This article is from 2021 and may be outdated. We're working on restoring a newer version.
What’s it like to live in a house that’s really haunted? Do people always have to leave their haunted houses if the ghosts won’t leave?
Most haunted houses are benign. I’ve lived in a few.
Generally, it’s like living with an invisible roommate. Some ghosts can be annoying.
That’s especially true if the ghost likes to turn lights on and off, adjust the volume on the TV, or turn a faucet on and leave the water running.
I don’t mind ghosts in my house. I do mind any inconveniences they create.
Downtown Houston’s famous ghost
One of the most persistently annoying ghosts haunts downtown Houston, Texas. She is Mrs. Pamelia Mann, one of Houston’s most famous madams.
Many evenings, Mrs. Mann strolls around the Market Square block she once owned.
She visits ladies rooms (toilets) in modern-day clubs and restaurants on that block.
Once in each ladies room, she locks the door so others cannot enter. Then, she vanishes. The staff are not amused, because they have to keep unlocking the door at the request of impatient patrons.
However, the living and spirits of the dead usually find ways to stay out of each other’s way.
Other famous haunted homes
At some locations, such as the Myrtles Plantation, the staff regard the ghosts as friends. Many people who live in haunted houses feel the same way about their ghosts.
I know one homeowner in Salem (MA, USA) who is extremely protective of “her” ghost. Although the first floor of her haunted home is a shop, she won’t allow anyone inside if she thinks they’re looking for her ghost.
That’s a little extreme.
The owner of the Lizzie Borden house seemed comfortable with that house’s ghosts.
TV, movies, and reality
Many TV shows and movies present scary ghosts. Reality is very different.
Once people become accustomed their ghosts (and vice versa), some seem to forget they live in a haunted house.
When I’ve lived in haunted houses, I’ve been unable to forget they’re there. Not for long, anyway. Sometimes, I’ve been startled by an apparition floating across my kitchen. Unearthly footsteps still surprise me when I’m tired, especially if the ghost has been silent for a while.
Despite that, living with ghosts can be easier than living with roommates. Ghosts don’t steal your food, come home drunk at night, or leave the seat up.
I’m okay with that.