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Phantom Voice

 

I'm not sure if this falls under the paranormal category but I couldn't explain what it was that happened so I'm posting it here.

About five or so years ago I was home alone because my family went to some gathering or something like that and I didn't really feel like going. They left around 7 PM or so but didn't get back until almost 11 PM. It was in the fall, slowly making its way into winter. And in the fall/ winter, the days are much shorter because the sun goes down much earlier like around 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. I kept all the lights on in the house because I'm a big scaredy cat when I'm by myself and it's impossible to see without them on. The TV was off in the living room and I was in my room listening to music.

It was probably around 9 or 10 when I left my room. And my house is kind of weird the way it's set up. I wish I had a diagram to help better explain. Anyway, my room exits to the living room as soon as you step outside the door, to the left is where the living room connects into the kitchen, then its kitchen to dining room and in the dining room there's a staircase that goes to the second floor and there's the back door. Sorry for this long explanation.

So I left my room to go into the kitchen and I don't know what I was doing exactly, I think I was washing the dishes or something. And while doing that I got one of those feelings where you feel like someone is behind you or more like the feeling you get when you know someone is looking at you. I ignored it of course because I was home alone. Then I literally jumped when I heard my mom's voice yell, "What are you doing Josh?!" So I respond with, "You scared the hell out of me, I didn't know you were home" and I'm still washing the dishes so I haven't turned around yet. I figured maybe she had come in through the back door when I was in my room because one set of keys she has doesn't have a house key and sometimes she grabs the wrong set of keys and we typically leave the back door unlocked (yeah I know its a terrible idea to do that).

She didn't respond so I turned around to see no one standing there. I stopped what I was doing and called out to find out where she went. No such luck. I calmly made my way back into my room, locking the door behind me and calling my parents to see if they were home or not. Mom picks up, "Yeah we're almost home we'll be there in about 10-15 minutes" Conclusion: She was never there but her voice was.

So then a cluster of thoughts ran through my mind. "Who did I hear? Did I really hear it or was it just my imagination? Am I crazy? Is this some sort or message or warning?" I honestly didn't know what to think. It was a strange experience in my life and a friend of mine told me that the same thing happened to him once, so I don't really know what to think.

I don't think this was paranormal as my mom is alive so it obviously wasn't her "ghost" or anything like that. I'm a pretty firm believer in paranormal events or occurrences so I don't ever want to rule anything out. But if you want to give me your opinion of what you think it might be, then by all means do so.

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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, Jawsh, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-11)
haunted_childhood,

That's a very cool story and thanks for sharing. It's always fascinating to me to hear people with similar experiences. Definitely makes me feel better about my own experience.

"There are just some things in this world that can't be easily explained. But it doesn't mean they don't exist!"

I agree with you completely on that statement. It's always hard, for me at least, to talk about my experiences because not all but definitely a lot of people aren't so quick to believe me. Which is expected because to them I'm just some stranger on the internet talking about paranormal experiences.

I'll always stick by my stories because I know they happened to me. But I don't expect people to believe me necessarily. Sorry if I'm rambling.

Thanks again for leaving a comment and thanks for sharing your own experience:)
haunted_childhood (34 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-11)
Something very similar happened to me when I was around 4 or 5 years old. 40 years later, I still remember it like it was yesterday...

I was sitting on the couch with my grandmother and her little dog watching Hee Haw (my grandparents loved that show!) when from the back bedroom, we heard my grandfather call to my grandmother..."Pat?" it called.

There was no mistaking his voice. He had a very distinct accent. The only problem was... He was NOT HOME at the time! He'd left for work hours before.

Freaked us all out... Even the dog!

In another home a couple years later, we would hear people cleaning the kitchen at night. PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T THERE! Dishes clattering, brooms sweeping, etc.

Since the house and grounds had been the site of an old southern rice plantation (decades before) I personally believe these were the sounds of the slaves that had worked there back in the day.

So yes... I very much DO believe in a residual haunting involving the living... AND THE DEAD!

There are just some things in this world that can't be easily explained.

