A 6th grader from Rhode Island emailed me today with some questions about paranormal activity as part of a school project. I’m sharing my answers here. You can find out more in my book, Strange But True: 10 of the World’s Greatest Mysteries Explained or in my story for Science News for Students, The Science of Ghosts.
What makes something paranormal?
Paranormal activity is anything that happens that has no known scientific or practical explanation. The word “paranormal” means “above or beyond” what is normal. I put “known” in bold because that is very important. Just because no one knows the scientific or practical explanation for something, does NOT mean that we can say the cause was ghosts or aliens or inter-dimensional beings. All we can say is that we don’t know. The goal of science is to discover what we don’t yet know. When people turn to paranormal things like ghosts to explain a strange occurrence, they lose out on an opportunity to ask questions and discover what may have actually happened.
How can people sense paranormal activity?
If we could sense paranormal activity through reliable scientific means, then it wouldn’t be paranormal anymore! There is no reliable scientific evidence of paranormal activity. However, many people report that they can sense paranormal activity. There are MANY ways that people report to sense this. Sometimes it is a vague feeling that something is wrong or unusual, or that there is some presence nearby. Other times it is a sensation of cold or warm, other times people actually see or hear something unusual that they identify as a ghost or other paranormal thing. However, it’s important to repeat that it is the person having the sensation who identifies it as paranormal. Another person having the same sensation might realize that the sensation was just a breeze or a nearby animal or a mistake in perception or a dream. The brain is an incredible organ that usually does an excellent job of turning our perceptions into the reality we sense. But the brain makes mistakes. Sometimes it senses things that aren’t there or misidentifies things that are there. The fact that we can dream at night proves how easy it is for the brain to create unusual sensations for us!
Is it dangerous to experience paranormal activity?
An experience of paranormal activity could be dangerous if the person having the experience responds with intense fear or panic. They might hurt themselves or experience stress or anxiety related to the experience. Some people experience something called sleep paralysis. This is a real disorder in which a person wakes up while still dreaming. They can’t move or breathe deeply, and they see/hear/sense the real world as well as dream-like experiences on top of the real world. They often see scary figures that may be interpreted as aliens or ghosts or demons. I’ve actually experienced this myself twice — and thankfully never again! This disorder can cause people great stress, but with the help of a therapist or psychologist, they can understand that the scary figures aren’t real and learn how to get through the experience more calmly.
Can spirits hurt you?
There is no evidence that spirits are real. Something that isn’t real can’t physically harm anyone. However, a person who believes in spirits may end up turning to dangerous means to “exorcise” a person to get rid of spirits. This type of intervention can cause real harm. Exorcisms have even killed people. Plus, there’s the example of the Salem witch trials, which happened back in the 1690s. Many people, mostly women and girls, were put to death because others accused them of being involved in paranormal activity. So a belief in spirits can definitely hurt people!
Why do people do discoveries on paranormal activity for a living?
I think you’re asking about ghost hunting TV shows or ghost hunting YouTubers? People make these types of shows because so many people are fascinated by the idea that there could be ghosts or spirits or other similar beings out there. This is an understandable fascination — I love the idea of magical, unknown things that we don’t yet fully understand! I loved reading books about ghosts, telepathy, palm reading, auras, and other paranormal ideas as a kid. Over time, I have come to realize that actual scientific investigation is the best way to learn more about our world and the many mysteries it contains. Some real scientists study the belief in the paranormal or try to explain events that have been labeled as paranormal. Unfortunately, though, most paranormal investigators do not follow actual scientific methods. They use equipment that looks scientific, but they are not actually measuring anything meaningful. For example, some ghost hunters use meters to measure electromagnetic energy. This energy is given off by outlets, cell phones, and all sorts of other normal things. Yet when they detect it, they say a ghost caused the energy! That’s just silly. It doesn’t make any sense.
All that said, I can’t tell you that ghosts aren’t real. I very much doubt that they are real, but I can’t know for sure. To be a scientist is to keep an open mind while practicing the art of doubt.
For more information, I recommend you take a look at my book for kids, Strange But True.
