One of the most common reasons people contact me is to gain advice on how to handle suspected paranormal activity in their home or place of work.
First, don’t panic! Poltergeist activity and hauntings that you may have witnessed on TV and in the media are very rare. They do happen, but it's more likely that you're experiencing something else.
The following advice is offered as guidance. Buy yourself a notebook and maintain a journal or diary. This is important as it helps an investigator to ascertain any patterns around the activity. You should consider the following questions and write down answers to them where possible.
1) What activity are you/others experiencing? What makes you think it's paranormal?
2) Where are you experiencing the activity? Your home or place of work? Is it isolated to one specific area or one specific type of activity?
3) Did the activity start suddenly (if so - when?) or has it gradually worsened?
4) Who is affected? Who is experiencing activity? Is it general or targeted?
5) Have you taken steps to rule out any logical explanations or natural phenomena?
6) Have you changed anything in the house?
7) Have you introduced anything new to the house (e.g. old jewellery or second-hand furniture)?
8) When is the activity occurring? In your diary, record any experiences and note the date and time.
9) Try to find out something about the location - the building's history or was there something built on the land previously? Have any previous occupants experienced similar activity?
10) Are there any animals in the building and have they been acting strange?
11) Are there any children under the age of 16 in the house and are they aware of suspected activity? Are they frightened by their experiences?
12) Are you curious about the suspected activity or do you feel a sense of threat?
13) Have you been able to capture any 'evidence' of suspected activity? Or are these personal experiences? Has more than one person experienced the same activity?
14) Record anything else in your journal that you feel may be relevant and appropriate.
Do not pay anyone to investigate your home or ‘cleanse it’ especially if this service is unsolicited.
You can try to burn white candles around the home (please do not leave them unattended!) and ask out loud for [spirit] to leave. Don’t worry, loved ones would not cause a sense of threat and anything you do won’t affect them. You can also burn sage and smudge the house (again be careful if using a naked flame). I would also advise that you purchase obsidian or tourmaline and leave it on the window ledge inside the house. This crystal will absorb any negative energy. You can purchase them for a few pounds on Amazon or in a local shop (let’s support local businesses where possible!).
Give all of this a few weeks and if you still think you’re being haunted, then it’s time to call in someone with experience and expertise.