Being home alone can be so peaceful. You light your favorite spruce and pine candle and watch it flicker and burn. Then you open the blinds to let in some light and watch the shadows of people walking outside fill your wall. You then take a seat on the couch in your favorite daytime pajamas next to your friend.
Wait … weren’t you home alone?
Quarantine has sent most of the country into a timeout. We are all grounded until further notice. Home for many people can be anything from a screaming house of toddlers to an empty, isolated space. However, maybe it’s never really as empty as you thought.
According to a 2009 survey from Pew Research Center, 29% of Americans have felt in touch with a dead person and 18% say they’ve been in the presence of a ghost.
So while many of us are spending more time at home than we ever have, when do the ghosts get to come out and play? Are we going to get more “ghostly” experiences during quarantine?
I created a post on Reddit to ask if anyone had any paranormal experiences since they’ve been locked in from COVID-19. Many have had their first experiences with the paranormal and others are used to having a friend around.
Or maybe an old friend?
While this encounter seems to be unexpected for some, others seem unphased by the company. In fact, a survey from Realtor.com found that 30% of people are open to living in a haunted house.
I guess we all cope with loneliness differently.
While some people don’t mind these presences, for others it can be unsettling. Especially when the options for getting out of the house are rapidly vanishing because of quarantine.
The desire to be near the dead sometimes even outweighs people’s overbearing fear of the unknown. Shows like “Long Island Medium” or the “Dead Files” prove people’s fascination to connect with those who are no longer with us. For some, ghost experiences can feel like a family member popping in to say hello.
Oftentimes, people have an experience that is difficult to even put words to the sensation. The feeling is beyond what we’re used to, but would people even believe you if you tried to explain it?
There are few things that sound less appealing than watching kids all day that are home from school. But there is definitely something more alarming when a kid comes to you about seeing a ghost. It just sounds like a bad plot of a mediocre paranormal film. Especially if the ghost is just trying to use the bathroom and mind its business.
It’s also important to remember that if you feel tugging on your blankets, it might not be your significant other.
People are definitely getting a better sense of where they live during this time. Even if they were just trying to make a TikTok dance and mind their business.
