Exorcise Your House or Dwelling

Spiritual presence is your home, if it occurs at all, is a rare occurrence that is usually calmer than Hollywood leads you to think. Some people believe that spirits and demons cause disturbances and fear in your home, though they also acknowledge that alleged spirits are generally harmless and easily removed. If, after careful inspection, you're still convinced that your house has some unwanted psychic or spiritual baggage, know that you have options.

Steps

Knowing When An Exorcism is Needed

1. Keep an eye out for typically paranormal behavior in your house. There are a lot of different signs and ideas behind spirits, and determining if your home possesses one is often the hardest thing to do, as the signs can be confusing and conflicting. What is important to remember is that very, very few houses are every possessed, and even fewer are visited by "evil" spirits, contrary to what Hollywood seems to think. Look out for:
   • Moving or disappearing and reappearing possessions, especially similar objects or the same object.
   • Electronics turning on and off on their own.
   • Unknown footsteps, doors/windows opening and closing, strange noises or voices.
   • A feeling like you are not alone ever, often combined with chills and sudden fear or panic.
   • Specific or recurring nightmares, especially those that seem to direct you to do something.
   • Extremely hot or cold spaces in the house, often confined to small areas.
2. Rule out the obvious causes of "other-worldly" noises and issues first. This is the only way to keep your peace of mind if things get a little strange. Be scientific here, systematically examining or exploring where unknown noises or lights show up. No matter what you believe, a large dose of skepticism is healthy here. The need for exorcisms is rare -- and there are almost always common explanations for most "unexplainable" phenomenon.
   • Houses, no matter how old, all "settle" over time. The pieces shift and groan, boards move, and pipes whistle and bang. Older houses do this constantly, and this is the source of most noises.
   • Strange odors and smells commonly come from leaks or trapped moisture somewhere, especially after rains or floods.
   • Open windows, cleaning, and plain bad communication are the cause of most missing objects, not spirits.
3. Take an honest appraisal of your own health and stress levels. No one wants to be told "it is all in their head," but that's why you simply must be honest with yourself when determining if it is a spirit or not. If you're already stressed out, not sleeping well, having trouble eating, or feeling generally under the weather, you are more likely to see and feel things out of the ordinary. Don't let the worry of a spirit ruin your mental and physical health -- keep taking care of yourself and spend some time relaxing. If the spirits fade away, they were likely the result of an overworked, overtired brain and body.
4. Ignore the alleged spirits as much as possible, not even giving them a passing thought. What happens if you push the spirit out of your mind, since we frequently only see "signs" of ghosts and demons when we're looking for them? Remind yourself how rare these spirits really are and that anything you're worried about is likely a common occurrence or noise. Try to let the idea of a spirit ease off your mind. If things still happen or occur more rapidly, you might have an issue to investigate. More often than not, however, the "spirits" will disappear as soon as you stop thinking about them.
   • If there are spirits, they generally need and feed off of your attention, looking to make themselves known. Ignoring them generally keeps them in check if they are actually present.
5. Have a religious leader, medium, or psychic examine the house if you are still unsure. If you are under a lot of emotional and psychological stress because of a perceived spirit, open up to your spiritual leaders and ask their opinion and advice. You may want to consider inviting a psychic/medium to your home to "have a look" and determine if you need extra help. Oftentimes all the house needs is a quick energy clearing with a smudging stick or some incense.

Performing a Home Spirit Cleansing

1. Protect yourself by wearing religious or spiritual talismans close to you. From the Star of David to the West African gris-gris, almost all cultures have items and clothing used to protect the wearer from spiritual attacks. Make sure you choose something you actually have faith in. There is not much use wearing something if you don't believe in it at all, as it is stripped of any use or power.
   • Keeping several of these items in the house can also help ward off spirits, such as crosses above the door or shrines to benevolent gods and spirits.
2. Firmly ask the spirit to leave, avoiding anger or fear. This is the most common practice, and should be repeated frequently, especially during a cleansing or exorcism. The reason to avoid fear or anger is two-fold: it both keeps your calm (and thus effective) and prevents the spirit, if it is there, from deciding you're a threat to its safety.
   • Try out the Latin rites, as well: "Ecce crucis signum, fugiant phantasmata cuncta."(translates as: “behold the emblem of the Cross; let all specters flee”).
   • Let the spirit know that you mean it no harm, but that the physical world "is not their place anymore." Assure them that the spirit world awaits them and they will be safer there.
   • Remember, spiritual possession is not necessarily "evil." Most spirits are simply lost, confused, or still clinging to life, and will leave when asked.
3. Light a sage smudge stick, carrying around the house and waving in a clockwise motion. These sticks have been used for centuries by shamans and religious leaders and are one of the few tools used by many different faiths. There is even some scientific evidence that smudge sticks promote mental well-being and feelings of calm and pleasure, and the practice is widely used to both protect and fight spirits. When smudging a house, crack open a window and take your time -- let the smoke calm you and the room, slowly directing it to fill the room.
   • Smudge sticks are simply long bundles of sage leaves and stems tied together into a rod of sorts, then lit on the end. You can also crush the dried sage in a small bowl and light this instead, carrying it around to smudge the house.
   • Some cultures use ceder in place of sage, but both can be used, as well.
   • Let the smoke fill the room, especially any rooms where paranormal activity is felt.
4. Spread a little holy water around the house. You can get holy water at most Catholic churches, though it helps if you are a practicing member of the faith. Sprinkle it in the corners of rooms, at door and window frames, and any areas where you experience the most physical paranormal activity.
   • You can still get holy water at many churches. Call ahead to make sure they bless water there.
5. Call upon the prayers of your faith or use common religious prayers against spirits. There are as many different prayers to ward off evil as there are faiths, so you should choose the one that speaks most deeply to you. Don't underestimate this connection -- if a prayer feels useful and powerful, use it. Some common prayers include:
   • The Lord's Prayer
   • Archangel Michael's Prayer of Protection
   • The Serenity Prayer
   • Personal mantras asking the spirits to leave
6. Leave out Kosher salt or raw rice, two substances thought to drive away spirits and malicious energies. If you do, you need to leave a window or door open, as the spirit needs a way to flee the room. If performing prayers or continuing to ask the spirit to leave, repeat these rituals as you spread the salt or rice.
   • Remember that your conviction when doing this is important -- if you are fearful or half-hearted, you will not see any results.

