How to Clear Your Home of Ghosts & Spirits: Tips & Techniques from a Professional Ghost Hunter

By Debi Chestnut

When it comes to spirits and specters, knowledge is power and fear is the enemy

How to Clear Your Home of Ghosts & Spirits is a guide to everything you need to know to get rid of ghosts. Providing a brief history of haunts and delving into her own personal experiences, paranormal researcher Debi Chestnut sheds light on the different types of ghosts—from harmless spirits to destructive entities—and gives tips and techniques for clearing them.

Join Debi as she explores how ghosts and spirits can be accidentally invited into the home and shows how to choose a paranormal team for extreme cases. Written in a no-nonsense style by an author with years of experience, this guide is a must-have for those who prefer to live with the facts instead of living in fear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
• Release date: Mar 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9780738739649

Debi Chestnut

Debi Chestnut has been able to see and speak to ghosts her whole life. A paranormal researcher for more than twenty-five years, she gives lectures and conducts workshops to help people better understand paranormal activity. Her books on the paranormal are: Something Wicked, Stalking Shadows, How to Clear Your Home of Ghosts and Spirits, Is Your House Haunted, and Ghosts of Anchor Bay.  She resides in Michigan. Visit her online at her Facebook page The Paranormal Realm.

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About the Author

Debi Chestnut has been able to see and speak to ghosts her whole life. A paranormal researcher for more than thirty years, she gives lectures and conducts workshops to help people better understand paranormal activity. Debi lives in Michigan with her husband, three black cats, and two dogs.

Visit her online at www.myparanormaladvisor.com.

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

How to Clear Your Home of Ghosts & Spirits: Tips & Techniques from a Professional Ghost Hunter © 2014 by Debi Chestnut.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author’s copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

First e-book edition © 2014

E-book ISBN: 9780738739649

Cover art: iStockphoto.com/12295389/diane39

Cover design by Ellen Lawson

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

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Llewellyn Publications

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Manufactured in the United States of America

Contents

Introduction

Chapter One: Is It Really a Ghost?

Chapter Two: Let’s Talk About Ghosts

Chapter Three: What Kind of Haunting Is It?

Chapter Four: How Did the Ghost Get Here?

Chapter Five: Protecting Yourself Before You Try to Get Rid of the Ghost

Chapter Six: How to Get Rid of Ghosts

Chapter Seven: When to Call in a Medium or a Paranormal Investigator

Chapter Eight: How to Keep Your Space Spirit-Free

Conclusion: Final Thoughts

INTRODUCTION

One of the first questions I get as a paranormal investigator is How do I get rid of the ghost in my house? Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to that question.

The truth is, how you get rid of a ghost depends largely upon what type of ghost you have. There are many different types of ghosts, each with their own set of characteristics and temperaments. (More about different types of ghosts will be explained in greater detail in later chapters.)

For example, the way you get rid of a good spirit is different from how you handle a spirit who is showing malice or is being mischievous. When it comes to ghosts and spirits, knowledge is power and fear is the enemy.

Society and the media, through books and movies, have conditioned us to be afraid of ghosts, when in reality most ghosts mean no harm and there’s no reason to fear them. The important thing to remember when it comes to ghosts is that you have to become empowered and claim your home, not give away your power to fear. The goal of this book is to empower you by giving you the knowledge you need to deal with the ghost that has taken up residence in your home. Here are some things to keep in mind while reading:

• Not all ghosts are bad, but they can startle and scare people, which is totally understandable. The main thing you need to remember is that most ghosts are just like us. They were once alive, and are still alive in some way, just without a body. Many ghosts don’t mean to scare us; they are simply looking for a way to communicate or make contact with us. So unless you or someone in your family is being physically harmed by a ghost, there really is nothing to fear.

• This book will help you identify the type of ghost or spirit you have and the proper method to get rid of it. Trying to clear your home of a ghost using the wrong method could cause more harm than good, as it could only make the ghost angry and escalate its behavior.