But it doesn't mean they don't exist! 😉
RedWolf (31 stories) (1292 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-11)
Tweed
I agree with you that it is nice when the O.P. Replies. Especially when the O.P. Swears their story is 100% true which is always a red flag for me. Especially when they say they will read the comments but not join the conversation. Then it makes me think the story is fodder.
Regards
Red
Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
Miracles,

Thanks for helping me out there. It is very much appreciated. Glad to know people do actually moderate, unlike other sites which are completely out of control. Seriously thanks you're a real miracle worker. *bu dum tss*

Sorry couldn't help myself
Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
Periwinkle,

I don't have a problem with people replying, in fact I encourage people to do so. I do have a little bit of a problem when people post their own stories in my comments and even other peoples' comments. I did read the story and it was interesting, although there was a lot of spelling errors, but I would have rather you post the story on your own page and tell me you maybe had a similar experience, I would have gladly checked it out. So please do not post your own stories in the comments. I would greatly appreciate that.

I'm glad you gave my story a read and I appreciate you taking the time to comment I just didn't appreciate the comment you posted. Sorry.
Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
Tweed,

Hey thanks for summing that up for me I do appreciate it. And I like when people throw ideas around like how you did as opposed to a lot of people who will go, "Oh yeah that was totally a ghost." without providing any thoughts or explanation as to why its a ghost. However you did not do that, you actually gave reasoning behind your post which again I really appreciate.

This experience wasn't something I really worried about so I don't think it was a ghost. Maybe it was maybe it wasn't who am I to say. If I could go back and hear it again and was alert and expecting it, it probably would have sounded completely different and I probably wouldn't have even noticed. But your view being that if it was expected to hear something like that then it probably was nothing.

It's always good to get a fresh pair of eyes on situations like these where my memory may be a little clouded and it's always good for people to voice their opinions.

As for people actually replying, yeah I totally agree. It's always good to get a response and I don't care really even if it's a bad one, as long as it's valid of course. There's a number of reasons why people don't respond. Whether it be that they're intimidated or nervous of how people will react or if they post a fake story and can't respond to the questions people ask. I just don't understand why people post on a site, knowing that people will give their opinions, and just not reply.

I've been on other sites where someone will post a story and I leave a reply and they don't respond. Then I feel like I did something wrong or that they didn't like my response or whatever. But yeah I get what you're saying and now I apologize for my rant haha.

As always thanks for replying:)
Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
Sheetal,

My house doesn't have any bad history, to my knowledge at least. The house is like 50 something years old and used to be used as a doctor place, I don't know what to call it. It wasn't a hospital but it was a place where you would go to see the doctor.

I was born after my parents had bought the house and they aren't aware of anyone dying in the house. And when I said my house looks weird I meant more the layout of the house was hard to explain, not that it looks weird in the paranormal sort of way if that's what you were asking.

Anyway thanks for leaving a comment and hopefully I was able to answer your question.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+2
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
Periwinkle - if you do decide to submit your experiences, do not post them in the comments section of someone else's story. Also, pay very close attention to the Submission's Guidelines, especially the grammar, punctuation part. Do not use 0 for the o. We do not publish stories that require a lot of editing. It would be returned to you.
Periwinkle29 (2 posts)
-2
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
My friends experienced like that, way back in highskul, we usualy stay in 0ne friends h0use t0 hang 0ut. Ella, Lie and Lhen. Lie and Lhen are neighb0rs while Ella lived in rural place wer rides are limited s0 Ella stayed to Lei's h0use, there's this h0use that vacant next t0 Lei's h0use. Around 8 or 9pm the 3 girls where chating 0utside infr0nt of the vacant h0use, their talking funny s0 they are laughing s0 0ut l0ud, when they heard a laughing s0und like the laugh of Ella after their laugh came fr0m the vacant h0use. At 1st, they ign0red it n0t t0 scare themselves. So they pr0ceded t0 chat and laugh, but after they laugh, there's the laugh again, like the s0unds 0f Ella's laugh, that's the time they ran inside Lie's h0use.
I have my 0wn experienced t0 the vacant h0use that I will p0st here in time.
sheetal (6 stories) (771 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
Hey Jwash... Very nice story does your house has any bad history? (As you said my house look weird)
Tweed (35 stories) (2494 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-10)
Hey Jawsh,

What I meant by a voice otherwise distinguished is that, if it were possible to play this moment back, you may recognise the voice as being a different voice altogether. Not necessarily that you would know who the voice belonged to, but that the voice had enough common traits to your Mother's voice that your mind interpreted it as your Mother, because that's who you expected to hear. When in reality the voice only sounded similar to your Mother's voice, and had you known it was a ghost, you would have been able to hear the difference easily.
The way we perceive reality sometimes doesn't reflect reality. If a moment is influenced by everyday expectations. In this instance your Mother forgetting her keys and returning was an everyday likelihood, where as a similar sounding ghost would be far from anyone's thoughts.

