People Break Down The Most Compelling Paranormal Things They've Ever Experienced
BOO!!

The paranormal is a constant in our lives. I refuse to believe every creek in a house is the house itself "settling", sometimes that is grandma trying to give a message, or a lost soul hollering out. And as much as we love shows and movies about this stuff... nobody really wants to be Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost. I'm already afraid that serial killers are lurking in the shadows. That is more than enough to worry about.
Redditor u/chipit69 wanted to discuss the times the spooky has come knocking by asking..... What's the most compelling 'paranormal' thing you've experienced? Did it change your worldview? (Serious)balls of light....
Friend always said he had a haunted house and adjacent woods, said some wild stories that I never seriously thought to be true. During a sleepover he commented on seeing floating balls of light. I was the only one up when everyone went to bed, then felt weird and looked into the dining room. I saw a floating ball of light, which then rapidly expanded without a single sound and briefly blinded me. It expanded slower then light should have.
I have no idea what it was. Some kind of phenomenon, maybe? It mostly made me consider all the other stories he said that were much more extreme, like weird cryptids in the forest. He never said them in a manner that seemed joking or the like, just idle information.
Didn't change much. My other paranormal experience happened when I was so young the memory is much less reliable, although it was a lot more extreme.
Florida....
My grandma's boyfriend passed away and my mom and I traveled to Florida to help her make the arrangements. My grandma had a two bedroom condo in a gated community, so my mom took the second bedroom and I took the couch. I woke up at 4:19 am and heard old timey music. Figured my grandma was awake early and tried to go back to sleep. Then I heard shuffling down the hall. Figured my mom was going to the bathroom. But then I heard someone sigh and sit down in the leather recliner next to the couch that he always sat in. I immediately knew it was him.
Later in the day we visited his kids (not related to us) and my mom kept trying to get me to tell his oldest daughter. I told my mom I didn't want to upset her. She overheard and asked me to tell her. So I explain what happened. Her eyes got all wide and she looked at her husband. Apparently her husband woke up in the middle of the night, looked straight at her and told her her father was there and that he was ok.
That wasn't my first experience with the paranormal, but certainly one I could never forget.
"hey buddy, are you here with someone?"
I was at a bar about 8 years ago, had a pretty good buzz going, and I walked down the hallway to the restroom, and around the corner comes a little boy. He was maybe 6 or 7, he had on black pants and a white button down shirt, and he had short dark hair. Now it's one in the morning, and there's a little kid in the bar. He stopped when he saw me, and just looked at me. I said "hey buddy, are you here with someone?" And he got this really shocked look on his face and.... vanished.
Like..he didn't move, he disappeared. However, as I mentioned, I'd been drinking so I just blew it off.
Cut to 6 months later, I started bartending at that bar. I was working day shift, and when the owner came in at 4 pm, I told him that I didn't know there was an apartment above the bar and it must suck to have to listen to the bar all night, especially with little kids.
He asked me what the hell I was talking about. I told him I'd been listening to the kids upstairs playing and laughing and running around all day. He walked me up to the second floor. It's not an apartment. It's a huge, empty room.
One night I was closing the bar at 3:30 in the morning, and I went to the bathroom before I left. I was the only one there, and the doors were locked. I hear knocking on the bathroom door and a little kid giggling. No one was there when I opened the door.
That Christmas, I bought a rubber ball and a toy truck and a doll and left them upstairs in the empty room. For the next several months I would hear the ball bouncing across the wooden floor upstairs while I was working. It made me smile. They were just kids, at least they finally had some toys.
Coin Clutter....
The sound of change being stacked up on my glass-topped desk. I didn't have a pile of change in my desk but I could hear the clink of dimes and quarters moving around.
thunderstorm....
My maternal grandfather famously saw ball lightning in his room during a thunderstorm when my mother was young. It came in through the wall near the ceiling, floated around the room a bit and then left through another wall. It even left scorch marks on the walls where it came and went.
Apparently from that day on whenever there was a thunderstorm he'd make everyone in the house sleep together in the living room. I don't think he ever believed it was paranormal, but he was sure as heck scared by it.
