By Rosemary Ellen Guiley

c. Visionary Living, Inc.

We all love a good ghost story, but few of us appreciate living with a ghost. It doesn’t matter that most hauntings are benign – we’d just rather not share our space with a presence that isn’t of this world. Cold spots, unexplained sounds, shadows, movements of objects and other phenomena can be annoying or frightening. So, what can be done? Can the uninvited be invited to leave?

The realms of the living and the dead do intersect, and since antiquity human beings have had ways of dealing with ghosts to keep them within their proper bounds. Numerous remedies exist for “ghost releasement.” If you think you have a ghost on premises and would like it to leave, consider the following.

Eliminating causes

Sometimes what we think is a ghost is really not a ghost at all. Before you conclude that you have a ghost, eliminate all possible natural causes for the phenomena you are experiencing. Changes in climate can make a house creak, especially during certain times of the year as ground contracts and swells, and humidity levels change. Poorly fitting doors and windows can be sources of strange breezes and abrupt closings. Odd smells may seep in from outside sources.

The venerable late ghost hunter Andrew Green, renowned in England, once investigated a case in which a mysterious smell of perfume wafted through the sitting room of a cottage. The perfume was identified as the mignonette flower, popular in Victorian times. Through research he was able to ascertain that a previous tenant had used that perfume while living there for many years. Apparently the fragrance had permeated the exposed oak beams. The smell was released whenever a fire was built in the fireplace, and the heat warmed the beams.

You also must honestly ask yourself if your own imagination is involved. It’s easy to unwittingly fill in blanks when it comes to the paranormal. Sometimes it’s tempting to dine out on ghost stories and be a center of attention.

Types of hauntings

If you can reasonably eliminate natural explanations, then consider the presence of a ghost. Most hauntings are residual – that is, they do not exhibit intelligent or deliberate behavior, and are benign in nature. A residual haunting might be a phenomenon that always occurs in the same place, or during certain times, or is a “feeling” of a presence.

There are no certain explanations of hauntings and ghosts, only possibilities. Residual hauntings seem to be an imprint left behind, which may be perceived by the living. Residual hauntings usually fade of their own accord over time, though some cases have been documented of lasting for decades, even centuries. Such cases often are famous or receive ongoing public attention, which I think feeds the imprint and keeps it active.

Some ghosts seem to have personalities and intelligence. They may be associated with specific individuals who lived or died on premises. Some may be stuck souls, people who for various reasons, such as attachments and unfinished business, did not fully cross over at death. These ghosts are likely to be more active, such as switching lights on and off and moving objects around. Their activities can be unsettling, but they are rarely threatening. Like residual hauntings, they, too, may be perpetuated by attention. For example, ghosts in pubs, inns and restaurants are fed by the curiosity and interest of the public, media and patrons who come hoping to experience the ghost.

A type of haunting involves dangerous object-throwing and physical assaults. These cases are associated with ghosts, demonic beings and poltergeists. They are likely to have a strong link to a particular living person, who is unconsciously acting as a trigger. These sorts of hauntings will resist efforts to stop them, until something changes in the living person who is the trigger.

Perhaps you have known a person who seems to be in the thick of odd phenomena wherever he or she goes. I call such people “psychic lightning rods.” Psychic lightning rods also can trigger benign, residual hauntings that are dormant.

Remedies

The following remedies are all effective, but not necessarily against all ghosts, due to the quirkiness of hauntings. You may have to try more than one before you succeed.

1. Assert yourself. Many ghosts are pushed out by the living coming in and taking over the space in a strong, energetic way. Attitude is a form of energy.

2. Ask the ghost to leave. It may seem obvious and too simple, but it works, even in residual hauntings where no ghost personality manifests. Be polite but firm. The physical world belongs to the living, and so you have the upper hand.

As an alternative, you can ask the ghost not to bother you: you don’t mind if it shares your space, but you do not wish to be disturbed. I took this route once when I rented a summer house in the countryside. After the deal was finalized, I was informed that the house was haunted by the ghost of the family’s daughter, who had died of leukemia in the family room. Other summer renters had experienced phenomena that had frightened them: doors that seemed to close by themselves, cold breezes that hit them and so on. I was not happy about this, since I intended to stay there alone to write.

