Readers' Stories of the Paranormal

We tend to think of paranormal experiences as rare, fleeting things... and individually they are. But from the volume of first-hand accounts related by "ordinary people," it's clear that they happen all the time. Here are some stories recently submitted by readers.

The Haunted Ambulance Building
I am an honorary member of an ambulance corps in northern New Jersey. I believe that nine times out of ten, a logical explanation can account for strange goings on, but I can't explain the following. While watching TV alone in our building one night, I distinctly "felt" as if someone was off to my left staring at me. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw a man standing on the other side of the room, near a door leading into the garage where the ambulance is parked. When I turned to look, there was no one there. About 15 minutes later, the same feeling overcame me, but upon turning my head, there was no one there. A third time, the same thing happened. Only this time I tried to look with peripheral vision and turned my head at the last possible moment. For a fraction of a second, I was able to deduce that it was a man. The only features I could make out was that he appeared to be in his late thirties, stood about 5'10" with full, dark hair and a mustache. I promptly left the building. A couple years later, we had thrown a surprise party for my father [at the building]. Jen [my girlfriend] was rather tired after working a double shift from the night before. (She's a nurse.) As we finished cleaning up after the party, she and I were the only ones left in the building. I jokingly said, "Welcome to the haunted building." Jen started to freak out a little. I was surprised since I never told her any of these stories before. She asked rather emphatically if we could leave right away. When we got outside, I asked what was wrong. She said at one point during the party she was "zoning out" facing toward the door leading to the garage. She noticed a man, standing about 5'10" with dark hair and a mustache talking with a woman whom she couldn't see because the woman's back was turned. Jen said they seemed out of place, like they just didn't fit with anybody else there. My cousin snapped her out of her "zone," and they disappeared. She spent a while looking for these two people around the party, but never saw them again. - Phil K.

Followed by a Poltergeist
I am in no doubt being haunted. I have had five consecutive nights of strange occurrences, including things falling, my computer turning itself on, my pager buzzing when the battery isn't low and with no one paging me, and my guitar - which was placed in a stable position when I went to sleep - waking me up from it crashing to the floor! Oh, not to mention the mysterious voices I hear at work. I once heard my name whispered so clearly at work that I insisted that one of my coworkers was talking to me. After looking around, I noticed that there was not a single person even in my vicinity. But, hey... I have accepted it by now, and as long as my ghostly visitor doesn't hurt me at all, I have no problem with it. - Fran C.

Archangel Michael Makes a Housecall
What I believe to have been Lord Michael paid me an unexpected visit recently. I became rather light-headed in the middle of the night, my ears began to ring - and there he was kneeling beside me in my bed holding my hand. At first, my disbelief was sure to erase him, but no - he stayed and gently continued to hold my hand. I knew then that I was so loved and protected.

He was about twice the size of a human, somewhat white/gray with quite large wings, wearing some sort of armor-like vest and garland on his head.

He was about twice the size of a human, somewhat white/gray with quite large wings, wearing some sort of armor-like vest and garland on his head. After having searched the Internet to try to identify the figure, the closest I could come up with was the picture on the cover of The Wisdom Teachings of Archangel Michael. But I knew it was him before. Lately, things have been somewhat quiet, but for quite awhile after that there were others - not quite seen with such clarity - but nonetheless they were there. Small ones that play with me and tease me and dance around me and climb on me or ride on my shoulders. Another larger type that is present at my left shoulder. I have always been somewhat sensitive at times and appreciate the depth of life. But really... angels? They have never entered my mind. To me they were nothing more than a gentle fantasy. But there was no mistake - I saw him... he touched me, he will never leave me. I'm not sure what it all means, but I am not so afraid of leaving this earth anymore. But he told me that I will be here for a long time yet, that I am not leaving anytime soon. - Suzen B.

Crystal to the Rescue
A few years ago my father in-law lost his wedding ring, and my wife asked me to look in to the crystal I had purchased for just this sort of "experimentation." I used the kitchen table with a black cloth over the table to reduce reflections. Facing east with just a light on in the nearby room, I began to see red and blue colors from the center of the ball. I concentrated on the lost ring and saw some misunderstood things, but a circular white object stood out. My wife and I talked while looking in to the ball seeing different things. She told her mother the circular object we described, and to her it sounded like the toilet. Well, the ring was laying beside the toilet in the second bathroom. The project didn't make sense to me, but the information given to the right party worked. - Ricky O.

The Perfumed Ghost
We lived in colonial home in Norfolk, Va. We were informed of things about the house. The person we bought it from was left the house by the lady he cared for her last five years. We were told of the sweet smell of White Shoulders perfume that would appear in the house, doors closing, and noises in the house that could not be explained.

It was a cold February morning, and when going into a bedroom, she found four fresh, red rose petals on the floor leading into the bedroom that the lady lived in her last years of her life.

After being in the house approximately one month, we did find the very strong smell of the perfume, and cold spots in areas. One night, a porcelain ring container landed in the middle of the bedroom floor. It was on the dressing table. Our poor cat would be walking inside and suddenly hump up and walk sideways. After being transferred back to New Orleans, my wife remained to sell the house. She called me prior to her showing the house. It was a cold February morning, and when going into a bedroom, she found four fresh, red rose petals on the floor leading into the bedroom that the lady more or less lived in her last five years of life. The spirit's name was Martha. (I'm getting chills and goosebumps as I write!) We are very close friends to this day with the man we bought the house from, and before my wife left Norfolk, she and our friend went to Martha's grave. Upon reaching the site, my wife received a very cold shot of air to her chest area. Our friend turned and asked, "What was that?" He felt it first. I have no explanation - only what we believe. - b.c.q.

Rocky Says Goodbye
Just before Christmas, we had to put down our nine-year-old dog, Rocky, because he was very ill, and that was the recommendation of the vet. We really loved him. He was a beautiful pure-breed beagle, and he loved us very much, too. I still fight back tears when I remember him. The day he had passed away late in the night, I was sitting in front of my computer navigating on the Internet. I think I was just about to fall sleep when I saw Rocky running to my feet to bite me. I still don't know if he was cranky or wanted to play with me. The same scene repeated later on when I went in bed. - Eduardo M.

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