✴️ When Spirits Lie: Are All Ghosts Honest?

 

What I’ve Learned (Sometimes the Hard Way) About Spiritual Deception

🌫️ Not Every Ghost That Knocks Is a Messenger of Truth
When I first started my journey into the spirit world, I wanted to believe all spirits were honest. That they came with love, healing, or some final message we just needed to hear. I used to feel comforted when I sensed a presence around me, or when something moved in the house without explanation. But over the years—through research, experience, and a few situations I still reflect on carefully—I came to understand something far more complex:

Spirits can lie.
Not all ghosts are kind. Not all presences mean well. Some of them trick you. Some feed off your pain. Some just want to be heard—but not all are who they say they are.

This article is one I’ve been wanting to write for a long time—not to scare anyone, but to protect and prepare those walking this path. Especially if you’re intuitive, sensitive, grieving, or exploring mediumship, witchcraft, or any form of spiritual contact.

🔮 The Belief That All Spirits Are Truthful
For a long time, spiritual traditions—especially in modern New Age spaces—have romanticized spirit communication. You hear people say things like, “My guides told me,” or “The spirit said they were someone I lost.”

And sometimes that’s true.
There are loving spirits. Ancestors. Guides. Protectors.
I’ve felt their presence. I’ve received messages I couldn’t have imagined. I honor them.

But assuming that every spirit is a wise teacher or lost soul in need? That’s where many people—myself included—get caught out.

Even in folklore and older traditions, spirits were treated with caution. Offerings were made, circles cast, and discernment taught. The reason is simple:

Some spirits deceive. Some manipulate. Some pretend.

👻 When the Spirit World Misleads You
Let me share something I learned the hard way.

Years ago, I believed I was communicating with a familiar spirit. It started gently—through dreams, intuitive nudges, even through a pendulum. The messages were helpful at first. Comforting, even. But slowly, something shifted. The energy became heavy. My emotions were no longer calm after sessions. The “guidance” started turning into pressure. Confusion. Fear.

I realized something was off.
And when I stopped allowing it in, it fought to stay.

It wasn’t the spirit I thought it was. And I’m not alone. I’ve heard stories from other witches, mediums, and spiritual workers where something similar happened.

⚠️ Red Flags: When a Spirit Isn't What It Seems
Here are some signs that a spirit might be misleading you:

Messages that shift from comforting to manipulative or controlling.

Constant contact that becomes obsessive or invasive.

Contradictions—saying one thing, then changing it later.

Messages that cause fear, guilt, or shame rather than peace or clarity.

Feeling drained, confused, or emotionally overwhelmed after connecting.

Sometimes, these spirits impersonate loved ones or guides. Other times, they come in as “helpers” but slowly become dominating. The worst ones will isolate you—making you feel like only they know the truth.

💭 Why Would a Spirit Lie?
There are many reasons, depending on the type of entity.

Confused spirits: These are souls who haven’t fully crossed over. They may not know they’re dead, or they’re stuck in loops of trauma or ego.

Residual energy: Not always a spirit, but an energetic imprint that mimics presence.

Opportunistic entities: These feed on emotion—especially grief, fear, or longing.

Malicious spirits or tricksters: Found in many traditions (like jinn, hungry ghosts, or parasitic entities), these are the ones to be most cautious of. They may appear helpful, but they twist truth over time.

Even well-meaning spirits can give distorted information if they’re emotionally attached or confused themselves.

🧿 How I Learned to Protect Myself Spiritually
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my spiritual journey is that discernment is just as important as intuition. You can be intuitive, open, and loving—and still say no when something feels wrong.

Here are the practices I use now, and what I’ve found most reliable:

Ground yourself before all spiritual work. Don’t connect when you’re emotionally raw or desperate.

Cleanse your space and tools regularly. Especially if using pendulums, tarot, or mirrors.

Use protection rituals. I call on guardians, cast circles, and use crystals like obsidian and selenite.

Ask for identity proof. I question spirits. If they resist or get angry, that’s a red flag.

Trust the after-feeling. Helpful spirits leave you feeling calm and uplifted. Deceptive ones leave you confused, shaky, or drained.

Pray, call on higher powers, or recite mantras. Even if you’re not religious, you can still call in divine protection.

Different traditions have their own ways.
Witches cast protective circles.
Shamans use sacred plants and guides.
Mediums often work with gatekeepers or angels.

But at the heart of it all? It’s about knowing yourself and trusting your gut.

🧘‍♀️ Reclaiming Your Power When Spirits Try to Dominate
You have the right to:

Refuse a connection

Close the door

Ask a spirit to leave

Protect your space

Say no

Speak with authority

Don’t let a spirit—or a person—convince you that you must engage with the other side. You owe no spirit access to your energy. You are sovereign.

I say this because I once gave a spirit too much space. I believed every message. I let it steer my thinking. It took spiritual strength and real inner work to reclaim my power.

But I did.
And if you’re in that place now, you can too.

🌘 Final Thoughts: Trust, but Test. Love, but Protect.
Working with spirits can be one of the most beautiful, profound, and life-affirming things we do. I’ve had moments of real magic—connection with ancestors, healing messages, guidance that brought me peace.

But we must talk about the other side of that reality, too.

Sometimes, spirits lie. Sometimes, they wear the face of someone you love to gain access to your energy. And sometimes, the most loving thing you can do is say no.

So here’s what I’ve found—through research, spiritual study, and a few painful experiences that shaped who I am:

Spiritual discernment is not negativity. It’s wisdom.
Questioning doesn’t mean you lack faith. It means you respect the unseen.

If a spirit ever makes you feel fearful, uncertain, or trapped, it’s okay to shut the door. And if you ever doubt yourself—come back to this:

You are not alone.
You are not powerless.
And your soul already knows the truth.

Trust it.