I'm fairly used to spiritual activities; it's something that runs in my family for generations. Very few things actually scare me—unless it's a truly malevolent entity. Unfortunately, I encountered one just once.

My mother’s fourth husband—who thankfully was also her last—didn’t like me, and honestly, the feeling was mutual. In life, he was obsessed with perfection to an almost pathological degree—possibly even OCD OCD. He took perfectionism to such extremes that after vacuuming the carpet, he would comb the fibers so they all stood in a certain direction!

I was meticulous with my work, too, but never to his level of obsession.

After he died, I went to my mom’s house to help with some things that needed to be sorted out. I started cleaning, like I always do, while my mom was busy in one of the bedrooms. She came out to the kitchen and told me she was going next door to see a friend. I didn’t think much of it and kept on cleaning.

I was in the kitchen the first time I felt it. I didn’t need to see him; just the energy in the room told me—it was her late husband.

I kept vacuuming, pretending I hadn’t noticed his presence, and then moved on to the dining room without looking back. I could feel him getting closer, so I finally whispered softly:

"I’m doing my best, Sam."

Right then, a chill ran through me, and the hairs on my arms stood up. I looked outside through the sliding glass door; the sun was starting to set. Still, I didn't look back. Then I saw my mom walking through the garden, coming home. As soon as she came in, I told her:

"We need to leave. Now. Sam is here!"

She replied completely calmly:

"I know. That’s why I left the house."

I felt a surge of anger inside but didn’t say anything. We quietly walked around the house, gathering her bag and a few things, and when we reached the door, we actually ran outside.

My mom stayed with me until she put her house on the market. We only returned once, during a yard sale—taking the whole family with us that time.

That was the only time in my life I ever felt pure hatred coming from a spirit. It’s an experience I never want to repeat. Wishing you all a blessed day.

Written by Sheena Key on Quora

Psychological Analysis

It's clear that the relationship between Sheena and her late stepfather was fraught with negative emotions: aversion, tension, and maybe even suppressed fear.

Such a strained relationship creates fertile ground for what's known in psychology as "psychological projection" (Psychological Projection), where the subconscious mind manifests feelings of hatred or fear as a sensory experience that's interpreted as a 'spiritual presence.'

Returning to her mother's house while her mother was out was a powerfully emotional trigger: every corner reminded her of the man she despised. So, her feeling of his presence, the sudden chill, and the goosebumps can all be understood as physical responses to anxiety and painful memories, rather than signs of anything supernatural.

Parapsychological Analysis

From a paranormal perspective, what happened resembles 'residual manifestation' or residual haunting Residual Haunting Any strong emotional energy can linger in a place after the death of someone with a dominating or aggressive personality.

This type of phenomenon doesn’t involve consciousness or real interaction; it’s more of an energetic echo of the deceased’s character and behaviors, leaving a 'vibrational imprint' on the place—especially if the person was obsessed with order and control, like her stepfather.

What reinforces this idea is that Sheena didn’t see a clear figure but instead sensed a specific energy and said she 'recognized him from the vibration he gave off.' This is a common description in 'energy sensitivity' experiences energy sensing . Read more about the sensation of a presence that isn’t there.

Spiritual Interpretation

From a spiritual viewpoint, it’s said that spirits who die clinging to perfection and control can remain restless after death. The appearance of the husband as a 'hostile' presence might indicate an unwillingness to leave the earthly realm or an ongoing attachment to the place and the need to control it, fitting his dominant personality in life.

The mother’s reaction ('I know, that’s why I left') suggests she had also sensed his presence or perhaps had similar experiences before, indicating that Sheena wasn’t the only one affected.

Environmental and Neurological Factors

Scientifically, a sudden chill could result from a draft or a change in room pressure (a common occurrence in old houses). Low oxygen levels or dim lighting combined with stress can create the sensation that someone is standing behind you—a phenomenon known in neuroscience as 'the sensed presence effect,' describing the feeling of a presence nearby even when you’re alone.