Have you ever seen a Ghost

Yes, as a teenager I fleetingly saw my beloved Grandfather digging the vegetable plot on our back garden.

The things I find fascinating though are the experiences of children. My best friend’s partner was killed very tragically and unexpectedly when their daughter was two and a half. There was much discussion as to whether she should or shouldn’t go to the funeral. Eventually it was decided that it would be better for her not to go. I went with my friend to the funeral and my God daughters other Godparents looked after her at home. After the funeral we all went back to the house and were talking to our GodDaughter. Her GodFather was trying to explain that “Daddy had died and gone to heaven” and she replied, “no, he’s not, he’s outside the window and he’s waving to me.” The GodFather literally went grey. She then went on to describe what he was wearing and what he had said to her. She never spoke about him in quite this way again and I genuinely believe she saw him that day

MercuryQueen, I was with my mother when she died at 97 and would have been very happy to feel any such thing, but there was nothing. ?
The only thing was her eyes suddenly shooting wide open just seconds before. But it looked more like alarm than anything else.
She’d had advanced dementia for some years, so I suppose what had made her ‘her’, was long gone already.

Cookiemonster66 so sorry to hear this. xx ❤?

Various family members have had experiences, even the ones who don't believe in spirit. I've had visitations in dreams from family members who have passed but yet to see an actual ghost. Not sure I could cope with that.

yes, I don't mind giving my real name

My uncle worked in PNG for many years. I miss him

Just adding my experiences before reading the rest of the thread:

Our home is over 100 yrs old. We were the first 'new owners,' since it had been kept in the family until sold to us.

It was the tail end of winter, still loads of snow around (yay for Canada) when we moved in.

But, for several nights, the scent of roses appeared and disappeared in our bedroom. I had the sense that someone was 'checking us out'. It's happened a few times since, but nowhere near as frequent as those first few weeks. I guess we passed inspection.

My other experiences come from having worked in palliative care, in home care and long term care facilities. The number of patients that would talk to someone who wasn't there, tell me their father/mother/spouse/brother was there for them, etc... if the person was able to speak, they almost always mentioned someone being there for them before they passed.

And, I have to say, there is a change when someone passes. To me, it's like something vital leaves. I could feel it go, like a breeze almost, and the patient no longer looked like themselves to me. Whatever essential thing that made them, them, was gone. Working in palliative care definitely had an impact on the way I see things.

I've never seen one but had experiences. When my dad was in hospital for the last time he was on morphine which made him act strangely. When I visited him he was sat up in bed and he was talking utter gibberish. I held his hand and said "I love you dad". He turned and looked at me and as clear as day said "I love you a bushel and a peck" which was what he used to say when we were children. He died a week later. Shortly after that I was awake in the middle of the night having a little cry and thinking how I missed him and just wanted to know he was OK, after a time I fell into an uneasy sleep. At 7am I was awakened as usual by our radio alarm clock which at that time was Sarah Kennedy who used to always play songs from shows at 7. I heard her say " and now a song from Guys and Dolls, Doris Day singing "I love you a bushel and a peck" I didn't even know it was a song! I was sure it was my dad letting me know he was fine.

Fast forward to 2019 and my lovely mum died. Some months later I was walking our dag on some fields and I kept seeing butterflies just ahead of me. I was thinking how people say butterflies can be a sign from spirit world. Although, I reasoned, if it was a sign surely one would land on me or something extraordinary would happen. Anyway, I didn't give it another thought. As we carried on home we had to step off the path to let some people pass. We stood on a small patch of grass and as I looked down I saw the biggest butterfly at my feet. I bent down to look closer expecting it to fly away but it didn't. I put my fingers in front of it and it stood on my finger. I was amazed as it didn't fly off and I had time to reach in my pocket and grab my phone and take a photo. I eventually had to shake it away. Maybe it was coincidence but I like to think not. I have included the photo.

spabbygirlDo you realise that the article gives your real name?

