Help, My apartment is haunted!

[zenbabe]

Ok, so I am super freaked out. I have a ghost in my apartment and need to find out how to get rid of it. I completely locked up the other night and went to bed. I got up a little later to get a glass of water and the smell of garlic in my kitchen was so much that my eyes were burning, it was like someone had crushed 30 lbs of garlic. I thought it was strange but figured someone was doing some late night cooking or something. So I go back to bed and lock my bedroom door as always. About 5 minutes later, my door swings open, hits the wall and bounces back almost closing. I start to panic at this point thinking someone is in the house. I wait about 5 minutes, holding a hammer, waiting for someone to come in. Nothing. about 10 minutes later, I go downstairs and check the entire apartment. Nothing. And the garlic smell is completely gone!! The next day, I leave for work and forgot something, so I come back in and the bathroom now has the garlic smell and the living room smelled like old ladies perfume. So I ran out and don't know what to do now. Does anyone know how to get rid of ghosts????????
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[DarkPadawan]

Zen - I don't know how to get rid of ghosts but I have heard people say that asking "them" to stop doing something will often work. For instance, when your door comes swinging open, simply ask in a calm voice to please not do that again because it frightens you. From everything I've read or heard, most ghosts are not malevolent and are simply going about their business and that sometimes crosses paths with our business.

[zenbabe]

Yeah, but by that time, I have already soiled myself!! But it is worth a shot, thanks!!

[lapietra]

Sounds like you've got a granny ghost who's either trying to protect you from vampires or to get you to eat Italian! :D Of course, grannies used to be young women... and the stuff that smells like old lady perfume now was young lady perfume then...
Have you lived there long? Maybe she was your age when she died & she's trying to make friends with you... I used to have roommates that would wake me up in the middle of the night to talk... maybe that's what she was doing.

Anyway - gentle communication is *always* the best solution, whether you're talking to live people or not!

[zenbabe]

No, I have only lived there for a couple of months. I havn't unpacked because I am planning on moving again soon, so it is pretty cramped. I was reading that feng shui has something to do with ghosts, so maybe this broad is irked that I haven't got my chi flowing or something, anywho, a friend is coming over and we are going to burn some sage. It is all I can think of at the moment, and maybe try to get some feng shui going. I don't get the garlic thing at all!!:confused:

[lapietra]

Garlic is extremely healthy, and has been used for centuries to combat illness and to defend against various types of evil spirits. Here's a couple of links:
:)ivillage.co.uk: The health benefits of garlic (http://www.ivillage.co.uk/health/comp/herb/articles/0,12709,181042_183722,00.html)
This is a really good one - check out the paragraph titled "Spiritual uses of garlic":
Garlic: Not just for vampire protection (http://www.chamomiletimes.com/articles/garlicdrwalz.htm)

One theory about ghosts (on which a couple of recent movies have been based) is that they don't realize they're not alive - your ghost might think *you're* ghost, and might be trying to get rid of you!!! ;) Or maybe she was very ill and ate a lot of garlic...

Here's one more site I came across...
Ohio Paranormal Investigation Network Ghost Help Center (http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/opin/ghost.html)

Good luck!

[AllegroNg]

WHO YOU GONNA CALL??!

[zenbabe]

Hey, great link! I guess my friend and I are set for the ghost intervetion later, got some sage to burn and some good idea's, and of course some wine!! The ghost doesnt seem to be to harmfull, just smells like garlic, which I can never get enough of, it would just be nice if this broad left behind some dinner or something though...

[StellaWanders]

I hate to be the one who brings the bad news, but...
It's not that easy to get rid of ghosts. If they don't want to leave, they won't. Yes, I'm speaking from experience. The building I work in is an old prison that used to carry out the death penalty (we use it for much happier things now). As you can imagine, there are quite a few extra souls that hang around, often causing trouble. There's been heaps of "ghostbusters" and the like through to "cleanse the space", but to no avail. In the particularly active spots I just announce my arrival and my intentions and then go about my business...it's still creepy though.
Oh, and good luck!