In Basements....
My dad had a workshop in the basement. I was in bed sleeping and all of a sudden I heard some tools going off downstairs. I was trying to figure out why on earth my dad would be down there so late at night so I went to get up to investigate. As I passed by his room, I heard him snore. He was fast asleep (also he's deaf so no way he was waking up from the noise). Needless to say I ran back to bed and pulled the covers over my head.
My family also experienced a bunch of odd stuff in that house, like the workshop door handle jiggling or seeing a figure in the darkness. Even had our dog break into the house via the tiny basement window, shattering it and jumping the 8 feet to get in. That basement definitely had something going on and I've absolutely hated being in basements by myself ever since.
That House...
My sister and I were watching tv in my room when this black sphere a little smaller than a basketball appeared right below my ceiling. We didn't yell or run away, we watched it. Very slowly it moved down until it went past the foot of my bed so we couldn't see it anymore. We looked at each other and then we jumped up and ran downstairs.
Another time, same house, my friend had slept over. In the morning we were laying in bed talking about where we wanted to get breakfast.
As we're talking, a big bottle of coco butter that I had on my vanity mirror moved forward across the vanity about 6 inches and then shot to the floor. My friend immediately asked if we could go downstairs lol That house was built in the 1840's and we had so many experiences there, even my stepdad did and before that he didn't really believe in that stuff. I have a ton of stories if anyone's interested.
Almost Dead....
Not necessarily paranormal but I was waiting at a stop light about to turn left, the light turned green and normally I would just go, but for some reason I hesitated for like five seconds and just sat there as cars behind me honked.
I look to my left and a semi barrels through the intersection. If I would've gone I was dead. It's like my mind just blanked and something stopped me from going. Pretty creepy.
We Out!
I've always believed in the paranormal. Years ago, i lived in this house, and we would hear bangs upstairs, and we would run upstairs. Then upstairs we would hear one downstairs! Sometimes we would come home, to find the fridge is sideways, or the chairs are all pulled out, and doors open. The tv, lamps and other stuff would be unplugged.
This other time, my brother was laying in bed (his story), and felt a pressure on his legs, as if somebody was sat on the bed, on his legs. He said there was an actual bump in the sheets where he felt it too!
Glad we moved, lol.
Norman?
I stayed in a haunted hotel room. TV went wild one night and a woman appeared on the screen.
I was very skeptical and tried to figure out if it was a commercial but couldn't find anything online. That night I was woken up constantly by being lifted up onto my side, shaken, or outright hit in the stomach. It would feel like someone hit me with all of their might. I know I wasn't imagining it because it happened again the next night, and every night I stayed there that week. Freaky crap, but instantly made me a believer.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Americans Explain How Hollywood Movies About High School Compare To Their Own Experiences
My entire childhood was comprised of watching Hollywood movies about high school.
From High School Musical, I learned that theater is uncool and no jock would be caught dead in a musical. The Breakfast Club made me think Saturday detention wasn't so bad. I learned that teachers can be manipulated from Clueless, and Mean Girls showed me how divided high school kids are based on their cliques.
When I actually started high school, none of those lessons helped me. I knew several jocks who were talented musicians and starred in every musical. I never had Saturday detention, but I heard enough horror stories to know it was awful. Teachers are not fools who bend to a student's will, and cliques are almost a myth. Yes, the cheerleaders hang out with other cheerleaders, but they don't dump food all over the honors kids.
Very few high school movies reflect the actual high school experience. Redditors know this all to well and were ready to share their stories.
It all started when Redditor Many-Guide-8986 asked:
“Americans, how true are ‘American high school movies’ compared to real life high school?”
Unrealistic Understanding
"Different enough to warp the expectations of certain people. Someone upthread said that movies are designed by Hollywood execs to fill story niches and archetypes, which is pretty accurate. We're watching a story that has to be carefully crafted to fill the expectations of all the audience members, and the audience expects Reese Witherspoon as prom queen, Bill Gates as captain of the chess team, Jack Black's the clown, and Brad Pitt's the quarterback...even though that doesn't actually happen."
