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Temporary Blindness

 

I remembered this incident after talking with my brother about our grandparents' house recently. Technically, they are my step-grandparents, but I'm sure some of you will agree that "blood isn't always thicker than water".

My grandmother is a wonderfully fierce, Italian firecracker crammed into a 4'-9" body. My grandfather passed away when I was 15 years old. He always had a joke to tell and a great sense of humor.

When I was about 10 - 11 years old, my grandmother and grandfather lived in a duplex they owned. For those that don't know, a duplex appears to be a single residence from the outside with the exception of two doors/entryways that access the two inner residences. There is one wall inside separating them. My grandparents' duplex was a two story with a shared basement. My uncle and aunt lived in the second half, so it always felt like one big home anyway.

My stepfather (although I rarely call him that, he is my dad 😊) has told me stories of growing up there and the strange experiences they had. I admit, at first, I thought he was just telling me "stories". But over the years I've asked my grandmother about the house (my aunt, uncle and grandmother moved to a single residence about 15 years ago) and she confirmed my dad's stories.

First, I want to share a few experiences my dad and grandmother have told me, then I will share my incident as there may be a connection. I'm not sure.

My father told me that he, his younger brother and parents all heard the typical "ghostly" footsteps going up the stairs at night and hearing disembodied voices. A few incidents that stood out to me...

As a young boy of about 5 - 6 years old, my uncle saw what he described as a "ball of fire" enter the house through the living room wall. In the center of the fireball was a man's face that he described as a "very scary man", the face distorted with intense eyes. It floated in the living room for a short time, then zoomed into the kitchen and went through the wall (the backyard was on the other side of the kitchen wall). I did ask my father, uncle and grandmother separately about this and they all recounted the same details. My uncle gave more details as he was the only one to see it and at the time, ran screaming to his mother.

This next incident occurred while my grandparents, uncle and my dad were sitting in the living room watching TV, relaxing after dinner. My father was 16 at the time, my uncle was 12. It's a doozy, but please remember I asked my grandmother about this and she is not the type to exaggerate or tell "stories". I am repeating her exact words.

While sitting in the living room, they heard what sounded like dishes clattering. My grandmother and father, who were seated closer to the kitchen doorway, glanced into the kitchen. As soon as they looked, a set of cupboard doors (above the counter) opened and the dishes/plates floated straight out, hovered in the air for about 2 or 3 seconds then dropped to the floor, smashing the majority of the dishes. My grandfather and uncle only heard the clattering, smashing and saw the subsequent mess. My grandmother and father saw the whole incident start to finish. My dad gave the same details as my grandmother. My uncle confirmed the details of hearing the clattering, smashing and seeing the mess immediately after. As I stated above, my grandfather passed away when I was 15, so I cannot offer his details.

Trust me, I know that sounds pretty crazy. When I asked my grandmother, I only said "Dad told me about a story involving floating dishes, do you remember anything about that?" She said "Oh yes!" and repeated the same story as my father. She is now 85, sharp as ever, still doing her housework, sewing, and loves to chat while chain smoking her cigarettes. No bologna from grandma.

Now, for my experience, which is far less dramatic, but has boggled my mind on and off for almost 30 years. As I mentioned, I was about 10 - 11 years old and my family (mom, dad, my two brothers and myself) were visiting with my grandparents. It wasn't a special holiday, just us visiting on the weekend as we lived a good 45 minutes away. My grandparents' house was small; a rectangular kitchen with a doorway that led into the living room (not open concept), the bathroom and two bedrooms were upstairs.

While there, I went upstairs to use the bathroom and afterwards decided to check out... Ok, snoop in my grandparents' bedroom. It was always meticulously clean and organized, as was the rest of the house. My grandmother never had a job outside of the house. She is from the era of mom staying at home, cooking, cleaning, raising kids, etc. She is still meticulous to this day. I liked to sneak in to their room and look at or sometimes carefully touch the various knick knacks or play with my grandmother's brush and combs on her dresser.

For some reason, I don't remember why, I decided to slide under their bed. Maybe because, unlike my own bed, theirs was completely clean, with no objects crammed underneath it. I also remember that there wasn't a dust ruffle, so while under the bed, my view was unobstructed. A few moments after I had slid underneath, I was facing the doorway on my belly and suddenly went completely blind. I remember flailing around at first, rapidly blinking my eyes, feeling surprised, trying to figure out what was going on. Then, I cried out for my mom who was downstairs (she didn't hear me). I started edging my way out, sliding my body towards the edge of the bedframe and poof... My vision returned. I panicked, ran out of the room and down the stairs. I never said anything to my parents or grandparents about this. First, I really didn't know what had happened and second, I HAD been snooping, so I just kept my mouth shut. I never went in their room again.

