Have I got a ghost?

[DavidofMersea]

One day at the end of last week I was alone in the house, and the TV sound (no picture) came on - two American men were talking about the American civic war - I think. To day the same thing happened, and the two American men were talking about heating a house. I just sat and listened and after about two or three minutes, they went.

It was not aircraft or ships, it was a studio type discussion

 

[sarabande]

most likely that someone with a remote car alarm, garage door opener, or mini TV broadcast system in your vicinity is waving the control around. Nothing to be concerned about.


Oh, are you near any American bases ? They pick up USA channels and re-broadcast them.

 

[Otter]

25 years ago, asleep alone in the house I woke up with a start - the lounge hifi was blaring out the Genesis track "Invisible Touch" CD - title track. Freeeeeeaked me out.

 

[pmagowan]

The answer is no.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Reminds me of TCMs story of his first transat... alone on deck, imaging himself completely alone in the world, with everyone else sound asleep.....and the saloon light turned on.... then off.... and a few second later back on again.... freaked out, he looked down the companionway, and everyone was fast asleep... and it happened again as he returned to the wheel... scared witless, he looked below again, to find something swinging against the light switch and turning it slowly off and on and off and on......

 

[xyachtdave]

The youth of today and their 'music downloads' won't experience the 'secret tracks' buried on the end of CD about 1/2 hour after the last track 'finishes'. Usually coming on when you were asleep really loudly.

Sounds like you've got one in your TV!

 

[Tam Lin]

Well up until recently I would have said "No" but after watching the TV series on Quantam Theory recently I am not so sure. It seems perfectly possible for your TV to be both off and on at the same time! Having said that I agree with the idea that there is a fault somewhere or it is being triggered by a stray signal.

 

[pvb]

Our house is haunted. 400 year old cottage. We've had strange things happen. Scratching noises at bedroom doors, doors opening on their own, display plates jumping off hooks, etc. But it doesn't feel like an unfriendly home.

 

[johnalison]

One of my favourite bits of Ambrose Bierce is his reasoning about ghosts, which is odd, since he wrote ghost stories.

Here: http://grammar.about.com/od/classicessays/a/The-Clothing-Of-Ghosts-By-Ambrose-Bierce.htm

 

[pmagowan]

Our house is haunted. 400 year old cottage. We've had strange things happen. Scratching noises at bedroom doors, doors opening on their own, display plates jumping off hooks, etc. But it doesn't feel like an unfriendly home.

You probably have ghost mice or perhaps a ghost nautilus.

 

[DavidofMersea]

most likely that someone with a remote car alarm, garage door opener, or mini TV broadcast system in your vicinity is waving the control around. Nothing to be concerned about.


Oh, are you near any American bases ? They pick up USA channels and re-broadcast them.

It is fairly rural around here and not many houses. There are no USA bases for miles around. Also why was I only getting sound and no picture on my TV? and who were the Americans I heard talking? I had a look in the TV Times and there was no such programme on at that time.

Also last Wednesday evening I found my garden hose turned on - It is unlikely to be vandals on a late midweek winter evening

 

[Bru]

When I was a kid after we moved down south to Daventry, we were fascinated to discover that you could sometimes hear voices from the wire fences on Borough Hill

It was only years later that I learnt (from Stanley Unwin to name drop) that those were the days when the Soviet jamming of the World Service was particularly severe and they'd wound the knobs on the Daventry transmitter all the way to 11

 

[johnalison]

It was only years later that I learnt (from Stanley Unwin to name drop) that those were the days when the Soviet jamming of the World Service was particularly severe and they'd wound the knobs on the Daventry transmitter all the way to 11

I am most grateful to be reminded of the late, great Stanley Unwin.

 

[Bru]

I am most grateful to be reminded of the late, great Stanley Unwin.

My pleasure

Recollecting my encounter with him brought a smile to my face. He was as much fun to meet as you'd expect and hope.

 

[Sniper]

In my house the events you describe are normally accounted for by the dog sitting on the remote control.

 

[UncleAlbert]

I am most grateful to be reminded of the late, great Stanley Unwin.

Oh deep joy

 

[ex-Gladys]

Funnily enough... I was awoken twice last week when the TV did exactly the same thing... I thought it was the radio, and didn't pay any attention to content... Being a Smart TV I put it down to a software glitch when the TV checked for updates....

 

[Gargleblaster]

Single handed ocean sailors often experience 'ghosts'. Generally it is a type of mild hallucination caused by sleep deprivation. Tends to occur during moments of high drama when it is hard to get a decent sleep.
On a recent ocean trip lasting 10 months for about 7 months I was constantly bothered by a German U-boat commander who seemed to like playing with my windvane steering, which was made in Hamburg. Sometimes he would awake me when i had just got to sleep by calling out 'alarm'. He informed me at one stage that his submarine had been sunk by an ASW aircraft out of Ascension Island. Interestingly enough after I had called at Ascension Island this time last year I heard no more from him, even during some nasty equinoctial gales in the North Atlantic.
But all a figment of my imagination, but certainly very entertaining.

 

[DavidofMersea]

Funnily enough... I was awoken twice last week when the TV did exactly the same thing... I thought it was the radio, and didn't pay any attention to content... Being a Smart TV I put it down to a software glitch when the TV checked for updates....

I see you live in Colchester - Are you anywhere near Mersea? Could it be the same ghost?

Also last week my electrically operated garage door was open - The first time I thought I must have forgotten to close it, but it happened again two days later

 

[mudkipper]

I see you live in Colchester - Are you anywhere near Mersea? Could it be the same ghost?

Also last week my electrically operated garage door was open - The first time I thought I must have forgotten to close it, but it happened again two days later

You could find that a near neighbour has his remote set to the same frequency as yours. Some plippers have quite a long range as I found out many years ago when I had my first remote garage door and curious to find its range I wandered off and managed to open one of my neighbours door instead.

I have noticed that my TV sometimes comes on with only sound for some time. There's electronics for you.

Your garden hose however.......