More Than a Feeling?

[Waneta]

My college campus is quite old (in fact, the oldest coeducational one, and founded in 1836) and every so often some ghost stories go flying around. I have never heard anything terrible, and haven't personally experienced something major in my time here. One of the big things people say is that the Brick, an old dorm which I have lived in both last year and this starting year, is haunted. There is actually backed merit behind it, being that the library-historical-archivist woman here says that, way back (I forget when) the Spanish Flu hit this village, and the Brick was used as a hospital. Something like seven men died from the sickness.

I know that my old room mate last year would tell me stories, being that she was the one to stay up late into early morning. Some were about the hallways being creepy at that time, or the lights. One in particular was about the faucets in the girls bathroom. She would take early morning showers before sleeping, crazy that she was (^_^) and went at some absurd hour, like three or so in the morning. Apparently when she was finishing up, she heard the faucets of the sinks turn on, but didn't hear anyone come in (the doors usually slam load enough to hear). She thought someone was messing with her, and she gets freaked out about weird things really easily.

So she hurried up and went to open the stall door, but before she did, the water stopped running. And there was still no one in the bathroom. I personally don't have a Brick story to tell, and don't know what to make of hers. I do know that this room at night, being the one who goes to sleep after my room mate this time around, can feel a little funny. I usually make nothing of it and crawl into bed. The really tall ceilings of these rooms, too, can feel unnerving to me in general, all that extra space.

So I guess I lost my point, except that would you see any merit in her story? When she gets scared like that, she isn't one to lie. And would it be logical that I would feel funny and eerie when alone (or the only one awake) in this room?

[ButterflyWoman]

I've heard of many a university dormitory (and sometimes library or hall) that is said to be haunted. My own daughter lived in such a hall, and had at least one encounter with the ghost (at least, that's what I think it was; she wasn't so sure if it was real or just her imagination). What happened to her was she was up late studying (in a single room) and she just couldn't shake the sense that someone was "with her" and maybe trying to get her attention.

Generally, people don't make up stories unless they're compulsive liars or have something to gain by telling the story. What would be gained by telling you a story about hearing water running when there's nobody else in the room? I can't think of anything, can you?

Hauntings are very, very common, and they happen all over the world in all kinds of circumstances. Even skeptics and non-believers experiences hauntings. There's no reason at all to think that the building you live in couldn't be haunted (sounds like there's a good background for it) or that your former roommate experienced it.

[watrinh]

I've heard of many a university dormitory (and sometimes library or hall) that is said to be haunted. My own daughter lived in such a hall, and had at least one encounter with the ghost (at least, that's what I think it was; she wasn't so sure if it was real or just her imagination). What happened to her was she was up late studying (in a single room) and she just couldn't shake the sense that someone was "with her" and maybe trying to get her attention.

Generally, people don't make up stories unless they're compulsive liars or have something to gain by telling the story. What would be gained by telling you a story about hearing water running when there's nobody else in the room? I can't think of anything, can you?

Hauntings are very, very common, and they happen all over the world in all kinds of circumstances. Even skeptics and non-believers experiences hauntings. There's no reason at all to think that the building you live in couldn't be haunted (sounds like there's a good background for it) or that your former roommate experienced it.

I wonder sometimes if the presence could be self-created. If you hear something like a place is haunted, you may subconsciously create a presence. This would be similar to what happens in dreams.

Additionally, another thing that can happen is being aware that a place is haunted may allow for a psychic doorway to manifest between the entity and the human when no link could have originally formed to begin with.

[ButterflyWoman]

I wonder sometimes if the presence could be self-created. If you hear something like a place is haunted, you may subconsciously create a presence. This would be similar to what happens in dreams.
Yes, I think that's a distinct possibility. But there are many, many records of people experiencing hauntings in a place of which they had no prior knowledge or information, so it's not always that. I agree that it certainly CAN be self-created (a sort of thoughtform, I expect).


Additionally, another thing that can happen is being aware that a place is haunted may allow for a psychic doorway to manifest between the entity and the human when no link could have originally formed to begin with.
I certainly agree with that, as well.

I've lived in a haunted building, for what it's worth. I had no idea about the building prior to living there, but I experienced plenty of classic signs of haunting. Interestingly, a couple of friends (who also had no knowledge that the building had anything odd going on with it) experienced some of the phenomenon, too.

[Waneta]

Generally, people don't make up stories unless they're compulsive liars or have something to gain by telling the story. What would be gained by telling you a story about hearing water running when there's nobody else in the room? I can't think of anything, can you?

Yeah, I can't think of anything that would have made her lie. She seemed pretty freaked by it.


I wonder sometimes if the presence could be self-created. If you hear something like a place is haunted, you may subconsciously create a presence. This would be similar to what happens in dreams.

Well, I guess stories of the Brick being haunted always float around - people find it fun to talk about, I guess because the building just fits the description more than other dorms on campus, and is much much older. I had heard these stories, but didn't know the details about the Spanish Flu deal until this year, when it came out in a little blurb in the campus newspaper. So I guess I hadn't heard any real 'ghost stories' of the past about it until then.


Additionally, another thing that can happen is being aware that a place is haunted may allow for a psychic doorway to manifest between the entity and the human when no link could have originally formed to begin with.

That is really interesting and something I did not know about.

It is interesting how you have had those experiences with hauntings, CaterpillarWoman, and thanks for the info as well watrinh. I know and believe that spirits can be basically everywhere, but it is rare I have an experience of my own with them. Maybe my room mate was just more fun to pick on, or more subconsciously worried about the building being haunted than I was/am. I have never heard anything bad enough (or much at all) to scare anyway away from living here. I've still got the rest of the school year here, though, so we shall see.

[CFTraveler]

I'm going to be the devil's advocate and take a completely different tack with it- maybe I've been watching too many 'Ghost Hunters' lately- or not enough- but
old buildings usually have old plumbing, and sometimes, late at night, when everyone is quiet, sounds can get magnified and carried over the pipes. So, it occurs to me that it's possible that when she was in there, someone in another bathroom (connected by the pipes) used the water, it made the rushing sound, and she heard it 'as the sink', and all the stories behind it made her jump to a conclusion, instead of examining other possibilities.
However, if this happens routinely, then I have to go with the ghost explanation.
Just a thought.
Having grown up in a 'haunted' house, (we were the first to live there but it was built on previously indian land), I don't disbelieve hauntings or ghosts, since I've seen them- but I do think people jump to conclusions when the place has a reputation.
Just my two cents.

[Waneta]

Old buildings usually have old plumbing, and sometimes, late at night, when everyone is quiet, sounds can get magnified and carried over the pipes. So, it occurs to me that it's possible that when she was in there, someone in another bathroom (connected by the pipes) used the water, it made the rushing sound, and she heard it 'as the sink', and all the stories behind it made her jump to a conclusion, instead of examining other possibilities.
This could be true, I hadn't thought that way. She didn't tell me of such an incident more than once, so it wasn't frequent with her as far as I know. I guess then it was just perfect timing that when she went to slam open that stall door, the water immediately stopped. Kind of like the timing I have when I go to call the boyfriend or IM him and he does it right back in a second or so (^_^)

And I do agree that debunking is a good thing, I guess this possibility never crossed my mind last year.