Is your house haunted? 40% of Americans report an unexplained phenomena in their home
FILE - The silhouetted shape of a boy is pictured in a file image. (Photo by: Universal Education/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Have you ever felt a ghostly presence in your home? Perhaps an unusual noise came from the attic, such as footsteps or voices, or the lights flickered eerily. If so, you’re not alone.
More than 2 in 5 Americans say they’ve experienced something unexplainable or unusual in their home, according to a recent survey.
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In fact, 42% said they’ve felt the presence of something – or someone – they couldn’t see, while more than 1 in 3 (37%) have heard inexplicable sounds such as footsteps or voices. Some 19% reported having seen apparitions or ghostly figures.
Beyond eerie sounds, 1 in 6 Americans believe their home is haunted.
A ouija board is pictured in a file image. (Photo By Ryan McFadden/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
The survey, conducted in August by home repair site AllStarHome.com, involved more than 1,000 American adults between the ages of 19 to 94. Among the participants, 49% were women, 49% were men, 1% were non-binary.
The most common paranormal experiences people reported in their homes were strange sounds, animals acting weirdly, figures of ghosts or strange shadows, lights turning on and off, strange voices, and unexplained or unusual smells.
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"When we moved into our new home my son was 2, and we were playing in the basement. He said, ‘Who is that woman?’ I turned around, and I had a brief glimpse of something – it was a flash – nothing more. He said he had seen her here for a while. I found out later that the owner’s mother had died in the house," a 60-year-old survey respondent recalled.
Separately, a 65-year-old man shared in the survey that one time something appeared to push his mother while they were standing in the living room of her home. Seconds later, a ceiling fixture fell right where his mom had been standing.
The most common rooms for strange occurrences were found to be the bedroom (49%), followed by the living room (26%), kitchen (23%), hallway/stairs (21%), and the basement (12%).
Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) said they prayed right after the experience happened. Others started researching the house’s history, while some did a cleansing ritual, according to the survey results. Seven out of the 1,017 people said they moved after the experience.
The average age of homes where people reported unusual experiences was 88, the survey found. Meanwhile, 24% of survey respondents said they’d buy a haunted house on the market and would pay an average of $249,557 for it.
Could these experiences be a ghostly encounter or just the typical creaks and cracks of an old house?
All Star Home, which offers roof, gutter and siding repairs, noted how "sometimes homes just make weird noises," like the popping sounds of vinyl siding when the temperature changes. This is particularly true for many aging homes, which can make all sorts of sounds – "especially if you have radiators," it added.
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This story was reported from Cincinnati.