Am I Going Mad?

Technically, the Post Traumatic Stress that follows a particularly frightening experience for us CAN create... Illusions. Not quite Hallucinations, (hallucinations are mental glitches. They most often occur due to drug- both legal and illegal- use or mental instability of SOME sort) but ILLUSIONS (illusions are mistaken perceptions of reality).
What happens is, our MINDS create a constant. That constant can be the one thing that we are frightened OF. So, technically, Yes. Stress OF the situation CAN trick our minds into thinking we experience something that we do not.

However; as your housemates are scientific- you have a perfect opportunity to gather evidence either OF a haunting, or against it. Are you able to tempt them with a bit of research? I will tell you honestly, I would rather have four people trying to DISprove what I have experienced, then have 25 just follow like lemmings and agree because it is chic.
IF this were me, I would not present myself as a hook, line, and sinker believer. Personally, I would assume the attitude of "prove to me this is physical. TELL me what these lights are as they are annoying..." If you do not present yourself as trying to find ghosts, the logical mind (as you said your housemates have) tends to want to find out what the cause of certain things are.
Good Luck.

Gabrielle: To address your question about whether the stress created by witnessing these events can cause you to hallucnate: YES...Well, you're not really hallucinating in the clinical sense of the word...However, if the paranormal freaks you out, and frightens you, you're going to be more apt to HEAR and SEE strange things, as your fear hightens your other senses...It's an instinctual response...But, that doesn't mean that what you're hearing and seeing are truely paranormal... The best way to get over being scared is to approach these events with a healthy dose of skepticism... Never take sights and sounds for what they SEEM to be, but look for a logical explanation, and when one is found give yourself a pat on the back...You'll find that most events can be explained, and those that can't, well...

However, the dragging footsteps do point to a spirit or ghost who could possibly need assistance... But honestly, it sounds more residual to me... A residual haunting is an event that plays out like a recording, at regular intervals, either nightly, monthly, yearly etc... Absolutely nothing to fear, as there is no spirit present...It's an "imprint" left on the fabric of time, probably caused by the extreme emotions of said being...

To swordsman: I realize you're basically new to this site, but please understand: these questions you have for JimD have already been hashed out several times over, myself being one of the inquisitors... He is legit, a demonologist with more credentials than most can ever hope for or even WANT to see in this lifetime... I humbly urge you to begin a dialogue with him via e-mail, and please keep in mind we are on this site with the same goal, and that is to share experiences and to give assistance to the best of our own abilities...

❤

Excuse me, but just because Gabrielle is hearing footsteps and has the feeling of being watched, that doesn't mean that it's automatically a demon or demonic infestation.
It could just be any kind of spirit that hasn't crossed over yet, just like crossingover1111 said.

You know what swordsman? You may not agree with what JimD says, and that is fine. This is a big, wide world and we are all entitled to our own opinions.
Looking back through the submissions made by JimD and the reactions of those that he seems to have assisted, I would have to conclude that he HAS something there. Perhaps it DOES work for SOME.
If you were to honestly ask those questions, and left all that sarcasm out of it, he would really explain that all out to you. He has in the past, and going through the archive of comments, his BELIEF has not once wavered.
So, to each his own, and respect each others opinions, so that YOU can get respect in return- Please.
Thank you.

Please excuse the interruption to your page, Gabrielle21. And No, you are NOT going mad.

JimD, why Catholic holy water? Why not bless water yourself by directing loving-kindness at it? And why say "Jesus" at it? Why not say "Buddha", "Mohammed" or "Shiva"? What the hell, chuck "Obama" in the mix while you're at it, you might as well for all the good it would do.
My point is you are a fraud who has probably watched The Exorcist a few too many times. Had you ever actually encountered anything like these entities you would know they are not like how the media portrays them and there is nothing magical about the names "Mary" or "Jesus" unless you are a Christian in which case it is you is being affected, not an external tormentor. Demons are on a different plane of existance, we don't even know if they can hear noises from our world, let alone understand what it is that's being said. Find another hobby and stop playing with fire.

Hi;

I don't think you're mad at all. You seem perfectly lucid to me. The fear, footsteps, and feeling of being watched all point to demonic infestation.

I'd recommend using Catholic Holy water, and the names of Jesus and Mary. See if these acts engender a reaction. If so, email me and we'll talk more. Good luck. Dukes2352atAOL.com.

first of all the white light is a good thing. It is positve and only meant for good. As for the footsteps dragging, who knows. Someone has decided to stay behind and not crossover and still resides at your dormatory. The thing to do is tell this entity to cross over and that their family is waiting for them on the other side.
It is a lost soul who needs help. If you are to frightened than tell the entity to not bother you and it wont. We have the power to do this. If you are young, you are the lucky one who seems to experience more than us when we get older. I am 46 and have so many experiences it would be hard to go over each one. However, keep this in mind.
We are in charge of what happens to us here, ask for help in releasing this entity to the afterlife and see it going to the light and leaving your living quarters.
Ask for divine guidance. It will be there.
Be not afraid.

weird if it gets any worse like poltorgeist expereince then you should inform somone 😉

we had similar things go on in our previous house which was 105 years old. My family and friends all saw things ranging from a dog to a small boy aged about 8 dressed in 1940's clothes. This child either liked you or made it very clear if he didn't (usually by throwing things at that person!)
We would also see flashes of light in the corners of the room usually when something was about to happen. Try not to get stressed everyone has their own opinion and in the end its what you think that counts
God Bless

is it an old building? Maybe just the energy imprint (ghost) left over from a previous tennant?

First to BadJuuJuu, I went ahead and voted it back up for you so there is no longer a negative. Hey just being neighborly. Anyway, I can't stress enough that fear can harm you more than any ghost. Hollywood has so sensationalized the paranormal that now it seems everyone goes immediately to 'the fear place'. It's like an epidemic anymore. Don't get me wrong, some things should be feared and that same fear can be healthy. But those situations are extreme and not very common. Not every noise is paranormal and most every electrical glitch is just that, a glitch. Don't go looking for boogie men, because if they find out they might just take you up on the invitation! I kid! 😆 😉

Before I comment, I gotta say something to davidpvtmouse. I'm sorry! I meant to vote your comment up, and clicked down instead. I totally agree with you.
Now, Gabrielle21. Yeah, once you get worried about ghosts, you tend to start seeing them everywhere. Most times, it's just our minds supplying images, filling in gaps, making a shadow into a specter. As an example, I'm arachnophobic. Every innocent bug looks like a brown recluse to me. Same principle.
Once we start to believe in the paranormal, it's easy to see the paranormal in everything. Especially if we have some fear of it. Start keeping a journal of any unusual experiences. This will help you to think of these experiences in a more analytical fashion. Once you start to analyze the experiences, the nervousness sort of goes away. You may also find that there is a scientific explanation for some of it.
Again, davidpvtmouse, sorry.

No you are not going mad. You have to understand that there are supernatural stuff that is unexplainable and it will always be two sides where one wants to explain it with science and the other side will believe what they want to believe because that is what their heart and mind tells them.