With the recent announcement of Face Your Fear Night on October 17 at Fort Taber in New Bedford, the SouthCoast has been overwhelmingly ready to explore the haunted fort and batteries at the historic park. They're going to grab up their flashlights, maybe pick up an EMF meter and walk bravely into the dark.

Except for one question--how do you keep something from following you home?

Now, I won't lie to you and tell you that all ghosts stay in the spots in which they haunt. For the most part, that's true, but from time to time one has been known to attach itself to the living. I'm not talking about some kind of possession, just something coming for a visit. But unless you want your house to turn into The Conjuring, we highly recommend you follow these simple rules to avoid a ghost following you home from Fort Taber:

 

 

  • 1

    BE RESPECTFUL

    The easiest way to keep a ghost from following you home is to avoid making it want to follow you home. While that normally goes without saying, many people's idea of "ghost hunting" comes from what they've seen on paranormal reality television shows, which often includes provoking spirits in order to get a rise out of them. While I've done that myself--and may even do it during Face Your Fears Night--it's best left in the hands of those with experience. Better for you to just play nice.

  • 2

    SAY A PRAYER

    It doesn't matter if you're religious or not, or if you are, what your belief system is. What matters is that you're looking for some kind of a higher power to offer you protection from anything hitching a ride back to your place.

  • 3

    CARRY A TALISMAN

    If you have something that makes you feel safe, or lucky, bring it with you. Maybe it's a scrap of your baby blanket. It could be your grandmother's rosary beads. Heck, even a rabbit's foot. Anything that you feel can empower you against unwanted attachments probably will. Because it's not the item that has the power--it's you. You just need something on which to focus that power.

  • 4

    WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS--ASK

    My basic rule of thumb to avoid having something follow me home is that I go into every investigation with the mindset that nothing is allowed to do so. Sometimes, I'll even say that out loud in order to verify my belief and make the spirits know that's how it is. But if the night is wrapping up and you're still feeling a little uncomfortable, there's nothing wrong with asking the ghosts to remain at the location, where they belong.

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