| What are Hauntings? A haunting must fit four criteria; (a) the location must contain repeated paranormal activity over time, (b) activity must be ethereal in nature (i.e., caused by a non-physical source), (c) the activity must have some interaction or interface with the physical environment or it's inhabitants, (d) the activity must have been experienced by multiple witnesses. Be aware that hauntings can be attached to specific locations, objects, and/or people. Not all "ghostly" activity is so fixed in one place, and some ghosts are thought to be able to roam at will. But these are notoriously difficult to locate, much less identify, and they are beyond anyone's current abilities to study. There are several types of hauntings, including but not limited to; intelligent hauntings, residual hauntings, inhuman hauntings, and poltergeists. Intelligent Hauntings A haunting that is caused by an entity that shows an intelligent thought process, normally though communication or physical interaction. These are believed to be spirits of people now dead that remain tied to a location, person, or object due to unknown causes. Their behaviors are as varied as those of the living. Some encounters with animal spirits also qualify as intelligent hauntings. Residual Hauntings Strong emotions over a period of time or very high emotions over brief periods are though to leave a psychic imprint on its surroundings, like an emotional residue. If this "energy" is strong enough, it can manifest itself as a haunting. These are not interactive with witnesses, show no signs of awareness, and often repeat the same sets of activities many times. Due to this semi-predictable behavior, these are the most common types of hauntings. There is no true spiritual presence involved. What people are encountering is little more than a psychic recording of a specific event or desire played over and over like a looped video. These are also the most common sources of apparitions. Inhuman Hauntings Similar to an intelligent haunting, but in this case the entity is one that has not previously lived a human life. They are often considered demonic, and demonic entities are indeed classed as inhuman, but this is not entirely accurate. Inhuman entities have do not have previous human experience to guide their actions and thus their actions are often perceived as threatening. However, such entities are often dangerous to be around for the same reason, as they are unusually powerful and can have a profound effect on the environment. Poltergeists These are not really hauntings as such. These are believed to be caused by a person with strong psychic abilities, poorly developed or undeveloped and often unrecognized, that can affect his surroundings. This usually happens when stressed or angry, or can be triggered by certain general conditions. The source is almost always a child in puberty (usually female) or someone with mild mental retardation. However, some believe that this is caused by a spiritual entity that is reacting to a person's emotional state. They are somewhat rare hauntings and are cause for some concern due to the lack of self-control the source-person/entity may have. Be aware that there is a type of encounter called a Visitation. These are normally surprise encounters with a loved one who has recently died (often at the moment of their death), or with an unknown spirit that has no known connection to the place or people involved (such as the infamous Flying Duchman ghost ship). However, since these events do not repeat, they are not classified as hauntings. ===================================================================================================== What Entities Do These are some of the more commonly encountered activities common to haunted locations. Apparitions When an entity can be visibly observed, either with the naked eye or electronic media. The apparition needs to have a recognizable shape, though some consider mist or lights to be forms of apparitions. Those with human form are considered "full-body apparitions." A manifested full-body apparition caught on video is considered the "holy grail" of paranormal research due to its great rarity and dramatic presence. Manifestations The physical influence an entity has on its surroundings. Moving objects, temperature changes, communication (EVP), visible apparitions, and changes to an electro-magnetic field are also considered to be forms of manifestations. Cold Spots An area of unusually low temperature, normally very narrow in size, and often of short duration. It is thought that cold spots are caused by an entity drawing the energy out of the area in an attempt to manifest itself in some way. They are usually associated with intelligent hauntings. Hot Spots An area of unusually high temperature, normally very narrow in size, and often of short duration. It is thought that hot spots are a side effect of an entity that is attempting to manifest itself. They are usually associated with inhuman hauntings. Psychokinesis It is suspected that a spirit can sometimes influence it's physical environment. This is often in the form of knocks, pings, bumps, and other minor acts. These are often easily explained as structural problems instead of spiritual ones. However, there have been cases of objects moving at various speeds without any visible cause. Sometimes electronics and appliances have been turned on or off. There are rare reports of objects being thrown. Electrical Interference There have been many reports of lights failing, power surges, static discharges, and rapid battery drain in the presence of paranormal phenomena. These happen with greater frequency than physical acts, and may be through some sort of direct manipulation of electro-magnetic fields. Physical Contact There have been some cases of a person feeling like he has been touched. Sensations of hair pulling, poking, and light brushing against the skin are the most common forms. Rarer are cases of prolonged or rough contact. In a few instances, people have reported being physically attacked by an unseen presence. No one is known to have been seriously injured because of a ghostly attack. Human-like Sounds and Voices A common manifestation of a haunting is to hear the sounds of people moving where there are no people present. Less common is to hear voices that cannot be attributed to any known person. These are most often the voices of children. Despite this, reports of direct communication have been extremely rare and poorly documented. ===================================================================================================== Orbs and Vortexes These are a dramatic, common, and annoying flaws in photography. Orbs appear as bright balls of light, while vortexes appears as bright zig-zagging streaks. They are usually reflections off of moisture, bugs, dust or another light source. Despite some claims to the contrary, none have ever been identified reliably as ghostly presences. At the most, orbs are merely collections of random energy that might indicate an area has the potential to be haunted. To be considered in this way, and orb must; (a) be almost perfectly round, (b) emit it's own light, (c) travel in a way contrary to environmental factors Both digital and 35mm cameras often pick up orbs, but they are virtually absent from digital video. Vortexes cannot ever be considered to be paranormal in origin. Both phenomena are technically known as "lens flare" by photographers and serious paranormal researchers. (Ed's note ; I personally enjoy orb-hunting as a sideline hobby, and used to have quite a few very neat orb photos (until they perished in a systems crash). One looked like a pig's face. Another had rabbit ears. One of my favorites looked like a floating cat's eye. I find the study of orbs to be a fine way to completely waste an afternoon. Much more enjoyable than another round of Where's Waldo.) On to the Q&A page Back to the Front Page |
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| Symptoms and Diagnoses of Hauntings |