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What's Been Up (latest Encounters)

 

I've had a few brief experiences since I last wrote on this site and I thought to share. Those who seek thrill and horror should immediately look elsewhere. I think my posts will turn up so mundane, you will fall asleep. However, you might see a nightmare then if you're lucky.

Last October/November (who can remember...) we had some strange vibe in our house. First of all, out of blue (without any particular context) I recalled YGS site which I hadn't thought about for a long long time. I didn't make anything of it and didn't visit here either. Then we started having strange noises in the house which could all be explained away by the heating. It had just gotten colder and the house has to get used to the hot air in the pipes. Much like love...

But our cat also acted strange. We took him in recently and he has had quite a troubled past so he's generally anxious. But he's very fond of the kitchen. Sometimes he sleeps there not to accidentally miss a mealtime. Those days he started acting frightened/aggressive in the kitchen area, running away from there suddenly or not wanting to enter despite food promise (very very suspicious behaviour...) And sometimes he would stare over my shoulder into empty space with eyes focused and attentive. As I was preoccupied at the time with life drama, I was not that scared because I simply felt a potential ghost behind my back was comparatively much less of a problem than the troubles I was having in my head.

I also felt weird while cooking meals. I like to spend loads of time alone in silence and unexpectedly sing or dance a little. I couldn't be doing that freely at the time. I felt like my privacy was being intruded and kept my jolly outbursts to my room (I'm a very versatile human being and I have jolly outbursts even during times of sadness if you started wondering...).

I suddenly remembered it was actually the time of year when our pagan faith used to leave little bits of food on table for the dead who come to visit at nights. It's supposed to be a period in seasonal passage when the "gates" are not so tightly shut and our ancestors can come to be shocked and awed by how little we have learned from them. Our family doesn't do that. Nor leave food, nor learn from our ancestors. We always say we should but we never do. To both.

My mom can hear spirits, at least she says she can. She's not a very trustworthy lady, I'm afraid. However, she doesn't really tend to invent lies. She just takes the truth and applies it as make-up. I asked her if she was noticing anything unusual lately and she said - yes, she has.

That night I also heard footsteps. I thought it was my Dad who is not satisfied with smoking 16/24. He aspires to use the entirety of his lifetime for this activity. But it was just one or two isolated footsteps on our small staircase which is very noisy (I'm sorry I forget but it was one or two, not more). Nothing followed for me to tell who it was. You know, Dad's cough, door opening, Mom sighing. I was busy crying my eyes out so an entity which was not there to console me and to pass me a handkerchief and camomile tea didn't interest me much.

All the noises went away in a week's time. Now I can sometimes sense something "out of place" but it's not that tense and I'm not even sure it has anything to do with ghosts.

Then I got depressed again. I seem to have my encounters when I am feeling really low. I also seem to be less scared of these experiences when I am depressed. I went for a walk in the park to let the woodpeckers cheer me up and I noticed a younger guy ahead of me. He looked like one of those guys who are quite nice and cordial and frequent the gym but then they get drunk and steal a car and drive it into a lake or something. As far as I noticed, he was wearing a simple black and white winter jacket with a hoodie and he was carrying something over his shoulder. To describe the manner of it, I should say - it's like when you carry sports shoes and wish to look like you are too cool to be true or when Santa Claus carries his gift bag. He walked behind a tree or electricity post, I'm not sure which. I inspected him briefly to determine what kind of face I should put on (I felt like my actual expression would frighten even a second-term prisoner).

Then I looked away (to focus on my face) and when I looked back he was gone as if he walked behind the post and never came out on the other side. Now, there are some people in our town who would like to run away from me quickly like that... But after the initial upset-stomach-kind-of-shock I inspected the scene and realized he would have to be lightening fast. And nobody hates me THAT much:) There's that "Oh it's her, now there's an interesting shop to look into..." kind of avoidance but nothing more. Also it's winter and it's very easy to see through the trees. There's just one way he could've escaped my company - a downward path to the river. He wasn't there as I looked and it was quite further away. He was also walking in the opposite direction.