I have always been a very skeptical person, one that has never been takien in by ghost sightings and the like. I am now 61 years old and for some reason I had encounters with multiple ghosts. If someone told me the facts of this encounter or I should say encounters, I would definitely think they were losing their mind. How overpowering and emotional this is, and it is quite fearful. Such a shock to your very core, like nothing you’ve experienced before!!! So to the doubters like myself this is a huge deal.
I seen and um where u guys going for help
I have a question about paranormal stff.I painted my nails and the next day I had all but one with polish on them a friend said it was someone trying to contact me I think she’s wrong but whatever could it be
Thanks for the question! There is no evidence that spirits exist or can interact with the real world. Still, if this were possible, why in the world would nail polish be the way a spirit reached out? Also, I can think of several practical ways this could have happened. (For example, you picked it off in your sleep, someone removed it as a joke while you slept, that nail had some sort of cleaning stuff on it so the polish didn’t stick correctly, etc.) Even if you never find out how it happened, such practical explanations are always more likely than any supernatural ones.
Just bcuz YOU haven’t seen any evidence doesn’t mean there isn’t any. That’s the problem with the blind acting like they have all the answers. To anyone who knows better u look like the joke.
that doesn’t mean u experienced something paranormal. You probably just rubbed it off in ur sleep.
I’m a senior in highschool and let me just tell you that I have dedicated my time in all the demonology topic and I don’t think that just because of your painted nails, that something is trying to contact you. It makes no sense why and how.
I have just experienced a paranormal activity. Where can I ask questions about it?
You can ask a question here if you’d like. You might also want to read some of the articles I’ve written about why people might see or experience ghosts and other similar paranormal things: https://www.snexplores.org/article/science-ghosts or https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/strange-but-true-the-mystery-of-the-monte-cristo-homestead-and-the-supernatural-science-that-explains-it/
Dear Kathryn,
I have this question about ghosts and/ or paranormal. I have a third eye / ear. I can see and hear spirits occasionally. I got this talent/curse about 20 years ago. I’m 67 y/o now this Dec 2022 , I live in the Philippines. I often hear them spirits[ 80% of the time ] than see them. But lately [about a month ago] I can see them also frequently. They visit me at night time in my room while I’m asleep..
They are just silently standing or sitting near my bed. Some are even lying on my floor. When I suddenly wake up, they tend to vanish in a few seconds. Sometimes I pretend to be sleeping, my eyes slightly closed just to watch them longer.
I cant see their faces most of the time since they’re facing sideways. Once or twice Id seen some faces. All of them are strangers. Why are they hanging out in my room ? Am I a ghost magnet ? Did someone hex me ?
Napoleon
You might want to look into the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. This can cause an extremely realistic sense that figures/spirits are in the room with you while you are sleeping/just waking up. I wrote about it in this story: https://www.snexplores.org/article/science-ghosts
My 3 year old grandson has become scared to be alone in a room in my home. He says there’s a red monster in there ..there’s ALIT of death surrounding the area I live… I’m very concerned with this.???? Help
It is very normal for young children to believe in monsters and other scary things or even to see them. That does not at all mean that these things are real. Young children have not yet learned to tell the difference between imagined things and real things. I am not a psychologist or doctor, so I don’t feel qualified to give you advice on how to help him with his fear. But I’m sure you can find some resources to help. To help you feel better about the situation, I recommend the book “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark” by Carl Sagan. This book helps explain why people believe in the paranormal and how science can help explain unusual experiences.
Hi Kathryn am not really sure about all of this stuff but I am keeping an open mind. My question or problem see am not sure. When I am sleeping I it will feel someone just sat down on my bed always down on the right side of my bed. It doesn’t happen every night sometimes. It’s been happening for years. I will be in a deep sleep and then I start to roll over that’s when I feel like someone just sat down on the right side and always the bottom of my bed. Am I just NUTS I live with my brother I tell him and he says I just was dreaming it. I will appreciate it if you have an idea what it is. Thank you
Hello, Have you looked into sleep paralysis? Here’s an article I wrote with a lot of info about it: https://www.snexplores.org/article/science-ghosts Sleep paralysis is basically a dream that happens while you are partially awake. So you see your real surroundings and feel as if you’ve woken up, but you are still experiencing dream sensations at the same time. I’ve had this happen to me, and it’s extremely strange and uncanny.
