one of the downstairs units and I love the old place.

Recently I’ve been seeing things out of the corner of my eye but when I turn my head, nothing is there. I have two cats and sometimes, while watching TV with me, they will both suddenly look up at the ceiling and their heads will move around as if their eyes are following something on the ceiling but I don’t see anything. I’ve never believed in ghosts… and still don’t, exactly. The other day I came home from work and my elbow brushed over the top of something as soon as I walked in the door, it felt like hair. I jumped back and when I turned my light on there was nothing there, but I KNOW my elbow bumped something and my cats were both going crazy for no apparent reason. I called my upstairs neighbor and was telling him about all the weird stuff and he sort a freaked out and told me to meet him outside, he didn’t want to be inside his apartment at that moment. So we met outside and he told me that when I moved in he almost told me about the “ghosts” in this place. The guy that lived in my apt before I moved in had told him that it was haunted and he didn’t want to scare me with the ghost story since I lived alone. He told me that he saw a little girl standing on his desk, that’s why he was so freaked out when I called him because it had just happened. He sees kids (spirits?) here all the time.

Haunted Before It Was A Ghost Town...

submitted by Mel

I grew up in a small town that no longer exists. I have quiet a few incidents that happened to me. So I don't know where to start.

Back in the town that I grew up, from when I was a young teenager. I would have what some people call the choking ghost experiences. When I was in the 7th grade, we all noticed that I had a black and blue mark on my right thigh. And it looked like a bite mark. You could see teeth marks.

I have had these experiences countless of times over the years. I am now 37. I have a few that was very scary. One is when I lived in a town called Waimea.

There is a huge saying that you should never sleep with your head or feet facing out the door. Well one night, I just got into bed, and wasn't even asleep yet. but sleepy. When boom.. all of a sudden I couldn't move, couldn't yell out.. nothing. And my eyes were open and I could see my surroundings. The hallway light was on, and I still was struggling to move or yell out. When coming from the hallway.. I see this figure of a man slowly walking through my bedroom door. The whole time.. I'm still trying to fight to break free, or yell out. He slowly walks into my bedroom door...and I can feel that he is very angry for some reason.. and I am looking at him.. yet he has no face. He continues to slowly walk in.. then he slowly bends down to look at me just a few inches away from my own face...yet he is faceless!

Right after he does that, I am able to break free.. and yell out the "f" word....then he was gone. I never slept in that room again.

Months later I read this "chicken skin" books.. and they talked about the faceless ghost! That convinced me that I was not going crazy!

Well.. through the years.. I have moved quiet a few times. And no matter where I move.. I eventually start getting these episodes. But thankfully.. I don't see any images.. or apparitions.

At this one house.. I would be held down...struggling to move, struggling to yell out...and struggling to breathe! It was also keeping me from breathing! And those were scary too!

Finally as time passed.. I learned to not be afraid. I figure.. if anything really wanted to hurt me.. it would have by now.

A few other times after fighting things off, and I swear I am not sleeping.. I would fight it off.. and then see an apparition lift away from me. And this is what's weird.. I saw an apparition of a cat. And I would be completely awake.. and stare at it for a long time.. to make sure I wasn't seeing things.. and sure enough. It was a cat.. looking at me.. sitting as cats do, and it's tail moving around. That happened at least 4 times..! and the last time I saw that cat. It looked like it was trying to threaten me about bothering my daughter.. because it hovered right above my daughters bed...I jumped out of my own bed and chased it as if I was chasing a real cat. And it casually jumped out the window.

I have had a pressing incident when I was just trying to go to sleep.. and boom.. it hits me.. and I am struggling to break free, and this "thing" is pulling me from behind. (I was laying on my side) And it was like it was trying to tell me something in my ear. And it kept trying to pull my head towards it, so it could say something in my ear.

