Got ghosts? While some people think it sounds fun to live in a haunted house, others find life with an invisible roommate disruptive or terrifying. So if you cohabitate uneasily with ghosts, is there anything you can do about it? While all souls (including those without bodies) have free will, there are some techniques you can try to get rid of spirits in your house.
Ask Them to Leave
If you inhabit or work in a space that is actively haunted, it can feel disconcerting and maybe even frightening. It's important to realize this: ghosts are people without bodies. Just as you have preferences about where you wish to be, what you wish to do, and how you would like to be treated, so do ghosts. And just as you may be willing to listen to reasonable requests, so might ghosts. So talk to the ghosts aloud like you would a person. Ask them to leave and tell them why. Be polite and use words like "please" and "thank you."
Set Boundaries
If a spirit is unwilling to leave, then communicate your expectations by speaking aloud and sharing your limits. Communicate with a spirit by setting appropriate boundaries. The first thing to try is talking just as you would with a living, breathing person. When you feel calm and peaceful, speak aloud to the spirits. Tell them they are making you uncomfortable (or your children, your pets, or others inhabiting the space). Tell them kindly that this is your space now and ask again that they leave. You can also set boundaries such as:
- Please don't bother me when I sleep.
- Please don't bother my children/pets/employees/guests/customers.
- Please stop hiding my keys.
- You can be here when nobody is here, but please stay away when people are here.
Withdraw Attention
After you've asked politely and laid out your case, stop communicating, and stop commenting if any activity occurs. Do not give any attention because the attention you give can feed and strengthen paranormal activity. Ask everyone in the space with you to no longer communicate or comment on activity. Do not engage in seances, Ouija board sessions, or other activities meant to communicate with spirits.
Set an Energetic Perimeter
Many people believe they can use various components of energy healing to help set an energetic perimeter so they can have their space free of spirits. These "cures" will not banish a ghost or make it go away. However, they could create spaces, such as your home, workspace, or property, where spirits remain outside of a perimeter instead of interacting with you.
Use Crystals
Crystals are a popular method used to create a perimeter. You will set them in a perimeter around your home or spaces in your home.
- Before you lay down your crystals, close your eyes and visualize a bubble in your core. Then, visualize the bubble growing until it completely pushes out from the center of you to the edge of your desired perimeter. Make sure you visualize it coming from your core instead of building it around you so you don't inadvertently trap any energy inside with you.
- With your bubble in place, sprinkle smoky quartz or black tourmaline chips around the perimeter you have set. As you sprinkle the chips around the perimeter, hold the intention that all spiritual entities will remain outside of your perimeter. Some people also use sea salt, black salt, or brick dust for this purpose. However, because these wash away with the next rain, you will need to reset your perimeters frequently. Using the smoky quartz or black tourmaline are a more permanent solution.
Burn Sacred Herbs
You can also burn sacred herbs to help cleanse the space of energy before creating a perimeter. Sage, lavender, cedar, and palo santo are all examples of herbs you can burn to create an energetic perimeter. Since sage empties a space of all energy, you will want to refill the space with some type of positive energy. Follow up the sage by burning palo santo, lavender, or cedar to invite in positive energy.
- Light your herbs and allow them to smolder. Keep a lighter with you in case they burn out, as well as something to catch any ashes.
- Start at your front door (inside of your house). Move the smoke in a clockwise direction, tracing your front door. Then, moving in a clockwise direction throughout your house, fan the smoke into every nook and cranny of your home.
- When you get to any exterior doors, windows, or drains (showers, toilets, sinks), run the smoke around the perimeter in a clockwise direction until you once again reach the front door.
- Back at the front door, run the smoke around the perimeter of the door in a counterclockwise direction to seal the energy. Place the smoldering herbs on a dish in the center of your home and allow it to burn out.
- You can also use incense for this. You will need to repeat this regularly; once a week is about right. You can also use this process before sprinkling crystals around your home's perimeter.
Enlist Help
If you've tried the above and don't feel it's helping, you may need to bring in outside help. Contact a psychic medium or energy healer familiar with ghosts and spirits and ask them to help. If you fear darker energies are at play, you may wish to contact your clergy to bless your home. Make sure you are comfortable with the person you are working with before you allow them to do energy work in your home.
What Not to Do
Treat the spirits in your home with care and respect, just as you would a living person. Some things you should not do if you have ghosts and wish to be rid of them:
- Play with a Ouija board or attempt communication in any other way
- React to them when they make their presence known
- Demand that they leave or be rude in any way
- Engage in an EVP session
- Talk about how your house is haunted anywhere around your home
- Hold a seance or similar activities
- Interact in any way with them
- Play spirit summoning games like Bloody Mary
It's also not advisable to invite paranormal investigators to come see what's up with your house, as any attempts they make to communicate could also stir up activity. Instead, work with a medium who can help you communicate your needs to ask the spirit to leave.
How to Get Rid of Ghosts in Your Home
While there's no guarantee you can rid your space of ghosts, you can try various methods to change the energy. In each case, it's important to hold the intention of creating a space where you feel safe and comfortable. You'll also need to engage in ongoing practice to keep the energy of your spaces comfortable for everyone.
