As Shakespeare once wrote, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Is something going bump in the night inside your home?

Whatever you may believe, the idea of ghosts is an ingrained part of popular culture—one that many take very seriously. For many, ghosts are a fascinating glimpse into the supernatural world. For others, they are a terrifying nightmare from which they wish to escape.

Theories concerning the origin of ghosts concern hallucinations, electromagnetic phenomena, actual souls of the departed, or even demonic activity, but one thing is for certain: there are things about our world we do not understand.

Those things may very well be dwelling within the darkened corners of your home.

Ghosts, whatever they may be, are sometimes harmless, but are not always, and so it may be useful to learn how to identify a haunting so that you can call in professional help in the form of whatever authority you think you may be most effective.

Pulled form stories of numerous hauntings, there are certain markers that may indicate the presence of an otherworldly entity in your house, so let’s check out the 7 biggest signs that your home is haunted.

Strange Sounds

Do you hear things like voices, footsteps, scratching, or even loud banging when you know no one else is active in your home?

You might just have a haunting on your hands.

You can tell something of the nature of your haunting by listening carefully. Softer noises like whisperings and tappings seem to correspond with more benign entities, while guttural, animalistic noises tend to be associated with demonic infestation.

One of the most famous stories of ghostly sounds comes from a woman who made use of a sleep aid app for her phone—one which records sleep noises so that users can find out if they snore.

One day, while reviewing the app, she came across a section of recording that contained strange clicking sounds, and, disturbingly, a deep, male voice plainly saying “It’s them.”

The voice didn’t match the woman’s, nor did it match that of her child—they were the only two in the locked home. She moved out soon after, and no explanation was ever found, despite the fact that she provided the file for public analysis.

If you’re hearing odd noises in your home that just don’t seem to have any source, they could be coming from something not of this world.

Cold Spots

Unexplained shifts in temperature are one of the most common signs of ghostly activity. If one room—or especially if it’s a small part of one room—becomes much colder than its surroundings, something supernatural may be afoot.

Some paranormal investigators surmise that, because spirits absorb ambient energy—both emotional and physical—in order to manifest, they lower surrounding temperatures. And so the colder the spot, the stronger the ghost is likely to be.

If you’ve been sensing something off about your home, try taking a walk around and feeling for shifts in temperature—you might just find a clue. Some cold spots seem to roam about, but most stay in one place—if you find one, place a thermometer to record the difference, and then check for any natural causes, such as a drafty window or insufficient insulation in that area of the house.

These cold spots aren’t limited to the air, either. They can appear on furniture, walls, ceilings, and floors, so be thorough as you investigate.

Unexplained Sights

One of the most frightening aspects of a haunting lies in unexplained sights.

There are countless tales of people who most definitely saw something in their homes which could not be explained through any normal means.

These sightings come in several forms, but one of the more common is the “shadow.”  Many claim to have seen shadowy, humanoid figures—these are sometimes called “shadow people.” If you see a shadow flit across your bedroom in the night without an apparent source, you may want to begin investigating a possible haunting.

Keep in mind that these “shadow people” are sometimes merely eye floaters—a natural occurrence that causes you to see dark little strands when looking at light surfaces, so be sure to investigate any possible natural causes.

Besides shadows, ghosts sometimes manifest on film. If you’ve seen something mysterious, take a few photos around your home using film rather than a digital camera. If you end up with strange, glowing orbs or human figures that weren’t there when you took the shot, you’ve got a ghost on your hands.

Odd Behavior in Children and Pets

Animals and children are much more sensitive to their environments than adults are, and their behavior can often tell you when something is amiss.

With kids, look for the sudden appearance of an imaginary friend. While this may be your average case of imagination, there could be something a bit more spectral going on, so check for other signs.

With animals, keep an eye out for certain areas of the home they refuse to enter, or if they become spooked at certain times—especially around the twilight hours. Your dog or cat may suddenly stare at something across the room that you can’t see, or may run to you and cower in fear.

Of course, there are plenty of natural explanations for this behavior—there may be unfamiliar smells that your animal doesn’t like, or even an unpleasant floor texture that your pet can’t stand.

Combined with other signs, however, sudden, odd behavior from your pets and children can’t be ignored, and could mean a haunting.

Inexplicable Feelings

This is the sign that tends to drive people out of their homes after a time, and can be downright terrifying.

Have you ever been sitting alone in your house, and suddenly felt someone’s gaze, as if you were being watched? Perhaps that feeling intensifies when looking into a dark closet or corner? Do you feel unexplained dread or nervousness in one particular room?

If there’s no other explanation for these feelings, this is another sign that your house might be haunted.

A general sense of discomfort or dread is very common in cases of suspected hauntings, and is often accompanied by strange dreams and night terrors. If these are present, you may have something worse than mere ghosts in your home—you may want to find a priest.

Before you jump to supernatural conclusions, however, head over to a counselor and find out if there’s something else in your life that might be causing these feelings—you may have associated one or more rooms in your home with a stressful event.

If you can’t pinpoint a source to these feelings, though, you’re one more point toward a haunted home.

EMF Activity

One of the ways in which paranormal investigators search for hauntings is through EMF—electromotive force—readings.

Handheld EMF readers detect fields that are emitted by moving electrically charged objects, and ghost hunters use these devices to look for EMF signal spikes, which they believe indicates the presence of a spiritual being.

Some scientists speculate that our conscious minds consist of an electromagnetic field, and that this field does not collapse when our physical bodies die. Thus, an EMF meter might just be able to detect the presence of a disembodied consciousness.

If you’ve found a cold spot, try switching the EMF meter on and leaving it there. If it has an alarm, activate it so that you’ll be alerted to any odd activity as soon as it happens.

Keep in mind, though, that appliances like televisions and microwaves also emit EMF fields, and so you’ll want to turn off and unplug them before you begin your search.

General Negativity

The very worst hauntings can affect not only your home, but your very emotions.

If you find yourself suddenly feeling a lack of interest in activities you once loved, or if tension and anger begin to arise in your otherwise loving and peaceful household, take note. This goes beyond mere strange feelings—this is full-blown emotional manipulation.

If this occurs in combination with the other signs, you may be dealing with a demonic infestation. However you define a demon—whether as the traditional Judeo-Christian fallen angel, or as some malevolent transdimensional entity, it’s bad, and to stop its effects, you must stop feeding the negativity it produces by purposefully acting in positive ways.

Of course, this can also simply be the result of normal household strife, and so if this sign appears in isolation—if there are no other ghostly signs to accompany it—all you may need is a vacation, a little family time, or perhaps a trip to the counselor.

But if you think you’ve got a real haunting on your hands, watch out for this sign—it’s a frightening one.

Fact or Fiction

The truth is, we don’t know a whole lot about the way our universe works. Recent scientific advances have opened up far more questions than they’ve solved regarding parallel universes, possible alternative forms of life, and much more. Whatever a ghost might be, though, there are plenty of people who can attest to having made brief contact with something unexplainable.

Have you? Check for the signs in your own home—you might be surprised at what you find.