Locked out of house

Let me preface this with some back information.
First my family does believe the house is haunted.
Second during the day if someone is home we lock only the door handle not the deadbolt.
Third, I had just gone in and out the door and only locked the handle.
Fourth, my dogs alwayse bark or at least dance around the entryway when someone is at the door even if it's me and I was just here moments ago. The continue to bark and dance until you pet them.
Fifth we have a huge stained class pattern on our front door that we keep shielded with blinds but you can still see shadows through the blinds.


So I was out back doing some yard work, chopping up the wood pile to be hauled away(termite infested can't bring into the house for winter fire wood). At one point I had to go back through the house to get my keys so I could go to the garage and sharpen the ax. This is where my 3rd preface comes in. I sharpened the ax went back through the house only locking the handle. I continue working until the garden trash can is full and then take it out front and to the side where we keep it. I close and secure the gate and make my way to the front door with keys in hand. I get to the door and unlock the bottom and twist the knob but the deadbolt is secure. I unlock the deadbolt and go to twist the knob but the handle is locked again. I unlock it, and then the deadbolt is locked again. I unlock it and the handle is locked again. I finally unlock the handle and push the door open as the deadbolt is slipping out of it's carriage to reengage. The entire time I have to push the door open with a great deal of effort and I can see a shadow playing behind the door. This is where the 5th preface comes in, I can see the figure behind the door as if it's using it's shoulder to hold the door closed. Once I breach the threshold the figure is gone and the entryway goes from dark shadows to bright. The dogs which I thought were behind the door barking were in another room hiding. I run to where I keep my gun, chamber a round and sweep the house and nothing is there(keeping my trigger finger outside the trigger guard and off the trigger for safety concerns). Though as I sweep the house the rooms where were gloomy begin to brighten, they only do this once I've mentally gone (all clear), while I'm sweeping the room it stays gloomy and dead silent, even the sounds from outside are more muted than normal.

Now, the dogs are still quiet and the house is very still more so than it should be at this time of day.

So that's what happened today. I know I wasn't re-locking the door on myself because the handle turned freely after I removed the key. It was clearly unlocked. I also know a thing or two about locks as I am a lock-sport(among other things), someone who picks locks for their amusement and to aid friends when they are locked out of their cars and houses.

reply to post by Pigraphia


Do you have kids? Mine were really good at pulling this kind of thing. Not saying it's the explanation, but you have to clarify this point, imo. Second, why do you have to keep locking and unlocking the doors? A woodpile doesn't bring to mind an image of a downtown area.

reply to post by Pigraphia


That does sound like something demonic.. Though it didn't seem too dark.. Messing with you more than anything else. Are you the type to go overboard with emotions? As in did the door frustrate you did it make you scared?

You said that your family thinks your place is haunted. Could you tell me why they think this? Are they afraid?


personal disclosure is that I have dealt with demonic type things and also ghosts that were not very nice..
Is this the only time you have noticed any weirdness?

reply to post by aboutface


No children, I'm only 27 and am too young for a family.

I live in the San Fernando Valley(Southern California), and while I do have a yard the area isn't safe. Behind my back yard fence is the LA River, and behind that there are apartments with nightly police responding incidents. Even without the nightly police helicopters the LA River just behind the fence isn't safe. It's almost become a criminal highway where anyone who wants to avoid the streets can use to cut through the valley and into peoples back yards. There have been a number of home invasions in my area.

That's why my first instinct was to sweep the house with my gun. I thought someone was robbing the house and I thought someone was holding the door shut. It wasn't until I swept the house and noticed all the gloom that started going away that I thought of the haunting. Not to mention my dogs, they would have been attacking a robber not hiding.

That would have me freaked right out. So you were alone? The dogs were hiding in a room, instead of there to greet you? And the rooms seemed to lighten when you checked them out but the entire house seemed dim?

If that was me I might have been tempted to break a window to get in.

Originally posted by Dustytoad
reply to post by Pigraphia

 

That does sound like something demonic.. Though it didn't seem too dark.. Messing with you more than anything else. Are you the type to go overboard with emotions? As in did the door frustrate you did it make you scared?

You said that your family thinks your place is haunted. Could you tell me why they think this? Are they afraid?


personal disclosure is that I have dealt with demonic type things and also ghosts that were not very nice..
Is this the only time you have noticed any weirdness?

We have thought the house was haunted for some time, even before my dad died. Things vanish all the time and sometimes return to places where they would never be stored. Though mostly they stay lost. Many of my friends say the house is too gloomy to visit anymore and that was before I became bed bound for a long time recovering from a motorcycle crash.
Two of my girlfriends would always have nightmares when they slept over and it was so bad that one of them would make me switch sides of the bed so I would be closer to the dark presence.

I wasn't getting emotional when the door was being locked and relocked, more annoyed. It wasn't until I saw the shadow and felt the door being held shut while I was opening it that I worried. That's why my first thought was robbery and I went for my gun.
Generally I am level headed, though things do get heated when my mother has a bi polar snap and starts yelling at me and worse.
My time in the ICU and being bed bound has taught me patience the hard way and I am much more calm now than I used to be.