Now in my new rental here.. I just experienced something holding me again. This time my boyfriend slept over.. when I finally broke free from this holding down.. I see an apparition move away from me. And this time it's a dog. So I am staring at it for a while.. before I jump out of bed yelling "cha!" as if I was trying to chase away a real dog. And my boyfriend is like .."what? what" but I am too busy focusing on the dog. And I'm still trying to make sure I am not just seeing things. But sure enough I see it.. and my boyfriend keeps asking "what" I finally tell him.. pointing to the dog. "there don't you see it" He's like.. "what" and I just keep pointing at it.. asking him if he see it. He doesn't. And as I am pointing.. the dogs move toward me.. as if trying to sniff my hand.. as dogs would if you show them your hand. But soon as it does that.. I again try to chase it away...this time it moves to the outside of my door.. and I am still asking my boyfriend...don't you see it. He says no. Finally it is gone. My boyfriend still asks..."what" And I hesitate to tell him because I don't want him to think I am crazy.

I finally tell him.. and he says he! believes me.. because what woke him up is when he saw me struggling to break free...and I was trying to say something...like stuck on "fffffffffffffffffffffffff"

Anyway...I have a whole bunch of incidents...

He just vanished!!

submitted by Jeff

I had a strange thing happened to me recently at the rest stop just over the Mississippi river near Dubuque on highway 151. I know it's in Wisconsin but please hear me out. It was the first week in March 2006 around two thirty in the afternoon on a sunny day. I stopped to take a break and stretch my legs. I got out of my pick-up and saw a man warring a blue jacket and a blue cap. He had a white patch on his sleeve but I was to far away to see what was on it. He had black hair and glasses too. I thought he was a security guard or a county worker.

Anyway, I exited my truck and saw him walking around a pick nick table looking downward as if he was looking for something. I looked away for a second or two at the most to check my pockets and when I looked back up he was gone. The only things in that area are a pick nick table and two trash cans. The building is around forty feet away. He couldn't have gotten there that fast. There was nothing between him and me. There were no cars near by. It would be physically impossible for him to move that fast or get into a trash can. I must have stood there for three minutes looking around and I saw nothing.

Have you heard of this before?

Aplington Activity

submitted by Mark

To begin, I am not sure where I want to go with this, or how to present it. I live with my family in an old house in Aplington. My family consists of my wife, and my two young sons, ages 7 and 4. We also have 3 cats and a dog. I mention this because at one time or another all of us have experienced
something here.
I don't really know how much other things like head injuries, or previous psychic experiences, or even being able to do dowsing have to bear on any sort of "paranormal" activity. In other words; am I crazy?
OK, that being said, one thing my wife and I have experienced is that we were both awakened at one time by a voice calling our name. This happened on different days, some time apart.
My oldest son (7) has said he had seen an old lady sitting on his bed looking at his children's books. (this was several years ago) My youngest son (4) has said he has seen a man in his room.
The animals have had reactions ranging from fear(?)-running away from an area that they are normally comfortable in, to curiosity-sitting and following something with their heads. Our dog has jumped up and barked and growled suddenly for no reason, and will stand and look up the staircase.
I have had the most encounters (?). At different times I will smell cigarette smoke very strongly-and no one in this house smokes- never have.   Or other smells.. musty or sharp odors. No one else smells anything.
I was sitting in a chair one night looking at TV, and a piece of something flew right by my face-like a piece of plastic, but no one else saw it. I have felt cold areas in the house as well. And at times I get this very strong emotional something that someone is right next to me.
I have heard voices-very distant, detached sounding voices...like an old woman speaking through a very faint speaker. I have heard other noises too.   Footsteps-like heels coming up the stairs when I was in bed, and no one else was in the house-I thought my wife had come back for something. But when I called her name, the noise stopped, and no one was there when I looked.
OK, background on me: I have had several head injuries- concussions in my life. One time I was actually thought dead by paramedics after I collided with a large truck on my bicycle when I was 19. My last head bonk was in 2000 as the result of a car crash.
I have been able to use dowsing rods...a friend of my dad's gave me a pair of rods and showed me how to use them. Before that, I had never heard of dowsing. But they worked for me. This was about 1973-4. Haven't done anything with rods since.
I have had ESP experiences where I have "known" that someone has died or is near death or that someone is wanting to contact me.
This happened with both my mom and dad, and also with my grandmother...I knew when they had died. My grandmother "sent" me a message that she was gone. I just knew she had died before anyone else in the family. I remember calling my dad from work and telling him about it, and about an
hour later he got the word from the nursing home.
There has been no real activity here except for what I have described.   However, I work in the local nursing home as a maintenance director, and many people there know my house, and say they have heard stories about things happening here, or that it is haunted.
When we got this house in 1999, I did a walk through by myself and told any spirits that they were welcome to be here, as it was their house too. I only asked that they leave me and my family in peace. I am trying to restore the house, I also told them this, and asked for their help.
I do not know the whole history of this house. I know that we are the 5th owners, and the house was built in 1909. Not much has changed in the house...much of the original woodwork is here, and outside of a bathroom I put upstairs, and some crappy re-muddling of the first floor kitchen and bath in the 70's, and rewiring the place, it is the same as when it was built.

