Bad architecture, clutter, and hauntings

I've lived in a handful of haunted locations, most of which have been both physically and metaphysically strange.

In college, I lived in a clumsily converted former medical school where the rooms were strange and poorly thought out. The building was famously haunted, and the hauntings were specifically tied to poorly converted parts of the building.

The first apartment that my wife and I lived in together had some of the worst vibes of anywhere I've ever inhabited. It was a 275-square foot studio apartment that had clearly been made by cutting a single room in half using uninsulated drywall and turning it into two separate units. We could hear everything happening on the other side of that wall, down to our neighbor opening her dresser drawers. While we didn't have a specific paranormal experience there, we spent two years living there feeling like someone was standing there watching us.

I've also visited other people's homes and gotten an immediate vibe that something was off, both architecturally and energetically.

So while reading The Witch's Guide to the Paranormal by J. Allen Cross over the weekend, I was fascinated to find that the layout of a home can have a major effect on hauntings. It makes sense, but I'd never thought of it before:

A handful of homes . . . have chronic haunting problems due to the layout of the home. Western architecture and home design does not take into account feng shui principles and can often produce homes and offices that do not allow for proper energy circulation. Some of these issues can be remedied with “cures,” often in the form of rearranged furniture and carefully placed potted plants, lights, wind chimes, or mobiles. However, I’ve seen some homes that even tried-and-true feng shui cures can’t help much, due to poor architectural design. At that point, there is not much that can be done, though I do still recommend frequent airing of the home by opening the doors and windows.

While architecture can contribute to hauntings, apparently clutter can, as well. The book talks about how entities can set up "nests" in areas of stagnant energy or clutter.

So if you're having a paranormal problem at home, tidying up might help. The idea is that when the energy can flow again, it's less enticing for entities to set up there. I'd never considered that, but it makes a lot of sense.