I asked the ghost to please leave me in peace, explaining that I wouldn’t get much work done otherwise. I was not disturbed the entire time I was there. Would I have been haunted if I hadn’t asked, or hadn’t known about the ghost? It’s impossible to say, but my feeling was that my request made a difference.

3. Cleanse and purify. You can alter the psychic “atmosphere” in various ways. Take a lighted white candle and go from room to room. Walk the perimeter of every room. Tell all unwanted presences to leave immediately. Seal each room by visualizing white light around it. Give a blessing of protection, asking that only the invited may enter.

Saging – burning bundles of sage or other herbs – also is effective. Follow the same procedure.

Place crystals in rooms. Black stones such as hematite and obsidian are considered “anti-ghost” protectors. Clear quartz helps to keep spiritual energies clean.

4. Invoke spiritual help. Pray and call upon the intercession of God or sacred figures such as angels and saints.

5. Redecorate or renovate. I don’t recommend this just to try to get rid of a ghost. If you plan anyway to redecorate or renovate, you may find that the ghost goes along out with the old. New paint, carpeting, cabinetry and room remodeling disrupt energy patterns that may dissipate residual hauntings or take away a ghost’s “home.” A friend of mine bought a Victorian-era house that was in need of a facelift. Shortly after he moved in, he became aware of a ghost. Initially it was quite active, but as he proceeded with his renovations, the presence faded in energy and then vanished altogether.

6. Do feng shui. The Chinese “art of placement” concerns changing the physical environment to minimize negative energies and maximize positive ones. Shapes, colors, textures, mirrors, fountains and crystals are common tools to alter energetic space. For ghosts, it’s best to consult a feng shui expert.

7. Get experienced help. Consult an expert on ghost releasement. Many ghost hunters and paranormal research organizations have, or know of, such experts; they are in virtually every community. The releasers are clairvoyant and skilled in psychic arts, and have the ability to perceive and communicate with certain ghosts, especially those who are souls who apparently got stuck and did not completely cross over.

My dear friend in England, Eddie Burks, once did a lot of this type of work and became famous for it. He would communicate with the ghost to find out why it was stuck, and then work with angels and other departed souls to help the stuck soul make its full transition. Result: end of haunting.

Troy Taylor, president of the American Ghost Society in Alton, Illinois, has had experience with a ghost releaser in his area who seems to have a good success rate. The man more or less woke up one day and realized he could communicate with ghosts and convince them to cross over.

“I was skeptical,” Troy told me, “but in one case I worked, a family was really being bedeviled by a ghost that they could not get rid of. I figured that I would take a chance and pass on this guy’s number to them. A few weeks later, I called the family to follow up and what they told me was astounding — they said that they had no idea what he had done, but whatever it was, the ghost was gone. After that, I referred him a few more times and each time I called, the family or business owner would tell me the same thing — whatever he was doing, the ghosts were leaving.

“Whether he, and people like him, are actually convincing the spirits to cross over or they are simply putting the client’s fears to rest is something I don’t know. The main thing is that it is bringing people peace of mind, and I think that it serves a purpose.”

(Note: To find releasers in your area, contact your local ghost or paranormal experts. Many communities have ghost walks; those people are good resources. The American Ghost Society’s website has fine educational resources about ghosts in general, as well as numerous links to other sites. Go to http://www.prairieghosts.com.)

Avoid doing seances on premises on your own. A seance invites presences in, and results can be unpredictable. Seances should only be done by experienced and qualified persons.

And finally, here’s one from folklore:

8. Get out the beans. That’s right. Beans have long been associated with the dead. The Romans offered beans to the dead to propitiate them and exorcize them. In Japanese lore, roasted beans are scattered about the house in a New Year’s ritual to drive out ghosts and demons and bring in luck.

In the folklore of many places, beans – or small seeds such as poppy or millet – are scattered across a threshold to keep ghosts away. According to lore, the ghosts must stop and pick up or count every bean or seed, which keeps them busy. This tactic is employed against vampires, too. A multi-purpose remedy!

For more serious cases

Earlier I mentioned cases involving threatening, assaulting presences which are attributed to poltergeists or demonic spirits. They are likely to be attached to a particular person and may not go away easily. These cases require expert spiritual and professional help, such as religious officials, psychologists and perhaps trained spirit releasers.

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First published in FATE in 2004. For more information about FATE, visit http:\\www.fatemag.com.