[PHPGoddess]

I hate to sound like a stick in the mud..but there's another possibility. Do you have any gas lines anywhere in your house? Because natural gas doesn't have an actual smell to it. So in case you have leaks..they actually ADD that smell to it that you associate with gas. And one of the smells that it often smells like is GARLIC. I don't know about the door thing. But you might want to check for gas leaks. That's the safe thing to do :)

[zenbabe]

OMG, That is so right on target, maybe it isn't a ghost at all, this place is temporary and such a rathole, the heater emits heat when the heater isn't even on, all the time, so the place is always roasting, I know there is a gas leak!! The stove does it too!! That has to be it!! I guess I better not light up any cigs in the hizouse!!:eek:

[Frieda]

wow if it really is gas you should be so terribly careful! omg! let someone check for a gas leak!

[Enqrypzion]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM so much for the ghost-idea.. still leaves me wondering how your door opened suddenly though

[Kerstique]

a friend of mine had a door open and close itself in front of her earlier this week, with no one else around. I thought it was a ghost for sure but she thinks her telekinesis is acting up. I had a case of magical powers for a few weeks in July, so I guess she can too.

[PHPGoddess]

Zenbabe,
Don't even bother with your landlord. The gas company will come out for free to check for leaks. If they are outside the piping of the house they'll fix it for free. If it's inside the house your landlord will get billed. But go thru them :)

[zenbabe]

Yeah, some wierd goings on for sure, I don't know what to think about the door thing, I guess stranger things have happened. We saged up the place and haven't heard from the ghost since, i have a guy coming out to check for a gas leak, omg, I hope there isn't a leak, but then again, at the same time, I hope that is what it is!!

[rmr]

Ok I haven't always believed in hauntings, but last night I was sitting on the sofa with my dog and he started growling at the chair across from us. Let me just point out that he's not a barker, so I started to get nervous. He litterally just kept growling while staring at the chair. Finally I picked him up and put him on the ground and he went over to the chair as if someone was there and started growling and biting at it as if someone was sitting in it. It really freaked me out.

It's an old vintage place and now I'm starting to believe.

[zenbabe]

Dogs and cats have always been credited for having the ability to see ghosts, I would take it seriously, that is so freaky though!!

http://www.dogquotes.com/dogsuperstitions.htm

:eek:

[lapietra]

Don't worry *too* much about having a gas leak...
I mean, it's kind of stinky and you probably shouldn't walk around with a lighted match... but it isn't toxic. :)
Your heater is warm even tho' it's not on probably because the pilot is lit... that's a good thing for winter ('cos you'll probably be needing it soon!) but you can have the gas co. turn it off in the summer (if you stay that long!). I put mine out and light it myself... easier than having them come out to the apt. :D

[Molly]

my older brother first brought up the subject that our house might be huanted, and i am beginng to beleive it myself. here's why:
last saturday, my mom came home from cleavland and we all decided to go out to eat. Well, i had some clothes in the dryer and my dad decided to open up the dryer and stop it before we left. the clothes were WET and COLD. we come back about...oh, i dont know... about an hour later and when i go to check on my laundry, i find that the clothes are now WARM and DRY. the dryer door was still open. very strange...
also:
i often like to stick out my feet from under the covers @ night, and i will sometimes feel somone stroking my foot...when noone is in my room 'cept me.

my brother was home alone a few nights ago and heard someone breathg as well as someone opening up our mother's closet.

things might be moved around...lost and found in completely different places.

my older brother stays up late, and one night he swore he heard voices-that of a man and a young girl coming from outside. he went outsde to find no one was there.

anyone have any conclusions?...i would like some answers on these rpoblems.
and zenbabe-have you found out the history of the apartment you are staying in?...the buiding itslef?
garlic...well, at least you wont get any vampires aorund! but actually, that doesnt work. just trust me on this one.

[lapietra]

If you do have a ghost, sounds like s/he likes you a lot! Dries your laundry & pets your feet... everyone should have a ghost like that... :)

[zenbabe]

Well the garlic smell is back, I am buying a gas meter today to check for a leak, but the weird thing is, the smell doesn't linger, it is just there all of the sudden and so strong it burns your eyes, and them blam, its gone! But even worse, now the place has been taken over by ants coming out of the ceiling!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!

:eek:

[Frieda]

why are you still living there anyway?? get out! if there are ants, there probably are mice too, and roaches..

