Spirits, Ghosts & Other Phenomena: Paranormal & Haunting FAQs
I suspect that my house is haunted. Should I call a paranormal team, a medium, or both?
You can set up all of the cameras and ghost hunting equipment you want, but only a well-trained medium is able to ascertain who or what is causing your issue and intervene if necessary by communicating with the entity (or entities) involved. Some teams have an on-call medium whom they work with, but I am often called in after a paranormal team has confirmed the presence of something otherworldly, and then recommends that you contact a medium. They call me because, once again, they are limited to providing you with electronic proof of what you suspected. Bottom line, either make sure that the paranormal team is bringing a medium along, or skip the team altogether and contact a professional medium directly for assistance. Doing so should save you time, money and get you to the finish line much more quickly.
I am experiencing minor paranormal activity in my house. I don't need a full-blown investigation, but would like to know what's going on. Can you help?
Definitely. I do virtual paranormal investigations via phone and Zoom all the time for people who live far from me or who cannot afford to have me travel to them. Just as we don't need to meet face-to-face for a normal reading, neither do we need to do so for a paranormal investigation. I am clairvoyant and adept at remote viewing (able to see the dead and tune into a location without being there physically). With the help of your people (deceased family members), mine (Angels and Guides), and/or any unfamiliar spirits who may be at the root of the activity, I will get to the bottom of it. Please visit the Services & Rates Page of my website if you are interested in booking a virtual/remote investigation.
Can sage get rid of ghosts?
No. Sage does not work on ghosts the way garlic does on vampires. Saging your house can get rid of leftover negative or "crusty" energy, but it will not deter any active entity (spirits or ghosts) that may have taken up residence. Sage is incredibly helpful when it comes to cleansing your home (or person) of residual energy, and I highly recommend using it when you move into a new space, after an argument, after a paranormal investigation, or anytime you walk through the front door and the air feels "heavy". Any persistent active paranormal entity that you want to get rid of must, however, be confronted and dealt with directly, either by you yourself or a professional medium. In some cases you can set your foot down (tell them in no uncertain terms to GTFO) and banish an unwelcome entity on your own, but most of the time a medium is required to get the job done. This is especially true if the paranormal activity around your house has been interfering with you and/or your family's ability to rest and relax for an extended amount of time.
What's the difference between an entity, a spirit, a ghost and a poltergeist?
Entity is the general term that covers any paranormal force or energy such as a spirit, ghost or poltergeist. Spirits and ghosts are essentially the same thing (the souls of the living who are no longer physically with us), but most paranormal investigators categorize spirits as souls who are at peace on the Other Side, and reserve the term ghost for souls who have not yet crossed over because they have either chosen to remain earthbound, or they are confused and "stuck" for some other reason. I generally find it quite easy to tell the difference between the two, because the spirits that I communicate with during readings meet me "halfway between worlds" and thus appear smaller or at a distance. Ghosts appear much nearer and larger (life-size and semi-transparent)... more or less how most ghostly apparitions are portrayed in the movies. Ghosts may also still show signs of physical trauma, depending on how they died, whereas spirits appear happy and whole. Poltergeist is German for "noisy ghost", and they can make a ruckus, but they are not actually ghosts at all. Poltergeists differ from spirits and ghosts in that they are not the souls of human beings and cannot be seen. They are instead masses of energy that are attracted to, and feed off of, the unstable and overactive emotions of the living (like your hormonal teenager). They then use this energy to wreak havoc around your house.
I suspect that I am dealing with something other than a spirit or ghost... something darker, like a demon. Can you help me with this?
In my experience, the paranormal activity that I am called in to investigate is almost always caused by something a lot less scary than you imagine. I have encountered some super scuzzy energy (the ghost of some old pervert who watches you in the shower, for example), but I have yet to come face to face with any truly dark force or demon. Ridding your home of friendly ghosts and their creepy counterparts is fairly easy, but if I ever do encounter something that I can't tackle, I will gladly recommend someone who is better equipped to handle the entity in question. Rule of thumb: It's best not to jump to conclusions. Hold off on calling in a priest, exorcist or demonologist until you have consulted with a professional medium who specializes in hauntings. The example I provide in my post about What to Expect at a Paranormal Investigation illustrates this point via one family who thought they had a potential possession on their hands. In the end it turned out to be nothing more than your run of the mill house spirit (who helped me during the investigation), and the ghost of an unfortunate suicide who needed assistance crossing over into the Light.