I had a rather unsettling experience on Monday morning as I went to start the back up generator located in a sub-basement area of the center. The machine which usually starts right up would not start. Totally out of the ordinary. I did a complete run through of all of it's systems and found nothing wrong. However the whole time I was in there I had the feeling I was NOT alone! This was a very strong sensation, and I tried
not to dwell on it.
When a maintenance mechanic I had called in to help came into the area, he asked who the old guy was that he saw coming out of the door going into the area. I thought it could have been a city worker who was supposed to be fixing a water meter. (it wasn't) As soon as this other mechanic came over, the engine started.
Yeah, I know.
One other thing, a resident died in his room over the weekend. I went into the room to see if anything needed to be checked as far as walls patched, painted, etc. I had the very distinct feeling this guy was there. All of his stuff was in there. I talked to him and told him I would miss him, and I hoped that everything was OK with him, and that he could move on as soon as he felt comfortable in leaving. He had lived there since it opened, 10 years ago. One of the younger workers there felt real bad, because he told this guy he
would get him some lemon drops and never got to it. I got the lemon drops and had the kid come into the room, and we put the drops by the guys bed-where he was found dead, and I said, " here are your lemon drops ,Willie." The kid said later he felt a very warm, pleasant feeling when he left the room. But he thinks I am really weird now.
Now, one thing about the spirits following someone; I have had a real spell of bulbs burning out at the center. Just blowing out or exploding. I am starting to have the same problem at home.

Update from Mark: I wrote to you some time back regarding some occurrences in my home. One thing that both my wife and I experienced at different times was being awakened by our names being called. This happened to me again last week and then this morning, and the sound was right by my head. It sounded this time like a man's voice or a teenager's voice...last time it was a woman's voice.
Do you have people reporting this kind of thing happening to them? Or is this something rather unusual?
Thinking about it, I am remodeling the old bathroom on the main floor- I totally gutted it right down to the wall studs and original floor.. The original room had been remodeled in the late 60's or 70's, and I found that the floor plan of the room had been changed somewhat. That is, a doorway was removed and covered over, and the original wood work had been removed. (I have the original woodwork, and plan on reusing it.)
Could such a thing as the de-construction of the room maybe bothered someone or something? Maybe if I had a little "chat" with whatever it is, and told them my plans to restore rather than destroy that this would settle things?

Our Reply: You are not alone on the name thing. I have heard of, read about, & known people who have experienced this. It's also not uncommon for spirits to be recorded saying names of the investigators in EVPs. I have been told about a house where this was common. The house used to be a nursing home at one point. {It was one of those big, old Victorian homes that had seen many forms of usage in its life} The inhabitants would hear their names being called from other rooms, or sometimes whispered right next to them. It was quite unnerving from the sounds of it. They also saw shadows walking down hallways, saw a man looking at them thru a transom window over a door, tho his body was not visible below that, {a man had hung himself in that room}, & in a bathroom where a man passed away while using it- saw the shadowy figure of him still sitting there, right before they switched on the light.

It is common for spirits to be more restless when there is remodeling going on. Since you are restoring it to it's original condition, they may just be acknowledging you this way to let you know they approve! I take it that they haven't been moving or hiding tools from you? That's more common when spirits don't like what's going on. From the variety of the voices, tho, you may be getting input from various former residents. It doesn't sound like they are upset, just letting you know that they are aware of who you are, & letting you know they are there. I think your idea of explaining things to them may not be a bad idea. It would reassure them, & acknowledge them. Perhaps you could also ask that they not wake you or startle you in the future, too!
Mark's Reply: Funny you mention tools being moved. At the nursing home where I work this happens to me a lot. I am the maintenance guy there, and I'm building new offices in the basement. I always thought it was me losing my mind and
forgetting where I put them.