All this encounter had this strange feeling to it. As he wasn't paying me any attention, to spare my feelings (because I consider myself very pretty to look at), I assume he might have been a "replay" of a scene from different time, not a conscious entity. But I felt like (this might be my post-factum imagination) the entire scene was out of place. You know, during my walks I meet people and I talk to them about their dogs and stuff. Usually I can recall with some clarity where I met them and for how long we talked. In this occasion I can't measure it in my memory. I can't say - it was about 2 minutes and it was around here, a meter or less.

There is a different sense to these memories. It felt like in this case the time and space were somehow distorted. My grasp of space and the time passing corrupted somehow. Does that make sense? Like it's foggy or expanded. It should have been brief but in my memory it feels like a much longer time. I know all the trees and stones there to the heart but when I have to place myself and the guy in this surrounding, the scenery feels distorted like the distances are not real. I was wondering exactly about these sensations and I would appreciate comments on them. I could be just the adrenaline factor, though.

I continued my walk periodically looking over my shoulder. I also prayed for the guy if that was a soul. It wasn't really out of pure heart. More like "God bless you, now leave me alone". I have never seen him since and I walk there almost everyday.

For those compassionate souls, I am feeling quite fine. I'm just passing some stressful life exams. Which have definitely made me funnier and, hopefully, wiser.

Thank you for your attention and possible insight.

Ieva

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

ronja (guest)
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Thank you, Miracles. I'm also glad I came back. My spiritual experiences are mostly not ones to fit this particular website. However, when I have had something to share, this place has always significantly furthered my development.

You are probably right about the presence in the kitchen. I wrote I felt like my privacy was being intruded but not in a violent or disrespectful way. I just appreciate my alone time. Also, I think the polite nature of these visitations helped me keep my cool. It surprises me because I've always been easily scared.

Thank you also for the side-comment on mothers. I think that was what made me so defensive. People always attack me if I criticize my parents. As if we live in some strange world where only well-adjusted people raise offspring and the offspring is supposed to be grateful whatever has come their way. The offspring isn't... Or that we're supposed to love some specific people blindly. We're not. We're supposed to see people for who they are and THEN love them. That's way more challenging.

Also, my mom is very big on appearances and works very hard to make everyone love her so I mostly keep my mouth shut around people who know her. This was a place where I opened up about my paranormal experiences and along came other well-kept truths.

And my dad wouldn't mind my comment. We tease each other all the time.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
 
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
ronja - I am glad you decided to reactivate your account. I finally read this and am glad I did. I quite enjoyed the humor you inserted and even laughed aloud a couple of times.

I understand your mom thing. Not personally but I do know a couple people, one of whom I am very close to, that have that sort of relationship with their mom. I know the one mom really well and she is quite talented in stretching the truth and then believing it herself. She gets quite annoyed when someone tries to correct the facts in her stories.

As for your experiences, it does sound as if you may have had someone hanging out in your kitchen. Maybe they sensed you were distracted and upset and didn't want to bother you by making themselves known 😕

The guy, though, I can't offer anything here that you haven't thought of. I've experienced something disappearing right in front of my eyes and the area where it disappeared was wavy. Sort of like my vision was distorted.

Thanks for coming back and interacting with our members 😊
ronja (guest)
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
[at] Tweed

Well, yes, I think we always have several ways of perceiving the world. Nowadays, it's customary to either think or feel the world.

But I don't think the other "senses" truly leave us. I think they are always there ready to take over when we can't cope with our usual strategies or when we simply let them.

I don't think we're left totally unprotected and cut-off when we sleep, for example. In the dawn of mankind that would have been downright dangerous. Or when we walk around, our heads in our problems, our feet on Earth with lots of stuff to stumble upon. That would be very counter-survival.