"There's more truth in Napoleon Dynamite than there is in Bring It On or Mean Girls."
– ScarnAndMacklinFBI
Party In The Parking Lot
"Most high school students don’t arrive to school early enough to tailgate in the parking lot"
– mattpsu79
"most are also not in their mid 20's and driving BMW's and Range Rovers, etc."
– ONESNZER0S
Time To Talk
"A weird thing is how they seemingly show it as if kids just have time to talk and chat in the middle of the day in the hallway by their lockers when in reality you're booking it across the building because you have 5 minutes to go from the first floor, get to your locker on the second floor, and then run all the way across the 3rd floor to your 3rd period class."
"Also dunno about y'all but I got only 25 minutes for lunch in HS, so nobody was milling about during lunch either in the halls."
– 14DusBriver
I Vant To Drink Your Blood
"there are way less vampires in real life high schools."
– NorthImpossible8906
"way less"
"i notice you didn't say none 👀"
– thedustynerve
"yeah with all the werewolfs they dont stand a chance"
– lunamuna239
Bullying Isn't Funny
"Speaking just for my school, not even close. Bullying is never as obvious as it is in movies (nobody dumps their tray on anyone or purposefully trips the new kid, actually most people are pretty friendly), most of the teachers and the principal are well- liked, there aren't well- defined cliques (nerdy group, jocks, cheerleaders, etc.) but there are large friend groups that intertwine and overlap and there is definitely drama. They do get active shooter drills and the amount of drugs/ smoking/ vaping right, though. Also, crazy, entitled parents."
"Edit: We don't go to school at 10 am, the sun is almost never up until after we arrive. And yes, we do get 2-3 hours of homework most days."
– CJgreencheetah
"I remember one time in school, I was walking down the hall with my books in my arms. A random bully ran down the hall and slapped them down, hard, sending all my stuff flying everywhere."
"In a movie, everyone would point and laugh. In movies, that sort of obvious bullying of a nerd would be treated as funny and normal."
"In reality, the other kids gasped, and a few random kids stopped and helped me gather up my things. I remember one girl saying, "That was so mean.""
– rotatingruhnama
On A Mission
"The fact that Superbad spent a whole movie trying to obtain alcohol is totally realistic. We absolutely had whole evening adventures trying to get booze. The Hawaii driver's license was definitely a thing in the mid 1990s. California IDs had holograms earlier and couldn't be faked anymore. Several people at school at fake Hawaii IDs back then. I'm sure one of the writers must be my age from CA."
"I watched this movie with an ex (South American), and he was confused because they all just bought booze from the tiendas when they were like 13."
– ninjaparking
The Most Important Meal Of The Day
"No family eats breakfast together before school/work."
– Sea-Sport7982
"And nobody goes out for a big sit down breakfast before school, either."
"I remember laughing because The OC always showed the characters going out for a nice breakfast in a restaurant before class, as if teenagers get up that early."
– rotatingruhnama
"This always drives me nuts in tv & movies. I don’t know ANYONE whose mom makes a huge spread like that for breakfast every day. Pancakes? Sure - but just pancakes, not also fresh cut fruit and orange juice and toast and etc etc etc. No one sits down to a huge meal like that every morning."
"AND, it’s usually dark out when most people are leaving for school/work. Only in the summer is bright that early."
– karmaandcandy
No One Is Just One Thing
"Friend groups are more porous than they make. For instance, there were football players that also acted in school plays, or wrestlers also in the math club."
"The bullying is less dramatic. Nobody is actually getting locked in a locker."
"We did actually use those red cups at parties that you always see in movies, my non-American friends were always shocked when I told them that."
– The_Nomadic_Nerd
Teenagers Only
"IRL there are far fewer 35 y.o. HS students."
– getbeaverootnabooteh
In Awe Of No One
"No one cares that much about the "popular" group of students, most people just mind their own business if they aren't with their friends."
– daaaa_meemer
A Regular Hangout
"We had 2:30 in between class periods. We did not have time to lean against the lockers and talk. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it snows, sometimes the wind blows; we had to go to school then too."