• Keep in mind that sometimes these methods don’t work for various reasons. The main reason is that the person using the method doesn’t believe it’s going to work. It’s very important that you believe fully that what you are doing will accomplish your goal.

• In addition, some ways to get rid of a ghost only will work on a negative spirit and not on a ghost with goodwill. In some ways, friendly ghosts are more difficult to get rid of because their intent is not to cause harm. In many cases, they just want to be around the living, and convincing that type of ghost to leave can be challenging, but there are techniques you can use.

There are also particular ghosts you shouldn’t even try to get rid of yourself, but instead call a paranormal investigator to determine the safest way to make the ghost leave. This book will give you the tools you need to select a reputable paranormal investigator to assist you.

When it comes to ridding a home or other location of a ghost, it may be necessary to repeat the techniques in this book more than once. It’s rare that a ghost will leave after your first attempt. They may quiet down for a while, but it might also be necessary to repeat the method several times before your home is completely clean and ghost-free.

I’ve been a paranormal investigator for well over twenty years and have been witness to what most of the types of ghosts outlined in this book can do. I’ve seen the effects that ghosts can have on people’s lives and on my own life—both good and bad.

I’m also a medium/sensitive and have been able to see and communicate with ghosts and spirits for as long as I can remember, so it’s only natural that I would end up being a paranormal investigator.

While some people who have gifts have chosen to ignore them, I’ve made the choice to embrace my gifts and use them to help as many people as I possibly can. One of the main ways I reach lots of people and assist them with their paranormal issues is through my books.

I also work with Black River Paranormal, a ghost-hunting team of dedicated and knowledgeable paranormal investigators. We work hard to help people understand and deal with any paranormal activity going on in their homes, places of business, and places of worship.

To make this book easy to follow and understand, I’ve divided the different types of ghosts into categories based on whether they are active, angry, benign, and so on. Some types of ghosts and spirits belong in more than one classification, and I’ve included that information where appropriate in the ghost’s individual definitions.

I believe that ghosts in general are greatly misunderstood by most people, and if this book assists you in not only understanding why some ghosts do what they do but also helps you clear your house of ghosts, then I’ve accomplished my goal.

Just to clarify, ghosts and spirits are, according to many paranormal researchers, different. Ghosts are people who have died but have not crossed over to the other side, while spirits are people who have died, crossed over to the other side, and then decided for whatever reason to come back to the earthly plane.

If you are unsure about what type of ghost or spirit occupies your home, have any questions, or need more advice, you are always free to contact me at [e-mail].

Happy Hauntings!

Debi Chestnut

[contents]

chapter one

IS IT REALLY A GHOST?

In my twenty-plus years of paranormal investigating, it’s been my experience that many times when people believe they have a ghost or spirit, there really is a logical explanation for what’s happening in their home or workplace. In my book Is Your House Haunted? I cover this topic in great detail, but for purposes of this book, we’re just going to touch on the subject, and I’m going to give you a crash course in possible causes for what appears to be paranormal activity. Just because you believe something paranormal is happening, don’t let it scare you. Step back, take a couple of deep breaths, and first try to determine if there’s a logical, non-ghostly explanation for it.

TIME TO CALL AN ELECTRICIAN?

What seems like ghostly activity can commonly be attributed instead to electrical issues. If you’re experiencing lights going on and off by themselves, call in a licensed electrician to check for any possible electrical issues—and, if any are found, have them repaired. If after any repairs you’re still experiencing the same issues, then it’s possible you have an unwanted guest in the form of a ghost or spirit in your home.

HIGH ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS (EMFs)

While the electrician is there, have him or her use an EMF detector to pick up any possible high electromagnetic fields in your home or place of business.

In the paranormal world, we call a high electromagnetic field a fear cage. This is because high electromagnetic fields can cause hallucinations, the feeling that you’re being watched, and/or tingling throughout your body, as well as other symptoms depending on the person. People’s bodies can react differently to high EMFs, but the symptoms above are the most common ones that seem to manifest in most people.