The Smell of Impending Death?
submitted by Liv

My Dad can smell when people are going to die.
example one: Dad was out working on the farm with a healthy 40 year old man (I'll call him Alex). Dad came home that night white as a ghost "Alex is going to die. I could smell it. He'll be dead tomorrow." That night, Alex died of a heart attack.

Example Two: Dad felt the urge to return a CD to a friend he hadn't seen in many months. When he arrived the man "stank of death" and a few hours later he was stabbed to death while being robbed of his wallet.

My Nana jokes that she's always scared that when we visit Dad will 'smell ' her. Is what Dad can do normal (obviously it's not- but have you ever heard of it before)? Does it have a name?

Our Reply : We would say it is PARAnormal, & perhaps normal for him, but it is not a common gift. It is really just a form of precognitive ability. For some people this may manifest as seeing an 'aura' or glow around a person who is close to death, or having a dream of what is to come, or in your Father's case, a smell that others can't detect.

Why or how certain people possess these kinds of gifts may always be a mystery. {& a gift like this may seem more like a curse!} But there is probably some reason he possesses this ability. {Maybe he will even be able to prevent a death some day.}

Did he ever have a near death experience, serious illness or injury, or other traumatic event the preceded this ability? Sometimes these things can 'unlock' an unusual ability like this. I haven't personally heard of this exact manifestation of precognitive ability, but I have heard of other forms, & perhaps there are others out there that share this same gift.

A Ghost Returns

submitted by Karina

I had a freaky experience this morning. It was about 5am I was in the kitchen drinking coffee. My husband left for work at 4am, my son was still sleeping upstairs. So, I am in the kitchen drinking coffee watching the morning news, the dog is in the kitchen with me sleeping on his pillow, the cat is outside.

I heard a noise upstairs, our house is a good 80 years old and the floor boards upstairs in the hall, master bedroom and the bathroom squeak. The bathroom is directly above the kitchen, I heard footsteps in the bathroom, thinking it was my son. I heard a banging from the bathroom, like if he would kick the cabinet under the sink. Thinking, I better see what's going on I got up to go upstairs to see. Walking half way up the stairs I can look into the bathroom, but didn't see anyone. Well, I thought he probably heard me coming and is hiding (to scare me). I went into the bathroom - nobody there! I checked on my son - he was sound asleep. What was it?

I told my husband the story when I saw him at 9:30am this morning and he told me that he had similar experiences before we even knew each other. My husband has been living in this house for the last 12-13 years. I moved in 1 1/2 years ago. Several years ago the TV would turn on in the middle of the night. The light come on (he put a piece of tape over the light switch, the light came on and the tape was moved), or the shower would come on in the middle of the night. Than it just stopped, well I guess it's back.

The bathroom incident was the only time I am aware of since I moved into the house. My son turned 9 in January, he does not live with me all the time since my ex-husband and I have joint custody.

I have done some remodeling in the last few months. The most recent remodeling (living room) was a bit of a change, removing of carpet and exposing hardwood floor, painting, moving furniture around and adding new furniture. One week after I started the living room remodeling was when I experienced the noise, so maybe it had something to do with all the changes I've done to the house!

I try not to think about it and we don't talk about it in the house either, I am afraid if my son experiences any "abnormal activity" he would totally "freak" out on me and would be afraid to come back to the house.

We decided to ignore what happened and move on like normal. I wonder if that's the reason I haven't "heard" anything else!

Wait an minute, I just remembered something!!

I was in the basement the other day doing laundry. The cat was downstairs with me when I felt this cold "draft" (all the windows are closed this time of year). As soon I felt the draft the cat took off like she was scared.

The cat also sleeps with us, and the other night she woke me up because she was "screaming" and took of across the bed like somebody was after her. She never done that before. What's going on, does the cat know or senses something?