Absence of proof is not proof of absence, my mum & aunt had an experience which convinced me and I had it published on the blog of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, cos I run their Glos group. Both mum and aunt were very strong ladies, like Margaret Thatcher (though I'm pleased to say opposite politically) you wouldn't mess with them! The house is now a Landmark Trust property in Branscombe, Devon & very beautiful.

Here's a link, its well worth reading.

thespab.wordpress.com/tag/haunted-house/

Yes, I've seen several and there's nothing to fear. One was in a new house we'd moved in to. It was a large Edwardian property, a Guest House we'd bought. During the first week I woke up to see a soldier, a WW1 officer, standing next to the bed looking in the mirror and combing his hair. I asked him who he was and he replied "don't worry love it's only 'tommy', go back to sleep". He had obviously lived in that property and his spirit stayed there for the whole time we lived there. I used to sense him and he would mess about with the electrics and other stuff. I accepted him and never had any problems.

Hi. When I was 16 we moved into a new house, one night I’d just got into bed when I saw a very old lady sat by my bed, she was much older than any person you would see living. She was smoking a pipe, and just sat there for what seemed ages just staring, I remember thinking what can I do she’s not going to go, I decided to scream, she disappeared, it was only early mum was still up and came rushing upstairs. Apparently it was my mums grandma she used to smoke a pipe, my uncle has also seen her, she was know to be the local clairvoyant in her time.
Also whilst been married with my own family I’ve had heavy objects fall and roll the full length of the room. Just recently whenever there’s bad news coming something happens. A picture frame started swinging the day before mum had her heart attack. I dread seeing anything now.

It is an interesting theory Grandma2213. In a similar vein, there's an ancient pub, I think it's on the Welsh borders but I'm having a senior moment and can't remember the area or the name of the pub sorry, but apparently the walls could 'talk', ghostly voices and sounds being heard by many people over the years.
When the walls were scientifically analysed it seems their geological composition contained minerals which are used in sound recording technology and that the pub sounds had been absorbed and could be set off and replayed like a natural cassette tape.
Unfortunately, the researchers didn't find out what the triggers were to make the sounds play but it's interesting to think there's a naturally occurring way of capturing sound, and maybe vision too, if the random circumstances all come together at a particular moment in time.

Many years ago I read a science fiction story where ghosts were explained as visitors from the future. The ones we see, dressed in appropriate clothes for the time they were meant to be visiting, had landed in the wrong time. This happened when the time travel technology was new and not always successful. I suppose we see deceased relatives because that is who we would like them to be. As the technology was perfected we are not able to see them but they may be all around us observing! I can't remember if there was an explanation for the 'ghosts' that regularly appear in the same places, seen by many people. Maybe they are trapped somehow and can't get back. I always thought it was an interesting theory.

I've seen two in my lifetime.

I've got no interest at all in looking into the supernatural, but have had a couple of experiences.

A house we lived in when my DD was young had a 'presence' in her bedroom. At the time, I tried not to believe in it, but could never sleep at night there. I ended up sleep deprived, thinking I was having a nervous breakdown. But all of my problems disappeared the day we moved out. A very very freaky experience. The house had a spooky old cellar which I wasn't at all scared by. It was just that back bedroom which didn't look threatening or scary at all.

I've also lived in a house with a definite 'feel' of something not right to it. I managed to avoid any unusual experiences there through dint of actively ignoring it.

No idea why these two houses in particular did this. Nothing to do with the age of them, because I've lived in far older places. I've also slept in a supposedly haunted house, in the actual bedroom, with no issues at all. It was a friends house and she laughed about putting me in that room.

I woke up one night at school to find an elderly lady sitting on my chair, right next to my bed. At first, I thought it was my teacher but it wasn't. She put her hand on my arm and told me my dad would be alright and not to worry! Then she just faded away. I had the whole dorm up, looking for this lady!
Next day, I had a message to say my weekend home had been cancelled, something my parents never did, but I could go the next weekend instead. I called home and told my mum what had happened and asked what was wrong? Dad had been rushed into emergency surgery with a bad case of gallstones!!
A few months later, mum & I were looking at old photos when I saw the lady. She was my dad's mum and had died 5 years before I was even born!!
I've seen others, but not to talk to (apart from one that literally haunted me so badly I refused to enter my own bedroom alone and kept the light on at night).
There was a man with a cat in one house, but he only ever appeared when the furniture was a certain way, altho I often saw the cat without him.
I saw a little boy looking into my grandchildrens room.
I've seen shadows in this house but no actual ghosts yet.

