Can Ghosts Follow You?

Ghost encounters are some of the most fascinating occurrences on Earth. Acting as a thin tie between the mortal world and the unknown, ghosts are fascinating to study. However, if you’re involved in paranormal studies or are a ghost hunter, there is a common concern to address: Can ghosts follow you?

Ghosts can follow human beings, but it isn’t a common occurrence. Typically, ghosts like to haunt a specific locale–they usually aren’t concerned with following certain people as much as they are with staying in a certain place. However, it is still possible for these paranormal entities to decide they want to follow a specific person. 

Why Would a Ghost Follow a Human?

A ghost choosing to follow a human being isn’t common. Consider the colloquial phrase “old haunts.” This phrase is used to describe a person’s most frequently visited places. The phrase was coined from the idea that ghosts tend to linger around in the mortal world by staying in significant places they frequented while they were still alive, giving these spaces a ghostly presence.

A ghostly apparition is usually a peaceful entity (although ghosts can hurt you). They may choose to “stick around” in the mortal world for a variety of reasons. For example, ghosts may choose to haunt a specific location because:

• It was the place where they experienced a great loss or tragedy, such as their own death
• It was a meaningful or peaceful place for them during their mortal existence (their family home, a favorite book shop, their old workplace, etc.)
• It’s the place where they were laid to rest (a cemetery, a makeshift burial site, etc.)

Typically, these types of deep emotional ties keep the ghost’s spirit from moving onward to a happy afterlife. Perhaps the ghost is too emotionally fraught to let themselves release their mortal existence. In some instances, ghosts are so concerned with sticking around in the mortal realm that they don’t even realize they’re dead!

Despite the vast majority of ghosts following this pattern of behavior, there are some specific instances when full-bodied apparitions can choose to follow a certain human being. While some of these instances are harmless, others are causes for legitimate concern. A few examples of why a ghost may choose to follow a certain human includes:

• A strong emotional attachment to the human form when they were living (a spouse, a child, a best friend, etc…).
• Special or particular interest in the human’s mortal life.
• Special interest in lingering around the mortal world to make themselves known to the person (seeking revenge, unrequited love, unfinished business).

It is worth noting that this isn’t typical ghost behavior. While it isn’t impossible for a ghost to decide they’re going to “tag-along” with a human in the mortal world, it’s certainly against the norms for ghosts to do so.

In many instances, humans who think they’re being followed by a ghost are actually being followed by something else. These other demons, creatures, and dark entities are far more dangerous than a simple ghostly haunting. To determine if you’re being followed by a ghost or something more sinister, it’s important to understand the signs of being followed by a ghost.

Signs a Ghost Might Be Following You

Fortunately, there are some signs that are specific to ghostly hauntings and being followed by a ghost. To determine if you’re being followed by a ghost (or possibly something else), consider the following strange events that are signs of a classic ghostly haunt:

• Feeling quick shifts in temperature in multiple places throughout your day, especially a feeling that the temperature has dropped to a sudden and unexplainable chill.
• Sudden, random spikes in the electromagnetic fields surrounding you (this may require special equipment to detect, such as an EMF meter, which can be difficult to bring with you to different locations throughout the day, but it is an excellent and reliable method for detecting ghostly presences).
• Unexplainable movement or activity in your immediate area that isn’t limited to a single location (doors squeaking closed, objects falling off level surfaces, lights flickering on and off, cabinets opening by themselves, etc…).
• Quick or sudden shifts in shadows or dark corners in your peripheral vision.
• Sudden, unexplainable smells that aren’t limited to a single location (for example, a classic “smell sense” that folks have reported during a haunting was oranges when there was no trace of the fruit anywhere nearby).
• Unexplainable sounds or voices that aren’t limited to a single location, such as whispering or tapping from a noisy ghost.

Can a Ghost Enter Your Home?

If a ghost is following you, it’s following you. This means you could potentially “invite” this entity everywhere you’re going–including your home.

There are some precautions you can take to prevent spirits of all varieties from invading your personal spaces. For example, you can protect your home from ghosts and other unwanted entities by implementing the following means of protection:

• Smudge your space by burning sage (also commonly referred to as “saging” your home). This method is a friendly way to let spirits know they aren’t welcome inside your home without being offensive.
• Salt the corners and entryways of your home (this is considered a step beyond simple smudging and sends a stronger message to unwanted spirits to “stay back” from your personal space).
• Keep special talismans, holy symbols, or crystals around your home to ward off unwanted or malevolent spirits.
• Use your voice and communicate with the spirits. If you suspect a ghost is lingering inside your home, consider speaking out to the ghost. Ask questions, tell the spirit how their presence is affecting you, or recite special prayers. Often, this direct communication is a good way to send a message to a spirit.

What Do You Do if a Ghost is Following You?

Ghosts (along with demons, angels, and other mysterious entities) are spirits. One of the best choices you can make when a ghost is following you is to seek professional help. Rather than turning toward internet-based assistance for your suspected ghostly following, seek professional help from an offline person who is trained to work with an otherworldly entity, such as a priest.

Sometimes, the mysterious otherworldly entity following you is a ghost. More often, it is something potentially dangerous. Seeking help from a professional ensures that you’re doing everything you can to detach the spirit from your mortal being before serious damage is done.

If (and I do mean if) you’re familiar with ghost hunting you could use a spirit box to communicate and just ask why they are following you.