Last week the dog was in the bathroom with me while I was getting ready for work, it was early in the morning I was alone in the house. He was sleeping on the bathroom rug and jump up out of his sleep ran downstairs and just started barking wildly for about 30 seconds then he came back upstairs and laid back down. I didn't go to investigate, maybe I should have. I don't thing he heard any outside noise, it was 4:30 am. nobody walks by my house that early in the morning. Just strange. Maybe there is a explanation for all this, I don't know. As long "they" leave me alone I guess I leave "them" alone.

Burlington Ghost Story

submitted by Megan

I want to share a very creepy experience with you. I live in the city of Burlington; it's in the southeast corner of Iowa. The city dates back to the early 1800's, I believe. If you take Highway 61 going south towards a smaller city called Fort Madison, there is a small dirt road to the right, right smack in the middle of our two cities, called Rock Springs road. If you follow this road all the way back, it will take you into the woods (make sure you turn left at the fork in the road and watch the sign to reassure yourself that you are still on Rock Springs road), and over a small bridge. A few yards after crossing that bridge you will make a turn and come to a small clearing. In the middle of the clearing is a small hill with a big, tall sign that says Rock Springs Elementary School Memorial site. It is said that a long time ago, when that area was still known as Burlington, there was a small one-room school house sitting on that small hill. The teacher was supposedly having an affair with a black woman, and this angered a bunch of local racists. One May day, while school was in session, the racists boarded up the windows and doors, with the children and teacher inside, and set it on fire. The teacher and one student escaped through a window, but the rest of the students perished. The blaze burnt it to the ground. You can still see the foundations of the actual school building left over! My friend found the news coverage in an old news paper at our local library, on the microfiche. It is all true, as far as we can tell. People have reported hearing children playing and laughing when out there in the month of May.

If you walk a couple of feet to the left of the memorial site, there is a small footbridge going over a rock-filled spring (hence the name Rock Springs). Cross it, and you'll come to a gate. Walk through it and up a very steep hill and there you will find a small cemetery. Some of the graves are VERY old and some are new. The "Witch's Grave" is located here. According to the story, long before the tragedy at Rock Springs School, a preacher accused an old woman of being a witch, took her to the cemetery and hung her in a tree. She is buried right next to the very tree she was hung in (the tree is now only a stump, and a broken piece of her headstone sits on top of this stump.) Her grave is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and on top of it has been planted various herbs and plants that grow taller than me. This was a superstitious custom for burying witches back in the day.

My friends and I used to drive out to Rock Springs at night (in our town there is NOTHING else to do), just to scare ourselves. We would walk around the School foundations and the cemetery and then go home...but every time we would bring someone new out there (kind of an initiation in our circle of friends) they would comment on the heavy, oppressive feeling, even while still being inside of the car. But nothing else had really happened to us out there, we felt pretty safe...

So here comes my experience. Last summer, I decided to take my younger sister and her friend (both about 13 at the time) to the Rock Springs site, just to scare them, because we were all bored and needed a little thrill. We got into the car, drove all the way out there, and parked by the school site. I showed them the memorial sign, the foundations of the burned down school, then took them to the cemetery up the hill. They kept saying that they didn't like it there and that they kind of felt like they were being watched. I told them that they were being silly and that I had been out there hundreds of times with no problem. After we were done, we got into my car and I drove them home. I walked them into the house and then returned to my car headed to my boyfriend's...but something caught my eye as I walked towards it. Ready for this? There were HANDPRINTS- tiny, little, children sized handprints ALL OVER MY CAR. At least 30 of them! They all seemed to be made of dried mud or dirt. Now this is very strange because #1- They were absolutely not there before going to the school site! #2- There is no way little kids could have dipped their hands in mud because Iowa was going through a drought that summer. The ground was as dry as dust. I ran back into the house grabbed my camera and called my mom and sister and her friend outside. I showed them what I had found (my sister and her friend went hysterical, and my mom was speechless and accused me of playing some kind of joke) and I snapped a bunch of shots of the car. They kid's handprints were everywhere- the whole car was covered. I snapped a photo of my hand next to some of the hand prints proving on film that these hand prints were not made by me. These handprints are clearly much, much smaller than mine in comparison. I had my sister and her friend do the same...their hands were so much bigger than the prints! So I know for sure they didn't do it, though I knew this because they hadn't one been out of my sight the whole time (they had been clinging to me out of fear). My mom warned me never to go out there again...I never listen to my mother.