"In the winter it was very cold, in the summer it was unbearably hot. I bet they've fixed that because the expensive electronics would cook themselves. A school didn't need anything like that when they built the building."
"Usually there was some construction crew outside banging and hammering on something. There was no restaurant that we all hung out in. We did mob a pizza place a few times after the dances."
"They got mad because their employees were too busy, they didn't make enough money off of us and because the old people buying expensive food couldn't get through us. We caused numerous major traffic jams because we kept crossing the street."
"The cops showed up to direct traffic. The pizza place complained. The police went to the school and they told our parents that we had to stop. They let kept the rec center open later for us instead. They actually did put on a really good after party for the middle school dances after that. They just herded us all into there and told us we'd need to go home if we left or we'd get into trouble."
– Jaysnewphone
Just Dance
"I’m gonna take a guess that people don’t settle disputes with dance-offs"
– Cal1094
"well how disappointing"
– siciowaThe9
"When I was back in high school, break dancing was undergoing a small come back before getting swallowed up by Capoeira becoming the hot new thing."
"I witnessed several dance-offs. Only one was about a date. Most were about who was "da'best.""
– zenprime-morpheus
As a horrible dancer, I’m quite relieved we never did this!
I love money.
If I had an endless supply, I might throw it away with abandon.
But I am not blessed with that level of abundance.
Some people really take spending to an extreme.
To a point where maybe others should be in charge of their purse and wallet.
Redditor Shadowclook21 wanted to hear about the times we've seen people waste money on nonsense, so they asked:
"What is the dumbest thing you've seen someone spend their money on?"
I get we all like nice things, but we have to be smart with our coins.
Wake Up!
"An alarm clock coffee machine. It was me."
ineedanusername_
When on FB
"My wife is in a lot of mom groups on Facebook. The amount of people who beg for help for their poor babies who won’t get any Christmas/birthday gifts who also show off brand new giant tattoos is amazing. She shows me every time she finds one of these people and it happens all the time. Usually multiple recent photos of them out drinking and partying as well."
"So yeah, there’s a lot of people out there who blow big money in tattoos and partying instead of setting aside a little bit of money for their kids."
clocks212
Scratched
"Knew a girl who would spend all her money on scratchers and drugs. She would constantly go on about how when she finally won big she was going to move and get clean.... He grandmother gave her a 20 - 30k inheritance. Nothing changed except how many scratchers she would buy. I saw her buy out whole rolls occasionally. She wised up with the last few thousand and put some advance rent on an apartment (was in a motel) and fixed her car. But that money was gone in less than 2 months."
Sub_pup
60 Bucks
"PSA: Accidental subscriptions. Remember, kids, if you sign up for a free trial, be prepared to cancel that s**t the second they allow you. Otherwise, they'll start charging automatically."
xisiko1120
Kaboom
"My neighbors once spent all their money on a private firework show, then had to hide their cars from the repo man for months. No longer neighbors."
redheadedstepchild54
Neighbors are always going to neighbor.
Classics
"I bought a cassette tape two weeks ago. I don't even have a way to play cassettes but I still bought it."
sibipi3040
They're Everywhere
"My Mum has spent $1000s on crystals and stones. She continues to, and gives them as gifts, I have no idea wtf to do with them so I put them in my plants pots then she gets upset for some reason. Send help please."
Necessary_Oil_9779
"Get her a rock tumbler and have her tumble her own and try to identify them. Cheaper in the long run. Makes for a more interesting hobby too, if she gets into it. It will get her out of the house and into nature. Crystals are everywhere, they literally litter the earth. A lot of ordinary-looking rocks turn out quite beautiful once they've been tumbled."
TerrifyinglyAlive
Just a Waste
"I dated a guy who would still use his debit card even when his account was over drafted because he didn’t realize he was charged overdraft fees for every transaction. I had to explain to him his single snickers bar or bag of chips or whatever from the vending machine was now costing him an extra $35. And he did this multiple times every single shift he worked."
beaniequeeny
5 More Minutes
"Gambling machines. I work in a bar room. People will play these machines for 12+ hours and never win. Then they Win $700 the next night and think they’re on top... it’s insane. They look like zombies sitting there in a trance. Once had to unplug the machine on a patron who would not leave for closing. Kept saying '5 more minutes.'"
