For a long time people have written about, and wondered, can a ghost set off an alarm? Whether it is a smoke alarm, car alarm, motion detector, or anything else, these alarms often go off for no reason, and many people believe that it might be ghosts, spirits, or other paranormal beings causing these mysterious occurrences.
In this post I want to talk about a few stories where this occurred, cover how it might be happening, and tell you about how you can test it for yourself.
Let’s start about each type of Alarm, and how it might be possible for a ghost to set it off.
Can Ghosts Set Off Smoke Alarms / Fire Alarms?
I recently read a story, where a family had smoke alarms that would go off every night around the same time.
Each time the inspected the home, they found no smoke, no fire, and no dust that may have set the fire alarm off.
After inspecting and testing the smoke alarms they determined that the batteries were full, and they were not malfunctioning.
However, the alarm just kept going off every night, causing extreme annoyance, waking them up every time.
After having this happen every night for quite some time, the homeowner set out to find out if there was any other possible cause for the alarm going off every night and discovered that hundreds of people online had been complaining of similar problems, and blaming it on ghosts.
Curious if this was even possible, she continued researching to see what others had to say.
What she found out is similar to what I talk about in my post about communicating with ghosts using a flashlight, that ghosts are actually made of energy.
In fact the famous Roman exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth once said:
“Demons occupy a house and appear in electrical goods. Let’s not forget that Satan and his followers have immense powers. It is normal for domestic appliances to be involved and for demons to make their presence known via electricity.”
Essentially what he is saying, is that because spirits are made of energy, they are capable of appearing in all sorts of appliances, as well as controlling electronics in all sorts of manners.
This is also the same reason that EMF meters are the most common tool used by ghost hunters and paranormal investigators to this day.
So, to sum up, it is entirely possible for a ghost or spirit to cause a smoke alarm go off, either by simply passing beneath it or intentionally by powering its inner workings.
Ghosts have been known to communicate via flashlights, spirit boxes, and all sorts of other appliances, so it is more than possible they could trigger a smoke alarm or any other type of alarm.
Could A Smoke Alarm Be Triggered By Something Other Than A Ghost?
Absolutely, there are many possible ways that a smoke alarm could be being triggered.
For example, many modern smoke alarms can actually be triggered by extreme heat.
So if you’re alarm is going off mysteriously during summer months, you may want to check the heat in the attic to see if that could be the issue.
It could also be steam from a shower, dust in the air, or even an unusual malfunction.
The bottom line is, although it is entirely possible for ghosts to set off smoke alarms, it is still more likely that it is something else. If you believe there is a ghost in your home, you’re much better off getting a quality EMF meter and trying to detect it’s presence that way.
Check out my huge guide on the best EMF meters for ghost hunting.
Ok, now let’s talk about if it’s possible for a ghost or spirit to set off a motion detector.
Can Ghosts Set Off Motion Sensors?
This is another one that is tough to answer and highly contested. First let’s talk about one story I recently found on a paranormal forum, of a gentleman who really believed his home security alarm was being set off by a ghost.
The man had left his home for the evening, all the windows had been locked, the door was locked, the heat turned off and he had no pets in the home whatsoever.
An hour or so after he had left, his home alarm company called him saying that several motion sensors had been triggered as if someone was moving around the home.
They dispatched police to the home, but after an exhaustive search, it appeared that no one had entered the home. All the doors and windows were still locked.
The man had a few cameras in his home, and after comparing the time-stamp to the time the motion sensor went off, he was not able to see anything at all that could have triggered it.
The alarm companies only explanation is that it could have been a small insect. However the homeowner tested this theory by throwing small objects in front of the motion detector, and none of them triggered it.
Left with no other ideas, he wondered if it could have possibly been a spirit.
His theory was not completely un-plausible, in fact, simple motion detectors (like this one) have been used by ghost hunters and paranormal investigators for a long time.
Their belief is that although our eyes might not always be able to detect a ghost, spirit, or white figure, the infrared sensors on motion detectors just might.
This theory is also partly based on the belief in Ecto-plasm (or Ecto-Mist), that essentially says that although our physical bodies are left behind when we die, our spiritual bodies still remain, and those bodies are made of intense amounts of energy.
Here is a video of a simple motion sensor light being set off by, what the video-taker believes, is a ghost or spirit.
Now, although many believe that motion sensors can absolutely be set off by ghosts and spirits, there are also many plausible ways that a motion detector could be set off without anyone around. Including:
- Tremors
- Mechanical Malfunction
- Light Change
- Heat Change
- Insect
- Shadows
- Etc.
So, It is likely that motion sensors will continue to be used by ghost hunters and paranormal investigators, not everyone believes these work.
Can A Ghost Set Off A Car Alarm?
This is less common, but there certainly have been stories where this occurred.
One example is a gentleman who was out doing a ghost investigation at his local graveyard. He had been investigating a nearby mausoleum for nearly an hour when he remembered he had forgotten something in his car. As he gets near his car, the alarm goes off, scaring him greatly.
Now, the car was not locked, the alarm was not set, and the keys were loose in his pocket meaning there was no way for the alarm to be set off accidentally.
Safe to say, he left shortly after.
When he got home and reviewed the audio recording, he heard an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) saying “Oh Yeah” very distinctly.
Watch the video for yourself:
So, is it possible that a ghost could have set off the car alarm? Well, if you believe like we talked about above that ghosts are indeed made of energy, and can be detected by EMF meters, then you should also believe that it is certainly possible that a ghost could do something as simple as setting off an alarm.
However, just like with smoke alarms and motion sensors, there is almost always another possible reason that the alarm could be going off.
Final Thoughts On Spirits Setting Off Alarms
I personally believe that it is absolutely possible for a ghost, a spirit, or another paranormal being to set off an alarm. I’ve seen ghosts communicating through flashlights and other appliances, and so it is possible, and probably even likely, that these spirits will communicate through anything they can, including alarms of all types.