We may have a ghost in the house...

[EsoxLazer]

This has been a weird couple of nights. I guess it started last night while I was sleeping. My girlfriend said that I must have been having bad dreams because I was yelling in my sleep about someone chasing me and that I abruptly went silent and grabbed onto her for dear life. Around this time the lamp on her dresser apparently turned on. Its one of those touch lamps so I figured a moth or something must have landed on it causing it to turn on. Fast forward to a few hours ago when she came running out of the bedroom because the lamp turned on by itself again. We had a few friends over so everyones interest was piqued and we went in to investigate. I turned the lamp off and made sure that nothing was touching it. About a minute later, my buddy says: "if there is a ghost in the house, turn the lamp on". I swear to God, the lamp turned on less than a second later. I turned it off again and my buddy said the same thing...you guessed it, the lamp turned on again. We went through this charade for about 20 minutes before finally unplugging the lamp. I thought it may have been a short in the wire or something but it was plugged in all day and didn't turn itself on after the initial incident last night. There has to be some sort of explanation but its definitely kinda creepy.

[TooLiveBrew]

WOW, e-l, I can see why you're creeped out. I definitely am not one to believe in such stuff, but unless you're just trolling here (which I am pretty certain isn't the case), that is simply astounding. I have a touch-lamp too, but there's no way a moth or something small sets it off - if I acidentally bump it with my shoes or sandals it does nothing. I honestly don't know what to say, but yikes.

[GAME05]

maybe a short in the lamp's wiring is causing it to turn on, and then the "if there's a ghost" stuff is just amazing coincidence. granted, i'm not a big believer in ghost stuff, either. now if it were to pick the lamp up, then we'd have something...

[PlayerHader]

The touch lamp the I have does that occasionally if a paper on the table brushes it or if my hand goes close by it (without touching even). Those things are wierd.

[Marleyboo]

Your very lucky. I've read a few books on ghosts and have always wanted to have an experience like that. Now i sound like a real weirdo. Wisconsin public radio usually does a show on ghost's around halloween that can be really interesting. Theres also a good book called "Haunted Wisconsin" that tells about hauntings all around Wisconsin. Keep us updated.

[sbrylski]

It could have been one of your friends messing with you and standing next to the light switch while you other friend was talking to the spirit...

 

Anyway, keep us updated...do more tests!

[Beerambassador]

My professor at UWRF Michael Norman wrote Haunted Wisconsin, actually wrote a whole series of books about that sort of thing. He didn't really talk about it much when pressed on it (same goes for his appearance on Space Ghost Coast to Coast). Kind of a weird guy, but entertaining.

[GAME05]

get yourself a Ouija Board to contact the spirit, not that I'd recommend using a Ouija Board to contact spirits, though.

[Fatter than Joey]

You should web-cam it, and then get a bunch of fat guys with beards and glasses equipped with EMF meters to give your haunting credibility.

 

That is spooky. My wife says she sees ghosts all the time in our house. I have not figured out how to use this to my advantage yet, but I am sure that there is a way.

[Barbs4339]

I'm pretty sure I would get rid of the touch lamp and be done with that whole thing.

Note to self, do not ever purchase a touch lamp.

[Menotti80]

my girlfriend's old house was haunted. ive never believed any stories like these until i heard some of hers.

 

here are a few of them:

 

- someone pulling her hair while she was laying in bed (alone). like really tugging on it

 

- cabinets opening up on their own

 

- dishes flying across the kitchen

 

- cake that was sitting on the table 1 minute, smeared across the walls the next minute

 

- hearing people running upstairs when nobody else was there.

 

- her kids seeing little kids in their room at night, imaginary friend named Bobo, etc

 

 

 

the list goes on. and i'm not about to accuse all of this of being made up. the creepiest part is that right before she moved out, she removed the carpet from the upstairs bedroom, and there was a little cut out in the floor (like a small trap door). when she pried up the board she found an article from like 80 years ago of a family (mom, dad, 2 young kids) who died in that house during a house fire...

