When your cat stares at a wall and moves its eyes around, just run

Cullinan, a small town just outside Pretoria, may be known for its diamond mine with a pit hole that is four times bigger than the Kimberley hole, but to paranormal fanatics, the town abounds with action from those who are no longer with us.

“Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, we shall not be dealing with the world as you know it – the world of the solid, but rather the world of the unsolid. When we’re at the McHardy or the cemetery, you might find that something unsolid might be lurking behind you, in which case, be prepared for something rather solid to appear before you,” explained Mark Rose-Christie, founder of the Mystery Ghost Bus.

Rose-Christie visited the town and heard many ghost stories from locals who claimed to have seen mysterious beings.

According to Rose-Christie, people have always believed in the spirit world and it is evident in some cultures that still send possessions to their deceased in the belief that they will need these possessions in the afterlife.

One such group of people are the Chinese, who believe that when someone dies, their soul stays on earth for 21 days. They ‘feel’ its presence, talk to it and make its bed. On day 21, they make a wooden tablet with its name engraved on it and take it to the cemetery. They ask for the person’s soul to leave the world and then take the tablet to their ancestral home. They believe the person gets reincarnated from there.

Since they believe in reincarnation, they also believe the deceased will need whatever they had when they were still alive. They buy a special paper that is used to make items such as a car, house, phone, etc, then go to an ancestral house and burn them. The smoke will ‘deliver’ the items to their loved ones.

Read more: Why the Mauritian-Chinese are like no other people on Earth

“Everything is made out of energy, either bunched up to look solid or spread out to look like nothing,” said Rose-Christie.

According to him, there are different types of ghosts:

The replay ghost – this is not interactive and does not look solid. It looks more like an image/ hologram, so they will not interact with you. They are just supposedly imprints on the environment.

“Like an energy imprint, the moment it comes into contact with something like metal or electricity, it will disturb and break down the energy. It also fades in bright moonlight.”

Interactive ghost – this one looks solid

Crisis ghost – it is interactive. Most of them are people who died so suddenly they don’t even know they’re dead. The good ones come back to do good, while others come back to do bad or get revenge.

A crisis ghost appears when the deceased went through a crisis and it can appear repeatedly. It will also appear when those left behind are also going through a crisis.

“Dead pets – dogs and cats – will come back from the afterlife when their owners are undergoing a crisis or to warn of impending danger,” said Rose-Christie.

He shared the story of Evelina, one of the children of the McHardy family, whose house has been turned into a museum in Cullinan.

Evelina had a boyfriend who was in the Second World War and was a pilot. Locals say when they look at her bedroom window they see a lady looking out sadly.

McHardy House (Cullinan’s famous haunted house). Picture: Supplied

Another story is that of the lantern lady or lady of the lantern at a railway station in Cullinan. Locals have apparently seen a lady dressed in her nightgown with a shawl and who carries a lantern. She walks along the tracks.

“Airports, railways stations, there are always ghosts there because people die and emotions get imprinted on the environment.

“Two psychics and one sensitive person all confirmed she’s a lady in a state of confusion and lives near the station and is looking for her boyfriend that never came back from the war,” said Rose-Christie.

Mammals, especially cats, can see these spirits, or auras, as so called by psychics.

“Horses, dogs and cats – especially cats – can see these auras, spirits or whatever you want to call them.

“You know those times when you’re alone and you’re feeling a bit nervous and there’s just a low light burning in the room and you’re reading a newspaper and your cat is sitting in a corner?

“It’s eyes suddenly get round and big and it starts following something around the room that you cannot see. And you ask yourself what it’s looking at. Well it’s looking at an astral body that you cannot see! So the next time you’re at home alone and it happens, don’t ask what it’s looking at, run! It’s so much easier,” said Rose-Christie, to a round of applause accompanied by laughter from about 20 curious ghost hunters.

Also read: We went on a ghost hunt in Cullinan, and this is what we found

Coincidentally, South Africans have been in a bit of shock already following claims of a cat that has apparently been seen driving a taxi from Fourways to Bree taxi rank.

This started on Saturday after Twitter user Noluthando Zuma asked social media users if she was the only one who was aware of the apparent cat-turned-taxi driver. The thread has been trending ever since.

Do you guys know the taxi from Fourways to Bree that’s driven by a cat? 😭

— Noluthando Zuma (@thandozuma_) November 23, 2019

“The first time I took that taxi I asked the lady sitting next to me what was going on and she whispered ‘isalamuzi’. I’m not sure what that means. I just need one person to confirm that they’ve taken this taxi as well. I know I’m not crazy because the first time I took this taxi I was with my friend, next thing he tells me he can’t feel his heartbeat. This was in October,” she said.

This prompted responses from those who claimed to have also seen this mystery cat driver in action.

A driving licence card needs to be renewed every five years, failing to renew your license could lead to fines, insurance companies also wont cover motorists driving with an expired license in the case of an accident

If you see #CatDriver today, let them know ☝🏽 #BuyaMthetho ^NS pic.twitter.com/MuEoi6yvyv

— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) November 25, 2019

I've been on this taxi before. Scary shit! I asked the guy sitting next to me if indeed that's a cat cos I thought I'm going crazy but dude said nothing the whole trip. Apparently (from the cleaning lady at work) the taxi is not real and we are all actually running to Bree

— Lerato Mokoena (@lerato_sir) November 23, 2019

https://twitter.com/Tiffany_Mab/status/1198315176602349568

Not everyone sees the cat guys, only the selected few. I don't know how they choose you

— PalesaBontle (@NyanaSmaller) November 23, 2019

? pic.twitter.com/dDgXZBQCkX

— Tafadzwa Musarara (@T_Musarara) November 24, 2019

I was actually on this taxi on Thursday guys. I thought I was loosing my mind this twit actually help. When I asked the guy sitting next to me if he could see what am seeing he just laughed. Next this I was getting off don't know or remember the drive.

— I am Tdo (@Ltdo88) November 24, 2019

Wow I am also a victim…I took that taxi from 4ways to Bree on thursday.The awkward thing is that all of the people in the taxi were quiet , no one was talking not even a sound.I greated the old lady next to me buy she didn't answer.I nearly wetted my pants 😪😪

— Matimu Munkasi (@MunkasiAlucia) November 24, 2019

https://twitter.com/IAmDJVoodoo/status/1198489471018262528

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.