Can Ghosts Follow You Home?

I was talking to a friend the other day about HauntJaunts.net and he said, "Ghosts can follow you home. You don't want to be messing with seeking them out, Courtney. That's bad stuff."

That's a concept I've seen addressed on some of the TV shows that deal with ghosts and haunted places. Some people perform little protection ceremonies before even entering a suspected haunted area. Others do it after, and ask that the spirits leave them in peace as they have tried to do while on their territory. Some combine both techniques together.

I always think it's respectful, if you think you're in the presence of a ghost, to introduce yourself, explain why you're there, and to ask that the entity respect your boundaries. Unless you really do something not to a ghost's liking, I can't see them meaning you any harm.

I also don't believe ghosts can, will, or would even want to follow you home. Mostly I believe they can't, though. I believe ghosts are attached to their surroundings. So much so that's what causes them to haunt there!

But as for regular, every day people who happen to show up? Why would they follow you home? If they didn't know you while they were alive, they couldn't form an attachment to you. Hence, there's no emotion invested in you, nothing at stake.

Although, I have to admit I've read a couple of interesting stories about such a concept, such as Janet Brown's The Ghost in a Yellow Dress or Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. The first dealt with a ghost following someone home, the second with a ghost haunting the buyer of a haunted suit off of eBay.

All fiction aside, I believe it's not a ghost you're dealing with if it follows you home. It's something worse. Could be something evil, perhaps even demonic, but you're run-of-the-mill ghost? Nah. There's no motivation for them to do such a thing.

Still, for paranormal activity that's sketchy and less run-of-the-mill (i.e. not your average bumps in the night/apparition sightings), it's probably best to say your blessings and perform protection ceremonies when adventuring to those.