Ever look at a doll and swear that it was in a different position five minutes ago? Have the sensation that the eyes of the carving you picked up on vacation were staring right at you no matter where you went in the room? Did heavy footsteps in the middle of the night start the same time that you brought home that bargain upright piano at the garage sale? Keep seeing shadows out of the corner of your eye since you inherited great-grandma’s wedding ring? Congratulations! You may now be the proud owner of a possessed possession.
There is a theory among people who study the paranormal that items can be haunted. Energies attach themselves to objects. When the object is moved to a new location, the ghost, demon, or whatever has attached, moves with it. Movies play this up as “cursed object” that brings nothing but bad luck or evil events until it is destroyed by the hero, sending whatever foul spirit inhabiting it back to Hell. But how do people deal with them in real life? There are several options —
- Spiritual cleansing
- Ring it with salt to lock in the spirit to a small area
- Get rid of it, hoping the spirit goes with it
- Bury it
- Submerge it in running water.
- Burn it
Believe it or not, there are people who seek out haunted objects. John Zaffis, aka the Godfather of the Paranormal, has a museum of haunted items he has been given over time. If you’re interested in starting your own collection, you can find items on eBay.
Think carefully before you bring home that knickknack.