Working with A Professional

1. Talk to leaders in your faith or spiritual practice, or seek out spiritual mediums or psychics who perform exorcisms. The most important quality of an exorcist, in any practice, is someone who makes your feel comfortable and safe. When you have a good feeling about someone, that bond and confidence will make it much easier to solve your issues. This trust is essential.
   • The Church of England, some Catholic groups, spirit or faith healers, and mediums are all good places to start asking questions.
   • Talk to 2-3 groups, if possible, but know that the sorts of groups willing to perform exorcisms are rare.
2. Understand that only a few faiths, sects, and groups will perform exorcisms or spiritual cleansings. As a spiritual, religious, and/or psychic phenomenon, you'll need the advice and guidance of a spiritual, religious, and/or psychic leader if you are still unable to remove the spirits. The problem is that not all faiths and practices believe in spiritual possession, or have systems in place to handle them. While you should work within your own belief system when possible, know that you may face stiff rejection from more conservative leaders.
   • Most groups will want to come do a quick investigation of the house before undergoing any sort of exorcism. This is a good way to calm your fears if you're unsure if there is a spirit or not.
3. Use the county records, local papers, and neighbors to determine any cause for possession. This could be easy to see if you uncover a murder that took place in your living room, but the causes for spiritual possession can be much more nuanced as well, from long-forgotten tragedies to deaths that gripped a soul before they were quite ready to go. Like all adversaries, you and your professional will be better prepared to fight if you know what exactly you're up against.
   • Knowing the cause of a possession can also help you determine what sort of professional to call, as you could be dealing with religious or secular spirits, depending on your beliefs.
4. Determine as much as you can about the spirits behavior to aid the professional. Note anything you can of value, and keep a small log of all the paranormal behavior you experience to help accurately fight off the psychic intrusion. This doesn't only include the physical details -- oftentimes you can sense or feel out a personality through their actions as well.
   • Do they feel malevolent or mischievous? Do you feel in danger or just bothered?
   • What rooms or objects does the spirit gravitate towards? Are there places they ignore?
   • What brought out the spirits presence? When was it first noticed?
5. Remember that your mental fortitude is the key link in any exorcism. At the end of the day, the power of most spirits depends on the power that you give them. Fear, especially lingering, constant worry and dread, feeds right into their hand, giving them far more presence and power over you than someone who rightly ignores their cries for attention. You are just as important in this equation as the spirit is, any professional you call. Keep sharp and calm and your problems will soon resolve themselves.

Tips

• Be Strong: Spirits can feed off of weak-willed people, so be strong. Asserting yourself against a spirit can be awkward, but stand your ground, even if you don't buy into it. Ghosts were once people, so they respond to a person who makes a stand.
• Often all you'll need is a symbol to clear the energy or bless the home. Try hanging a cross over the front door, burning white sage from a smudge stick, or putting sea salt in the four corners of the house.

Warnings

• You can move into a house that is already haunted. Most often the spirits will remain, but negative entities such as demons are less predictable. Spirits and negative entities can also follow you to a new house, though this is very rare.
• A spirit possessing your house is almost always the last explanation you should fall on. Don't let yourself get too worked up before looking into everything.

Related Articles

• Smudge a House
• Solve a Sudden Haunting
• Develop Psychic Abilities
• Investigate a Paranormal Activity or Experience
• Perform a Christian Exorcism
• Cleanse Your Spirit

Sources and Citations

See also

• Catch Ghosts
• Tell if Your House Is Haunted
• Verify Signs of a Haunting
• Avoid Ticking Off the Actors in a Haunted House
• Get a Ghost out of Your House
• Live in a Haunted House

What links here

• Use the Law of Attraction
• Cleanse Your Spirit