BrianFrom97
OnlyCrap
"I worked with a guy who'd spend 200-300 bucks a week on OnlyFans. He'd brag about it, I guess he thought of he'd spent enough he might get lucky or something."
TheRealJokar
Why do some people spend with such abandon? It makes no sense to me, but it's not my money.
Have you ever witnessed someone blow a load of cash on something crazy? Let us know in the comments below.
What is wrong with people?
Have we lost all sense of decorum?
I get that people need to speak their minds, but there are some moments where silence is the better option.
When you're naked and intimate with someone, it's best to not be mean.
I would've thought that would be a given.
Unless they're mean or creepy than do what you must.
But when you're alone in bed with a partner, partners, whatever, can't we put our best foot forward?
Redditor bipolar_bear76765 wanted to hear about the worst things we've heard in an intimate situation, they asked:
"What’s the worst thing anyone has ever told you in bed?"
If I have nothing nice to say, I just leave.
Follow my lead.
Over It
"I'm not attracted to you anymore. It wasn't during sex but it was still in bed."
Pennywise626
Hold Me
"I don't think you're sexy but you're really good for a cuddle."
JasonPassley
"I know the first and I love cuddling."
Fun-Agent-7667
"Even though I can see how this could’ve been hurtful, especially if you might’ve wanted to be considered more than 'cuddle material,' were you at least able to cuddle your way into self-soothing? Lol."
"Best vibes and hope you have fared well."
Famous-Somewhere-751
Wrong Number
"I got called a mistake immediately after. I had feelings for her and had had these feelings for her for years."
"I thought we would never actually be anything. She was the high school crush that ended up moving away and lost all contact. Through some crazy weird circumstances we ran into each other years later. We had been flirting like crazy for weeks. She immediately cut all contact. Pain."
throwthisoneoutdude
That was quick...
"That she had sex with a friend of mine like 20 minutes earlier."
"I had sex with someone last year who right after we finished proclaimed that she had a boyfriend. Fast forward a year and indeed, they're engaged and sh*t like that.. HOW THE F**!!"
"I had sex a few times with my housemate’s girlfriend. He was completely ok with it as they had an open relationship. She suggested it to me while the three of us were drinking together. He was fully supportive of it, I even took him aside when she went to the bathroom to make sure he wasn’t just saying it for her. It was a bit odd, but we all knew it was a no strings attached deal and it worked out fine in the long run."
bg-j38
Pardon Me?
"You can use one of my boyfriend's condoms. They're in the drawer, but they're probably too big."
InsomniumGatherum
"A lot of dudes who wear a magnum have no business wearing a magnum."
redrosebeetle
Lord, I need a bleach bath.
Stop!
"Just lost my hair due to heath concerns, was pretty embarrassed about it."
"He looks down and goes, 'Can you stop? You look like a man from this angle.' Oof."
Recoil
“'You make me feel dirty when you touch me.' Happened over 40 years ago and it still crawls under my skin."
wyoflyboy68
Tick-Tock
“'Just hurry and finish.' Two or three minutes in, she said it with a look of pure disgust."
Cultist902
We What?
"We have herpes, now."
420_Traveller
"I could be wrong, but in some places it’s a crime to knowingly infect someone. At least, I do know of civil cases where people were able to sue for damages when someone knowingly had sex with them without disclosing their STD status."
Improvised0
Well people really are the worst at times. Be sure to pick your bedfellows accordingly.
Do you have any experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
In the midst of our shopping, we've all seen those warning labels on product packaging that leave us absolutely rolling our eyes. Who could possibly need to be warned about that?
But since the warning exists, we have to assume that someone made that mistake at some point.
There's the added fun of unnecessary products that no one should believe would work.
But just like the directions, there seems to be a marketable need for every product and direction.
Redditor 98_percent_simian asked:
"What product is marketed pretty much exclusively to stupid people?"