Also two weeks before I was playing the guitar standing directly behind my bed and I look down at my phone that’s in front me on the bed and I see this solid light about the size of a quater. It was stationary I staried for at least two seconds and it just dissapered
Last night I had sleep paralysis and I was fighting to move.When I awake I’m looking at a bottle of cola I take to bed with me and it looks like its boiling. I have alot of sleep paralysis but this was the strangest I’ve ever had I’m not sure if my eyes were trying to adjust or paranormal.
Hi Tyler,
I’m sorry you’re experiencing sleep paralysis! It can be very scary and strange. However, this is a known sleep issue. And it can result in hallucinations like the one you experienced. Paranormal claims, on the other hand, have no basis in research. Even if you can’t figure out the reason for a strange experience, it is almost certainly the result of the brain and not some paranormal force or being.
yea i get it every night its not scary anymore
I don’t know if you can help me?
Sometimes this happens 3 time a day. Also I’ve been labelled insane by the U.S.government and receive a S.S.I check because of me trying to get some answers.
I’ll try to explain the most important one.
It starts with a light feeling in my head but not like fainting. This is more of a intense feeling that starters behind the eyes. Then it moves over the mind somewhat fast. Then my heart rate feels like it slowly increasing with flashes of images like one’s on a old movie projects. Theres old images that make no sence.
Then when the images slow there’s a feeling like your doing 100 mph in a car then you hit a tree . Then the feeling of knowing something about to happen(Not a panic attack )Then there’s a flood of knowledge that i somehow know no human is suppose to even know about .( I do believe i am starting to understand it.) It’s knowledge about everything, some is known
But most is so strang that it would take me meny year to write and would need meny master to even begin to attempt to try to explain some of this knowledge.
Some is of this knowledge is about dimensions, planetary system,math (some I’ve never heard of)and things along those lines.
There’s knowledge in this liberty(don’t know what to call it)about things that would change our lives and put on a path to becoming a new kind of beings that would make us have to reconsider some of the knowledge we think of as new discoveries and things we think of as pure science fiction that’s never going beyond the paper
If you know the true name of this knowledge or you have any thoughts,knowledge of,or any other resouse i could get.It would help me in explaining what I’m going through.
Thank you and if i waisted you time I’m truly sorry
Why don’t ghost hunters use computer keyboards to receive ghostly responses to the questions asked? If ghosts can move objects, then they should be able to move keys on a keyboard. If they are unable to see the contents displayed on a monitor then verbal questions could be presented but ghostly responses could be inserted on the keyboard.
This is a great argument against the existence of ghosts! Thanks.
Hi, so recently all my life I have had odd things happening to me. I just need to have someone answer the questions I have. I keep having these dreams where I am in a place that seems familiar. I have gone many times but the first time I could remember was about a year or two ago. I long while. This encounter was with a lady who was creepy beyond belief. The place was dark and ominous. She had a young male who looked like he was covered in a black tar substance with a chain around his neck. He was crawling on all fours and looked awful. She pointed at me and I woke up. The next one was at this place that looked like a college and there were people who knew me although I have never seen them before in my life. Later, everyone was freaking out and I realized the lady from before was coming. I got stuck in a transparent bathroom that was small. I was hiding and afraid. All of the sudden black hands start covering the walls and the lady is trying to open the door. I finally realize that I am asleep and try to escape by using a door that appeared above my head in the ceiling of the bathroom. I jumped into it and as I was halfway through the lady had opened the door. I woke up immediately in a panic and freaking out. Remembering what happened.
