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Possible Help... From A Relative I Never Met?

 

So my family (we've got strong Irish blood on my dad's side, if that tells you anything - pretty superstitious) always has these weird little experiences. I, of course, thought it was a load of crap until this particular experience occurred. Now, I'm not sure, but I'm also kind of worried that I'm just going crazy. This happened a year ago, and I haven't shared it with anyone, though I've been thinking about it an awful lot. I've decided to just throw this up here and see what others think.

Background, which will all come clear in a minute: I can barely hear at all out of my right ear; I enjoy reading and I'm a bit of a flirt; I'm an actress and I was in a play at the time this took place. This play was called "Our Town". My character, the Stage Manager, usually is played by a man, but for some reason the director decided to cast me, a female, in the role. Within the play, the Stage Manager is both narrator, guide to the audience, and sort of Father/Mother Time.

I was having a LOT of trouble with the character, to the point that it was stressing me AND the director out. Not good. The director suggested I make a background for her, etc. I decided to name her Priscilla. Priscilla just fit her. My castmates insisted she shouldn't have a last name, but I liked the last name "Baker" - "Priscilla Baker" just has a ring to it, doesn't it? I decided that she'd enjoy watching over people (hence why she became The Stage Manager, who is basically the town's immortal historian), liked kids, enjoyed baking and reading, et cetera.

I was discussing the play with my dad, mentioning my new name and personality for the character. He commented, almost offhandedly, "Actually, you had an Aunt Priscilla." Well, actually, no, I didn't know that. I knew I had an Aunt Maggie and an Aunt Celia, but no Priscilla. "Yeah," he continued, "Great-aunt, really. She died some time ago; you never met her. Loved kids, loved people, loved to bake..."

Now, that freaked me out a bit. A week or so later, my grandmother called for whatever reason, and the phone started making the rounds through the family. When I got the phone, we chatted for a bit, she asked about my play, and I mentioned Priscilla Baker the character, and how I'd never heard about any "Great-aunt Priscilla". She corrected me: Priscilla was HER aunt, my father's great-aunt, and MY great-great aunt (no wonder I'd never heard of her).

She proceeded to tell me various things about Priscilla, including the fact that SHE was deaf in her right ear, that she loved to read, and even after she went to a sort of retirement home, she enjoyed winking at, waving at, and otherwise flirting with the construction workers who passed by her first-floor window. She even confirmed the fact that Priscilla loved baking, elaborating on how she liked making stew for her crazy Irish family. My grandmother also mentioned that Priscilla was a kind woman, someone who was not just a mother but a very protective figure in the lives of her husband, children, and those who knew her. She loved life, my grandmother concluded.

So... The similarities between me, the Priscilla I'd created, and my great-great aunt really freaked me out. However, I did seem to get hold of the character very well after that experience.

Opening night happened, and during the last two minutes of the second act, my character gives a monologue about weddings. I had very specific blocking (blocking is where you are supposed to move on the stage and when you are supposed to move there). I had to say a line, walk a few paces to the right while delivering another line ("...every once in a while..."), pause on a very specific spot and say the closing line for the act ("it's interesting."). All went well until I started to walk to the right.

I got a deep chill and someone RIGHT in my left ear told me, very calmly, in a low voice: "Don't do that, dear."

So, I listened. I stopped on a dime - stopping my pacing WAY before I was supposed to. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I didn't really register it as out-of-the-ordinary in that moment right after it happened. I continued with my line: "... Every once in a while..." Pause.

Right on cue, a light screen crashed on where I was supposed to be. I would've been knocked out for sure if I'd been there. THAT is when I freaked out. I got chills running up my spine. I was completely losing my head, so I basically rattled off the rest of the line ("it's interesting!") and that was the end of the act. Everyone was asking me why I didn't cross and saying what a good thing it was. I kind of just nodded and smiled - but didn't tell anyone (because, frankly, I didn't want to sound insane and I didn't know what I thought of the whole thing. I STILL don't.)

I'm not sure if this is a... Good thing or a bad thing. I mean, on the one hand, I might have some connection with this great-great-aunt of mine. On the other, I might just be a bit crazy. This seems to have opened the floodgates for a bunch of little things...

Yeah. So, there we are.

