True Ghost Experiences from Everyday People

As a little girl I grew up listening to both of my brothers’ tales of seeing spirits. I never believed them. I just thought that they were trying to spook me and entertain themselves during their babysitting duties. Not once, did I ever imagine that I would have experiences of that nature, but I did.

I was staying at my parent’s house in the country when I had the experience. I had developed a migraine headache and was on a couch in the darkest part of the house for three days. The darkest part of the house was also the main part of the house. During the wee morning hours of the third night, my migraine finally dulled. I was in a much needed deep restful sleep. The next thing that I knew is that something had woke me up. I didn’t know what it was that had disturbed me out of my slumber, but I felt angry and riled up, ready for a fight. Upon awakening, the first thing that I consciously knew was that my hand was drawn up into a fist with my fingernails digging into the palm of my hand.
 
My eyes were still closed. My next thought was to open my eyes and aim. As I prepared to throw the punch, I opened my eyes to target the throw. My mind was clear and sharp and through instinct I knew where to look. I focused on the area next to me about two feet to my left. I saw a silhouette in the shape of an average sized person wearing a cowboy hat. Not a tall or thin size, just average in weight and in height. It was almost as if it had just discovered that I was on the couch and trying to get a good look at me. As soon as I saw this shape I felt furious, an intruder - a thief! I went to throw my punch and the silhouette glided into the corner. I figured it was only about five feet away. I was stunned. No person could move like that. Absolutely no noise, no breathing, no anything. Like a space that was void of air, light and sound.
 
The room is dark, very little ambient lighting. There is a lack of light from the outside and the rest of the family was sleeping. All lights were off. Seeing a dark shadowy shape in a dark room is simply a case of black on black. I couldn’t see much or make out the shape anymore and I didn’t know if it continued to move or where it went.

I was very still on that couch for at least ten minutes listening and waiting for any kind of movement. I finally decided that it was gone. I turned on a small dim light to take a look around the house a little. I started to become aware of normal household sounds of the night. For a moment I listened to the snoring of people sleeping and the kitchen appliances running. Upon entering the living room, I noticed the sounds of the country at night. I could hear the sounds of the lake water lapping against the seawall; I could hear the crickets chirping.  I found nothing out of place or missing.
 
All entrances and exits were locked. I went into the bedroom where I was staying. Tucked safely in bed I began to ponder my initial reaction. I had taken college courses on psychology and human behavior. I know that the most basic human reaction to immediate danger is “fight” or “flight”. What happened while I was sleeping? What triggered me to go into fight mode? My rationalized thoughts drifted to the physics of the void itself. Through training and education, I understand the physics of color and light. Black is the absence of light, so what made it blacker than the room? Why wasn’t there any sound in that room, not even the chirping of a country cricket? As I pondered and tried to rationalize my experience, I drifted off to sleep.

Later that week, my family received word that my grandmother passed away. Most of the family was attending the funeral half way across the nation. My brother and I decided not to attend the funeral due to work. He did decide to come visit me during that weekend. During his visit I brought up the subject of his ghost stories that he told me when I was young. He just gave me that knowing look and asked me if I saw the original owner of the house yet. Surprised by this question I stammered that I didn’t think so.

When my parents bought the house in the country, we knew that there was only one previous owner. He only lived there for about nine months before he passed away from cancer. My brother never mentioned seeing a ghost in my parent’s house before. I was amazed. I told him about my experience. His eyes widened and said that was different than anything he ever experienced.