[zenbabe]

I just moved in here because my lease was up at my old place and I had to find a place fast! I also was only planning on staying here for a month (it is month to month) because I was planning on moving to the east coast, but I think I have changed my mind and am stuck in this rathole for the time being, I am looking for a new place though....:rolleyes:

[Frieda]

aw that sucks.. hope you find a better place to live soon!

[AllegroNg]

So sorry about your living conditions, Zen <hands you a new home>

As for your bug situation - do what I do! If you are rendered defenseless, simply get a can of hairspray (furniture spray, mop&go, and windex are equally useless) and spray away, while doing the dance of scary insects.

Otherwise, I highly recommend Raid ant bait for all of your ant killing needs (just don't eat the stuff inside the trap!)

You've probably had all this advice before, what with your roach crisis.

Get. A. New. Home!!!

-Ng

[Molly]

yea lapeitra, i guess it does sound nice, bt at the same time it is kinda creepy...
ah well. whatcha gonna do, huh?

[bealeblues]

i hate that you are having the problems zen, but i will say that if you do have ghosts, i would be jealous.... i'd love to spend some time in a haunted house just to see what it would be like and to get the rush....i've tried staying overnight in some of the 'haunted' plantations in louisiana, but i suppose the ghosts don't perform on command.... maybe next is the non-tourist voodoo section of new orleans....

[zenbabe]

YAY!! I won in the battle of enduring freedom of insects!!! I straight kicked ant butt!! I also feng sheu'd the place and it looks alot better, thanks for all the help!!!!

:p

[Eruantale]

I suppose I could go on about how ghosts are simply a bit of electrical charges in the air, and how the door could've opened because the lock isn't as proper as you may think... but that wouldn't be any fun, would it? :D

[zenbabe]

So last night I am watching "Dismissed" on MTV and decide to go outside for a quick smoke. I come back in and the TV is now on CNN!!! Not only that, but I have these cute little chinese lanterns in my living room that were plugged in and on when I left and they were unplugged when I came back!!!


:eek:

[bealeblues]

i would say gremlins, but we're not in the 80's..... (thankfully)

[Eruantale]

i would say gremlins, but we're not in the 80's..... (thankfully)
You never know, they could be attempting a... dum dum dum... comeback!!! :eek:

Do any of your neighbours have ebil kitties that enjoy walking into people's flats through the window and wrecking everything? Perhaps that was it. Because, while it can make sense to me that a ghost might have enough power to open a door, the thought of a ghost changing channels on a telly is just, well, ridiculous. Or maybe the remote got stuck between cushions - that happened to me several times, and if the pressure's strong enough it can push on the buttons, causing the channels to change.

Your lanterns, though... definitely sounds to me like some feline mischievousness.

By the way, have you checked the gas lines yet?

[bealeblues]

this will sound strange, but when i was a kid back in the 70's, we had a TV with (perish the thought) manual knobs for switching channels and a remote that only had "up" and "down" for changing channels. so, if we wanted to watch something else, we had to hit the button and watch the TV scroll through until it hit the channel we wanted (1 of the 4 channels we had, before Ted Turner)

anyway, i had this wind up miniature robot, about 4 inches tall. I figured out somehow that if I wound up the robot and held it right next to the channel knob on the TV, the knob would start turning, changing channels.... poltergeist or weird mechanical telepathy? you be the judge

[madasacutsnake]

*bumpety bump*

Scary movie thread made me think of this.

My parents have a way cool ghost story. It starts with my dad when he was a boy. He and his father were visiting Scotland and were near the edge of a cliff when my grandfather called to my father to come quickly and look at the ship. By the time my father got there and my granfather had turned around, the ship had gone. My father remembers him being puzzled at how the ship could have got around the headland so quickly. My grandfather also mentioned that the reason he was so excited was that he thought it was the four masted barque "Pamir", and that there were only ever two four masted barques built and that he thought that they were both sunk (grandad was a ship buff).

Fast forward to years later. My parents are on their honeymoon, sitting on the cliff at approximately the same spot. They spent about fifteen minutes watching what my father also describes as a four masted barque. They even took a photograph of it. The photograph is the best part of this story - you can see the cliffs and open sea but no boat.

[masterofNone]

gooseflesh.

[Zaftig]

Originally posted by madasacutsnake
*bumpety bump*

Scary movie thread made me think of this.

