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Do You Live in a Haunted House? 3 Ways to Get Rid of Unwanted Ghosts

Mysterious footsteps in the dead of night. Inexplicable cold spots raising the hair on the back of your neck. Items that seem to move every time you leave the room. If any of this sounds familiar, your home may be haunted.

Before you flashback to every horror movie you’ve ever seen, take a few deep breaths. Your unwanted spirits may not mean you any harm.

“The vast majority of hauntings and locations with paranormal activities have been positive,” said Kathy Kelly, a paranormal historian and owner of The Paranormal Museum in Asbury Park, N.J.

Even if the experiences are less Casper the Friendly Ghost and more “The Amityville Horror” house, it’s not so easy to get rid of spirits that have settled into your home.

“The first thing you should probably do is learn to live with a ghost rather than try to get rid of it,” said Kelly. “They’re not like mice. They have to choose to leave.” “

So, what can you do to get rid of unwanted ghosts? Below are three steps you may be able to take to rid your home of paranormal pests.

How to get rid of a ghost: Start by introducing yourself

If you’re trying to get rid of a ghost (or at least get them to stop scaring your kids), you may want to start by introducing yourself. Yes, you read that correctly.

While you may spend every second in your home obsessing about your paranormal roommate, it’s possible your apparition isn’t even aware you exist.

Kelly recommended that you walk into the room where the activity is happening and say hello out loud. Tell the ghost your name, let it know you’re aware that it’s here, and assure it that you’re not upset with it or trying to get rid of it.

And then inform it that when it makes those noises or does those creepy things, it’s scaring you and your family. Then politely ask it to stop.

“Usually, that’s enough,” said Kelly. “Ninety-nine times out of a 100, that’s going to do the trick.”

Plus, it’s free and doesn’t require you to call in a priest, medium, or an army of paranormal investigators.

Sage your home to clear spooky energy

If your spirit is being stubborn, you may want to turn to a sage smudge stick. These are bundles of dried sage leaves tied together with twine that are believed to clear out negative energy from a home.

You light the bundle on fire and then wave it around, aka smudge, the affected area, so the smoke fills the space.

While it won’t necessarily get rid of ghosts, it can often get rid of the eerie residue that you’re reacting to in your home.

“Think of sage as a spiritual Lysol,” said Kelly. “It cleanses the area so you don’t react to it as strongly as you might have without it.”

Should you call professional ghost hunters to cleanse your haunted home?

If reasoning with your ghost and smudging your home aren’t working, it may be time to bring in the professionals.

These are often paranormal investigators, mediums, psychics, self-declared witches, even priests or other religious leaders. These folks will look for evidence of things like mold, which can cause hallucinations, windows that rattle because they aren’t properly sealed, and attempt to rule out psychological issues.

“I’m not sure it will help you get rid of it, but it will be very entertaining,” said Kelly. “There’s nothing a ghost hunter can do that you can’t do yourself” besides verifying that your home is, indeed, being visited by otherworldly spirits.

You can find these people online, but Kelly advised getting recommendations first so that you don’t get ripped off.

When should you move out of a haunted house? 

Before you pack up your belongings and put your home on the market, Kelly suggested you ask yourself whether your unwelcome houseguests are threatening—or you’re just creeped out by what you can’t rationally explain.

“I’ve never heard of anyone getting hurt by a ghost,” said Kelly. “But I have heard of people falling down the stairs because they’re scared of one.”

If all else fails, you may want to simply ignore the ghosts. If you don’t pay it any attention, it may just stop manifesting.

However, if you don’t feel safe because it feels like you’re living in a real-life horror movie, you may want to leave. Immediately.

“Trust yourself,” said Kelly.