Let’s face it—we all want a little mystery in our lives, and that shows with our love for binge-watching thriller movies and series such as American Horror Story or Annabelle. It could also be our inner Nancy Drew that draws us nearer to the inexplicable and interesting parts of our daily life, trying hard to see the extraordinary behind the most mundane things. As P.T. Barnum has said, “People are fascinated by the unusual and macabre.”
No matter how gruel or petrifying a certain situation or place might be, people ironically enjoy the fear they feel. As much as other emotions like love or euphoria make us feel in a particular state of being high, the feeling of fear similarly triggers more of a “fight or flight” response within people, accompanied by the sudden rush of adrenaline when under a seemingly supernatural situation.
So whether or not you intended to move into a reputable haunted house or if you are suspecting that you moved into one, chances are, you’re probably going to get the hang of it, one way or another. Even from the outward appearance of a property, you can almost immediately tell if there is something more peculiar about its sinister or even whimsical aura. There are plenty of haunted houses scattered around America, especially in Chicago. Whether it may be because of its infamous reputation of housing a murderer or it’s plain creepy in nature and appearance, you can easily label it as haunted if:
- You hear random music playing in the background. While it is indeed creepy to hear sounds while your instruments remain untouched, it is even more haunting if you don’t even own any instruments at all. If you keep hearing a strange melody coming from a certain part of the house, particularly the basement or attic, it is indeed time for you to collect up the courage to go and find its source. Who knows? Maybe it’s just coming from your musically-frustrated neighbor!
- Footsteps and squeaky floors. No person can mistake the sound of footsteps—especially ones that aren’t familiar to us. Old houses are typically expected to have loose floorboards that create squeaky sounds, so you should do some regular checkups instead of being spooked easily.
- Flickering shadows and lights. This is the most common factor, especially in movies, that indicate the house is haunted. While this may be associated with 300-year-old ghosts playing a trick on you, this could also be linked to what might be a problem in your wirings. When you see shadows and sometimes convince yourself that you see apparitions, try talking it out first with your family members or install brighter lightings for your interiors. It could help with your obscured vision and confusing shadows you may encounter.
The Solution
These are only some situations among a few, but the bottom line of it all is that you are in dire need of a proper home inspection. Not to check your home for the presence of supernatural beings, but to investigate the factors that contribute to your belief that the house may be haunted. It could just be a case of lack of home renovation, or the home you moved into is in desperate need of repairs that you initially ignored the first few days of living there. Take time to plan out what needs to be attended to, what repairs should be done immediately, and what parts of the house should be reconstructed. An initial inspection could go a long way before you ultimately convince yourself and the people around you that you are indeed experiencing something extraordinary.
While it may be easy to plant the blame on the supernaturals for the discomfort or haunting aura you feel inside your home, it is best to find the logic first and keep grounded on the reality. Sure, living in a haunted house and just adjusting to the thought of ghosts living there is indeed an exciting twist in your lifestyle. Still, you cannot just ignore the repairs and renovations necessary to lessen the hazards within your home. If things still get weird even after you’ve made all the needed adjustments and you still experience nerve-wracking situations where you feel that your house is haunted, then it is indeed time for you to call your nearest ghost inspector services to confirm it.
In the meantime, do invest in your regular home inspections. Otherwise, you must compromise with the ghosts living in your home rent-free! If things get out of hand; however, moving out is also a better option as the frightening atmosphere could pose a risk to the mental and emotional health of you and your family members. It’s better to be safe than sorry, even if you are facing the unknown!