I guess it's something that all animals have, including us, but other animals don't detach from these senses. For example, this cat usually sleeps in another room where he can't see me. When I quietly meditate or do yoga, he tends to suddenly arrive expressing desire to sleep on my lap. It's not an isolated occasion.
Tweed (36 stories) (2529 posts)
 
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Ronja that is a brilliant theory on why we tend to experience things when we're down or upset! I've been trying to work out a reason for ages, but that makes a lot of sense, thanks! 😁

I just went back to read your cat experience, it was a motion sensor light, lol close enough. 😉
ronja (guest)
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Manafon1, I'm not sure if there is anything new that we could tell each other anymore.

I just wanted to thank you - without you I would never have "faced my bear". Thanks to you, I learned that different people like and expect different things and that I don't have to run away or hide, even if I am flawed or not universally adored. That I have a place here as I am - an ever-growing / never-perfect human being.

That's been valuable.

P.S. I love my Mom. She is truly terrible and she, indeed, can't be trusted much but I love her. Just so you know.
ronja (guest)
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Tweed, I think I was and wasn't the person with the cat and outdoor lights 😁 Nothing philosophical here, just that some of that was with me but a few things, I think, you have misplaced. Of course, I will take credit for everything that makes you remember me kindly 😜

As to (finally) the experience, I thought about your explanation and you might be right. When I think of ordinary encounters with people, my mind just doesn't question or doubt the experience that much. It's unimportant to recall specific details when it's just a lady with dog and the mind doesn't struggle to specify them. It's at ease.

As to feeling down, I think it's somehow related to awareness. When you are sleepy or very upset, the consciousness is focused differently. I feel like being depressed is a bit similar state to being half-asleep in regard to outer reality. You don't try to control the reality with your brain (it's busy brooding) and maybe other senses switch in that are dormant when the brain is in charge.

Maybe that's also one reason why the memories seem weird. The mind has been someplace else and the brain jumps frantically - What? Where? What just happened? I wasn't asleep, just resting my eyes 😜
Manafon1 (7 stories) (722 posts)
+2
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
ronja--I am glad you are back. It is clear you were deeply upset about my skepticism. I stated that further discussion of someone's account can take place in the comment section. Almost every story on YGS has some form of back and forth: including clarification, a request for further detail or to question the validity.

In your anger and frustration over what I (and Biblio) wrote to you, you failed to see that there was criticism but that specific variety called "constructive criticism." I love reading accounts on YGS where a writers "quirks" are revealed. Especially when it adds to a fuller picture of what it being conveyed. I also enjoy bits of humor in an account. My issue with your story was that the humor and asides you peppered throughout your narrative didn't create a clearer picture but detracted from it. You stated in an earlier response to me that you were "being frivolous" in parts of your narrative.

You are right, YGS is a place to honestly share one's paranormal encounters. It is also a place where one's accounts are questioned in the hopes of making aspects that might have been unclear come into a better focus. Like several other members of YGS I also visit the site to find other clearly told accounts that add to my ongoing research into all things paranormal. I have read dozens of case study and theoretical books on paranormal subjects and it always helps when what the writer is conveying is, first and foremost, clear and believable. When you focus so much on grafting on asides and comments that don't bring your story into a stronger focus and make it seem more like a facebook blog, there is a bit of a problem.

I hope you don't take all this as a personal affront. It isn't intended to be. I also hope you share whatever paranormal encounters you have had. A bit of humor is always welcome too, as long as it doesn't detract from the main paranormal emphasis.
Tweed (36 stories) (2529 posts)
+2
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Hi Roja, I remember you from a couple of years ago, I think it was.

One of your submissions about a family cat really moved me. There was also some intriguing things about an outside light, I think.
I also remember on that thread there was a disagreement between yourself and Lady Glow. It was more a misunderstanding, I think, and you both cleared it up, and I think it was you who said a prayer or something on behalf of the situation.
Ok, that may have all been someone else, but I'm remembering it as you. If it was you, I thought back then 'wow this YGS place really is a great community' I was a pretty new member back then and still getting to know the folks here and how problems are worked out here. So you were part of a good impression of YGS for me.
You also inspired me to write about my own cat I still haven't submitted it because every time I read it I get sentimental. But one day I'll get around to finishing it. I love writing too and have fun with some of my experiences, particularly the nostalgic ones.

It has to be said that our little corner of the internet is the target of a lot of fakers and it has made a lot of us jaded, me included unfortunately. I actually haven't read your submission yet (am just about to!) Usually I read everything on here but lately I've been busy and there's a lot I haven't got to yet, including yours.

--
Ok, I've just read your narrative. I remember you leaving food offerings in your last narrative, or at least you spoke about this in your culture, so I'm pretty sure you are the one with the cat and outdoor light stuff. 😊

Haha oh dear, if only I'd read this before Manafon, I would've remembered you. (sorry Manafon!) yes, as it's been said we've been the target of a lot of spiteful fakers lately. So it would seem no one quite knew what to do with your quirky style. I like your style, I hope you continue to write however want to. It will confuse the heck out of the fakers too lol, always a good thing.

Do you or have you considered comedy? Especially writing comedy, you have the knack of observational humour.
Humour comes from pain, I heard that on Dr Phil once lol, but I think it makes sense.

About the time/memory thing, does it seem like time slowed down when you remember it? The unexpected encounter of someone being there when there was no logical way or place they could disappear to. These odd details, when remembered, might make the memory of it 'slow down', perhaps this is because the logical part of you is trying to process and explain it. Where the subconscious part is processing it emotionally.

Because of encounters like you had with this guy disappearing, I have a theory that ghosts are seen every day and people just don't know it. I've seen this sort of thing and it's very unexpected and leaves me trying to explain it away, you know the logical side wants an explanation for everything. It's a fun theory, whatever is going on.

Thanks for sharing, I hope you stick around and share more.
Oh yeah and I can also relate to having encounters when feeling down, but I can't really explain why.
ronja (guest)
 
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Thank you, Spiritwaiting! I also wish you to have the strength to stand when it benefits growth.
spiritwaiting (42 stories) (843 posts)
 
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Ronja,

This has nothing to do with your story.
I just wanted to say...

Be proud of your writing, if it helps you to destress,vent,or come to terms with something inside, then by all means go ahead.

Your writing style, is very real for me. Thats why I enjoyed reading the whole thing through.

Thank you for keeping it honest, truthful to yourself, and not changing anything that you felt was your truth in this experience.

I know it's easier to run from critism. Easier to allow the confrontation to cease. But it's better to run towards it, and face it. It makes your personal growth thank you eventually.

Be who you are, and never back down.

Thank you for sharing
Spiritwaiting
ronja (guest)
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Thank you, Sceptic-Ari! I can see how members who read everything carefully and devote their time to deeply understanding and exploring the paranormal would have different expectations towards the authors than authors themselves or random browsers.

Regarding running away, I just hope it's over soon:D These situations make me very stressed. I saw a nightmare where I faced a full-grown bear. I read a bear visiting your dream asks for standing your ground and speaking your truth so I listened and came back. But I gotta admit, I wish the bear went away so I could have my days of honey:D
Sceptic-Ari (2 stories) (611 posts)
+2
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Dear Ronja,
I gotta admit that I admire your cheeky style of writing 😉
Thanks for sharing.
And remember, when you share on a public platform like YGS, running away isn't an option 😆
Congrats on the decision to return and make yourself clearer. Believe me when I say that most of us on YGS are here to try and help, although we might appear to be hostile sometimes;blame it on the loss in translation because of the lack of facial expressions on both sides 😊
I can safely state on behalf of all the sincere members here, that we are more than happy that you are back to stay.

Regards
ronja (guest)
 
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
And, Manafon1, I think you disbelieved me because you didn't like me personally by the impression I created. If you are seeking the truth, you should not stop at your feelings about a person. For example, I have met more honesty in unpleasant people than nice folks. It is, actually, when people are trying to be pleasant, that they often lie.

I could tell you other things about my life and create a completely different impression. I could mention things that made me seem altruistic or just, for example, because that's also my character. Would you believe the noises and the apparition then?

Look at the people throughout history who have spoken the truth. Did they usually seem likeable to their peers? There's a life lesson for you.
ronja (guest)
 
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
Sorry, the sentence should read:

Are arrogant show-offs who disrespect their families and fail to keep it neat and brief allowed to tell their *truthful* story or not?
ronja (guest)
+2
8 years ago (2017-02-10)
I have very hard time dealing with criticism and my strategy is usually running away to stop it all. I decided to register back just to face the situation. Because Sorting Hat, to my dismay, usually places me in Gryffindor.

Manafon1 and Bibliothecarius, to both of you I think I have to say the following. This site is not specifically dedicated to paranormal research or education. It is also a place where people can freely speak about their experiences which they might not otherwise be able to in their specific social surroundings. It can be a therapeutic chance to reveal their truth, to stop hiding (from themselves even).

You both expressed criticism which was directed at the style of writing regarding the reader. That includes truthfulness and perceptible narration. Both of these, especially, truthfulness are essential.

However, risking to sound selfish, this is not just for the reader. It's also for the writer. It's an opportunity for people, as they are (some quirkier than others), share their story, according to their character and way of seeing the world.

So... What is the character and values that are allowed or disallowed to tell one's story? Are arrogant show-offs who disrespect their families and keep it neat and brief allowed to tell their *truthful* story or not? Or is it just nice and organized people who fit with your intention for reading it and views on morality and rules of expression?

Bibliothecarius, you mentioned the story you never published and your reason was consideration for the readers. Why don't you publish it for yourself? So that your story is heard, too. Your one and unbelievable story which might be out of character for you and therefore, perhaps, unique and precious to those members who know you well and would not expect it. You might get into the vulnerable position of defending your truth to others and yourself, and that would be an adventure, wouldn't it? It happened to you. It's therefore important, disregarding how it might seem or sound to others. But your code and your values are also important and you may choose them over the adventure.

My mistake was making the story very personal. I am a very lonely person and I got carried off with the chance to share what I don't tell anyone, to just express myself. I wasn't thinking about the reader that much and obviously readers want to be thought of because that's the rule of society. However, thank you for the opportunity to tell my story the way I was when I wrote it.

Valkricry, simply thank you. I have read your stories, too, and I have enjoyed them.
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
Greetings, Ronja, I do hope you're still reading the comments here on YGS.

I have submitted 4 of my experiences to YGS, alluded to one or two others, and --weirdly-- had occasional psychic experiences while reading other peoples' descriptions of events in their lives; all of these are on the YGS website in the form of posts or comments. I have not submitted my fifth narrative, yet, for a simple reason; it sounds fake to me when I read it, and I wrote the damn thing! When I'm writing, I have to strike the balance between organizing the events, describing the setting, and following my recollections of my internal responses at the time.

An occasional aside to the reader is fine when you are narrating the events, but when you try to cram many different events into one story, then try to make the story more readable by adding light-hearted comments, the effect can be overwhelming. It's less like reading an account of true events and more like skimming through someone's paranormal e-mail in box; the reader doesn't know what goes where or why.

I do hope that you return to YGS with additional narratives. I think, perhaps, separating them into individual narratives instead of mixed together in a hodgepodge of images and ideas would help you to communicate your experiences more clearly.

If you view this message as being too critical of your writing, I apologize because that is *not* my intent. I wish to encourage you to tell your stories and to help you avoid confusing your readers. If you think that your sending the narrative to YGS was a mistake, I'd suggest that it was an *honest* mistake, which means you are capable of learning from it without giving anyone offense.