[Fatter than Joey]

cake that was sitting on the table 1 minute, smeared across the walls the next minute

 

That was me. My bad.

[MadScientist]

Well, if you can prove it is a ghost, you can get a million bucks from James Randi (www.randi.org).

 

Since the issue seems to revolve around the lamp, try these things:

1) Clean off the dust from the lamp.

2) Move the lamp to a different location in the house.

3) Try the lamp at a friends house.

4) Try a different touch lamp.

5) Show off the effect when a skeptic is watching.

 

If you get ghostly results on 1, 2, 4 and 5, but not 3, then try for the million.

[EsoxLazer]

Haha...I didn't expect to get so many replies. I really don't know if I believe in ghosts, but this definitely spooked me out a bit. Ive honestly thought of everything that it could possibly be and checked it out to no avail: I wiped off the dust, took apart the base of the lamp to check the cords, and changed the bulb. There has to be some sort of explanation that I'm not thinking of but until I find it, that lamp is staying unplugged and in the closet. I should have taken pics/video of it last night just for the heck of it...you guys would have gotten a kick out of it. Ill let you know if it goes down again tonight.

[Fatter than Joey]

I should have taken pics/video of it last night just for the heck of it...you guys would have gotten a kick out of it. Ill let you know if it goes down again tonight.

 

Please do -- I can say without hesitation that this is right up our collective alley.

[sbrylski]

Menotti...

One (maybe i'll hold out for two) experience like any of the above and I'm out of that place and not looking back!

[DatHoser]

cake that was sitting on the table 1 minute, smeared across the walls the next minute

 

That was me. My bad.

http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/roll.gifThanks for making me blow cola out of my nose!

 

 

I gotta admit, I'm very much a prove it by science guy, but at some point I have to know what I don't know, so to speak. Part of me wants to believe because of that.

Keep us posted - we wait with bated breath. Or is it bait with garlic breath?

 

EDIT: Menotti, I'm with sbrylski - especially after seeing that article.

[Menotti80]

yeah i dont know what took her so long to move out, but stuff has happened to her in Derry's bar when she was closing the bar after a nght of bartending...

 

from that point on I stayed with her until bar close while she cleaned up... lol

[EsoxLazer]

Ok, Ive got the lamp plugged back in and have my camera ready to go. I'm gonna probably take video with my phone since I don't have the cables to connect my camcorder to the computer. If we get any more action from the lamp I will upload the video to youtube immediately and put up the link for everyone to see.

[GAME05]

Menotti, that sort of stuff is spooky. the stuff about pulling her hair makes it sound like they weren't 100% friendly ghosts. no thank you. I also would have been out of there in a heartbeat.

 

Redrum! Redrum! Come play with us, Danny.

 

messed up.

[dadofandrew]

If you want to sell it for half-price, let me know. I'll happily sleep there a few nights like a log before I sell it for the bargain basement price of 85-90% of book.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Oh, and those touch lamps are often very touchy. We had one in our apartment in Eau Claire that would pop on during the night. We moved it away from the heat register, and the "ghost" we had seemed to go elsewhere.

[Nader Raider Tim]

Funny you brought this up. I personally don't beleive in ghost stories, but at work ghosts were brought up last night. A bunch of people have been seeing ghosts over the years and now it sadly was brought up in the Emergency Response Team meeting.

 

I seriously want to know what their action plan is in case of ghost attacks.

[GAME05]

i'm thinking about buying a touch lamp and hooking it up to a clapper. although that might rip a hole in the space-time continoum.

[MoneyballMan]

At your next gathering, tell the ghost to pick up the lamp and throw it against the wall. If that happens, get back to me.

[TooLiveBrew]

My wife says she sees ghosts all the time in our house. I have not figured out how to use this to my advantage yet, but I am sure that there is a way.

 

Classic. New sig time. Keep on keepin' on, FTJ - that will be useful at some point in time.

 

EDIT: menotti, that post is freakin' freaky. http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/indifferent.gif