There aren’t many things I love as much as ghost stories. But recently, I’ve found that I’m equally obsessed with hearing about the completely logical situations that explain them. One iconic story I read online told of how a woman thought she was going crazy – she was losing track of time, she was hearing voices, she was seeing things – and when others came to visit her, they had similar experiences. In the end, it turned out there was a gas leak in her home, and it explained all her symptoms. In fact, it was lucky she’d share them online, because the gas leak could have been fatal. Now, I’ve come across a Reddit thread which asked police who have solved ‘paranormal’ disturbances to share what actually happened. And I’m in heaven. Listen: A palliative care nurse shares her eerie encounters. Post continues after audio. Slight confusion. “Once got called to a house. Guy said attic door was open and it was closed earlier. Also heard noises. Roommates confirmed. It later was revealed they watched a scary movie and agreed they had actually went up there earlier and forgot.” Side effects. “Most of the “paranormal” calls are mental illness. Had a lady claiming she was followed from another state by a man. And the man dug a tunnel into her house and was writing words all over her apartment and body. Even alleged that while we were talking to her outside, her blinds moved upstairs. Of course nothing was written anywhere and there was no secret tunnel. Sister came over and told us that she recently started arthritis medicine and ever since she has been hallucinating.” A little trick. “We had a woman complaining of ghosts in her attic, and after checking for animals and other unwanted guests, she still was adamant about there being ghosts up there. Image via iStock. To solve this, another officer went to his patrol car and got a radar gun, spun around while making it beep constantly, then confidently told the old lady "You should be fine ma'am, I'm not picking up the presence of any spirits." She fully accepted that we carry paranormal activity equipment and was completely put at ease. It was a fun time." Still unexplained. "I worked for a guy on shift who had a legit story. When he was a younger patrol officer he got the urge to check this old cemetery where people were buried over 100 years ago and it's mostly abandoned and hidden. Well he was driving down the dirt road and found a man who hung himself from a tree. Well he radiod it in and long story short they cut the guy down and took him away and that was the end of the scene. Next night he comes back and the tree is gone. There was no stump. No sign of a tree. Never figured out where it went." Problem solved. "We recently attended a woman who had run into her neighbour's house at 3am, screaming that she was being haunted. We talked to her while the police went through her house. Apparently she had been on the computer when her blinds opened themselves. While she was up looking at the blinds her computer chair spun itself. She ran back over to her computer and found that something had put gum on the seat. Not the most threatening item, but she was panicked. Image via iStock. The police had found nothing (no gum) and we decided that they would take her some place safe for the evening. We were just pulling away from the scene when the cruiser pulled up next to us. Turns out the back seat was haunted as well, and she ended up taking a ride with us to a comfy hospital bed. The house went up for sale that week but never sold. We went back recently and she was just getting ready for alcohol treatment. So problem solved." An unwelcome intruder. "I had a funny one where a woman was making dinner for her husband, getting it back ready in the microwave. He wasn't supposed to be home for another hour or so. She came back down to the kitchen and what she was heating up was gone, same with the cutlery she left out. She called 911 and said there was either a ghost or someone broke in and stole her husbands reheated left overs. We went and found the husband out on the deck enjoying his meal thinking his wife had already left so he didn't bother looking her. Innocent story that had good timing for it to happen."