My parents have a way cool ghost story. It starts with my dad when he was a boy. He and his father were visiting Scotland and were near the edge of a cliff when my grandfather called to my father to come quickly and look at the ship. By the time my father got there and my granfather had turned around, the ship had gone. My father remembers him being puzzled at how the ship could have got around the headland so quickly. My grandfather also mentioned that the reason he was so excited was that he thought it was the four masted barque "Pamir", and that there were only ever two four masted barques built and that he thought that they were both sunk (grandad was a ship buff).

Fast forward to years later. My parents are on their honeymoon, sitting on the cliff at approximately the same spot. They spent about fifteen minutes watching what my father also describes as a four masted barque. They even took a photograph of it. The photograph is the best part of this story - you can see the cliffs and open sea but no boat.

Shiver me Timbers! OK, I couldn't help it but that is cool and erie at the same time.

Here I go being the glutton for punishment that I am but it made me think of a story so here it goes. Myself, Sim and a friend of ours went to Salem, Mass. in October a couple years ago. (Wish we went on Halloween because it's like marti gras there that night) Anyways, in the center of town there is a legendary medal statue. My friend, major wiccan, tells me that no one has ever gotten a picture of that spooky man. Every time they take a picture of the statue it never comes out. I was a non-believer so I got my camera out, made sure there was no potential for glare and such, there was no sun out. . so I snapped a picture. . . got the pictures developed and sure enough, foggy blob over him. I will have to get a hold of a scanner and scan the pic sometime. Quite freaky.

I just also remembered something that happened the first week Sim and I were living in that old apartment I spoke of in the movie thread. We were sleeping and I woke up because I could distinctively hear footsteps above in the attic. I woke Sim up and asked him if he could here it. He clearly and wide awake said "YES" and he made an inquisitive expression on his face. I made him hold me tight so I could sleep. The next morning I was asking him about it and he looked at me like I was smoking crack. He didn't remember anything.

[zenbabe]

I don't really miss that place...but I kind of do.........

[Zaftig]

you just answered the question I forgot to ask. . . thanks :)

[madasacutsnake]

I worked at the home on Friday night. One corridor was full of the stench of cigarette smoke, I'm talking like walking through a cloud of it, not just a whiff. When I investigated one of the carers told me it had been going on all night. It's a non-smoking facility and we couldn't find the source. At that point the smell disappeared.

Later on another carer came and asked if any-one had turned the stereo back on, twice, after she had switched it off not only at the "off" button but at the plug too. No-one had...........the CD in it kept playing like it was stuck in a loop which is why she had switched it off in the first place.

A bit later, we realised that the fellow who had died on Thursday morning (of lung cancer) had been a heavy smoker. His room was in the part of the home where we smelt the smoke. We don't know if he liked to play with stereos though.

[madasacutsnake]

Oh and Zaf:

http://www.zefrank.com/bulletin/showpost.php?p=192315&postcount=15

Hehe.

[Zaftig]

^^hahahahhahahahahaaa We're such dorks. We never realized!


Love the story though. I'm always up for a good ghoulie tale.

[xfox]

http://pamir.chez.tiscali.fr/Voiliers/Classe_A/Pamir/Art/pamip22.jpg

Pamir

[madasacutsnake]

Oh xfox. I forgot to say. The story has an odd postscript in that we discovered that the Pamir used to transport goods between England and South Australia where we now live.

I have a little Pamir "ship in a bottle" which I keep for good luck.

[Sapphire]

"Most Haunted" is a great show on the Travel Channel -
http://travel.discovery.com/fansites/mosthaunted/about.html

Lots of interesting footage of hauntings.

[madasacutsnake]

^^

I watched that last night. They visited a haunted brewery. A beer keg rolled all by itself and a big bookcase rocked back and forward when they asked a spirit to make itself known. Creepy.

I find the medium with all the diamond rings a bit too much like that sleazy bloke John Edward though.

"Your dead grandma tells you to see me backstage after the show".

[xfox]

Ah, haven't seen that show, but thanks for the P.S. These days, everything here seems to come off the back of a truck.

No ghosts here, that I know of. But, you never know.

[Zeismyhero]

Really? Do you think he's sleazy? I'm just curious...how so?