You know your home is haunted – you felt the eerie presence of a ghost and nightly footsteps that can’t be explained. You might even see an apparition
. Some of us get freaked out, and some of us are intrigued. Either reaction to the haunting, most of us want to know if the haunting is dangerous or not.
As all hauntings are unique, there are no one-fits-all answers on how to determine if a haunting is dangerous or not – but there are common traits. You might be dealing with a negative spirit if you encounter two or more signs.
The most important thing is to use your gut feeling regarding the paranormal. If it feels dangerous, it is a big chance it is.
This article focuses on signs that your haunting might be dangerous. You can read more about this here if you want to learn how to dispel spirits.
Important: Hauntings have never been scientifically proven. In most cases, “paranormal activity” can be explained. Only label something as paranormal when there is no other way to describe the activity, and a professional in the field has done a thorough investigation.
Ghosts vs. demons
As a general rule, ghosts are not dangerous. But they can drain your energy and scare you. Ghosts are spirits of once-living people or animals. Ghosts don’t have the strength to hurt you physically but can launch psychic attacks.
Dangerous entities are often either demonic or elemental. These entities have never lived and are believed to have powers far beyond ghosts. They are believed to be able to move heavy furniture, make you levitate, and much more. Yes, I know, it is scary!
Ghosts might, on rare occasions, have enough power to manifest through scratches, burns, pulling hair, and alike. This is not common, though. They might have enough energy to launch a psychic attack, but in most cases, they are not so strong that they will harm you. Over time, they might wear you down, but you will have lots of time to deal with the situation until that occurs.
If you want to learn more about ghosts, in my article Are ghosts dangerous? Everything you need to know. In this article, you learn more about why ghosts, in most cases, are not that dangerous. If you want to learn more about the dangers of the demonic, please read the article 10 Ways to Protect Yourself from Demonic Attacks.
Sign #1: Negative emotions and distress
If you feel discomfort and negative feelings, the haunting might be dangerous. Ok, don’t get me wrong here. Paranormal activity has a way of getting us anxious. I am referring to a nagging undertone of discomfort, distress, anxiousness, or despair that can’t be explained. The emotions appear not just in the intense moment of manifestation – but all the time.
If you feel that you don’t want to be alone in your home due to the haunting, there’s a good chance your intuition is telling you something – listen. A “friendly” haunting might be uneasy, but they are often not terrifying.
Important: Please consult with a professional health care professional to rule out any health issues before labeling your home infested with a dangerous entity.
Sign #2: Extreme cold or hot spots
Ghosts tend to manifest through temperature shifts. Spirits are often not that powerful, so the temperature might be hard to recognize without a digital thermometer (or infrared laser thermometer). Negative energies, on the other hand, are thought to create extreme cold or hot spots.
A shift of 5 degrees centigrade (41 degrees Fahrenheit) or more might indicate a spirit. It is also important to know what your thermometer is catching. An infrared thermometer only measures the temperature of the surface, not the air. A digital thermometer measures the air and not the surface.
If you can feel the cold spots without a thermometer, it might indicate a more vital spirit and a negative one.
You don’t need fancy gear to take the temperature if you deal with negative energies. As the temperature shift is prominent, you can use any thermometer. I recommend a digital one as it might also also also also also indicate a negative presence if the battery drains.
If you want to go a bit more pro, you can invest in an IR laser thermometer. You will find my favorite on my recommended products page.
Sign #3: Religious items are under attack
If you have religious items at home and they start to get tampered with, it is a cause for concern. If you have a holy cross that is unexplainably turned upside down, it signifies a demonic presence in your home.
If you find your bible or other religious scripture misplaced or damaged, you might also also also also also have a negative entity lingering. These signs are strong indicators of the demonic, and I recommend instantly seeking advice from the clergy, priest, shaman, paranormal investigator, or trusted psychic.
I have written an article about how to get rid of the demonic; you find it here.
Sign #4: Your animals are acting scared or die
If you have pets, they are often the first ones to alarm you of hostile entities. Dogs and cats alert their owners of paranormal activity as they have refined senses. They pick up on things much earlier than we do.
If your pet is scared or distressed, it might signify malevolent energy in your home. Most pets react to spirits but often show more interest than fear if the spirit is friendly.
If your pets die suddenly without any explanation, it might be due to demonic hauntings. It is believed that demons try to eliminate pets as they might warn their owners.
Most hauntings are not dangerous, and your pets might pick up on your loving grandma watching over you. Never rush to conclusions.
The video below shows a dog reacting to suspected paranormal activity in a closet. Remember that dogs and cats hear rodents in the walls. A warning sign is if your pets won’t go into a room or area of the house.
Sign #5: You have bad nightmares
A warning sign might be nightmares and sleep paralysis. Of course, most nightmares are normal and have nothing to do with the paranormal. It is when the nightmares recur over and over again, even at times in your life when things are smooth sailing.
Sleep paralysis is terrifying, but a majority of them have natural explanations. It is, as always, recommended that you seek help from a medical professional before ruling anything paranormal.
As ghosts tend to approach our awareness when we sleep, they might not be demonic or evil. It can be a loved one reaching out to you in the only way they know.
When it comes to nightmares, you must go with your gut feeling and the level of “fear” they induce.
Sign #5: Your personality is changing
Beware if your personality is changing in an unexplained way. You might feel anger, anxiety, or a nagging feeling of unease. You don’t feel comfortable in your skin anymore. Of course, you must book an appointment with your trusted health professional before ruling anything as paranormal.
Humans experience all kinds of feelings, and not all are pleasant. In most cases, your mood and emotions are natural and part of the human experience. But together with other signs, it can be an indicator of a harmful spirit.
Sign #6: You are losing your moral compass
If you have lost touch with your moral compass, it might signify that you are under the influence of a harmful spirit or entity. You might do things you never thought you would do. You might not recognize yourself, impacting your relationships, personal finance, and work.
If your behavior impacts your life and well-being, consult a medical professional to rule out any health issues. In most cases, there is a natural explanation for your behavior.
Sign #7: Dying house plants
You might be dealing with a dangerous haunting if you notice that your house plants keep dying without any “explanation.” I often use plants as my canaries for detecting negative energies. Back in the day, they used canary birds to detect dangerous gasses or low oxygen levels.
In most cases, I have noticed that plants don’t flourish in homes with negative energies lingering. This does not mean you have a demon in your house if a plant dies after two weeks without water. I hope you get my point. It should be an unexplained inability to grow houseplants overall.
I have learned the hard way that Christmas trees tend to kill some houseplants. So if you just decorated your tree and all the flowers go dead, you can relax; it is probably the Christmas tree to blame.
Sign #8: Strange foul smells
Unexplainable strange and foul smells might also indicate an evil presence. It is always good to bring in a professional paranormal investigator to check the smell for you. In most cases, they know within a second if it is a “paranormal” scent or not.
There can, of course, be natural causes of smells as well. Never rule anything paranormal before a thorough investigation has been conducted.
Sign #9: Bugs and insects
If you notice bugs in the middle of the winter, you might be dealing with a negative and hostile presence. If there’s snow outside and you have a room filled with flies, it is time to call a professional. Of course, always consult pest control to rule out any natural causes of the infestation.
Final thoughts
In most cases, hauntings are not dangerous. Some professional paranormal investigators have never encountered the demonic. It is not uncommon for friendly ghosts to seem scary as they might lack the finesse when they try to communicate with you. They might not know that you get scared.
Remember, it can be your beloved grandma or friend reaching out from the other side. Don’t jump on the demonic train just because the paranormal TV shows make all ghosts “scary” and “evil.”