Can you tell me WHY there is a spirit or ghost in my house? I'd like to know if the presence I'm sensing is attached to the house, a person or an object.
Not necessarily. Although the chances of encountering a spirit or ghost are somewhat higher in an older home because it has a longer history, there are plenty of old houses that are not haunted, and new houses that experience lots of paranormal activity. Regardless of the age of the home, trust your gut when you first enter it. If something feels off about it, don't buy it. If you really really love it, but are really really paranoid about it being haunted because it is super old and has a sketchy vibe, consider hiring a reputable medium to do a walk through "energy check" before you write that big fat check.
I just found out the previous owner died in my house. Does this mean their soul is stuck here/that they are haunting the place?
No. It makes no difference where someone dies, they will either choose to hang out somewhere on the physical plane (be stuck), or quickly cross over to the Other Side. Most people who die in their homes move right on to their next life Above and make an occasional visit down here to let their loved ones know that they are okay. Some people die somewhere other than their homes, but decide to come back and take up residence as a house ghost because of a specific attachment to the home or someone still living in it. If every soul spent eternity hanging around where they died, nursing homes would be bursting at the seams with spirits and ghosts. I can assure you this is not the case because the only dead people that I encountered when visiting my own mother at her nursing home were spirits who took advantage of my being there and popped in to say hello to the staff working there. When I left, "visiting hours" were over and they headed back to the Other Side.
The lights, electronics and/or my kids' toys seem to have a life of their own lately. Is this a sign that ghosts or spirits are present?
Nothing sets the scene for your own personal horror movie quite like your toddler's Tickle Me Elmo going off on its own at exactly 3am every morning, but there's usually no need to panic, nor douse the doll in holy water. I know it seems super freaky, but that toy that appears to be possessed (or the electric candle that repeatedly turns itself on despite not being plugged in) may simply be the spirit of a loved one dropping in to say Hey! It would be lovely if our family spirits stuck to leaving us pennies from Heaven or putting birds and butterflies in our path, but some of the more energetic pranksters like to show off by messing with your toys, lights and plumbing. If the activity continues, intensifies, or you become increasingly uncomfortable with it, it's probably time to call in a professional medium to get to the root of the matter and help escort any unwanted intruders from the Other Side back where they belong.
My child (or pet) has been acting really weird and completely refuses to enter one room in our house. Could they be sensing something paranormal?
Yes. Children and animals are far more sensitive to energy than most adults. If your pet continually stares into or barks at one area of your home, this could be an indication that you have a visitor from the Spirit World. The same may be true if your child absolutely refuses to sleep in their room and starts pointing at or describing people that you can’t see. If the behavior persists to the point where everyone in the household is on edge or no one is getting any sleep, you may want to consider bringing in a medium (like myself) who is skilled at communicating with children, animals and the dead. If you suspect that your child is psychic (if he/she sees dead people on a regular basis), please read my blog about Psychic Kids and the benefits of a professional mentor.
Strange orbs keep showing up on our baby monitor screen and in a lot of our photos. What are they?
Inexplicable blobs or orbs in videos and photos are usually a sign that you have a visitor from the Spirit World. Here’s how to tell if you have caught spirit on camera, as opposed to your basic light or flash anomaly: If it’s a video, the orb(s) will dance around or zip in and out of view, rather than staying in one spot. If it’s a photo, the orb(s) will sometimes be more like blobs than perfect spheres. The orb(s) might also appear in one photo but not in the one taken before or after, or they will be in a different spot in a series of photos (because they are moving).
I think my house is haunted but I don't mind. I'd like to know who is causing the activity, but I don't necessarily want them to go away. Do you have to get rid them if you come to investigate?