The third time I came to this place there I was with these two children running in the mountains of a red light area. We were running from that same lady. We climbed the walls of the mountain. I made it first and reached my hand out to help them up. As they were about an inch away they both fell to their death. As they fell they both vomited blood and died in the mid air. I woke up crying and quickly looked up missing children. I ended up finding them in a long list of others. I felt heart broken. I can see things and hear things still. It creeps me out. I know I am most likely not crazy because one night when I was sharing a room with my sister I heard a woman call out and say hello when we were trying to sleep. I just ignored it and thought I was hallucinating until my little sister responded to the voice and I quickly told her not to do that. I just need some help understanding what is going on. I also kept seeing these visions of locations popping up out of nowhere. Like when someone opens a portal.
I’m sorry you’re having these disturbing experiences. The best person to talk to about it would be a qualified therapist.
Hi,
My family have had a strange encounter.
It only happens at my mother in laws house. I will start from the begining as there is a lot! When my sister in law was 15 (30 years ago), she was in the house with a friend and they saw a strange figure at the top of the stairs looking out the window. She freaked out and ran to the neighbours. The neighbour checked the house and all was fine. This was forgotton about.
My husband and I about 15 ago were lying in bed in his parents house. It was dark and the curtains were open. We were directly under the window facing the wall opposite watching tv. A shadow of a man with a top hat, walked past the reflection of light from the window. It wasnt scary but we both saw it and turned to each other after to see if one another had seen it! There is no way a full sized shadow of a man could have walked past. We were upstairs and the shadow was crisp. No one believed us and again it was forgotten.
In the past year, my parents in law switched bedrooms and were now sleeping in my husbands old room. In the last 6 months strange lights have been seen. We thought they were seeing things but they have seen this light together and seperatly. We went to stay to see if we saw it and slept in their room. I was in bed alone and had unpluged everything that could give off light. At 11pm this bright flash appeared on my left. To bright to be a car, a torch or anything ‘explainable’. This brings me to what they have seen for 6 months.
Its a bright light that can appear on the left of the bed. Sometimes it darts from one side of the room to the other. Its that bright it can awaken them. Its not been scary until last weekend. They had just got back from a weeks break and went to bed. As they said goodnight to each other, the light flew past both their faces about 6 inches away. They both felt scared this time. A couple of days later, my mother in law was leaving the bedroom at about 5 30am and the light for the first time flew in front of her face at the door as if to say dont leave.
So as a family we spoke about it, and my sister in law said, dont you remember i saw a weird man at the top of the stairs once? To which my mother in law replied…he wasnt wearing a top hat by any chance? She said yes!! He was!! How did you know that?
So we got an electrician in to check everything and there are no issues in the house. My mother in law wants to exorcise the house as she is now feeling uneasy. I would like opinions on this because its totally out of the ordinary. 3 people seeing lights and 2 seperare occassions of seeing what we now believe as the same ghost.
Any answers would be greatly appreciated!
These are indeed unusual experiences. However, these are all anecdotes and memories, which can easily be mistaken. Whenever a person remembers something, the details change and overwrite the original experience. Also, once a person believes that a place might be haunted, they are more likely to notice unusual things happening and to fit these things into the existing narrative. If you are feeling very scared, I recommend talking to a therapist about what you experienced so you can work through it.
So I’ve been dealing with quite some creepy experiences lately. It’ll be great help if you answer. So i feel energies very often. I’ve been feeling one in my house. And it communicated with me several times. Lately I’ve been feeling down and depressed without any reason. On a regular day i visited a church where the choir was chanting the prayer and i felt very sick since the prayer started. I couldn’t see properly or even understand what’s going on. My neck went back and front and i felt very dizzy accompanied with strange voices. As soon as the prayer ended I was alright without any symptoms I had during the prayer. I don’t get what’s happening with me. Please help.
I’m sorry that you’re having these disturbing experiences. I would recommend finding a qualified therapist to talk to. Good luck!
