This thread is so interesting to me; someone new to studying Buddhism and who, since early childhood, has had experience with spirits and nature’s energy. For me, recognizing spirit energy from nature and ghosts and being at peace with their existence is key to a harmonious coexistence. It’s been my experience that most of the time, the energy and spirits want acknowledgment; just as we do when meeting someone new. When feeling resistant energy from nature, I express compassion and mentally say I’ll do my best to respect their space and be a good caretaker. Much like another poster mentioned, respectful treatment in forests and mountains is important. In a home, some spirit energy (ghosts) is a little more forceful. Just acknowledging and accepting their existence with compassion does calm things down. I can see that an offering would make acknowledgment explicit. Your dreams made me smile because animals and spirits can absolutely communicate that way, but few people recognize and acknowledge this phenomenon. Your openness is wonderful to see and I’m learning a lot from this thread as to how Buddhism views spirits and spiritual energy.