This incident left me baffled. It was the middle of the day, the sun shining in the two windows. The temporary blindness was instant - I could see out from under the bed, and the next instant - complete blackness. The blindness lasted maybe 10 - 15 seconds.

I don't know if this has anything to do with something paranormal, but because of the prior experiences of my father's family, they might be connected. I do remember feeling terrified and panicky. I've never experienced anything like that since.

I'm wondering if anyone has experienced something like this? Any insight is appreciated. Thank you!

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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, CuriousDee, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+1
5 years ago (2018-10-23)
SWS,

Thanks for reading, I'm glad you liked it. I remember that I wasn't scared at first, for some reason I thought it would be fun to 'hide' under their bed. You know, typical childhood shenanigans. When the blindness happened, I was definitely frightened. I remember scrambling around, reaching out to try and pull myself out from under the bed. It was one of the strangest things I've ever experienced.

Thanks again 😊
Dee
Sleeping-with-steve (guest)
+1
5 years ago (2018-10-23)
Hello CuriousDee,

I loved this post and found it scary at the same time. I don't know how you're family managed seeing fireballs entering through walls. That's really scary.

I read somewhere that temporary loss of vision can be caused when the body produces high levels of adrenalin, extreme panic, stress or anger. You must have been really frightened under the bed and perhaps that's what caused you to go blind for a few seconds.?

I enjoyed your post very much, thank you for sharing your experience. It's now in my favourites.

Best wishes,
Miandra
😘 ❤ 😘
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-19)
Jubeele,

I have read a few stories of people witnessing floating balls of fire. I do know that my grandmother's father passed away not long before my uncle encountered the fire ball. My uncle described a frightening face within it though, so I'm not sure if there is a connection?

I agree that the incident with the dishes appeared to be an attempt for attention. I'd say mission accomplished! It's also interesting to note that the family was never touched or harmed so that gives the attention theory more credibility.

Your explanation of 'Gui Da Qiang' is quite interesting and also makes sense. I don't mind the idea of a playful spirit covering my eyes. Just not the malicious type. 😨 You are correct, I did not have any of the symptoms you mentioned. This is another reason why the incident is so puzzling.

I do not know the history of the duplex location. I only know that many years ago the area was rural; farmland, woods, etc. The area is considered the suburbs now. It's on the outskirts of Buffalo, NY.

Thank you for reading and for your great input and ideas! I appreciate it!

Dee
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+1
6 years ago (2018-05-19)
Lady-glow,

That's interesting about fireballs being generated by anger and it makes sense. Maybe associated with poltergeist activity or psychokinesis?

Flying saucers... Good one! 😁
Jubeele (25 stories) (882 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-19)
Hi Dee, I remember fireballs being mentioned before on YGS and went searching for you. Here are a few experiences that might be of interest:

Http://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=5549
Http://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=24271
Http://www.yourghoststories.com/real-ghost-story.php?story=17433

One theory is that the "ball of fire" could be that of a spirit passing through. My thought was perhaps it was an elemental entity of some sort... Wonder what's the history of the land that the duplex was built on?

Do your folks ever talk about anyone close to the family passing away around the time when the dishes were broken? The description of a tantrum by Rex-T made me think of someone trying hard to get attention, then becoming frustrated because he or she can't be seen or heard any more.

About the temporary blindness; like Melda, I thought about a knock to the head under the bed or low blood sugar. But wouldn't there be other symptoms to these conditions like feeling nauseous, clamminess, dizziness or seeing stars? Not that I'm a medical expert though.

I did get the idea of a playful or malicious spirit covering your eyes, or putting up a 'wall' to trap you and then letting you out when it felt like it. The Chinese call it 'Gui Da Qiang' or 'ghost erecting wall'. It's used to explain why people suddenly get lost in places they know well or drive inexplicably in circles on a straight highway.

Hmm... Maybe your grandparents had a house spirit too...! 😲

Thanks for another fascinating account. 😁
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-18)
CuriousDee,

Very interesting and spooky experiences. I have heard about some orbs with faces, I imagine anger could be expressed by fire.

Sorry to hear your Gran's dishes went from flying saucers to shattered plates - ouch!

