On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 15:58:27 -0000, "mich"
wrote:

I have refrained from making a posting such as this before because I am
sure someone will take the p*ss!
I am not superstitious and I am not prone to being led by my emotions
generally.

I have lived in my current house which has a large garden for about four
years. It was very overgrown when I arrived.
I have spent sometime clearing it and making flower beds and a veggie patch
amongst other things. I haven't finished yet by a long way.

There is a part of this garden which worries me. I can only describe it as
having a "presence".
Its spooks me. I find it erie and when I have been working and clearing
there I always feel as if I am being watched or someone has come into the
garden and I have to leave to take a look etc.

snip

One of the first things you need to establish is just how real the
'presence' is.

There are a few things you can do to this end;
Stand in the centre of your garden, have someone blindfold you.
Now, spin around a few times so as to disorientate yourself.
The other person should now guide you to various parts of the garden,
where you will sit for a while and try to describe how you feel.
You should ensure that you are guided to areas just outside the
target, so as to minimize any geographic recognition.

If the garden is such that you can detect where you are even with a
blindfold on, do the same again but wear a walkman ( playing something
suitably loud and distracting....though nothing by Pink Floyd - it'll
only make you maudlin ).
Have the assistant lead you by the arm.

It may help to have a couple of stiff drinks beforehand, just to add a
general sense of fuzziness.

The object of the exercise is to duplicate the old 'pepsi challenge'
at an emotional level - you may well find that without the aid of
external stimuli your senses will fail to recognise any change in your
emotional awareness at a specific point in the garden.

If it's any consolation I get much the same feeling sometimes when
strolling through the woods adjacent to my garden.
It doesn't happen often, but there are times when I feel distinctly
uncomfortable walking through the woods - so I leave.
On the flip-side, there are times when the tranquillity to be found
there is quite breathtaking.
I did some research a little while back and found that local history
shows the woods contained a pit ( I sometimes dig up interesting
bottles and the like ), and records the death of at least one workman
when the old railway line was being built at the top of the woods.

If you try the experiment and it proves that you can detect a tangible
presence, you'll have to try a less rational approach.
Don't be too disheartened though, it's your garden and you must do
whatever you feel will make things right.
One suggestion ( which probably won't sound any less daft than all the
others ) is to try talking to whatever it is that's there.
There's some logic in this - there are many things that can trigger an
emotional response, or a long forgotten memory. Scents, images,
textures...even the quality of light can trigger changes in mood.
Indulge yourself, strike up a conversation and see where it leads - it
could well be that a certain part of your garden strikes a chord with
some inner conflict, and this might be the chance to resolve it.
And after all, isn't that what gardens are all about?

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk