When you experience something new or strange that you don't understand, it is easy to jump to conclusions, one of which may be that you have something paranormal happening to you or in your home.   However, just because it is a novel experience and may therefore seem scary, does not necessarily mean that your house is haunted.  This article will help you to be your own investigator to see if you can find a natural explanation for what is happening.   Even if you do eventually decide to contact a paranormal group, a good investigator should explore many of these items with you anyway, so you will be more prepared to answer their questions, and subsequently the investigation will proceed more smoothly and quickly.   Something else that will be invaluable is a log of the paranormal activity, including the dates, times, and details of the experiences as well as if they coincide with any of the elements described in this entry.   Below are some things to consider before labeling your experience as paranormal:

1.  Your Sleep

Sleep Paralysis

Sleep paralysis occurs when you are falling asleep or waking out of sleep and you may feel as though you cannot physically move or that you are paralyzed.   This happens because, during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the deepest part of the sleep cycle, the body is essentially disconnected from the brain, so that we cannot act out our dreams ( e.g. get up and run if we are running in our dreams).  However, sometimes we experience this sensation even when we are slightly awake, and it can be very scary.   I have experienced it a few times, and so I know first-hand how disconcerting it can be.  Sometimes, people even report feeling a pressure on their chest during an episode of sleep paralysis.   The good news is that the "paralysis" usually wears off in a matter of a minute or two at most.  However, if someone is unaware that sleep paralysis exists or has never experienced it before, it may be mistaken as something paranormal, such as a spirit or entity holding them down.   It is also worth noting that sleep paralysis can be genetic and may run in families, so it is possible that you and your children/parents/siblings could all be experiencing sleep paralysis while living in the same home.

Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic States

These are sleep transition states that occur when falling asleep (hypnagogic) or coming out of sleep (hypnopompic).   They occur when we continue to remain in dream state while waking up or falling asleep and one can therefore experience auditory, visual, or tactile hallucinations or the sensation of falling or feeling that a "presence" is near; they can also cause one to feel pressure on the chest or back or feeling like you can't breathe. These experiences could definitely lead someone to mistakenly believe that they are seeing, hearing or feeling a ghost or spirit.   These states may occur simultaneously with sleep paralysis or on their own.  It's just one more thing to investigate when considering your experience, especially if all or most of your experiences are right before you fall asleep or immediately upon waking up.

Night Terrors

Night terrors are distinctly different from nightmares, and typically occur in children aged three to twelve, with an average onset of 3 ½ years old; however they can sometimes continue into adulthood.   According to http://www.nightterrors.com, night terrors are characterized by "sudden awakening from sleep, persistent fear or terror that occurs at night, screaming, sweating, confusion, rapid heart rate, inability to explain what happened, usually no recall of 'bad dreams' or nightmares, may have a vague sense of frightening images. Many people see spiders, snakes, animals or people in the room, are unable to fully awake, difficult to comfort, with no memory of the event on awakening the next day".   In addition, http://www.webmd.com reports the typical night terror episode usually begins approximately ninety minutes after falling asleep. The child sits up in bed and screams,appearing awake but is confused, disoriented, and unresponsive to stimuli. Although the child seems to be awake, the child does not seem to be aware of the parents' presence and usually does not talk. The child may thrash around in bed and does not respond to comforting by the parents. "

As you can imagine, night terrors could easily be mistaken as a paranormal experience.   If your child is experiencing something that sounds like what is described above, you can speak with your child's pediatrician.  Unfortunately, there are currently no medications or cure for night terrors in children, and treatment primarily consists of educating the family of how to effectively and safely manage them until a child outgrows them.   If night terrors do begin or persist into adulthood, an antidepressant medication may be helpful, so you should also see your doctor.

Alarm Clock Placement

If you are having lucid dreams or nightmares, look at how close you are sleeping to your electric alarm clock.   If are sleeping with your head within two feet of your alarm clock at night, it is possible that something about the clock or something it is emitting is causing your lucid nightmares.   Try moving it across the room and see if they stop.  Unfortunately, you will actually have to get out of bed to turn off your alarm clock in the morning, but at least you will be well rested after a night of happy dreams.

 2.  Your Home Environment

Noise Frequencies

Low frequency sounds, such as those emitted by an air purifier or humidifier, a fan or air conditioner, or even power lines close to the home can cause feelings of drowsiness, disorientation, depression and overall odd feelings.  Loyd Auerbach, a well-known parapsychologist, also reports that low-frequency sounds can cause people to feel dizzy or ill at ease, and can affect their emotions and vision, to the point of seeing shadowy figures in their periphery.

Therefore, if you are experiencing any of the above, do your own investigation of the inside and outside of your home to see if there are any low frequency sounds that may be unknowingly affecting you.   If it is something inside your home that you can control, turn it off for a period of time and see if you notice a difference.