Thanks for sharing.
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-17)
Rex,

A ghostly temper tantrum... Yep, sounds about right! That's the only time I've heard of floating dishes. I was nervous to include that bit, I know how nutty it sounds. I'm just glad I didn't encounter something like that. No thanks!

The blindness... I guess I'm not meant to know? I honestly have no clue. I wasn't sick, no bump on the noggin, etc. I love Melda's suggestion; that I was taught a lesson on snooping. Although, that is pretty crazy and scary to think about it. At least I didn't have a repeat lesson.

Thanks for the input!
Dee
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-17)
Miracles,

I can't take credit for that, Melda's brilliant mind came up with that! 😁 That humor is right up my alley though!
Miracles51031 (39 stories) (4999 posts) mod
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-17)
CuriousDee - your "thou shalt not snoop" comment caught my wicked sense of humor's attention. Maybe your grandparents hid stuff under the bed that was for the eyes of 18+ only 😳 😁 😉
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-17)
Melda,

It is possible that my Uncle's description of the ball of fire was lost in translation, and I agree, it's important to validate a child's feelings and experiences. It sure is a fine line!

The episode with the blindness is the strangest experience I've had. I'm not claustrophobic, didn't bump my head... It just happened with no rhyme or reason it seems. I've yet to hear or read of a similar situation. "Thou shalt not snoop"... 😁 Lesson learned!

I've never considered the incident with the dishes being attributed to poltergeist activity, that could be a possibility. It would line up with what I've learned about that type of activity.

Thank you for reading and commenting, I do appreciate it!

Dee
Rex-T (5 stories) (288 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-16)
CuriousDee,

I have dropped and broken a few dishes in my time but I've never experienced dishes levitating then dropping and smashing on the floor. Almost sounds like a spirit being mischievous or having a temper tantrum.

If there was a raging lightning storm outside, I could explain the appearance of fire balls. Yes, even moving through walls, key holes or glass. I have seen one and I could imagine somebody seeing a face inside one of these balls of pure plasma. However, this all depends on whether there was lightning around at the time.

As for the blindness, like Melda, I too would wonder if you bumped your head. In my 20's, I was hospitalized with symptoms including a period of blindness and the medical staff kept asking me if I had sustained a head trauma or had been under extreme stress.

Like you said, if it was a resident ghost, well... Maybe mission accomplished.

Thanks for sharing all these experiences (Wow! What a house).

Regards
Rex-T
Melda (10 stories) (1363 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-16)
CuriousDee - Unusual paranormal events always intrigue me.

I have never heard of a fireball containing a face. This is a first. I won't question the veracity of your uncle actually having seen what appeared to him to be a fireball containing a face but given his young age at the time, it might have been his interpretation of what he saw, or the interpretation of the family when he recounted his experience. However there are so many strange things out there, it's possible that it happened exactly as he described. When I was a young child I had some really scary experiences which nobody believed, so I can't simply dismiss his experience as being unbelievable.

Your blindness under the bed - another really unusual event. I googled temporary blindness (which I am sure you have done as well) and found what is known as "fleeting blindness", which can be caused by a number of things. None of them seem to describe what you experienced, unless it was stress. You don't mention having felt claustrophobic, which could have caused stress. I suffer from extreme claustrophobia and would have been hugely stressed out if I had crawled under a bed, so I suppose it's possible but I must admit I think it's unlikely.

Do you remember whether you bumped your head while under the bed? I don't know whether that could have caused your fleeting blindness. Perhaps somebody with a little more knowledge on this subject could be of assistance. There was an occasion when I was totally paralysed in both legs after I tripped over backwards and bumped my head on a table. I could move my head and my arms but had no control over my legs. This lasted for about an hour until my husband got home and had to physically pick me up and help me lean against a table before I could actually walk. I don't know whether a bump on a certain spot of the head could cause blindness. I'm not so sure that I would be inclined to put it down to paranormal activity, unless "somebody" decided to teach you a lesson such as "thou shalt not snoop"!

The breaking of the crockery sounds like poltergeist activity. There was plenty of poltergeist activity in the house I was raised in 😨

Just some thoughts from my side. I wish I could be more helpful but as you know, there is no such thing as an expert on these matters!

Regards, Melda
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
 
6 years ago (2018-05-16)
Hi LuciaJacinta,

Thanks for reading. Yes, I have read a few accounts of people seeing the ball of fire. I haven't come across one with details of a face though. I just wonder what it could possibly be/mean?

