Have you ever seen a ghost or felt an unsettling presence? Maybe the coffee cup you KNOW you left in the kitchen is suddenly in the living room? These uncomfortable and creepy experiences are often attributed to the supernatural, but could they be something else?
Could ghost sightings actually be caused by mold exposure?
How common are ghost sightings?
With 18% of American adults reporting to have seen a ghost, this is more common than many people may believe. If you haven’t seen a ghost or experienced a presence yourself, odds are you know someone who has. These sightings are most common in older homes and abandoned spaces, but have been reported all over the world.
From bumps in the night and unrecognizable sounds to apparitions that dart past you, ghost sightings can be unsettling and deeply disturbing!
Could Mold be causing ghost sightings?
Recently, scientists have begun looking for a less supernatural explanation to these phenomena and some now believe that ghost sightings are actually caused by Mold exposure!
Depending on your feelings about ghosts and the supernatural, you may find this possible explanation to be a bit hard to believe, but is it? Exposure to molds and their mycotoxins have been linked to depression, anxiety, movement disorders, delirium, dementia, and disorders of balance and coordination, among others. Some scientists now believe that these effects from exposure to mold are causing the unsettling feeling and even visions of ghosts and apparitions.
In fact, air sampling performed by Professor Shane Rogers from Clarkson University in New York have shown significantly higher mold counts in properties where ghost sightings have been reported. While his research is ongoing, this seems to add a good deal of credence to this theory.
Proof or speculation?
While unproven at this time, studies and research conducted by a number of different scientists around the world have pointed towards mold as a potential cause. With over 100,000 different types of mold, we still do not fully understand the effects of exposure to each strain and their mycotoxins. In fact, while we know that some mold strains create mycotoxins as a defense mechanism and we recognize the hazard these compounds represent, we cannot say that any particular mold does NOT create mycotoxins – we may simply not yet be able to test for or recognize the compounds those strains produce.
Over the last few years we have come to learn much more about molds and the effects of exposure, but there is still much we do not know. It is entirely possible that we may find that the feeling of a ghostly presence in your home may instead be mold hidden away in your wall cavity or under the floor just playing tricks on you.
What can you do about Mold?
If you have, or suspect, a mold problem in your home, it is important to contact a qualified Mold Remediation firm that will be able to determine what may be going on at your property and prepare a detailed proposal. When selecting a Mold Remediation firm, look for one that provides the service regularly and has been doing so for quite some time (Disaster Blaster, for instance, has decades of experience in the Mold Remediation industry). We also highly recommend hiring a Mold Remediation firm that does not also perform Mold Testing, as this is a conflict of interest. It’s always best to have an independent 3rd party perform any testing services to ensure results are impartial. Disaster Blaster does not perform mold testing and we would not recommend a firm that does not recognize this conflict.
We hope you have a wonderful Halloween where the only ghosts and goblins you see are kids filling their bags with candy!
As always, should you ever have a need for Mold Remediation or any of our other services, please don’t hesitate to contact your local Disaster Blaster!
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