Do you believe in ghosts and the afterlife? I have had multiple experiences with what I believe to be spirits in my lifetime.
When I was about three years old, my mom and I moved into the home we have now. This house was originally a barn where the town wheelwright worked. In the late 1800s, the barn was moved across town and converted into a Cape Verdean church. Many of our older neighbors actually remember it as this church in the 1950s. In the 1960s the building was converted into a house. With our home previously being a church, there were probably some funerals that occurred there. In some of the first few pictures that were taken of my mom and me in the home, there are orbs in the back of the photos. I have heard that children have almost a sixth sense for the spiritual world, and as they grow this wears off. My mom told me that when I was about three or four, I would sometimes go to the closet in our spare bedroom and just talk. I would spend time babbling and conversing to the air.
Later on once I had grown into my teenage years, I was able to stay home more by myself. Because our house is very old it becomes very creaky in the wind. I would sometimes feel uneasy being by myself in the house, especially at night or in stormy weather. There have been times when I would be watching television in our downstairs living room, and I am convinced I have seen movements in my peripherals. Sometimes I could sense a feeling that the air had gotten colder and shadowy. This may have been me being paranoid about being home alone but I truly do believe in spirits and their presence. It would also make sense for there to be spirits in my house as it was previously a church.
My most recent experience with a ghost or spirit was in my freshman year of college. I was living in a dorm with communal bathrooms and I had heard stories about people having encounters with a spirit. My neighbors and I would sometimes share what we heard or saw. We had three stalls in the bathroom on my floor, and only two of them could fully lock. One night I was using the stall that locked on the end when I heard the stall that didn’t lock slam shut. I hadn’t heard anyone come in, so I knew it was just me in the bathroom. When I left the stall the other two stall doors were open. It is simple to say that I was freaked out. My neighbor had a similar experience when she said she heard that same stall close once when she was the only one in the bathroom.
I have also had dreams in the past where my grandpa who passed away when I was younger visited me. In these dreams, I am the only one that can see or hear him. I always found these so interesting and special because I felt like my grandpa’s spirit was truly with me. He would never talk in these dreams but he would give me a gift or a hug.
Everyone has different opinions about this topic, and I am open to all of them. I truly believe that these experiences and stories I have were spirits and that I can sense their energies.