Ghosts
Many people don’t believe in ghosts. It isn’t until you hear creaking floorboards or whispers in the night that you finally start to wonder if ghosts really do exist. Some people are so sure that ghosts really do exist that they made paranormal research, aka ghost hunting, a career. These people believe that there are certain symptoms that let you know when a host is present such as changes in temperature, hearing sounds, and seeing dark figures. When these things happen, panic begins to set it.
NPR Program
On Halloween, the popular NPR program, This American Life, told a story that was documented in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. You may think that a story in a medical journey can’t be scary, but this one is. Just not in the way that you think.
The Incident
A woman name Mrs. H (her name was redacted to respect her privacy) and her family moved into an old house on November 15, 1921. Shortly after they moved in, strange things started to happen. At night, the family heard strange noises. Booms and thuds occurred at night when they were in bed. One night, Mrs. H’s son asked who kept calling out his name. One night, Mrs.H woke up to the figures of a man and a woman at the end of her bed. Mrs. H and her family were terrified at night, and they were depressed during the day. When Mrs. H’s plants all died suddenly at the same time, she realized that there was a dangerous presence in her home.
A Visit From Family
Two months after the family moved in, Mr. H’s brother came for a visit. When he arrived, they told him about the haunting that they were experiencing. He told the family that the chance of the house being haunted was slim. Instead, he told them to have their home inspected. He said that he heard a story about a family who thought that their house was haunted, but it turned out to be a gas leak. He suggested that the family had their furnace inspected. It turned out that the furnace was leaking, and the family was slowly being poisoned with carbon monoxide. This was causing their hallucinations.
Another Incident
In 2015, a woman as paralyzed with fear when she claimed to have seen a figure with her in the shower. Again, it turned out that the woman’s heater was leaking carbon monoxide. The truth behind what ghosts are made of has finally been revealed. According to a toxicologist and environmental health engineer named Albert Donnay, carbon monoxide poisoning can cause hallucinations that can make you think that your house is haunted.
The Case In Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, a city councilman named Bob Cranmer bought a house. He had seen the house plenty of times growing up and was always intrigued by it. As an adult, he discovered that the house was for sale, so he immediately made an offer. He was shocked that it was accepted because his offer was much lower than the asking price. The house was beautiful, so Bob and his family thought that they were the luckiest people alive. What they didn’t know was that the property has a sorted past.
The Property’s History
According to legend, a group of Native Americans was slaughtered on the land by white settlers. In 1909, a disgruntled builder put a curse on the house. Finally, during the early 20th century, a doctor rented a room in the house and performed hundreds of illegal abortions. Bob knew none of this.
Ghostly Happenings
Shortly after Bob and his family moved into the house, things started to happen. The lights flickered, the radio changed stations on its own, and they heard bumps in the night. It wasn’t long before the family was waking up with scratches all over their bodies. Bob was sure that the house was haunted, and that whatever was there was trying to hurt his family. When Ryan Ruell from A&E’s Paranormal State went to the home, he claims to have seen crucifixes bent right before his eyes. Finally, the family knew that they needed real help.
An Exorcism
Finally, Bob called the church. A priest was sent to the home to see what was happening, and they agreed with Bob. Something needed to be done. They performed an exorcism at the house, and suddenly, everything stopped. Bob and his family never again experienced anything paranormal.
Ghost? Gas?
If you hear bumps in the night or if your lights start to flicker, don’t call a priest right away. First, call a technician to inspect your heater. If everything checks out, then you can start to panic. You never know if you are hallucinating due to carbon monoxide poisoning or if your house is really haunted.