Goodynanny

The day after my husband died, I went to bed and had just laid down on my side when I felt someone’s arms around me giving me a hug. I sat up and there was my husband, looking young and healthy surrounded by a golden glow. He said I love you, and then disappeared. I will never forget it.

The same thing happened to me a couple of days after my dad died. I always go to bed before my husband and was laying there with my eyes shut when I felt someone kissing me on the lips. I thought that I had dozed off and my husband was now in bed but when I opened my eyes I was still on my own. I always think that my dad had come to say goodbye to me. A couple of years before when my mum died my daughter and her two year old son moved in to look after my dad. One day she was in the kitchen with her little one when he looked up at the ceiling and said 'Hello'. When my daughter asked who he was talking to he said 'Nanny Peg' which was what he had called my mum!

I have had many unexplainable experiences. One which I am constantly reminded of. My father-in-law grew the most lovely African Violets and often gave me a plant, however, the family joke was that they never bloomed for me, just a healthy rosette of leaves. I suppose I must have had half a dozen on the kitchen window ledge. When he died, about twenty years ago, we stayed at his house overnight and when we got home the next day all the violets were in bloom - and have been almost constantly ever since! I have never even repotted them, I just think he looks after them.

I have had two experiences which were both extremely comforting and unforgettable. My father died when I was a young baby, so I had only a very few months with him when he was very ill. One morning about ten years ago I was hurrying back from my carer's work, along the beach, thinking about what I'd make for our dinner, when I knew absolutely clearly my father was beside me, on my left side, keeping me company as I walked. It was the most warm, supportive feeling, as if he'd just come to see if I was happy and well. Then he left. I'll never forget it. I'd not been thinking about him, or in fact anything but my day's work. My other experience was equally comforting and I am grateful for both, I have no idea how or why they happened but I know they did.

I've not seen a ghost as far as I'm aware but had a lovely, inexplicable experience just after my dear, dear Dad passed.
My heavily pregnant daughter was in the car with me driving home after arranging Dad's funeral. It was a baking hot day so our windows were fully down. As we drove along an empty stretch of the road - a fairly wide road, usually busy but for once no cars or pedestrians - I felt something hit my arm.
"What the hell was that!" I exclaimed. We pulled over a few minutes later to find a red and white heart-shaped haribo sweet on the floor in the space between my car seat and the door.
We just looked at each other in amazement then both said "Grandad!". He loved sweets, he loved Liverpool F.C. and he loved us. He missed the birth of his great granddaughter, so looked forward to, by 10 days but we felt him so strongly and despite it being a bit bizarre - where DID that sweet come from? - it was such a comfort.

When my maternal grandmother died my mother was distraught. Whilst sitting in our house with my father the night that she died there was an explosion outside. Dad ran outside but there was nothing. Mum was comforted and stopped crying, she was convinced that it was her mother comforting her. Also, months later my father said that he saw the same deceased grandmother in our house wearing an old grey dress that she wore whilst doing her housework. My father was not given to flights of fancy, he was a police inspector

My husband (an ex policeman) was never one to believe any stories like these until he started reading Tom Slemen's Haunted Liverpool Books, he has read every one and now rethinks a lot of things that happened when he used to work nights.

smile (can't do the square brackets to bring on a smile).

A still ghostly but slightly more lighthearted one!

My paternal GM was 100% convinced that very soon after my GF died, she woke up to see him standing by her bed. Still half asleep, she’d forgotten that he’d died and thought he’d come to bring her the usual cup of tea!

I told this story to dh not long after we first met.
‘So what did he say?’ dh said, before putting on a dark, ghostly voice -
‘I’m sorry, dear, I’m afraid the tea’s COLD this morning!’ ?