a cold spot that you can walk in and out of.
flickering lights
water turns on and off by itself
a feeling that you're being watched or that someone is in the room with you.
the sound of footsteps
globes of light
things that mysteriously disappear and then reappear.

"And, of course, if you actually see a figure that shouldn't be there--that's a dead giveaway!"

Woodyard should know. She's seen hundreds of ghosts in her ghosthunting career.

"Most people who call me just want to know if they're crazy. They've been experiencing strange lights and sounds--things that seem impossible. I walk through the house (without being told anything about it) and write down what I feel or see. Usually I'm able to help them figure out what is going on."

But, she adds, you have to use some common sense. "Sometimes people get so frightened by what is happening that they think everything is ghostly. Flickering lights could just be bad wiring. A cold spot might disappear when a window is caulked. Those footsteps might be the neighbor in the apartment next door. That figure could be a fragment of a dream--or an intruder!"

What should you do if you think your house is haunted?

"First, stay calm. Ghosts rarely hurt anyone and they have never killed anybody. Don't let them scare you into hurting yourself."

"See if you can figure out who the ghost is. You might want to look up the death certificates of the people on your house's deed. Did any of them die there? A visit to the library might reveal information about a violent death or a tragedy in the house. People who die quickly or violently sometimes will stay and haunt a house. At the same time, people who loved a house may decide to stay on."

"Rule out the everyday, normal sounds of an older house."

"Tell the ghost to go away. It's just like it is in the movies--tell them to go to the Light--that in that Light, there will be someone who loves them, someone who has come to take them home."

Do have the house blessed, if it makes you feel better. This may or may not work. "People's emotions have a way of stirring up energy in the house and sometimes a blessing only makes things worse."

*You might want to write: The Ghost Research Society, PO Box 205, Oak Lawn, IL 60454-0205, 708 425-5163 FAX 708 425-3969. They have field investigators in many areas of the country who can make a visit to determine if you have a ghost and what can be done about it.

Don't play with a ouija board, automatic writing or seances. "You will only attract trouble-making spirits who will tell you lies."
Don't assume you have a demon and call an exorcist. "In my entire life I have yet to encounter anything even remotely demonic. Most ghosts will leave quietly when asked to ."
Don't pay a "psychic" large sums of money to inspect your house or "take the curse off". "I personally don't charge for a house visit. But I know legitimate people who do, mostly because they are so much in demand and a fee weeds out the curiosity-seekers. Travel expense are also a legitimate request. Just watch out for ghostbusters who want lots of cash.

Or you could just enjoy your ghost. "I know many people who say that their ghost is company for them, or it does helpful things. Most ghosts are just lost people, not hostile or violent spirits. If you were a good person before you died, you'll probably be a pretty mild-mannered ghost."

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