16 signs that shows a house is haunted -Quite interesting

I'm not sure how true is this? but thought i would post to it anyways.. Because it was interesting..

You hear heavy footsteps in the upstairs hallway when you know no
one is up there. Doors slam unaccountably. Commonly used items
disappear and reappear without cause. The kitchen light turns on by
itself. There's the unmistakable scent of a strange perfume in the
air.
These may be indications that your house is haunted. True hauntings
are rare occurrences, and it may be difficult to determine whether
or not any strange phenomena you are experiencing in your home might
be due to a haunting. For one thing, no one really knows what
a "real" haunting is - what causes it or why it starts. There are
many theories, of course, which we have discussed in this space in
the article "Ghosts: What Are They?" But if you think your house may
really be haunted, what can you do about it?


The Signs of a Haunting


The first step is to determine, as best you can, whether or not you
truly have a legitimate case of a haunting.


Not all hauntings are alike, and they may exhibit a variety of
phenomena. Some hauntings feature a single phenomenon - such as a
particular door slamming shut that occurs repeatedly - while others
consist of many different phenomena, ranging from odd noises to full-
blown apparitions.
Here's a partial list of phenomena that might indicate that your
house is haunted:


Unexplained noises - footsteps; knocks, banging, rapping; scratching
sounds; sounds of something being dropped. Sometimes these noises
can be subtle and other times they can be quite loud.
Doors, cabinets and cupboards opening and closing - most often,
these phenomena are not seen directly. The experiencer either hears
the distinct sounds of the doors opening and closing (homeowners get
to know quite well the distinctive sounds their houses make) or the
experiencer will return to a room to find a door open or closed when
they are certain that it was left in the opposite position.
Sometimes furniture, like kitchen chairs, are perceived to have been
moved. Very rarely will the experiencer actually witness the
phenomenon taking place.
Lights turning off and on - likewise, these events are seldom seen
actually occurring, but the lights are switched on or off when the
experiencer knows they were not left that way. This can also happen
with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items.
Items disappearing and reappearing - this phenomenon, which we have
dubbed "the DOPler Effect" (DOP = Disappearing Object Phenomenon),
has been examined in the article "The DOPler Effect." Others have
called this "the borrowers" phenomenon, and it's the familiar
experience of not being able to find a regularly used item - say,
your set of car keys - which you believe you placed in a spot you
routinely place them. But they're gone and you look high and low for
them with no success. Some time later, the keys are found - in
exactly the place you normally put them. It's as if the object was
borrowed by someone or something for a short time, then returned.
Sometimes they are not returned for days or even weeks, but when
they are, it's in an obvious place that could not have been missed
by even a casual search.
Unexplained shadows - the sighting of fleeting shapes and shadows,
usually seen out of the corner of the eye. This phenomenon has also
been discussed in some detail in "Shadow People." Many times, the
shadows have vaguely human forms, while other times they are less
distinguishable or smaller.
Strange animal behavior - a dog, cat or other pet behaves strangely.
Dogs may bark at something unseen, cower without apparent reason or
refuse to enter a room they normally do. Cats may seem to
be "watching" something cross a room. Animals have sharper senses
than humans, and many researchers think their psychic abilities
might be more finely tuned also. (See "Animals and Ghosts" )
Feelings of being watched - this is not an uncommon feeling and can
be attributed to many things, but it could have a paranormal source
if the feeling consistently occurs in a particular part of the house
at a particular time.
Those are some of the most common experiences of those who think
their houses are haunted. Yet even stranger things can happen...


Stronger Evidence
The following phenomena are more rare, but could be stronger
evidence of a haunting:


Mild psychokinetic phenomena - hearing a door open or close is one
thing. Actually seeing it happen is quite another. Similarly,
actually seeing a light go on or off by itself is greater proof that
something unexplained is happening. Do you see the TV or radio turn
on? Or perhaps you're present when a child's powered toy begins to
operate on its own. Doors and windows are locked or unlocked. Some
people report that when they are in bed they can feel and/or hear
something sitting on the bed.
Feelings of being touched - the feeling of being watched is one
thing, and actually feeling like you are being touched is quite
another.


