Spirits arrive in all shapes, forms, and conditions. After many decades of living with the dead, I’m here to tell you: Never Mess with Ghosts.

I had a roommate that did not believe in ghosts. He was skeptical. Even dared to challenge the spirits.

He said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Shortly after making that statement, he had two shocking encounters with spirits.

One morning, he scolded me for scaring him the previous night. He saw someone standing behind him in the bathroom mirror. There were only the two of us in that house. I was sleeping.

His second encounter happened at around 2 a.m. He heard the clacking of what he thought was a keyboard.

I stay up late to write. He thought it was me typing. He got up to tell me to keep it down.

Except there was no one there. The lights were off. He checked. I was asleep in my room.

He believed me. He eventually moved out.

To prevent you from having the socks scared off you like my roommate, I put together 5 Dos and Don’ts of Ghost Etiquette.

Do’s:

#1 Create A Journal

• We strongly recommend taking notes of the events. The more details of the events and any information that would be helpful in recreating the scene.
• You may need to refer to it in the future if it escalates or you want to hire paranormal investigators. The details get lost with time.

#2 Stay Calm

• The spirits are made of energy and can pick up vibes. When a ghost makes it’s presence known, stay calm. Take a deep breaths.
• Do your best to steady your nerves. It’s natural to be afraid.
• Deal with a ghost the same way you would deal with a wasp in the garden, walk slowly away. Do not escalate.
• Ghosts have been part of all human history and is described in every culture. They’re not a new concept.

#3 Get Some Paranormal Help

• Each religion has their own method and process to deal with unwanted spiritual visitors. Please contact your religious governing body to ask how they want to handle it.
• Contact the local paranormal group for advice or reading.

#4 Do your Research

• Ask your neighbors or go to the local library to figure out the previous owners and if any traumatic events have occurred on or near your property. This helps narrow down who the entity might be.

#5 Set Boundaries

• Ghosts actually do not exist in the same place and time we do.
• They pass from one realm to the next. That means they may wind up in your kitchen without having much control.
• Though they are your unwanted visitor, they are lost travelers. As with all lost tourists be kind and considerate when you show them to the exit.

Don’ts

#1 Never Use Ouija Board

• Never EVER EVER EVER use a Ouija Board to communicate with the spirit. The Ouija Board is not a toy.
• The Ouija Board was developed in the late 1890s by Charles Kennard and four other investors, the Kennard Novelty Company. One of the investors, Elijah Bond, an attorney had a sister-in-law who was a psychic medium, Helen Peters. She used the board to communicate with the beyond to choose the name of the board. The board spelled out O-U-I-J-A. And “Good luck”.  
• I’ve yet to find that demon and put him back where he belongs. I repeat. Do Not Use the Ouija Board.
• If you insist on trying to communicate, contact a psychic or a medium. They can assist you without opening portals to other realms and letting demonic things in.

#2 Do Not Taunt or Challenge a Ghost

• Refrain from taunting or challenging a ghost. The outcome is not fun. My roommate had to learn the hard way not to taunt a ghost. He needed two lessons to scare him straight.  
• Ghosts exist. Period.

#3 Do Not Banish Via Spells or Sage on Your Own

I had a client that wanted me to chase down a ghost. She said her infant son would wake up screaming in fear. A priest had blessed her home.

Paranormal activity continued to happen after the priest left. She decided to look up methods of banishing spirits online. She chose to burn sage.

The spirit activity became more pronounced at her house. She began to see a shadow figure dart around her property.

Her motion sensor security cameras were being triggered by an unseen force. There was no person when she reviewed the security footage.

Though her courage is admirable, we have a couple of observations of where she went wrong:

1. Please do not negate the work of your priest or religious body. He used Holy Water to bless her house and sacred words to seal the doors from the spirits.

2. When she used sage after the priest’s visit, she contradicted the priest’s blessings.

3. We do not recommended mixing different methods.

• If there is more activity and no relief, contact a local paranormal investigation group for assistance.
• Do not download or use spells to banish ghosts. There are fine nuances to banishment spells and words of magick.
• We also recommend you contact a psychic or medium. They’re prepared to deal with the unseen realm.

#4 Do Not Be Fooled

Spirits are not always what they say they are. Ever watch the movie Annabelle? The story of the haunted doll is based on true events that Ed and Lorraine Warren researched.

The owner of the doll spoke to it and was convinced by the demon possessing it. Do not be fooled.

• Do not be lured into conversation with a ghost.
• Do not share personal details of your life We worked on a case where the demon convinced a teenage boy to tell him the names of his friends. Then proceeded to haunt his friends.

#5 Don’t Ignore Your Intuition

• Sensitive people, children and animals can pick up energy good or bad. Do not ignore your feelings.
• Assess the level of activity and what you’re willing to live it. If you feel unsafe, leave.

We hope these tips help you manage your peace of mind. Keep the lights on if you’re scared. Lights may deter spirits and help relieve your anxiety.

What are your experiences with the supernatural? What’s the worst advice you’ve received for handling ghosts? Write and let us know below.

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