Strange Occurance could it be supernatural

I was lay in bed with my wife who was fast asleep a few nights ago when the TV in our bedroom just randomly lit up. It was the screen that lit up and the power LED was still not lit indicating it was on. I nudged my wife and said did you leave the screen on but she did not answer. By now my mind was in overdrive thinking about what was happening, was it just an electrical fault or is it something supernatural. I was thinking should I get up and check it out but I didn't. Now I think my mind might have started playing tricks on me because I maybe started to see a face in the screen, there was total silence but I was sure I could make out a face.

Then eventually the screen just goes dark again, I heard my daughter wake up when this happened so although a little spooked I got up and went to put her back to sleep. But whilst checking I checked the TV remote to see if it would repsond as I was sure it must have been turned on but in sleep mode or something, but it wasn't it was just completly off, plugged into the mains but the screen itself turned off.

I since have done a quick search on google and cannot find any reports of this happening on any TV models. It is a samsung, so what did I witness an electrical fault or was it something else?

P.S. I spoke to my wife about it in the morning and she said it had happened twice to her as well.

Scary man..I would be freaking if that had happened to me.

So you're saying the power of the TV was off completely? No standby light was on or anything?

I wonder whether we have any electricians (or other) here on ATS that could explain this occurance..

You should get more details from your wife, from when she experienced it too.

The TV actually had a supply of power, its just that it was turned off and not in standby, if the power was applied to the TV a big laser blue LED lights up at the bottom of the screen which you cannot miss. That was not lit, but the screen was lit, just like the back lights were on with nothing else happening. It gave quite a greyish color of which I believe I may or may not have seen a face in, likely it could be my mind playing tricks so am not sure.

If there was no power source (and its not been plugged in awhile (capacitors and all)) then its not something that should be happening with our current understanding of physics.

I would freak out at that point. Especially with the face. Did the wife mention the face when it happens to her?

Originally posted by calnorak
If there was no power source (and its not been plugged in awhile (capacitors and all)) then its not something that should be happening with our current understanding of physics.

I would freak out at that point. Especially with the face. Did the wife mention the face when it happens to her?

I haven't explained very well. It was plugged in at the wall but the TV power button was not applied. If it had not been plugged in at all I would have completely freaked rather than just being a bit tentative as my mind says it is just an electrical fault. However there was no graphics on the screen which happenes every time you turn it on. Telling you what source/channel it is tuned to.

I think this has happened to me before..

Everything how you described, with they grey-ish colour coming off a TV that's not even on sounds familiar.

The only difference is that the TV you have is a lot more newer than the TV I had when it happened..so I'm not sure.

Oh, ok. I still would freak out. With that blue LED out, the tv either isn't getting any power or the LED is defective.

If you flip the switch on the power strip and it comes on, then.. well I'm easily freaked.

reply to post by calnorak


Yes the LED still works. Very freaky, but I did not feel threatened, tentative yes but not threatened. Maybe somebody is trying to pass a message to my family.

A couple years back, I was at my buddies house and we were sitting in front of the tv, we were 3. I had the remote in front of me but wasn't touching it ( both my hands were occupied ), one of my buddies was sleeping and the other was just mindlessly watching the television. He then asked me why I was changing the channel, but the remote was right on front of me pointing towards me and the channel up kept lighting up as the channels went up on the tv.

And kept stopping at channel 45, we tried interupting by pressing any button but nada. Once it reached 45, which was a snow channel, then we could channel down to whatever channel. But it kept doing so about 4 times and just stopped. The previous owners of the house had their teen commit suicide in the basement and we were teens at the time.

My friends and their family have all had personal experiences while leaving there. When they moved, another of my buddies went in the basement to unassemble the drum kit and just as he when to unscrew the cymbals, it made a hole spin by itself ( the nut at the top ), and him being very afraid of these sorts of things refused to go in the basement again.

Spirits often use electronics to try and communicate using simply electricity. As long as it doesn't go further than your tv turning on at night, I wouldn't be alarmed. This being(s) probably just wants to get your attention and not harm you.

Peace and much Love
( Do have any siblings that passed away recently? Maybe it's someone who loves you )

reply to post by michael1983l


Have you engaged in any tarot readings, seances, Ouija boards,meditating....etc. of late.

Or anyone in that house for that matter?

Our TV constantly turns itself ON and OFF.

Spouse turns it on - it turns itself off.
Spouse turns it off - it turns itself on.

It drives us nuts sometimes.

In the middle of sleep - TV goes on and wakes us up.