Some people feel something brush past them, something touching their
hair or "a hand" on the shoulder. Some feel a gentle poke, push or
nudge.
Cries and whispers - on occasion, muffled voices, whispering and
crying can be heard. Sometimes it's music from some unknown source.
People hear their names being said. This phenomenon, as is true for
the one above, gains more credibility if more than one person hears
or sees the same thing at the same time.
Cold or hot spots - cold spots are classic haunting symptoms, but
any instance of a noticeable variance in temperature without a
discernable cause could be evidence.
Unexplained smells - the distinct fragrance of a perfume or cologne
that you do not have in your house. This phenomenon comes and goes
without any apparent cause and may accompany other phenomena, such
as shadows, voices or psychokinetic phenomena. Foul odors can happen
in the same way.
Rarer still are more extreme phenomena, some of which have been
called poltergeist phenomena, and can be quite strong evidence of a
true haunting:


Moving or levitating objects (severe psychokinetic phenomena) -
dinner plates sliding across the table; pictures flying off walls;
doors slamming shut with great force; furniture sliding across the
floor.
Physical assault - scratches, slaps and hard shoves. This kind of
personal assault is extremely rare, but obviously highly disturbing.
Other physical evidence - unexplained writing on paper or walls;
handprints and footprints.
Apparitions - physical manifestation of a spirit or entity. These
phenomena are also very rare and can take many forms: human-shaped
mists or forming mists of some indistinguishable shape; transparent
human forms that disappear quickly; and most rarely, human forms
that look as real and solid as any living person, but that disappear
into a room or even while being viewed.


Rule Out Rational Explanations
A person who has experienced some of these phenomena might have
cause to believe that his or her house is haunted. But maybe not. In
fact, according to most experts, probably not. The human mind and
human senses (as any magician will tell you) are easily fooled. And
people can often mistake explainable (if unusual) occurrences in
their homes for the paranormal.


Before you decide there's a ghost in your house or move out from
fear, do your best to find rational explanations for what you are
experiencing. Virtually all of the phenomena listed on the previous
page could have perfectly natural causes:


noises could be house settling, plumbing or even vermin such as mice
and squirrels
opening and closing doors could be faulty hinges or caused by drafts
DOPler phenomena could just be carelessness and forgetfulness
shadows could be just that - shadows caused, perhaps, by a passing
car's headlights
as real as some of these things might seem to you, they really could
be just products of your imagination
Of course, the more extreme the phenomena, the harder they are to
dismiss.


And, as noted above, if multiple witnesses experience the same
phenomena, they are likely to be taken more seriously.
Get help in finding rational explanations for the phenomena. A
plumber might help you find the cause of that banging. A carpenter
can fix that door from closing on its own. A friend or neighbor
might be able to look at your particular experience in a different
way and offer a reasonable explanation for your "haunting" that you
might not have though of. In short, make every possible effort to
prove that your house is not haunted.


Keep A Journal


If you feel you have ruled out rational explanations for the
phenomena that are taking place in your house, and they are still
occurring on a more or less regular basis, document them. Keep a
journal of the phenomena as they happen. For example:


June 2, 2002; 10:30 p.m. - Was sitting watch TV when the bathroom
light switched on by itself. Went in and turned it off again.
June 10, 2002; 9:14 p.m. - Was in the kitchen and heard the
footsteps crossing the upstairs hallway again. No one was up there.
Went up to investigate and could find no cause.
A journal such as this could help with any formal investigation of
the phenomena by experts.


If you hear unexplained noises, attempt to record them with a
portable tape recorder. If there are physical phenomena of any kind,
photograph or videotape them. Keep your journal, recording and
camera equipment readily available so you can document the phenomena
as it happens.


Call the Experts


When should you call a paranormal investigator? Only when you have
ruled out any rational explanations for the phenomena you are
experiencing and are thoroughly convinced that your house is truly
haunted should you contact the experts. Of course, if the phenomena
are extreme and you feel that you and your family are in any kind of
physical or psychological danger, you should call for help right
away.


Who are the experts? There are hundreds of paranormal investigation
organizations across the U.S. and Canada. You can find a state-by-
state listing of many of them here, although I cannot vouch for the
expertise of any of them. Most certainly, they vary in expertise and
in the degree of their practical experience, so you should be
careful in your choice. Troy Taylor, in his article "What Do To When
Your House is Haunted," provides some very good advice for choosing
paranormal investigators, including the qualities they should have
and specific questions you should ask them before inviting them to
check out your home.


Despite whatever strangeness you are experiencing, your house
probably is not haunted. But if it is, perhaps it is a benign spirit
or phenomenon that you can live with. Usually, it is something you
need not fear.