To protect yourself while in a cemetery, pick up some dirt or a rock at the entrance of the cemetery to place in your pocket (a rock is better, if possible). Why? Spirit work is very much associated with our higher chakras and extra sensory perceptions and can leave practitioners feeling too ‘light.

#1: Holding your breath when you pass a graveyard Some people believe it’s to avoid making the ghosts jealous (you know, because you’re alive and can still breathe) while others do it to avoid breathing in any spirits.

Usually, breath holding occurs under stress or threat. It can also occur when we are anticipating something or wanting something to happen: this is the origin of the phrase, “Don’t hold your breath!” when expected things may not come true.

He describes cemeteries as “semi-public spaces,” akin to shopping malls, where folks go “mall walking.” In the same way, “it’s perfectly fine for runners to use privately owned cemeteries for walking or running, so long as they do so in a respectful fashion,” says Eggener.

This is usually after several decades and depends on the cemetery. Think of it like a lease – the lease on the plot may run out in 20 years, in which case they may offer the opportunity to renew the lease. If the lease is not renewed, the plot will be reused.

After someone has died, changes will happen to the body. These changes may be upsetting for people who aren’t expecting them, but be reassured they are entirely normal. The body may release stool from the rectum, urine from the bladder, or saliva from the mouth. This happens as the body’s muscles relax.

Muscle cells live on for several hours. Bone and skin cells can stay alive for several days. It takes around 12 hours for a human body to be cool to the touch and 24 hours to cool to the core. Rigor mortis commences after three hours and lasts until 36 hours after death.