Home Camera Captures Ghost-like Apparition While Owner Is Away on Business

A terrified Redditor feared returning home from a business trip after a home camera captured an apparition inside their empty condo. After capturing hours of strange sounds and what appeared to be a kind of smoky ectoplasm on camera, the spooked owner shared some of the footage to Reddit seeking answers.

In the video, which you can watch below, smoke appears to undulate right into frame before disappearing.

Many on the "Ghosts" forum were truly thankful for the post, describing it as one of the most interesting videos to be shared in the subreddit.

The OP wrote alongside the video, "What do you see here? I'm on a work trip and scared to go back home".

"So for context I live in a gated condo in a very quiet part of town," they explained. "Barely any movement past 9pm. This time of the year, there's maybe 6 apartments occupied, as all the rest are used for summer holidays. My apartment is on the ground floor and my only direct neighbours are not there. Hardly anyone walks on the back during the night."

"I'm currently away from home for work, and when the cleaner went there yesterday, l asked her to set up the camera just for security," the OP continued. "Video was about 2/3h after she left, just after sunset. Like something that went to examine the new item on the dresser. Since then, there's been countless videos of smoke and strange sounds like bangs and others that sound like voices. Mostly late at night, when the condo is supposed to be dead silent. Btw all the doors and windows are locked, nothing was left open."

"I wanted to attach the whole thing but I'm still learning how to use reddit. I really need your input as im terrified of going back home now...." they concluded. They later shared a longer cut to YouTube, which we embedded above.

While many were spooked, a few hawk-eyed and clear thinking Redditors offered a likely explanation.

"That’s the sound of OP’s spray-scent room deodorizer which we can see but not hear," one Agent Scully-like paranormal detective wrote.

Another, of like mind, agreed: "Good call, good use of logic. I’d say OP needs to eliminate this possibility before treading into paranormal territory."

However, others noted no deodorizer was in sight.

The OP chimed in to say that there is "a spray scent, but I also switched if off before travelling. No need for a perfumed empty house..."

Of course, Redditors pointed out their cleaner could have turned it back on.

"I'm definitely hoping so!" OP said in reply. "It won't be as exciting as paranormal activity, but I'll definitely sleep in peace 😅 Let's wait until the cleaner goes and puts the air freshener away to get the verdict."

As the post garnered thousands of upvotes and comments, the OP decided to answer in one place many of the queries presented to them.

See below:

1. I was not sitting and watching, waiting for something to happen. The camera is motion activated, so it only records when there is movement and saves the clips individually. Notifications, however, are only set for human detection. So I only opened it out of curiosity and found all those recordings.
2. It is an old build in Portugal, so there's no such thing as vent, or heating pipes or that kind of thing that may cause a draft. I will, however, ask her to stop by and check on all the windows and doors again, and also check on the air freshener and keep it in a drawer to be sure.
3. I asked her to position it there because that would catch anyone that walked from the living room sliding doors, from the kitchen, or from the main door (the dark hallway connects to the main door)
4. I didn't know how to "post the whole thing" because there are many clips, that the camera saves separately, and I was only allowed to post one. I made a compilation of all the clips from the moment the cleaner was there, until this morning, and I'm happy to send them individually to anyone that wants to analyse them because I'm being accused of having nothing better to do. I run a business that keeps me busy enough, and I gain absolutely nothing from this. I just want to know what this is, that's all.
5. I won't be home for at least another week, or could be more depending on my work. So I can't go there and see it for myself just yet.
6. I never felt any strange happenings, apart from a few odd noises at night, but I tend to try and ignore it. Seen too much as a teenager, not interested in going down that road again. If that's a ghost, I'll do my best to try to do as with the neighbour I pretend not to see.

We'll just have to stay tuned! What do you think?