My goal going into any paranormal investigation is to bring peace to souls on both sides. The fact that you are at ease despite the unusual activity tells me that you are either super sensitive to energy and have grown comfortable with it, or the energy itself is in some way comforting. It may be the spirit of a loved one hanging out to watch over you, for instance. This happens quite frequently when someone remains in or moves into the home of a loved one who has passed. They may be trying to show you that they are thrilled that you are there, or simply enjoy visiting their happy place. If I do encounter a former resident of the house (or anyone else) who seems confused or sad and needs help moving on, it is my duty to assist them in crossing over so that they can go on to live their best Afterlife.
Several people have experienced the same paranormal activity in the exact same spot in my house. Why don't we hear and see things anywhere else in the house?
If more than one person has reported seeing and/or hearing the exact same thing in the exact same location, chances are you are dealing with an imprint rather than an active haunting. A haunting involves active energy (a spirit or ghost) which usually manifests in a variety of ways (numerous sightings or the feeling that you are never alone, lights and electronics going wonky throughout the house, etc.). An imprint is like a DVR recording of a past event that keeps playing over and over. If, for example, several people have smelled smoke in a certain hallway and seen or heard someone screaming, it is likely that there was a fire in that location at some point in the past and the traumatic event left an energy imprint. Highly sensitive or psychic people are often able to get a glimpse this past event. If the apparition of the screaming woman appears to have burns on her face and moves from room to room or follows you around, it is likely a ghost (soul who is stuck) and needs help. If you are too afraid (or unable) to communicate with and assist them, it's time to call in a professional medium to get the job done.
I have experienced paranormal activity everywhere that I have lived. Is this a coincidence, or am I the one who is "haunted"?
If you have experienced paranormal activity every place you have lived, chances are you are super sensitive to energy. You probably have a longer supernatural or psychic "antenna" than most, and easily pick up on the paranormal activity that goes unnoticed by others. This does not mean that there is a specific energy attached to you, although this could certainly be the case. When this happens, the entity in question usually needs your help or is there to help you. If the energy always feels the same wherever you go, and is in some way comforting, a medium could help you identify the energy and figure out why they are always with you. If the energy that you pick up on feels different each place that you move, or makes you feel uneasy or frightened, you might need help identifying the entity (or entities), as well as understanding the latent psychic ability that is most likely attracting them. Many professional mediums offer mentoring services that can help you get a handle on what you are experiencing. They can also assist you in learning to set boundaries so that you can block the spirits who seem to plague you wherever you go. If you think you might be psychic, you might want to check out my book, Madame Medium: Unleash Your Inner Psychic with a French Teacher turned Psychic Medium. I also offer psychic mentoring for children, teens and adults. For more information, and access to free psychic development resources, visit the Psychic Development Resources Page of my website.
If after reading this you decide to schedule a paranormal investigation, there are a few things you can do to assist me ahead of time. I want to know as little as possible so that I can get a “clean read” of the situation, but any information that you can gather which may help to validate my findings is useful. Feel free to research the property or reach out to previous residents to see if they experienced anything similar. Doing so may or may not help put pieces of the puzzle together after the fact, but should at least allay some of your fears. Speaking of fear, the most important thing you can do is try not to let it get the best of you. Fear produces negative energy and some of the not-so-nice entities feed off of that energy. They are like problem children who enjoy any attention, be it good or bad. Remain calm and rest assured that I will have no fear coming in to ghostbust for you, and will do my very best help restore your piece of mind.
If you have a paranormal question that was not addressed above, feel free to shoot me an email and I will respond as quickly as possible: bethparkermedium@gmail.com
For an example of a what to expect at a paranormal investigation, click here: Who Ya Gonna Call?
To book a paranormal investigation, visit the Services & Rates Page of my website. NOTE: All on-site investigations will be conducted outdoors at the location in question or via Zoom during the pandemic. While I prefer to do all investigations on site, I have had great success doing them virtually. In some cases the spirit or ghost in question even makes an appearance in my office before we meet.
Before becoming a professional psychic medium, Beth taught high school French, Spanish, Italian and ESOL. In addition to conducting mediumship and general psychic readings across the country and abroad, she is also conducts paranormal investigations and offers psychic development mentoring for adults and children. Her book, Madame Medium: Unleash Your Inner Psychic with a French Teacher Turned Psychic Medium , was written to help others uncover and hone their own intuitive abilities. Beth lives just outside of Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband, Scott, their dog, Waffle, and their resident house spirit.
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