We've cleansed the house before, and I'm even looking into some things to add to the sage smudge to affect a more through cleansing.

Like I said in my second post, it wasn't until I was sweeping the house that the whole "this house is haunted" clicked in my mind. Until then I was thinking robbery and I needed to protect myself and my dogs.

reply to post by Unity_99


The whole house was gloomy as was the entry way.
When I got through the threshold it was very dim/gloomy and than evaporated instantly.
I didn't have time to think about it at that point.
I ran to my gun and chambered a round, at that point I noticed the gloom lifting as I swept the entire house, closets and showers included.
As I swept it wasn't until I mentally went "clear" that a room would brighten back up.

I read this and my first thought was...stupid style of door handle...springs always become loose inside latch handles...I've been locked out in previous places because of a similar style of handle. The deadbolt closing...not so sure...depends if it is loose and might wiggle in or out depending on the amount of force on that section of the door...

The only thing I can maybe clear up for certain is your auditory experience. Classic fight or flight. When in a situation of perceived danger a person's focus become quite sharp but average sounds (familiar sounds) seem faded or dulled. Because we're listening intently for sounds that are out of the ordinary specifically. Auditory clarity will resume as soon as a feeling of "safety" returns.

I startle quite easily and I have this happen every time...normal day to day sounds are almost muffled and the brain listens for something out of place or unusual. Can last a few seconds depending on how high the adrenaline rush is when frightened.

I'd say get new locks / handles and test the theory.

reply to post by Pigraphia


Get a new lock, they can't work forever and may have been made in china.

reply to post by justgeneric


reply to post by nerbot


The locks are relatively new, the key for them is still shiny on my key ring. As for the locks themselves, like I said I'm a locksport it's my hobby to know how locks function. I busted out my lock picks and tested the mechanisms and they seem fine. I'll go over them again in a few days. Most locks though don't up and fail all at once, it's a gradual process as various springs and tension holders wear out. That's been my experience with picking them at least. Most locks in my experience bind more with age they don't become loose or engage more readily.

I will re-examine the locks in a few days though when this incident is behind me and I can look at it with more clear eyes.

That sounds like possibly an "overlap" of parallel universes or something along those lines....

cant help laughing picturing the scene ...
you've got a ghost there - contrary to popular belief not all ghosts are bad... sounds harmless ... ghosts have been known to be ( and are ) protective of their homes ... even of the people who live in the house ... sounds like yours was just trying to help... try talking to it even leave out a snack for it ( a friend has a resident ghost thats fond of beer so he always sets a beer out... couple times the ghost at his place has ran off burglars. )

reply to post by Expat888


Just curious, how is locking me out of my house or taking important items helping me?

I won't comment on the lock aspect (I've had my own unusual incident with a deadbolt), but going from inside to outside in a hurry, your eyes will take a bit to accustom themselves to the "gloom". Beyond that you will frequently get something very much like tunnel vision (restricted vision sometimes with haze or darkness) when the adrenaline gets pumping or anxiety kicks in. I certainly would have qualified with both anxiety and adrenaline if I had been in your shoes.
Again, I'm not suggesting nothing unusual happened, but that there might be a "normal" explanation for at least part of the experience.

Originally posted by Pigraphia
reply to post by Expat888

 

Just curious, how is locking me out of my house or taking important items helping me?

ghosts are also mischievous at times ... they will pull little pranks (usually harmless sometimes annoying) to let you know that they're around ... granted it doesnt seem helpful when they do get up to mischief ... but theyve also brought prosperity to the people living in the house .. ran off intruders ... even saved peoples lives .. ( one that know of woke the people when the house caught fire.. another warned the people of an impending earthquake..) ghosts have their quirks much like people do ... seen a couple cases where they ran people out of the house as well because they didnt like their character - one that got ran out was an ah long (loanshark) another was a businessman who was later found to be corrupt ...

Next time it or anything weird happens, claim dominion over your house to it. Yes physically talk to the empty air and tell it, it is your house and whatever you want it to do, leave/ stay but don't mess with your stuff whatever you want. Most of the time no need for hokey rituals, special baths or anything. Just understand if you don't believe you have the authority to tell it whats up, it won't believe you do either.

reply to post by KeliOnyx


I've told the thing off before, and only occasionally do missing items return.

reply to post by Pigraphia


Try telling it you will bring over a special person to the house and banish it permanently, if it doesn't behave..
If it is a human spirit, it will probably obey, since they definitely do not want to be banashed.. Something like that may be the thing they fear the most..

You said outdoor sounds were more muted. This is normal, because you were tuning yourself to "nearby" sounds. Its like tunnel vision, and common when you have an adrenaline rush. Not saying there wasn't anything paranormal, but the lack of sound is explainable.

reply to post by therealdemoboy


I should have been more clear.
They were muted more than in the past when I've had adrenalin spikes, and stayed muted longer.

You're right though adrenalin could be part of it.