All of the above symptoms can be attributed to having a ghost or other type of phantom in your home, but before you jump to conclusions, have an electrician check out the EMF readings in your home or workplace.

I recently dealt with a case where the people reported tingling in their legs, the feeling that they were being watched, and the sensation of being attacked in their sleep. Even I was pretty convinced they had a demonic entity on their hands.

The Catholic Church came in more than once and performed house blessings and mild exorcisms of the property in an attempt to get rid of what was there, but to no avail.

The people living in this house finally called an electrician, who discovered that their electrical boxes weren’t grounded and high EMFs were present all over the house. Once everything was fixed properly, all the feelings and experiences stopped immediately.

DID IT JUST GET COLD IN HERE?

There’s a theory among paranormal investigators that cold spots in a location could be attributed to the presence of a ghost or spirit. The theory is that in order to manifest, a ghost needs energy. The ghost, or other type of entity, will suck all the energy out of a room like a giant vacuum, causing the room to become cold; in extreme cases, a room can become so cold that you’ll be able to see your breath.

The non-paranormal explanation for this would be that there’s a draft coming from an open or leaky window or door, or that there’s something wrong with the heating system in the location.

Check for drafts around windows and doors, and call in a licensed heating and cooling specialist to check out the furnace and the complete heating system, including any ductwork, to ensure that everything is running as it should.

THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH THE DOORS

Another frequent complaint among people who believe their house is haunted is the fact that doors and cabinets seem to open and/or close by themselves. While this type of activity can be attributed to the presence of a ghost or spirit, more than likely the doors themselves need to be adjusted.

Check the hinges on the doors or cabinets and see that they are properly adjusted or if they need to be replaced. Try shutting the doors and walking around the room especially close to the doors, and see if that causes them to open. Also check the latches on the doors or cabinets and make sure they are closing and latching properly. Another thing you may want to check is if there are any drafts inside or outside the room that could cause the doors or cabinets to open or close by themselves.

Doors or cabinets opening by themselves can also be due to forgetfulness either by yourself or someone in your household; it can even be caused by your pets.

I personally have had this happen. I knew there was a shadow person in my home because I’d seen him, and I would go upstairs to the bathroom and find one or more of the drawers in the vanity open. Of course, I attributed this to the shadow man. Then one day I tried to shut the drawer and hit something solid. Just then one of my cats popped her head out from behind the drawer and crawled over the back of the drawer, over the top of the drawer, and casually sauntered out of the bathroom to find another suitable place to sleep—problem solved.

FOOTSTEPS

Many people who believe their house is haunted report hearing footsteps. Sometimes these footsteps are random, but in other cases the footsteps seem to occur at the same time of day or night on a rather regular basis.

In many instances, this is caused by a residual haunting (see chapter 3), but it could also be caused by a house settling; by plumbing issues, such as water running through the pipes or the pipes expanding and contracting due to temperature changes; by the heat vents expanding or contracting; or by other non-ghostly situations. The sound of footsteps can also be explained by loose pipes banging against a floor joist as water runs through them.

Make sure all pipes are securely attached to the joists and that they aren’t banging around and causing these noises.

COULD THERE BE CRITTERS IN THE WALLS?

I’ve talked to lots of people who believe their house is haunted, and in many cases they report hearing scratching noises in the walls and/or attic areas of their homes.

The first thing I tell them to do is to have a pest-removal company come to their home or workplace and check for small animals—such as mice, rats, squirrels, and bats—that may have gotten into their space.

I also have them check out their chimneys for small animals that may have gotten trapped there. In addition, I tell them to check for tree branches or a loose gutter that may be scraping the roof or outside walls of their home and to remove these branches or the loose gutter.

In most cases the above remedies seem to solve the problem; however, if you check these things and still are hearing the scratching noises, then you could have a ghost or spirit occupying your home or business.

I had a family who was frantic call me in to investigate scratching noises coming from their family room; they were terrified. Upon closer inspection of the family room and after interviewing the family, I believe I knew what