Living in a Haunted House

Spirits within; the stories they tell

True events inspired this story; it is as if the spirits are demanding clarity and understanding.

We’re all haunted houses. The ghosts aren’t there because they won’t let go of the world. They are there because we won’t let go of them.

—Peter RollinsIhad

I completed my freshman year in college and had traveled to a rural mountain area in Virginia to become a summer counselor for a church camp. I discovered the glamor fading as I quickly learned the duties of my summer job. During the day, I wrestled weeds, thorns, and bushes in extreme heat, and at night, I assisted in clean-up and dishwashing for hundreds of children ranging from seven to seventeen years of age. The other camp counselors were from another college and they were not friendly to me; I was on the outside of the group and the reality of the situation forced me to plot my exit. I had no intentions of wasting my summer; pulling weeds, washing dishes, and feeling isolated from a snobby group of students from another college. A sense of adventure was calling my name; the question was where was my next exploration?

I abruptly gave my notice the following morning, silently giving thanks for the boring experience, and headed out for a sense of adventure, which led me back to the college that I had attended and would be an upcoming sophomore in the fall. After my freshman year, my college professors, the Dean, and other administrators guided me toward accepting a major in Psychology/Sociology and a future career as a therapist, and a counselor. A battery of tests confirmed my inner talents and hidden abilities in psychology and human potential.

I had worked in the offices for Will Allred as a freshman, and immediately upon my return to campus made my presence known with a request for a summer job. He graciously offered me a job and told me I could stay at an old property and in a 3-story house which included an apartment owned by the college until the dorms opened in the fall. I knew many of the students who worked for the college and in a short time; we were making plans to attend concerts, parties, and festivals. 

A summer of fun was my priority and the days of pulling weeds were over.

Mr. Allred gave me the keys to the apartment on campus and I began moving into my new home for the summer.

As I opened the door to the 3-story house, I felt a chill. The house seemed ominous and foreboding. I walked into a cold, dark apartment. Although it was summer and nearly 90 degrees and sunny outside, the house and apartment seemed to be dark, extremely cold, and musty. I quickly unpacked and left for an outing with my co-workers.

It was nightfall when I returned to the apartment; I lit scented candles and prepared for a bath in a very large antique claw bathtub.

A couple of lights were on in the main room, and I made my way to the magnificent relic of the past; to soak for at least an hour.

Suddenly, I felt a cool breeze; the light from my candles went out, as did all the lights in the apartment. I was alone in total darkness. It was at this point that I could see a manifestation of a person standing beside me. I instantly ask that this entity not reveal itself further because I was afraid. Instinctively, I assured the entity that I meant no harm and would not bother the spirits in the house but requested that they also not scare me. I acknowledged their presence but did not welcome their interaction. Immediately, the spirit left, the lights came back on, and I knew we had made an agreement.

The following week, I walked to a local laundry mat during the afternoon, did my laundry, and began walking back to the apartment when I noticed a man running toward me. I quickly arrived at my apartment and opened the door with my key, when this man abruptly shoved me inside, grabbed, and pushed me down on the floor. The best way to describe this man was that he appeared to be possessed. He literally did not seem to be in his own mind. I calmly told him that many spirits occupied this house; it was haunted and these spirits would not take kindly to him harming me. At that moment, his head appeared to move backward as if something was pulling his head. He immediately stood up and ran out of the door.

I gave gratitude to whoever or whatever assisted me that day.

Meanwhile, I continued to have a wonderful summer, experiencing good times with my friends; when a couple of girlfriends decided we were going to a late concert and party; afterward, they would stay overnight at my apartment with sleeping bags.

After the party, we were ready to sleep, and they were in the same room with me; I was in a bed; they were in individual sleeping bags. The next morning, I woke up to the stares of frightened young women who had experienced terror to the point of being traumatized by the night’s activities. They made every attempt to wake me up; and no matter what they did, I would not wake up. 

Both women heard loud banging, doors slamming, screaming, people talking, yelling, and running up and down the staircase. They knew no one was in the house, and that I was the only person who was staying in the house for the summer. The noise, screaming, and disruption continued through the night; they could not sleep. The next day, the young women informed the administrator of the college about the ghostly activities, and they officially made plans to demolish the old house at the end of the summer.