Bedroom Enhancers
"Over-the-counter 'man-boosting' products like Nugenix Total-T. Though the commercials are hilarious. 'She'll like it too!' Yeah, I bet she did, Big Frank."
- gganate
Detox Culture
"Foot detox pads. Detox anything, actually."
- pugapooh
Trust Your Body
"It drives me crazy when people talk about how they are going to do a cleanse and detox their digestive system because they have built up sludge."
"It's insane because your digestive system works just fine. If it isn't working, you need to be in the hospital."
- Chickadee12345
Paid Social Media Features
"Every social media’s paid badges. I just don’t get it. Why? Just why do we need to pay for a badge?"
- JacDGzmm
Ulterior Motives
"Megachurch donations that are advertised to bring you salvation or other holy benefits."
- cmpzak
Conspiracy Theories
"5G blockers."
"My friend's mother had her house painted with 5g blocking paint inside and out. She then got s**tty about her mobile not getting a signal and her WiFi not working properly."
"What did she think the paint was blocking?! Honestly, I'm surprised it did anything."
- animuscreeps
MLM Culture
"I've had people attempt to rope me in before. The trick is that they spent hours roping you into the idea of 'working for yourself,' 'being your own boss,' 'affording for your family,' and 'living wealthy.' Pain points that any common American would typically have."
"They make you go through meetings, 'interviews,' and continually feed you the mentality and never actually mention the name of the company or what the actual business is."
"Until finally, after forever, they drop the Amway, Herbalife, Mary Kay, or whatever name. By that point, they've already sold you on the 'dream' that you convince yourself to try and put in the work."
"I've looked up definitions and excerpts about what brainwashing is. It literally felt like the same thing."
- BeckQuillion89
Headache Relief
"'HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead. HeadOn. Apply directly to the forehead.'"
"The ad never even says what HeadOn is supposed to actually do. It's supposed to relieve headaches, but they couldn't claim that because they have absolutely no proof of it maybe working."
- Kazeto
Essential Oils
"Essential Oils, not for the aromas, that’s all well and good but for its 'healing properties.' It’s sad when people become vehemently ill and rely on lavender to heal them or their children."
"Bunch of sad stories of children dying due to moronic parents believing in the powers of some plant over modern medicine."
- Pears_and_Peaches
Diet Culture
"Fat loss everything."
- Frost_Giant_14
Got Fight Milk?
"Fight Milk. I drink it every morning so I can fight like a cow."
- gamesfordogs
Questionable Movement
"I'm thinking Scientology."
- BronzeHeart92
Gambling Opportunities
"When I go to Eastern Europe on vacation, there are mini-casinos on every corner. Sports betting, slot machines, etc. The middle-aged men in these clubs, frantically smoking cigarettes, hopelessly staring at the screens, with not an ounce of life in their eyes."
"Not sure if it's stupidity or desperation. But it's a sad sight to see."
- goaelephant
Inaccurate Results
"Online free IQ tests."
- BeefHouse11
Vacation Points
"Vacation Club 'points' (worse than a timeshare because it's nothing tangible)."
"My FIL offered to 'use points' to book us a vacation years back. He bought the points as a flex in front of his BIL and thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread."
"Fast forward about two months after purchase and he makes his offer to cover a trip for us with some of the points. What he failed to mention/realize is that the points were for the ROOM ONLY."
"So as we started looking into the 'trip' being offered we realized not only would we have to pay for our flights but we would have to pay the all-inclusive fee at over 100 dollars each/per day. When we mentioned this he told us we would have to cover it because 'they cost too many points.'"
"So I did the math and hopped on Expedia to show him I could get the same trip for over 1000 dollars less when I just booked it online without the points. He REFUSED to believe this was possible until he tried to book his own trips with the points and ended up getting hosed. The look on his face when he tried to 'sell the points' (which the salesperson assured him would go for more than he paid for them if he decided to sell) was priceless."
"I bet you already guessed that the only 'customers' for the points are the company that sold them in the first place and they buy them back for pennies on the dollar." - YKYB
Some of these products and ideas have been around for a long time and continue to interest new consumers. But as some here have pointed out, the products are more about putting on a good appearance than actually delivering results.