by Chrystina Trulove-Reyes

Created on: January 29, 2009   Last Updated: January 31, 2009

Living in a haunted house can be both exhilarating and terrifying depending on the experiences. Whenever anyone suspects that they live in such a house, inevitably the first question is, "What am I supposed to do?"

Rule 1: Don't Panic

Possibly the worst thing anyone can do is panic. When people panic, things are taken out of proportion. In addition, after panicking, the chances of imagining things are increased. No matter what happens, stay calm. Most spirits cannot harm the living. So, chances are, you are safe.

There are some theories that all ghosts will feed off emotional energy. While this remains unproven, it is still a possible cause for spirit upheaval and there is at least one type of spirit has been proven to react to strong emotions. That spirit is the poltergeist.

Step 1: Take notes

The first thing to do, if you suspect that your house is haunted, is to take note of any odd occurrences. Sometimes you will find a pattern and be better able to deal with your reactions. By being studious, you will remove yourself from your immediate emotions and distance yourself from the situation. This is a great way to remain calm even if the world seems to have flipped on end.

By taking notes, you will also find explanations. Looking at them a few days later can give you distance from the situation and give you a better understanding of the events.

Step 2: Debunk

When going over the occurrences in your notebook - every so often - you will have the option of trying to debunk the events. To debunk, you need to try to recreate what happened. If the event was an orb or shadow that crossed the walls of your bedroom, you would want to look for windows. Let us say the window is not at the right angle, but you have a mirror across the room from it, then the possibility is that the mirror simply reflected the light from the window.

The next step would then be to have a friend, partner, or neighbor, drive by your window when it is getting dark. You would remain in the room and watch for the effect. If the "orb" happens again, though stronger or weaker, then you have debunked the event. Be sure to note in your notebook everything you have tried.

Step 3: Record

You have tried everything to debunk what is happening, but cant find something that is satisfactory, then you want to record it. You will want evidence.

Visual Phenomena: Borrow or buy a video camera, or two, and place them in strategic locations. If you have phenomena occurring in every room of your house, choose the most frequent

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