My daughter recently past away in March of this year. I’ve felt her spirit with me & have seen different signs of her letting me know that she is still with me. Mainly little things like having cardinals tap on my window or finding orbs in my videos & photos I have taken since she passed. However, this morning I had an unexplained experience that has zero logical explanation. Thankfully my daughter-in-law was with me so she saw the phenomenon as well otherwise I would have thought I was losing my mind. I was standing in my DIL’s living room gathering up my things to leave. She was holding my grandson getting him ready for day care with her back turned to me holding the baby we were probably about 2 feet away from each other, when all of a sudden I felt something wet running down the right side of my leg and when I looked to see what it was I saw a clear stream of what appeared to be water arching towards me wetting my leg, foot & bag i was carrying. As quickly as I saw it, it then disappeared into thin air. I was so startled that I yelled out to her is the baby peeing on me lol only to realize he was fully dressed. She looked at me and felt my leg & said I don’t know where that came from. But she just so happened to be turning around to face me as the water was streaming out of thin air so she saw it too. So keep in mind there is nothing around us that could have projected any type of liquid. The baby didn’t have anything in his hands, neither did she & there was nothing in my bag that could have leaked out because I only had clothes in it. It was as if it came from the entrance to her hallway which was where I was closest to standing. I have never in my life experienced anything like this. I guess what I’m asking is if it is possible for my daughter’s spirit to be able to do something like this without anything remotely around me to be project liquid from? It has really stirred me up quite a bit. If my daughter-in-law wouldn’t have seen it herself too I would have thought I was losing my mind. My daughter was quite the prankster when she was living so it wouldn’t be a surprise to me for her to do something like this to startle the hell out of us. I just don’t understand how she could have possibly done something like that when like I said there was no water or anything liquid anywhere around us. Any insight or answers you have or advice on where to find answer for this experience we had would be greatly appreciated. I have really struggled with her passing & have felt so lost without her as we all have but I also know that this was a real thing that happened to us this morning. Thank you for your time!
I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t explain your experience of what happened, but even if something is hard to explain doesn’t mean it was paranormal. It’s ok to not know what caused something. There is no evidence that spirits exist or any scientific explanation for how a spirit could interact with the physical world.
Is it possible for a ghost to attach to an item? We bought a very old wooden toy pull wagon from a plantation auction. Since then we have had things happen in our home. We moved and whatever it is came with us. My grandson says it’s a girl his age (5) named Amy. It is very active and has communicated with everyone in my house. Nothing dangerous has ever come from it and it responds to us regularly.My grandson is closest to her. How can I find out her story if I have no idea where she came from? The toy wagon is heard being pulled through the house at night, and in the morning it is in a different room. Bar stools spin by themselves, and the wooden blocks that came with the wagon are set up in different designs overnight. This has happened when the kids are not here as well. Thoughts? Note: We are not afraid of this and have sort of “accepted” the situation for what it is.
There is no scientific evidence of ghosts and no reasonable explanation for how spirits (if they even exist) might interact with the physical world. Young kids have active imaginations and often don’t distinguish between imagination and reality. All of these things you are experiencing could have practical explanations and most likely aren’t connected to each other. If you enjoy the idea of a playful spirit, it can be fun to play along and tell a story about it, but that’s almost certainly all it is – an interesting story.
I work with veterans in VERY old locations. I suffer from tinnitus “ringing in the ears” being a vet myself. Yesterday at work I kept seeing objects moving and one was so close while working on laptop scared the living hell out of me. Never got behind the whole paranormal aspect but always intrigued. Left work got home and the ringing turned into what sounded like water running. I have kids so being typical dad went and checked every faucet, not even a drip running. Shrugged it off and watched movie with my wife. The life of PTSD and insomnia was up at 3 AM. Laid down heard footsteps, older house so doors make noise when opening and closing but nothing. I looked and saw what looked like a leg and foot go into the kitchen ok “late night snack” nothing opened or closed ok weird laid back down barely closed my eyes and started getting tapped on my shoulder “light sleeper” popped up nothing! Then went from water back to ringing in my ears. Woke up ringing getting ready for work kissed wife and then walking out of the house back to water sound. Sitting here at a 75 yr old VFW post still just ringing. Needless to say I don’t know what to think. Freaked me out a bit, seeing if you have ever heard of frequency changes with someone with tinnitus, ringing I’m used to best way to describe the water sound. A sleep machine on rain or river flowing setting. I have had this condition for well over 15 years and this first time it has changed.