The dishes... My grandmother wasn't too happy about the smashed dishes. Of course, this was after the fear and disbelief wore off. My grandparents weren't exactly "rolling in the dough". My jaw still drops when I hear about that incident... It's just so crazy. I'm glad I haven't encountered something like that.

I've read and heard many accounts of strange kitchen activity. Maybe breaking dishes and banging cupboards is an attempt for attention? It's certainly loud enough. I would love to read your story, you should submit it.

The temporary blindness baffles me too. I'm hoping someone has experienced something similar, knows of someone who has or... Something comparable to this. I can't say with absolute positivity that it was caused by something paranormal, but my gut says yes. It's just flat out strange.

Thank you for your input and compliment, I really appreciate it. 😊

Dee
LuciaJacinta (8 stories) (291 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-16)
The ball of fire thing, yes I have heard of that before. I don't know if I read that on here, because I read a ton on here and I don't remember the titles of all of them or I read it somewhere else... Not sure, but I know others have had that happen. Try searching on this site maybe? That I totally believe. The dishes? Scary! And I would be mad. Dishes can be expensive! But I swear there are certain items these things are attracted to and dishes are one of them. These are the questions that make me think why? Why dishes? I've had an incident with dishes in the sink manipulated by a spirit too although I haven't written most of my stories a down yet on here and there other stories on here by lots of people of kitchen closets and dishes clinking so you gotta wonder why...

The blindness. That's a new one. Not sure why. I guess just to scare you. I'd look into that more and see if anyone else ever a blindness issue.

I love your writing.
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
 
6 years ago (2018-05-15)
Something I neglected to include in my story; If anyone has a theory or similar experience regarding the incident's with the dishes or the "ball of fire", please don't hesitate. Thank you 😊
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+1
6 years ago (2018-05-15)
RSAChick,

It's funny you mentioned the dishes; when my grandma recounted the story, it was "matter of fact", but I did ask how it made her feel. She said, at the time, it was terrifying and she was frustrated about the smashed dishes, but now it's in the past and why let it bother you?

I did look up (briefly) Amaurosis fugax and it seems it's a precursor to a stroke or something serious along those lines. I know I didn't have any serious ailments, just routine colds, flu, chicken pox (there was no vaccine back then), etc. However, that's an interesting suggestion.

If it was the resident ghost, they did their job; I stayed out of my grandparents room!

Thanks for your input!

Dee
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
 
6 years ago (2018-05-15)
Hi Robmkivseries70,

I don't include myself in the category of having medium abilities. Lol You are right, I have had several eye exams and have always had 20/20 vision (I should have included that in my account).

I myself don't know if there is a connection to the paranormal events in that house and my incident. That's why I love this sight. You never know what theories, similarities and thoughts may be shared. 😊

Thanks for reading and commenting, I appreciate it.
RSAChick (115 posts)
+3
6 years ago (2018-05-15)
Dee, thanks, this was an interesting read. Plenty of activity in their home. I would have cried for days about the shattered dishes and would've been very creeped out by seeing how that happened.

Could the blindness have a medical cause? Something like Amaurosis fugax? The article I read on it had so much medical jargon that I am not sure what the cause could be and if it could occur only once off. But perhaps a possibility? Caused by your change in body position from standing to lying down, or the stress of doing something wrong.

Alternatively a ghostly resident scaring or warning you - it worked! You never entered the room again.

I don't think it is another realm. What would the purpose be of visiting another realm with nothing to see/hear/smell there? Unless you can recall anything else from your brief stint to the dark side, lol!
robmkivseries70 (1 stories) (35 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-15)
Hi CuriousDee,
Surprising thing with the blindness. I have had my vision go 'dark' due to low BP etc. But not entirely 'black'. Given the time frame of 30 years ago, and presuming you have had a few eye exams, I can't explain it. Just because we don't understand a causal connection between events doesn't mean we can diagnose a paranormal connection. Since you have had other experiences you must have mediumistic talents of some sort but I don't have an explanation, hence my skeptical attitude. Were the experience more recent I suggest an eye exam.;)
Best,
Rob
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
 
6 years ago (2018-05-15)
Pelicanish,

Thanks for reading. Another realm... That's an interesting theory. As far as a spirit blocking my vision; I moved my head around, tried looking left and right and everything was still black.

I'm curious about the realm theory if you have more information?

Thanks for commenting,
Dee
Pelicanish (1 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-15)
Very interesting story the blindness could have been caused by perhaps another realm or it could have been a spirit blocking your vision, I'm open to anything being possible. Regards

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