One more thing. When I enlarged these pictures on the computer, and looked very closely, I was stunned to see a blue, transparent figure of a boy, chest up to the head, sitting in the back seat of my Buick Skylark!!! I would love to send in some of these pictures, but unfortunately, my boyfriend's laptop caught a virus, crashed, and erased every picture file I had ever stored on it. I was livid. So, feel free to post this story, it's creepy and I'm beyond ecstatic to have had an experience with the paranormal!

MacVicar Freeway SPIRITS & GHOSTLY VISITS

submitted by Ralph

In the late sixties, after the much criticized design of the Des Moines MacVicar Freeway had been implemented and built, it was discovered that there was a severe design flaw. In several locations, including the E. University interchange, entrance ramps were built that entered the freeway on the left side, directly into the fast lane. The design flaw caused several horrible accidents and multiple deaths at the E. University eastbound location and the D.O.T. closed the entrance and blocked it off. It remained that way until recently when the redesign of the freeway destroyed the obsolete entry along with the still functional parts of the interchange.

It was widely reported in the decades following the closure of the entrance ramp that there was haunting at that point by the agitated spirits of some of those whom had passed on unexpectedly at that ill-fated interchange. Manifestations were reportedly seen trying to flag cars down to help or just walking along on the freeway. Investigators reported strange phenomena and occurrences in the general area of the interchange. I recall that many groups investigated early on, but I do not know of any source of historical record of their findings nor exactly what groups they represented. I do certainly remember that for awhile, the spot was known nationwide as one of the real paranormal hotspots. Young people held "spook parties" there.

Have there been any recent paranormal investigations of the area using modern equipment? If it is true that this was a paranormal hotspot, would the residual haunting still continue after the evidence of the design flaw has been destroyed? Since the paranormal activity was in the area surrounding the exchange, would a psychic echo persist in spite of changes to the topography?

On a somewhat related note concerning traumatic haunting, a close friend of mine confided a story to me in which an entity appeared to him in his bedroom. He had lived in the house a very short time and was still adjusting to his new arrangement. He saw the image of a teenage girl standing next to his bed and she was trying to get his attention. When he rose on one elbow, frightened, confused at the intrusion and cursing vehemently, she wagged her finger at him disapprovingly and vanished. He was shaken. The vision was too real to call a dream.

He casually mentioned the story to his next door neighbor and she matter of factly told him that it was the ghost of her daughter and she had been haunting both houses since the accident that had occurred two blocks away , when she had pulled out into the intersection and her car was struck and she was killed. The neighbor had been informed by a clairvoyant that the spirit of her daughter was still trying to tell mom and dad that she had had an accident and they needed to come help. She had manifested to the former owner of his house as well.

Paranormal activity continued in the house until he had it blessed and wards placed by a person who claimed paranormal knowledge. Is this haunting perpetuated by mother's living grief or daughter's dying shock? Or can it be dismissed casually as mere coincidence?

Our Reply: As far as the hauntings ceasing due to the removal of the old ramp, that is hard to say. Sometimes when the source of trauma is no longer there, the hauntings cease. But, there have been many reports of hauntings that still exist even after changes to, or removal of, the original structures that were affected. Of course, this may just be a residual haunting, with no real intelligence to it. But, I have also heard of many cases of spirits that interact with the living, but still go through doors that no longer exist, or can be heard on stairways that are no longer there. This would also go along with some theories of 'parallel dimensions'. If we look at these examples, then, yes, the haunting -or residual haunting - may still continue. Time will tell, I guess.

As to why the spirit of the teenage girl was still hanging around, that is also hard to say. The most common reason is a feeling of 'unfinished business', &/or not realizing that they are dead. But spirits will also return to their family homes just because they still want to be around their family, or feel that their family needs them. I don't think our loved ones ever leave us completely. Love doesn't die just because our bodies do. If the mother was, understandably, experiencing extreme grief, yes, the daughter may have felt more compelled to stick around. But she shouldn't feel responsible for her daughter's continued presence. Grief is something that must be experienced & worked through. And, sometimes we are lucky enough to still get contact from our loved ones from the 'other side'.

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