Ding-dong-ditch is not fun. Definitely not fun for the resident of the home, and often not fun for those kids in the group that know they will be recognized and someone will talk to their parents soon.
But what’s going on when you open the door and you can’t hear kids giggling and running away? Is it time to check the batteries and wiring?
Believe it or not, there is a spiritual meaning of doorbell ringing. It seems like it’s such a silly thing. After all, most beliefs and spiritual meanings have been around for centuries, if not millennia. The doorbells have been around only for a century, right?
First, wrong. The first doorbell (at least the way we know it) was installed in Scotland in the early 19th century. It was completely mechanical, but the electric ones appeared soon as well. Prior to that, we could see pull mechanisms for centuries all over the world.
But that doesn’t matter. What matters is the purpose of the doorbell, and that purpose carries the meaning. After all, everything is connected, and energy flows through all objects, great and small.
Stick around to find out what’s coming your way when you hear a doorbell ringing.
The Spiritual Meaning of Doorbell Ringing
Here are six messages you might be receiving when you hear your doorbell ringing, but no one is there.
1. It’s the sign you were looking for.
You know how you always ask the Universe for a sign that you should or should not do something? A ringing doorbell may be what you are looking for. However, there are a few caveats.
First, it is about bringing something into your home. Second, if you ask for a sign, the doorbell has to ring at the exact moment. Plus, the sign you were looking for should be for something that’s “incoming,” aka entering your life.
But let’s go back to the first one because there is a bit of wiggle room with timing. This happens when you’re asking if you should invest money into improvements, get a pet, change jobs, or anything else that is high-stake and can influence your home life (and budget).
If you’re struggling with the decision, you can throw this one to the Universe. Then wait for the sound of a doorbell to signal it’s the right time to bring the new thing in.
2. Somebody is coming.
Duh. Of course, it’s the pizza you ordered 20 minutes ago.
Joking aside, the purpose of knocking and doorbells is to announce someone’s arrival at your door.
The spiritual meaning of doorbell ringing is not as literal but carries the same spirit.
For example, you could hear a doorbell one day and months after welcoming a new addition to your family. Or, the doorbell you hear in the morning could spoil a surprise visit someone is planning in the evening.
The gist is that you can treat this phenomenon as an early warning sign, no matter what or when this arrival will happen.
Some people find doorbells to be intrusive, especially when they’re not expecting company at all. And when they hear a frantic ringing, they can expect only something terrible to happen when they open the door. They will either encounter someone entitled and inpatient or an unpleasant emergency.
The same thing goes with that doorbell only you can hear. On one hand, it could be, “heads up, check the weather, it could rain.” On the other, more frantic hand, it’s more like, “battle stations, disaster pending.”
Human offspring are not the only creatures that like to play ding-dong-ditch. However, this should not worry you at all. In the cases of both the physical and the metaphorical doorbell, you need to give them permission to enter.
I understand you may still be nervous. There’s no reason to, but I know that the stress itself brings bad juju, so I’ll give you a few solutions.
Salt makes for a great barrier, but spreading it over the threshold is not the most practical thing ever. Instead, you can pick up one of those salt lamps and add them to your entryway décor.
Witches’ and Shinto bells are also a great option, especially if you add protective charms to them. Or call your priest to bless your home and get everything covered and protected at once.
5. Time for a new phase.
Do you feel stuck? Are the days just passing by one after another, and you can’t even tell which one is which?
Maybe once you hear that doorbell in your mind, you’ll realize that it’s time to usher in a new phase in life.
I know I’m making you confused now. Is it time for something to happen, or should I make something happen? The answer is yes. To both.
The starting point is different, though. If your days have become so monotonous and you’re not growing spiritually, or in any other sense, it’s time to shake things up. It’s time to move on from where you are now and meet new life challenges.
6. Time to face the world.
The world is ringing your doorbells, asking you if you want to come out and play.
We all had to deal with being cooped up in our homes, and some of us got used to it more than the others. Consider this your invitation to leave your home and go play outside again.
It’s not just about being a homebody but also being too caught up in devices, social media, streaming services, etc. This doorbell is telling you to leave them aside for a bit, go out, soak up some energy from the Sun, breathe in some air, and maybe even walk barefoot on the grass.
The spiritual meaning of doorbell ringing stays the same in your sleep as when you’re awake.
Some people associate a doorbell or knocking in your dream with a call to wake up. I’ve experienced both mere minutes before an earthquake would hit.
However, we have to talk about what could happen if you hear a doorbell right before falling asleep. It’s more natural than supernatural.
Conditioned response.
Did you have a lot of deliveries and doorknockers recently? You’ve probably heard a little too much of your doorbell because of that.
In that case, it’s not strange to hear it either during sleep or just about you’re to fall asleep or wake up. It’s something that often happens when you’re exposed to a particular sound often, especially if you associate the sound with stress (i.e., call or text ringtones).
Brain misfiring.
This is what our brains do the best. It’s quite easy for it to process wrong information, especially when you’re supposed to be vegging out.
When it happens once or twice, it’s no cause for concern. If it’s happening all the time, make an appointment with your doctor.
Exploding Head Syndrome.
This one applies to those old-school mechanical or electric doorbells. If you have the ones that sound like soothing chimes, you don’t have to worry about it.
EHS is still a bit of a mystery, but it’s tied to stress. It’s like ringing in your ears, but a lot more intense. It usually happens when you’re just about to fall asleep or wake up, and it can be almost any other similar sound (i.e., explosion or thunder).
There are no treatments and no ties to another illness. The best thing to do is work on stress management and meditation.
Last Words
I’ll wrap up by addressing one more spiritual meaning of the doorbell ringing I found floating around.
Some people claim that when the doorbell rings, the Devil is trying to come in. Well, that’s untrue, unless your favorite place on UberEats is Hell.
No matter which holy text you refer to, you’ll learn that the Devil works in insidious ways. It’s never a full-frontal conflict but creeps in a bit by bit when you’re not paying attention.
If you think the Devil has entered your life, it didn’t happen through the front door. And he definitely didn’t ring the doorbell to announce his arrival.
Is on a mission to make the world a better place, one happy soul at a time. She is a qualified yoga teacher, Reiki Master, spiritual coach, and author of many spiritual articles in famous online journals.