Thank you for your service and I’m sorry you’re experiencing this condition. I’d talk to your doctor about this. All these experiences are strange, but could potentially be related to your condition or some other medical issue.
Theres a blueish gray or a pale gray wrinkly entity with frail thin greasy black hair, long yellow dirty nails, yellow dirty teeth with black in between, has a stink odor, makes weird cracking noises, crawls backwards, looks like an old woman which I’ve mistaken it as an old woman at first; that has been following me since i was a child. I am asking a few peope i hope it can leave us alone my relatives taught us to play “devil star” when i was a.’s age and when i was 12 another relative taught me to make a homemade ouija board when i didnt know any better, my nieces L. and H. that live at my parents said they saw the same thing in their dream watching them in the dark or it was chasing them. It almost looks like these pictures. It’s the same color as the 1st picture the blueish gray color but has wrinkly skin long yellow finger nails and pitch-black eyes with yellow black teeth. I saw it crawl upside down, and my neighbor, who was babysitting A. when she was sober, saw it at our apartment while he was sleeping she said it flipped and crawled down the stairs, i saw it do that at my uncles house and his 5 cats came to me on the bed in a circle after it woke me up it was trying to come to me but seem like the cats were protecting me. It hides in dark damp places, when I was 15 I chased it in the bathroom thinking it was an old lady when I was home alone and it jumped in an outlet, my niece J. was 16 and she saw it my parents old attic and she saw it going to the bathroom she followed it and it crawled in the water tank she checked but it was gone, when I was small like uterpak, it shapeshifted into a little girl I was playing with then changed back to that entity laughing at me when I got scared and got sick from it, when a priest was blessing our house a black dog came out of the bathroom where it seem like it hides it growled at the priest and went out the door i followed it but it was gone. When we pray, it gets mad like it curses when we pray. I dont mean to bother you about this, it followed me for so long like it makes me and my family have bad luck and it has a stink odor. Hopefully the priest will fine time to come. Sometimes it has a pale gray color and has no body parts.
I recently took a picture with my phone and when I looked at it there appeared to be a ghost in the picture is there any way someone could authenticate it
Hi Sandra,
There’s no way to authenticate a ghost in a photo because there’s no evidence that ghosts exist or if they do, how a phone would be able to capture an image of one. Several likely explanations include camera error, something moving during the shot, or unexpected light or dust. See this article about photos that seem to show ghosts: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2020/06/so-you-have-a-ghost-in-your-photo/
Kathryn
Hello..Awhile back I came home and as soon as I walked into the apartment, it was totally changed it was no longer comfortable feeling it was like somebody was waiting for me. I looked around the corner, and I saw that the blind on the window,
it was raised , I haven’t touched that blind in 7 years. Anyways long story cut short it was a spirit who liked to move keys , cups , glasses ,canes but it kept going in behind my new fridge which is super quiet but for those 15 days the motor would make horrible noises. It was getting energy from it, and my hydro rates jumped up an extra 70 dollars. It finally left, but here is my question.. Have you ever seen or heard of 3 things that are very large , they were tracking this spirit, 2 of them were looking at their forearms and walked straight towards the fridge. They were taking some kind of reading and came back to the living room and told the leader that it left just a day or so .. Then one entity ( collector) said to the leader what about him (pointing at me ) I am still laying there pretending to be sleeping with my eyes just barely open and the leader of these things said you know better than that WE DON’T TOUCH HUMANS ! 10 seconds later, they went static and left out the same window. That the spirit left by…I am not crazy , just carried this for a couple of yrs now. The only thing that I recalled is that these 3 things were not human , I called them collectors ? I have never seen anything like that since . I am wondering if you have heard from anyone else regarding this matter…like who or want or where they are from…I know for a fact for the size and looks these things definitely wasn’t human , these things were not any species on earth….Thankyou for any help you can give on this matter.
What is one question you Never ask a spirit or any paranormal entity?
I have some real life evidence,how do I go about sending it to you