Dear Brandi,
A ghost story? What a coincidence!
I just last night had an experience. Once again I was having one of those nights where I could not sleep. When this happens to me, I sort of roam the house checking locks on the doors and windows or some other activity, and usually I will have a small snack and a drink also. Then I might go onto the computer or even sit on the couch and read a book, what ever I do, it is an effort to calm my mind. As of lately my mind has been in need of a lot of calming down … thus I have not been sleeping well. This night I mainly just walked around the house looking out of the windows into the darkness and onto the lights. Not really looking though. What was very strange was as I walked through the house, I constantly kept feeling this cold chill brush my body.
I made my way down the stairs, into the living room, through the kitchen, down into the study, and once again back up stairs where I walked into the bathroom. In my bathroom we have a huge window that oversees much of the neighborhood and a lot of the lights cast shadows around the trees. I also live in a semi-rural area where there are a lot of pine trees. I looked out into the night and the moon lit up the cloudy night as the lights from the houses made small area of the darkness visible.
I stood there trying to ignore the cold chills that were starting to touch me more and more. I looked out of the window thinking I am psyching myself out. I at first looked ‘out’ of the glass as I tried to not think about the possibilities of the cold chills. The chills were persistent. Then a great chill came over me and made my entire body tighten and then tremble. I started to feel a little frightened at this moment. Then I told myself: “If I was going to get hurt, I probably would have been hurt already.” At this point the chills were racing over me making my hairs stand on end over my entire body. I had seen pictures of people in books and on the Internet looking into windows and in the reflection seeing figure standing by them or behind them. I tried hard to fight the temptation to look at the glass to see my reflection. I stole a quick glance and to my relief, I was alone in the window. The chilling wisps were still with me though. I quickly looked away just in case something might ‘pop’ up… and I did not want to see something scary looking.
I had to admit to myself that I was definitely 'not alone' or I was completely fooling myself into thinking the cold chills were something other than my own thoughts playing tricks on me. I began to feel sleepy once more so I turned and made my way toward the door to leave. Just before exiting, I chanced to look into the mirror using my peripheral vision. In the mirror was a reflection of the window, in the window was a reflection of the mirror; and in that reflection was a gray misty image/shape of a human leaning forward and shadowing me out of the bathroom.
I quickened my pace and leapt for the bed. Where I quickly snuggled under the covers and kept my eyes closed. Amazingly, I fell fast asleep and through out the day had nearly forgetting the incident until I decided to frequent your site once more.
Sincerely,
Your Friend,
C.S.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Ghost Story from a Reader
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Halloween Ghost Stories
One day in the middle of summer, my best friend and I decided to go for a long drive in Southern Ontario's countryside. After a long day of driving, we decided to stop for the night at the only lodging we could find, a quaint bed and breakfast tucked off side if the road next to the highway. Exhausted, we trudged into bed right away and settled in to get a good night's sleep.
Or so we thought. For the next two hours, my friend tossed and turned, which was odd enough, for my friend sleeps like a rock (and snores like a banshee!) at the worst of times. And I was kept awake all night by the presence of a spirit at the end of my bed, a rather prim and proper older woman in a Victorian costume and hat who insisted since I was the first to really see her that I must pay attention and relate her story and wishes to the owner in the morning!
Finally, desperate to get some sleep and with only a few hours left until daylight, I agreed to speak with him in the morning. Besides, I was curious to find out if this charming home had the colorful past she insisted had followed after her death. She'd told an interesting tale of all kinds of unsavory characters who'd used the place for "rum-running" as she'd called it, during the 20's and 30's. She insisted that these naughty characters had made a real mess of her beloved home, and it had passed through several hands before falling into the current owner's care, a "Fine gentleman, with a lovely family!" whom she clearly adored.
The next morning, I made my way down for breakfast and sat, bleary eyed, at the table nearest the back wall. When the owner came in, he gave me a kind smile and some orange juice and didn't even skip a beat when I asked him if he knew his inn was haunted. "If it wasn't, we'd have to make it up! Ghosts are good for business!"
Yet he did seem bemused and surprised when I told him the story. It was true that the place had a shady past, just as the old woman had described it. And he pointed behind me to a picture on the wall that I had not seen before. It was a picture of the woman who had stood at the end of my bed!
I told him not to worry about this particular spirit. It was clear her intentions were loving and protective after all. And it was indeed a well-run place. Though I did not get much sleep there, it was a very interesting stay.
Brandi
Letter from a reader ...
Dear Brandi,
First, thank you for your time. I am writing because something occurred a few months ago that I just can't seem to get out of mind. I was riding in the country with my boyfriend. We had been drinking, but too much. All of a sudden it seemed like I was thrust into a movie or another place. It was very dark then there were these red streaks on both sides of me. As I watched I felt like I was watching something taking place from above. There was a car with a young girl in it lights were out, then there was another car with a boy, the boy hit the girl's car from behind, then the girl crashed. I felt like the two were close and this was a serious mistake in judgment. All of this was happening while I watched from above. I heard everything and felt very strong overwhelming feelings of sadness. Let me just say this is the first time anything like that has happened and I am not taking drugs or anti-depressants. I am really trying to stay open minded. There is another facet.
There was a young girl in our town that was killed early in the spring from a car crash and I always have felt bad for the parents. I just really feel I need your opinion about this, so I can let it go, or learn more. Thank you again and take care.....
DW
Dear DW,
When I first got your letter, I did not know how to respond exactly ... then something awful happened. Just last week, my friend and former boss Bill Campbell lost his son Chris last week to a terrible car accident (I still don't know all the details, only that his family is suffering an unbearable loss). So I can understand your feelings, and the feelings of the family in your town.
It sounds to me like you had an intuitive or psychic experience during a partial out of body (OOBE) experience. You don't say if the accident took place before or after your experience, but tragic events have this way of imprinting themselves in a place ... and they can reach backwards or forwards in time.
The experience you had is not really all that unusual, believe it or not. In most surveys I have seen more people have had them than haven't. We just think they are odd because people don't talk about these things too much.
Alcohol does have a way of opening you up to psychic experiences, and of course mixing drinking and driving can lead to disaster. I think your heart was telling you that you were taking an awful risk, and it is possible that the spirit of one of the young girl from the crash was reaching out to warn you of the danger.
The Campbell family has put up a memorial site for Chris. Please feel free to visit it. And remember to listen to your heart ... this experience did happen for a reason.
Brandi