Best,
Biblio.
valkricry (49 stories) (3286 posts) mod
+2
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
ronja,
Not sure you'll see this, but I quite enjoyed the way you told your experience. (I'm a bit quirky myself at times. 😉)
Everyone 'speaks' (writes) with a different 'flavor'. Some folks write the way they would talk to a friend over coffee/tea. Others are quite formal and stiff reading (just the facts, Ma'am. Just the facts.) For me, you fell into the first category.
There are those who'll believe and those who won't, for what ever reason. Try not to take it too much to heart.
Manafon1 (7 stories) (722 posts)
+3
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
ronja--I did state that I thought your account was embroidered with unnecessary asides and negative comments about your parents but there was no need to delete your account at YGS! Most people who post accounts on YGS receive opinions that they might disagree with but that's what further comments are for.

Your story certainly didn't make me feel "bad" as you wrote in one of your comments and I don't think it made anyone else feel that way either. There have been quite a few phoney stories on YGS and many members, myself included, are a bit jaded when an account has embellishments. Only recently I fell prey to what turned out to be a fabricated account.

I was merely stating my opinion on your narrative and had no intention on making you feel unwelcome here. As Miracles pointed out, just because one member expresses disbelief doesn't mean everyone will.
ronja (guest)
 
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
And I'm sorry - I changed my mind. I misjudged myself - I'm not ready to handle internet yet so I won't be participating in any further discussion should there be any.
ronja (guest)
 
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
Thanks, Miracles. It's not really that I feel bad that someone doubts my honesty because I know I tried to write it as truthful as I could.

I feel bad because I actually *did* have fun including remarks that I found humorous and I was being frivolous and probably used the wrong kind of humor. And my mother is quite terrible so I actually had fun including that remark, too (silent revenge).

This site devotes so much energy to keep it respectful. That's why I feel bad. That I might have lacked consideration and now I have added negativity to it. If it can't be taken down, I just simply wanted everyone to know that if it makes anyone feel bad, I'm very sorry. I made a mistake.
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (5000 posts) mod
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
Ronja - I haven't read your story yet, but wanted to let you know once stories are up, they stay. It is up to the individual reading to decide whether or not they believe what you have shared. Just because one or more members express disbelief doesn't mean everyone will.

Just so you know, I shared an experience that had some of our members doubting the validity. It happens 😊
ronja (guest)
+1
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
I didn't really intend to come across as having a "jolly outburst" while writing this because I truly respect this site and people who are devoting their time to the particular cases, giving their advice and opinions.

It might be that I came across as an inconsiderate person who wanted to show off, I don't know. It is true that I spent time thinking "tailoring" the piece because I communicate very little with others and I actually had fun writing it. Because I like writing. But it doesn't mean I made the story up. While I added some lines that were not pertinent to the issue and which you considered indicating a piece of fiction, I never meant it that way and I thought them as mildly humorous descriptive remarks.

If you are right and I have offended more people with this, I apologize. The account is truthful. I'm sorry for showing off. If this story brings about a negative vibe, I don't mind if it is taken down.
Manafon1 (7 stories) (722 posts)
+4
8 years ago (2017-02-09)
Hi ronja--I got a weird feeling reading your account. It might be why nobody else has yet commented on it. It really seems to me that your first, and possibly only, consideration in writing this piece was to hone your writing skills and get feedback on how "funny", "creepy" or "engaging" it is.

Not too sure your Mom would like the line, "She's not a very trustworthy lady I'm afraid... She takes the truth and applies it as makeup." Equally I wouldn't think your Dad would like hearing from his precocious daughter, when referring to his smoking that, "He aspires to use the entirety of his lifetime for this activity." These seem like something written for a piece of fiction. Similarly, you write of the possible apparition of the boy you saw that, "He looked like one of those guys who is quite nice and cordial and frequent the gym but then they get drunk and steal a car and drive it into a lake or something." Again, this line seems tailored to get a response and not to actually convey anything pertinent.

You also write, "I'm a very versatile human being and I have jolly outbursts even during times of sadness if you started wondering..." Were you having a "jolly outburst" while writing this piece?

I guess you could say I am way up on the fence about this account.

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