Anyway that's round about what I meant. I like to throw possibilities around. 😊

By the way it's so good when people actually reply! Honestly so many people submit stories and never reply it's really quite odd, I don't think this is a scary place. Or maybe people just feel a bit strange talking about these things. Like talking about it more makes it more real and before you know it you're sleeping with the lights on blerugh, I'm ranting now. Well it's refreshing when people show an interest is all.
Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-09)
Rook,

Yep that makes perfect sense. Thank you for clarifying. Also I apologize if my wording makes me sound sarcastic in any way, I assure you I am being sincere with my response.

I only say this because when I read it back it sounded sarcastic haha.

Thanks again for commenting:)
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-09)
Jawsh,

Tweed has a very vaild and 'non-paranormal' point.

As far as the living residual goes... I am not too sure what, if any, results will be found in a search or what other research may find. It's a theory that, as far as I know, started right here on YGS...

It basicly goes like this...

An event has happened, something LIFE CHANGING but NON-LETHAL...an event packed with enough emotional energy it imprints onto the enviroment...

OR

A individual event happens so often... On a regular basis... Under the right conditions the enviorment records it.

Either of these get played back when 'conditions' are right to 'trigger' it. Just like a residual haunting except these 'recordings' or more to the point 'play backs' happen while the individuals 'involved' are still alive.

(I hope that makes sense)

Respectfully,

Rook
Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
+1
9 years ago (2015-07-09)
Rook,

What you said about it possibly being "Living Residual" is pretty interesting. I will definitely consider it and I'll look into that a little because I haven't really heard of that before. I'm not doubting your judgement, just want to catch myself up on the topic.

As for it being one "off event" I would say yes and no. Mainly because that type of event has only occurred once, but other things have happened in the house before. I won't go into too much detail because I'd rather write them out as their own separate stories so that there isn't too much confusion among people commenting and such. But yes other things have happened in the house and this certainly wasn't the first.

Thanks for leaving a comment, I really do appreciate it.
Jawsh (2 stories) (14 posts)
 
9 years ago (2015-07-09)
Hey Tweed,

In the first paragraph:

"That is the idea that we hear/experience what we expect to. Maybe, in reality, the voice you heard didn't sound like your Mother. But because you are accustomed to hearing her you perceived it as her."

Hearing you say this definitely made me think a little more into it. And it's definitely a possibility and I certainly won't rule anything out. It's definitely a more rational thought on my experience and I really do appreciate that sort of look on my situation.

It could very well have been all in my head and maybe there was a sound that I interpreted as my mother speaking to me, It could have been a number of things. But at the same time I'm still really confused because I wasn't doing anything bad or unnatural so I don't know why I would have interpreted it as my mother yelling at me asking "What the hell was I doing". But who, knows.

Also when you asked: "But when you think back to it could it have been another similar voice, one which you would have otherwise easily have distinguished?"
What did you mean by this, I didn't fully understand the question, sorry.

Anyways thanks a bunch for commenting:)
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+2
9 years ago (2015-07-09)
Paranormal refers to things 'outside the normal' so your experience MAY HAVE been just that Paranormal...

We have kicked around an idea here 'on site' of something that has come to be called a 'living residual' an event that has happened some many times that it is 'recorded' on the enviroment and when the conditions... Energy levels... Or 'what ever' triggers it... Causes this 'recording' to play back... The best part is no one has to be dead for this to happen.

It's something to consider.

Was...is this a 'one off event' or have other things happened in the home?

Respectfully,

Rook
Tweed (35 stories) (2494 posts)
+2
9 years ago (2015-07-09)
Hi Jawsh,

I know people will go down the doppelganger road on this one so I'll offer a different spin on it, to cover another angle.

That is the idea that we hear/experience what we expect to. Maybe, in reality, the voice you heard didn't sound like your Mother. But because you are accustomed to hearing her you perceived it as her. Unfortunately there's no way to go back and listen again. But when you think back to it could it have been another similar voice, one which you would have otherwise easily have distinguished?

I'm going to end this comment with a question for anyone of the other members. Is there a such thing as a residual haunting involving the living?
I was actually wondering this the other day, I don't see why not. So my another question is; did your Mother often say these words to you?

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