I read on the net that to fix that, we had to cover the little light at front with foil.
That did NOT work.

The best solution so far is to unplug the beast when it is supposed to be off - and to keep the remote control ten feet away and facing a blank wall which faces away from the TV when it IS supposed to be on.

The switch to digital from analogue turned the monster into a living hell.

I keep swearing no more TV when this turkey finally breaks down. Spouse won't agree to that though.

We even tried a surge protector on it. Nothing works except unplugging it.

Might not be sleep mode but it could be a semi hidden wake mode.
Some newer TV have an alarm feature to turn on in order to wake you or so you don't miss a show.
If you don't program a channel to come on to though they often just switch to the input.

I would keep a journal with times it happens and duration to see if there is a pattern.
A month should be enough to establish a pattern.

After the first week if it's still random you can add a video camera and tri-pod to the mix aimed at the TV.

reply to post by radpetey


Not that I am aware and I have had no relatives pass away recently. The only thing I can think is that my family have been going through a very rough period, maybe it is my grandad who passed away about 6 years ago trying to tell us everything will be alright?

That's not to say I don't believe it's not supernatural.

I believe there is plenty we don't understand and I believe in spirits as well.
I just think the best way to prove it's supernatural is to first rule out the mundane.

That doesn't even include the possibility that the supernatural could be operating within the laws/rules of the TV.
Even if it is a timer issue whose not to say something supernatural didn't adjust the timer/ activate it.

reply to post by Pigraphia



I don't think it is a timer issue as every time the TV is turned on the big LED lights, this was not lit when the screen was lit. Also it makes a little jingle noise when it is turned on, it did not do this either. As I said previously it comes up with graphiocs on the screen saying "HDMI" or "DTV" ect and it did not do that either.

The screen just lit in silence, and stayed lit for about 90 seconds and extinguished. I started to see a face towards the end but that was likely my mind imagining it as it was actually happening.

It is likely to be an electrical fault but I am struggling to see any logic behind the events. The TV was not acting like it was turned on in any way just that the screen lit up.

Unplug the t.v. at night. If it turns on then I'd start to wonder. Have there been any other unusual things going on?

reply to post by Night Star

My eldest daughter gets very upset at night sometimes and she has been known to stare at things that appear to be an empty space but she is frightened by it. Apart from that nothing really.

It was probably created by high ground currents created by the aurora. This can also happen if there is lightning within a mile or so or if you live near a shore it can travel many miles and electrifies the area around the shore. I've seen HPS lights do this at home so researched it. It happens with fluorescent bulbs also, even if they are not hooked to anything. Depending on where you are the voltage in the air will vary. Where I live the voltage in the air at about 6 feet was about 200 volts and it was about 700 at about 30 feet. I didn't pay attention to the day I tested it, I was surprised that the voltage was so high. The Amps are very low so it wouldn't hurt you and some actually needs to be there for our survival.. I guess that voltage number changes all the time. I never tested after reading all the articles. They talk about ground currents of 3000+ volts on aurora days in Norway. They probably get like that here occasionally. That could possibly lite a TV. I never actually studied the effect on LEDs or Plasma TVs, So my information may not be pertinent. It may give you information in the right direction to steer you're research. Only you can find out what happened, we weren't there and we can't see if you have an antenna or what is involved. Putting a ground arrester on you're antenna wire may solve the problem and they only cost a few bucks.

I've seen a TV and Satelite reciever turn on when we entered my mothers house twice in a couple of days about 12 years ago. My stepfather just died before that and it only happened when his sisterinlaw entered the house. You're event doesn't appear to be weird like that, maybe just simple high ground currents created by the aurora. You're daughter may have sensed the higher voltage in the air. Check Space weather.com for aurora activity on the day, there is a place where the date can be changed on their site. Good luck and have fun

Even if it's not a timer I still think you should keep a journal documenting the events.
At the very least that gives you a tangible data set that you can point to.
Who knows maybe there is a pattern.

The last poster had a point about the weather include a journal entry documenting the local weather as well.

reply to post by michael1983l


TV's emit light either from LED's or from ionized gases.

A suitably high voltage potential can cause fluorescent lights, compact fluorescent globes and the screens of TVs to emit light.

I have seen this several times with CFLs and fluorescent tubes.

It can be from static electric charge (rub a fluorescent tube with a wool cloth in a dark room to see this, does not have to be plugged in), high power radio or auroral type weather.

I'd say that nothing extraordinary occurred, just a rare occurrence of natural phenomena.