Heat and Air Quality

It seems as though a lot of paranormal experiences happen during the winter.  Maybe this is because people spend more time in their home so they are more aware of things that are out of the ordinary, or maybe it is because it gets dark earlier and many paranormal experiences happen at night.   Maybe someday we'll know the answer.  However, for now, we know that extreme heat, especially heat generated from a heater or radiator, can affect a person mentally and physically, causing side effects such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue and nausea.   It can also affect sleep, causing restlessness or strange dreams and nightmares.  If you sleep or spend a lot of time in a room that is very hot, and this also happens to be the room where you are having paranormal experiences, turn down the heat and see if it makes a difference.

Air quality is another concern.  If you live in an apartment or building where you have vents blowing air from somewhere else, you should check to see if something, such as a chemical odor, may be coming into your apartment.   Certain chemicals can cause physical side effects, such as headaches and nausea, and psychological effects, such as hallucinations and even having a feeling of dread or depression.  You should also check for mold or mildew, which can also cause odors that will make you feel sick.  Additionally, if you do not have one already, buy a carbon monoxide detector.   Carbon monoxide poisoning can also cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue, and it can potentially be fatal.  So, stop reading this article and go buy a detector if you have these symptoms and do not have one in your home.   Don't forget to come back and read the rest though!

3.  Yourself

Medications

Anyone who watches television has seen numerous commercials for medications, where they show people feeling great and looking happy, only to be followed by what seems to be an endless list of possible negative side effects.   Medications, both prescribed and over-the-counter, affect everyone differently, and combinations of medications can cause adverse reactions as well.   Even herbal remedies and vitamins can cause side effects in some people.  If you suddenly start having strange physical or emotional symptoms, consider what you are putting into your body.   Talk to your doctor and do your own research online into your medications and remedies to see if they could be causing or contributing to your experiences.   Note in your paranormal event log when you take your medications to see if it coincides with any of your experiences.  If you continue to have negative side effects, see your doctor as soon as possible.

Alcohol and Drugs

Another thing to consider is whether or not you are only having paranormal experiences when you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.   Hopefully you know before using these substances that they can cause dizziness, hallucinations, nausea, paranoia, and many other physical and psychological effects.   In addition, even small amounts of alcohol or other drugs can interact with herbal remedies or medications you are taking and cause side effects.  If the paranormal experiences stop after you are sober for a few days, it is likely that your experience is a typical reaction to what you are drinking or using.   I say a few days because these substances can stay in your body for many hours after you no longer feel their effects, and physical withdrawl from substances, if addicted, can cause adverse side effects as well.   Additionally, certain hallucinogenic drugs can cause "flashbacks" which is when someone briefly experiences a hallucination as they did when they were under the influence of the drug at some point in the past.

Stress

Even though technology is supposed to be making our lives easier, it also leads us to believe that we need to get more done everyday and achieve more in less time.   Therefore, stress is becoming more prevalent in many people's lives.  Stress is a big topic of research, as we are still learning effective ways to deal with stress and how it can impact our lives.   It has been shown that stress can contribute to medical problems, such as headaches, high blood pressure, low immunity, etc.  Stress can also cause us to lose sleep or have sleep disturbances, which makes us drowsy, and can cause us to experience odd sensations.   Stress changes the way our body and brain function, and our emotions.  Therefore, make another column in that paranormal log I mentioned earlier to document your mood and stress level on a scale from 1 to 10 during your paranormal experiences.   Write down what you were thinking about and how you were feeling right before it happened.  See if you notice any patterns that may indicate that your stress is causing or contributing to your paranormal activity.   This may be especially relevant if you have objects moving or if you have teenagers in the home, as many believe that our mind is so powerful that, when under extreme stress, psychokinesis kicks in and we are unknowingly causing things to move or appear.   This seems to happen more often when there are teenagers in the home, as their surging hormones seem to create more emotional stress.  If you find that this is the case, speak with your doctor and research stress management techniques, such as exercise and relaxation, and you may want to consider speaking with a professional therapist for more help.  

Family History

Many people don't take the time to research their family history, either because it is not easily available to them, or because family members may be uncomfortable or unwilling to talk about it.   However, I think it is important for everyone to know what kinds of medical and psychological conditions our immediate relatives have or have had.  Many mental illnesses and medical diseases can be passed down through generations.  Furthermore, some of these illnesses can cause symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, headaches, fatigue, restless sleep, pressure on the chest, etc.   So, research your family history and if needed, see a doctor or psychiatrist to see if what you are experiencing could be the result of a medical or psychological condition.

If you cannot come up with logical explanations for your experiences, research paranormal groups in your area and call one that is reputable and well-known for helping and focusing on you, the client, instead of a group that is just out to collect evidence.   Remember that paranormal just means beyond the range of "normal" experiences.  It does not necessarily mean that you have a ghost or spirit in your home.   Be your own investigator, and look into all aspects of your life and your environment to see if you can figure out what is going on before assuming it is a visitor from the other side.  

If you cannot solve the case, know that there are people out there who are ready to help, such as the Penn State Paranormal Research Society.   If PRS can't travel to your area, they can most likely recommend a reputable group that you can call.

Please feel free to e-mail me anytime at jlhcounselor@gmail.com with any questions or comments.   I am always happy to hear from you. 

Reference:  Auerbach, L. (2005).  A Paranormal Casebook.  Dallas, TX.  Atriad Press LLC.