Meanwhile, I reviewed the role I was playing by living in this haunted house for the summer.

My attention became focused on the dreams I was having about a group of people I did not know. The dream was a reoccurring dream; I was talking and interacting with people from the past. 

There was a man who appeared to be from the early 1900s and the women involved were from the same era. The man was being tormented by the idea his family did not appreciate him or his efforts to provide for them. The women did not care for him or show him affection; and his wife was distant, unappreciative, manipulative, and did not love him. His two sisters and his mother were present, and they also appeared not to care for him. 

During the man’s lifetime, he had become angry, cruel, and ruthless because he did not feel cared for by the women he had cherished. This man became a drunk and terrorized these women because of his insecurities, fears, and doubts. The man died utterly defeated, unhappy, and feeling unloved. He haunted the women until their deaths; and subsequently, after their deaths. 

Their story was being reenacted nightly in the memories and through the dimensions of space and time in the house in which they had lived out their sad, tortured lives. There was no peace for the people involved in this situation because of the lack of love.

I was interacting with their story by living in the house where their lives and memories had played out.

At last, they revealed the truth to me; I recognized I had engaged with each ghostly family member to help resolve their pain so they could find forgiveness and move on from reliving the same drama they had experienced while living in the house.

Fall arrived, and I was to move back into the dorm. The contractors demolished the house the same day that I moved out. As I walked through the house, for the last time; I wondered where these spirits would go? What adventures would lie ahead for them and me? I turned off the lights in the house for the last time and walked out of the door.

The realization occurred to me; we were all ghosts, (past, present, and future) on different timelines, dimensions, and journeys. Our life’s task was to learn to love ourselves, to discern those that are deceitful and cannot love us; and to walk in the light of our truth; surrounding ourselves with those who want the best for us, and not those who only want what is best for themselves.

That summer I recognized I truly had a gift, a talent for being a counselor, a therapist in the real world, but I was also a counselor, a therapist to the entities who were now in other dimensions. I have learned that each person is a ghost in someone’s life. Sometimes we meet people with whom we have shared many lifetimes and have unfinished business, unresolved issues, and trauma.

The question is always the same; whether we are dead (in other dimensions) or alive, “Did we love enough? Are we willing to see ourselves honestly, observe the weakness of our egos and pride, and understand our shadow selves (dark sides) that prohibit our ability to love deeply? Are we self-actualized enough to grasp a higher level of existence in which we can free ourselves and others from the pain we have inflicted that has kept us and them in bondage?”

What is Self-actualization? How can we get more freedom and understanding of ourselves and others?The idea of self-actualization has been around since ancient civilizations. Abraham Maslow defined the modern definition in 1943.

He suggested 4 ways to become self-actualized.

1. Being Open To Experiences. Using creativity to solve problems and negative patterns in one’s life. Achieving the ability to see clearly oneself and striving to remove the barriers that prohibit personal growth and development.
2. Reflecting On One’s Values. Striving to reach goals by being clear about one’s own values and morals. Creating a life that is in sync with core values.
3. Love and Self-Esteem. Once we feel loved and respected, we can shift our focus to personal growth and selfless pursuits.
4. Living Authentically. An authentic person has no interest in childish games and deceit. Instead, pursues fulfillment in genuine friendships, relationships that provide meaning and growth.

Apparently, whatever dimension we are in, we carry the pain from our past lives and ancestral line.

The only way to resolve and eliminate the suffering is by actively seeking forgiveness and being willing to help and give love to those whom we have wronged.

The truth is; that the more self-actualized we become, the less haunted we will be; in the past, present, and future.

The last point I will make about “Authentic People,” who are self-actualizing, having spent a lifetime in this process, myself;

“YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR ABILITY TO DANCE WITH THEIR OWN SOULS. THEY ARE SPREADING LIGHT, JOY, AND CREATIVITY THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE; THEY ARE INDEED BECOMING MASTERS OF LIFE.”GHOSTS OF UNREQUITED LOVE

I vividly remember the day a ghost from my past life touched my heart.Time stopped and the memories of long ago flooded my soul.