scared in our new home

splishsplash

I lived in towns and cities until my first job, when I moved into a rented house in the country. It was set back from a quiet country road and it was a few miles from town. I couldn't sleep for the first month, something that hasn't happened to me before or since. All my life I'd had urban background noise, white noise that damped down all the creaks and groans of a house settling at night, as well as the noise made by country wildlife. Could it be that you're in a similar situation?

One night while I was living in that house, I heard a horrendous sweeping and thumping downstairs at around midnight. I was on my own in the house and I was terrified.
Turns out a bat somehow made its way into my living room and couldn't find its way out again. Much merriment ensued as I managed to drop a towel on it mid flight and showed it the door...

Could it be that you've got a couple of houseguests that you're not aware of? As Jojo says, cats can make a racket, as can other small animals.

marmitepotato

We had this happen to us when we lived in a flat in Germany. Doors banging, strange noises, a feeling of unhappiness. We had the local vicar come and bless every room in the flat. After that, it was quiet and peaceful, whether it was the blessing, or whether it was us having peace of mind I am not sure, but OP, I recommend it.

Good luck.

BitterAndTwisted

Getting a local priest round to do a "blessing" or a "healing" is one way to almost guarantee that your new neighbours think you're both bonkers.

There's no such thing as the paranormal but once you both start reinforcing that idea on each other you'll be stuck in some kind of feed-back loop. There's nothing untoward going on in that house until you start thinking there is, and then you will make it so

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Getting a local priest round to do a "blessing" or a "healing" is one way to almost guarantee that your new neighbours think you're both bonkers.

There's no such thing as the paranormal but once you both start reinforcing that idea on each other you'll be stuck in some kind of feed-back loop. There's nothing untoward going on in that house until you start thinking there is, and then you will make it so

An old boyfriend's mum was like that. Convinced herself that the place was swarming with spirits. Swarming with a bloody great hornets' nest in the loft.

The 'angel feathers' a neighbour declared were a sign of their mum watching over them were the sparrowhawk shredding a dove of pigeon on my roof, as well. I didn't have the heart to tell her, though.

The lack of background noise, the thrum of cars, planes, people, isn't there any more. So you hear every sparrow fart. And you probably feel a bit isolated and vulnerable without people close by - like walking home alone at 3am compared to walking home at 3pm.

There is nothing that could hurt you out there, you are simply getting in touch with natural human instincts. Give it three months and you'll be sleeping so soundly and finding the city dirty and smelly and annoying.

Mojisola

marmitepotato wrote: »

We had this happen to us when we lived in a flat in Germany. Doors banging, strange noises, a feeling of unhappiness. We had the local vicar come and bless every room in the flat. After that, it was quiet and peaceful, whether it was the blessing, or whether it was us having peace of mind I am not sure, but OP, I recommend it.

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

There's no such thing as the paranormal but once you both start reinforcing that idea on each other you'll be stuck in some kind of feed-back loop. There's nothing untoward going on in that house until you start thinking there is, and then you will make it so

marmite's post proves that isn't the case for everyone.

A deliverance priest will be very discreet. There's no need for anyone else to know.

If it settles everyone down, it's worth trying.

Helen2k8

I am as non-supernatural as they come, and yet I have lived in a house where I felt very uneasy (modern house, but ancient city), and a "spooky" house where a Lord-of-the-manor died in the 17th century - but this place felt fine. Well, until I fell down the cellar stairs!

Perhaps a chat with the vicar to see if s/he knows of any odd things going on - maybe the old owners complained of draughts and swinging doors etc. It opens the dialogue in case some kind of blessing would make you feel better.

Aromatherapy might help you feel relaxed in your new surroundings, perhaps burning familiar scents will make the place "yours".

lama_pdx

I absolutely agree with Jojo. If you're used to town life, a country house at night is going to be full of eerie noises from bats, badgers, snakes, what-have-you. It'll take you time to settle in. And in the meantime, do have the place blessed if it will make you feel better. Why not?

Here's another idea, out of left field: when I was working in a housing agency, I read a paper hypothesising that mould in an old house could be the cause of people experiencing feelings of being haunted. Certain types of mould are hallucinogenic (think of LSD or magic 'shrooms), so if there is a high concentration in a house, that could lead to visual and aural hallucinations, or mild feelings of paranoia/anxiety (i.e., "we're being watched").

I can't for the life of me find the citation now, but it might be worth having an(other) check for mould and damp in your new place.

marleyboy

OP you only need panic if you hear a disembodied voice echo "GET OUUUUTTT!!!!!" whilst the walls oozes blood.

If you feel a blessing might help, there is no harm in asking a priest. Lots of people have their houses blessed just because its a new home, albeit more common with the religious type.

If a blessing helps, no matter what the cause of the disturbance may be, then its proved fruitful. A few bumps here and there are in no way life threatening. Disturbing yes, but not as disturbing as midnight wailing, apparitions or objects flying around the room, only then would I reluctantly accept it might be something unnatural.

Norma_Desmond

I'm actually quite open minded on the 'supernatural', but I can honestly say that I know nothing that happens in my house is in any way ghostly.

Our house is 200 years old and stands on the moors overlooking the sea, and because it's exposed to everything the Atlantic throws at it we've got rattling windows, draughts strong enough to snuff out a candle, the wind literally howls around the eaves, some rooms are much colder than others and there's always the shock of a drainpipe falling off at 3am (happened twice now!) to look forward to.

The only thing we can't figure out is how the cupboard under the stairs keeps swinging open even though it's on a strong old fashioned latch and quite difficult to work even when you want to get into it.

I'm sure there's a rational explanation though!

lemontart

interesting post I am seriously thinking about buying a house my mother used to own years ago that has come on the market and my sister who lived in the house (I had left home before they lived there)said the house had bad karma - yet for me it always felt like home - so I was thinking that if I do go ahead with it I would get it blessed as I do believe in such things - pity did not get the house. Wish I had done that with house I am in with the amount of bad luck I have had here.