Ghosts can feed off of your fear. NEVER show your fear to a ghost. Ghosts can feel your fear. They can take from that negative energy and grow from that. They can grow larger literally as well. It feels like they are taking your breath away. Ghosts can, also, take your breath away. This takes your energy away and gives them more energy. If this happens make sure you tell them to STOP and BACK AWAY NOW! When this happens, that entity is showing you that they aren't feeling powerful and are trying to draw on YOUR power. Don't let them! As I have said, whenever you feel powerless or whatever, you say whatever empowers you. Whatever makes you feel more in control and protected. Most may say the Lord's Prayer. Some kinds of chant that is strong and makes you feel strong. Surround the white light of protection around you as often as you remember.

No one, especially in death can control you! So if you are encountering a ghost that is being controlled by another ghost, they need to know that they are in control of themselves. They have the power. And that entity needs to know this in order to move on and continue with their soul development and perfecting. They are allowing that other soul to control them. They need to stop this. Once he or she realizes that they are in control and no one can control them, then he or she will move on.  
This came from Echo Bodine's excellent book for helping Earthbound Children Souls: "When there are children ghosts in a house, we've found it works very well to ask one of the adult ghosts, often the one most resistant, to escort the children to the light and through to the other side. We tell the children to hold hands so that none of them wanders off as they make their way through the tunnel."

Don't discourage your child in matters of the spirit. They are more sensitive to spirits than you are as an adult (usually). So if they are talking about talking to a spirit or talking to "nothing", then they more than likely are telling the truth. Same goes with animals. They sense at a higher level than we do. If they start acting up or acting weird, you know what's going on, a spirit is in the house.

Ghosts may be stubborn and will stay until they feel they have been punished enough for whatever reason. They will move on when they are ready. So you may not be able to get rid of all of them. These ghosts have chosen to stay thinking they HAVE to be punished, when really they don't, they can move on whenever they like.

Remember what I said above about a lot of ghosts will refusing to go on to the other side because they do not want to face another person who has passed on already. Like for example, if a person was molested by they father, or treated badly by a person, they will flat out refuse to move on to the other side. But all they need to do is ask their spirit guide when crossing over that they do NOT want to see that person. And they don't have to, for as long as they need. They don't know this and will insist that they will have to see them. But they are hurt from their life with that person. Just reassure them that it IS true. You do not have to see anyone you don't want to see on the Other Side.

This one is very important. A Ghost that was an alcoholic or drug user (any addiction) when they were living will stick around and try to find a body to inhabit that is living that same way as well. They jump into any body that is high, or whatever the flavour is of the Ghost, just to feel that high again. If you are an addict, surround that white light around you and ask God to protect you from these Ghosts, especially when intoxicated!

Sometimes I hear that people like that they have a ghost around and want to keep them. It's sad because these are Soul's, not pets. They need to move on to the Other Side and continue perfecting their Soul. If they have low self esteem and are staying because one of us wants them to, then they feel loved and protected in a way. But they don't know any better. You really do need to tell these Ghosts to go on to the Other Side. Say it with CONVICTION. Again, do not speak of them for at least three days, or they will think you miss them and come back again.

Portals are openings from this world to the Spirit World. Ouija boards and séances, etc., will open these up. If you don't know what you're doing you will invite too many entities that you may not be able to handle. Any entity can come in from these Portals. Good or bad. Ask for protection from God, the universe; however you feel comfortable in asking. Get a psychic in there if it gets way out of hand. Portals are very serious. If you continually think about ghosts, read about ghosts, do things that invite them into our world, etc., the more ghosts you will attract.

Ghosts have no concept of time, as with the Other Side as well. They may be here for years, decades, etc. Make sure you tell them the truth about what year it is. That might wake them up to what they are doing, or not doing in their case. Tell them they need to move on to the Other Side.

Usually a residual haunting or "imprint" happens from traumatic events, from civil wars to a mother looking for her baby. This could be the real spirits OR an "imprint". But things that keep happening over and over again are most likely "imprints".

Also "imprints" of emotions can happen as well. Like a curvy road that when you go by a certain area, it feels sad, you pass the area, and you are fine, that type of thing. Something sad happened, there and it made an "imprint".

But there are those times that you see a residual haunting. Of (using the same example) a mother looking for her baby, but she doesn't know she is dead (or she does) and continues to look for her baby, she goes through the same event over and over again. If you see this, try to help that soul find its way. Tell them they will find what they are looking for on the Other Side where they belong.