Basically, I'm hoping someone has had a similar experience and can help me out as to WHAT, exactly, this particular experience was/would be called - if anything at all. If there is a logical explanation (besides coincidence... I don't know, I'm just having a LOT of trouble accepting that one for some reason) please help me out here. I realize I might be a little fuzzy here, so please ask if you have any questions.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, CharlieCheshire, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

CharlieCheshire (1 stories) (6 posts)
+2
11 years ago (2013-05-06)
[at] CelticCross2000: I honestly haven't the foggiest, but I suppose I'll not try to get rid of it, I suppose we need all the help we can get!

[at] valkicry: Thanks so much. I've always believed skepticism is my friend - probably because growing up in an Irish family you find that an awful lot gets attributed to supernatural forces (be it God or ghosts) that might just be coincidence, so I suppose I'm just being a contrarian? Who knows.

[at] elnoraemily: No, not at all, I wondered about that too! It's entirely possible that I heard about her as a younger child, I just don't think I have - I certainly didn't structure my life around hers; the weird parallels between her and me are what got me.

[at] XOXOdezzie4evaXOXO: Thanks! I suppose it's happier than it would've been if that light screen fell on me... Ow.

[at] Shady4u: Haha, I guess... Someone lower down in the comments suggested maybe I'd heard some information about her earlier in my life, forgot it, and subconsciously constructed the character around her. I don't think I'd ever heard of her before - but it's entirely possible I could've. Who knows! The coincidences between her life and mine (the deafness, the personality similarities) are what weird me out.

[at] endangeredbutterfly99: Wow, that's quite the experience. Nobody else on stage heard any ringing or anything - or if they did, they didn't tell me.

[at] harrypotterrules: The other things that have happened to me specifically are mostly (and I know this sounds crazy):
1.) me getting nightmares immediately prior to major negative events in the lives of others I care about. Logically, I think maybe I better remember and connect these vivid nightmares to those events because they happened before something bad, not necessarily because they forbode something bad... But that's one thing.
2.) me seeing things very vividly (the most major episode I'm thinking of here is a car crash) and them happening (in this specific case, an hour later) with certain details changed. I don't know if that's technically a "ghost"-related thing, though, so I didn't detail it here. Now, I'm old enough to know the difference between vivid imaginings and "I am seeing something I don't have control over," but I'm more likely to attribute the second to onsetting insanity... Which is why I'm freakin' out a bit.

Again, my family is full of stories about my mom and my biological great-grandmother allegedly knowing when people are going to die, my parents supposedly seeing ghosts this one time while walking our dogs in a graveyard, etc; I honestly always thought it was a bunch of nonsense and now I'm thinking maybe the family has a crazy gene or something? Lord only knows. Again, I'm religious, but I've kind of been avoiding my spiritual stuff in the past few months in the hopes that I can avoid weird stuff like this happening, because it freaks me out.

Now that you mention it, I might meditate later and see if I brush up against anything that seems vaguely Aunt-Priscilla-y.

Terribly sorry this post is so late and so long! Life's been busy.
harrypotterrules (59 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-13)
I, personally, think you were lucky to have that spirit on your side. Maybe you should meditate and ask her if she is your spirit guide. That can sometimes happen. Hope this helps!
endangeredbutterfly99 (7 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-13)
not crazy my friend had a similar expierience I was there and she explained that what happened is we were messing with the tv there was a storm and we were playing a video game then she said she heard someone wisper shout don't touch the tv when she reached for the screen then we saw lightning and the screen started electricuting sparks and then she said the lady said stay safe neice but when she talked all I heard was ringing so you are not crazy
harrypotterrules (59 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-12)
Sorry -- I should have been more specific. I meant "What else happened?" If you don't want to tell us, that's fine. Sorry I didn't post sooner, by the way.
Shady4u (2 stories) (188 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-05)
Hey there! Your story is something really different and I loved it. Talking of similarities between you and your great great aunt, I think its more than just coincidence. I feel she has taken birth again in your costume. Well that's what I think you don't have to take me seriously if you don't want to I know I sound crazy LOL. Anyways, I loved the story. Be good. Thanks!
-Shady
XOXOdezzie4evaXOXO (1 stories) (4 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-05)
I really love your story sorry I can't help but it looks to me that whoever whispered in your ear was looking out for you. Your story is a very happy story:) 😁
elnoraemily (guest)
+1
11 years ago (2013-03-03)
You could have heard if her when you were younger and it didn't register until you got reminded. You could have liked the story of her and subconsciously created a character to match. It's very common. I don't mean to discredit, just giving an explanation.
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
 
11 years ago (2013-03-02)
Charlie - I do believe it's only natural to wonder a bit about one's 'sanity' when you have a first encounter/experience of any sort. And, well hearing voices is one of the top looney signs! 😉
Skepicism can be down right healthy. It's what enables us to debunk 'hauntings' and fix the real cause of the problem, and establish fact from fiction. I probably should point out that this may also be your one and only experience - there's no way of being sure. But, I bet the next time someone tells you something, you'll now wonder if there is a possibility of it being so, instead of just writing it off as imagination.
~Val
CelticCross2000 (2 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-02)
I think its one of two things
-A strange instinct
-Your 3x great aunt protecting you from harm
In either case this is good energy and something to hold on to. ❤
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-02)
Charlie,

We used a small night light in our orchestra pit as our 'ghost light'. Fire code would not let us keep a stage light on.

Think of it like this those relatives that have moved on and did not need to reincarnate can return and watch over us. This is where you find your 'spirit guides/Guardian Angels.

As fun as being Jigger was it sacred me to death, First time role and I had to SING?!? I am SO NOT a trained singer... LoL Haunted or not every Theater has a 'spirit' in and of itself and its something I really miss.

Respectfully,

Rook
CharlieCheshire (1 stories) (6 posts)
+1
11 years ago (2013-03-02)
[at] Harrypoterrules: I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're referring to... In THIS particular experience, I actually didn't "see" anything - other than that light screen crashing. I just heard someone right in my left ear when the closest person to me was six feet away, frozen in a smiling position, and facing the audience.

[at] Rook:
That's a fun first role! I'm kind of jealous. Mine was Daphne and chorus in Thoroughly Modern Millie... Not quite as interesting.

We joke about having a ghost - a stagehand did die on-site a few decades ago. My castmates call him "the Phantom of the Auditorium" (as opposed to the Phantom of the Opera.) However, other than this particular experience, I've never seen or felt anything in that theatre, nor has anyone else that I'm aware of... And I've been in and out of that theatre all the time for the past 2-3 years. We don't even leave a ghost light burning... Although I think that's more for electricity costs than lack of respect for any spirits or what-have-you.

I feel so strange about this whole thing. Though I've read up a good deal on the occult and such because it interests me as an academic subject, I'm Irish Reconstructionist Pagan. I'm not a big believer in ghosts or contacting dead relatives. I've always believed you either move on or reincarnate pretty much instantly at death, so all this is a bit difficult to wrap my head around. (That, and despite my religious affiliation, I'm a huge skeptic when it comes to hearing this kind of stuff, even from my own family. It seems so strange to be actually typing this.)

[at] valkricry: Thank you. It's nice having some assurance that I might not be completely losing it (although part of me still thinks I am 😕.)
harrypotterrules (59 posts)
+1
11 years ago (2013-03-01)
Ignore that last comment I made. Instead, read this one.
"What did you see? This may help us give you advice on what to do. P.S. You are not crazy." I forgot to add that last part.
harrypotterrules (59 posts)
 
11 years ago (2013-03-01)
What did you see? This may help us give you advice on what to do.
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+2
11 years ago (2013-03-01)
You are not crazy, do not think that for an instant. From one Drama Geek to another, you are not crazy. (My first role was Jigger from Carousel 😉)

It seems you have a family member who is watching over you, one who identifies with you and saw a chance to 'connect' with you because of the character you were playing. While doing so she was able to warn you about the 'light screen' falling (Kudos on finishing your lines).

Thank you for sharing this experience with us... Did your theater as a resident 'ghost' that everyone talked about?

Respectfully,

Rook
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
 
11 years ago (2013-03-01)
Hmmm, are you crazy? I don't think so. Many of us have experienced this sort of thing. Was it your great-great aunt? Maybe. Maybe not. Obviously, 'someone' was looking out for you. 😊
As far as I know, this type of experience doesn't have a 'name'. But perhaps, one of the others might know for certain.

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