Earthbound Spirits

"When people believed the earth was flat, the idea of a round world scared them silly. Then they found out how the round world works. It's the same with the world of the supernatural. Until we know how it works, we'll continue to carry around this unnecessary burden of fear." - Dr. John Markway
 
Not too long ago, the man who lived upstairs from me passed away.  He loved this house, and despite substantial offers, would never give it up.  (As it stands now, his daughter, who lives in Staten Island) wants to sell; the other owner, my landlady, does not, leaving me in limbo.)  The man's son is still residing upstairs, for how long, I don't know.  I only bring this up to clarify that only ONE person lives upstairs.  Yet, whenever the son leaves the house, I hear movement coming from the the old man's bedroom--furniture moving, drawers opening and closing.   Now, mind you, it has been proven that there is NO ONE else living there.  

And this is not the first paranormal experience I have had in this house.  I have a spirit in my apartment, as well.  She really gave us a hard time when we first moved here....blasting radios at all hours of the night, but she has settle down since then.  I know it is a female for every once awhile when I am lying in bed at night, I can smell her cologne. 

Are incidents of paranormal activity on the increase, or are we simply more aware of them and open to them than in the past?  In my humble opinion, I believe both are right.  'Yes', indeed, paranormal activity is on the increase and, because I feel that the earth has, as a whole, moved into a more spiritual mindset, 'yes', we're more alert to noticing, accepting and discussing these event now more than ever before.  And, then again, perhaps it is not so much that incidents of paranormal phenomenon are on the increase, but that maybe our perception of them has changed. 

Children are very much in tune with the world of spirits, and it is not uncommon for them to talk about seeing  ghosts, spirits, deceased loved ones, and deceased animal spirits. And sadly, most children who claim to see imaginary playmates are told to hush and stop imagining things.  The result?  Children stop believing. The stories we hear from parents and the children themselves are not figments of their imaginations. Children really do see these entities.  They have not yet been taught that they don't exist.  We must remember that, in their world, ghosts and spirits are as real as  you and I.  

Each earthbound spirit is as much an individual as they were when they were alive, and most have a reason for choosing to see.   Some may be comfortably attached to something in particular here and have decided to keep this as their home.  Others remain for the soul purpose of helping or guiding the living.  In my opinion, the old man upstairs can fall into both categories. He cannot give up his home, and his son, although in his late 40's, has never had to live on his own.  I don't think he is capable of it, and I know his father thought so, too, because I  heard him say it many times. 

Belief in ghosts, an afterlife, hauntings or vengeful ghosts and more can be traced back to ancient cultures such as the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Egyptians, to name a few.  In ancient Egypt there was a very widespread belief in the existence of ghosts; this belief was an integral part of ancient Egyptian culture.  They were obsessed with and at peace with their view of the soul and survival.  The ancient Greeks believed that those who died young had to be ghosts for the rest of their natural lifespan.  They also believed that the unburied dead would wander the earth.

In Oceania beliefs in gods and powerful spirits were less important in everyday life than were beliefs in ancestral ghosts and other spirit beings, who were regarded as daily participants in social life. The Celts had a vivid belief in the existence of the human soul after death.   Ancestor worship was undoubtedly the mainspring of their creed.  So intense and realistic was the Celts' belief in the future existence of the human soul, that it was said money loans were sometimes granted on the understanding that they were to be repaid beyond the grave.

In Chinese tradition the seventh lunar month is known as "Ghost Month," when the gate opens between this world and the spirit world, and since the rise of Japanese culture, belief in ghosts and demons have had a  powerful effect on the people. Both in China and Japan, the departed spirit is invested with the power of revisiting the earth.

In Mesoamerican belief,  the dead continued to 'live', and there was a belief in ghosts that could return to the present world. The souls and ghosts of dead people were also believed to intervene in disputes.   In Africa, there is a universal belief that ghosts and spirits were lurking  in the comparative darkness of sheltered areas.

Have you ever been in a room in your home alone cleaning or doing whatever when for some reason the hair on the back of your neck stands on end? Or have you been in a warm room when you begin to feel the hair on your arms stand up and you begin to get goose bumps? 

"A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises. Ghosts were created when the first man awoke in the night." - J.M. Barrie, in Little Minister