a

 

 
Types of Hauntings
 Written by Cassy

INTELLIGENT

•This type of haunting is what most people think of when they hear the word ghost.  Unfortunately these types of hauntings are rare.  An intelligent or traditional ghost is kind of like Casper in the sense that they interact with people.  The most common belief is that the ghost is connected to the site or people in some way.
●

 Some reasons the ghost may be tied to the site or people:

•Died as a result of a traumatic event, murder, car accident, etc.
•Due to unfinished business.
•The spirit may have died suddenly and not realized he/she died.
•The living loved ones are so emotionally distraught they can’t let go.
•The spirit is emotionally connected to their loved ones.
•They cannot rest due to an injustice done to them.
•Fear of the other side or judgment
These ghosts are generally associated with physical activity like slamming, opening, closing, unlocking doors and windows, voices, and sounds.  A strong presence, a scent, or touch may be experienced.

In Einstein's theory. As matter beings, we are all energy beings on the quantum level. We are made up of atoms and neutrons. As matter/energy beings we have intelligence. While we live, we have an energy aura that surrounds our living bodies. This aura is created by the millions of electrical currents that are created through our bodies. Our brains creates brain waves, a form of pure energy that is transmitting our thoughts, what we see, what we feel, etc.

•When our mortal form dies, the aura that constantly surrounds our bodies, leaves. We lose 6 ounces on the instance of death. What is this 6 ounces? Perhaps it is energy leaving our body. Our soul. This energy, the aura, or you may even call it your soul, is carrying the information of what we used to be. If it can do this, then why couldn't it also carry our intelligence? If it can carry our former intelligence of our previous life, then it should be able to interact with us intelligently. When we see this aura, we call it a ghost.
•If this ghost is able to interact with us, is aware of us, can touch us, can communicate with us, then this is an intelligent/interactive haunting.

RESIDUAL/IMPRINT
•A residual haunt is believed to be activity of reoccurring or traumatic actions from past events that leave an imprint on the environment. 
•This type is probably the most common type of haunting. Because its' characteristics are similar to the intelligent haunting, people often mistake it for an intelligent/traditional haunting.  Like intelligent haunts, some examples of activity are phantom footsteps, sounds, images, and scents. One major difference between this haunting and the intelligent/traditional haunting, is that this type of haunting is not considered to be that of a ghost, and there is no interaction with the living.    
•It is believed that this activity is the dissipation of stored energy from the site. The theory is the energy is stored or absorbed by the site due to repetitive or traumatic events .Similar to a tape player, the energy is stored in the magnetic field of the environment. Over time the energy builds up and is discharged, showing a replay of the event, and then the cycle starts again. Researchers have observed that the energy tends to diminish over periods of time until eventually it is either exhausted, or the level is so low that it is not experienced again.

SHADOW FIGURES/PORTALS

Shadow Figures: This is a type of haunting activity that has no real explanation. They are different from ghosts. They are usually shapeless dark masses. Mostly seen with your peripheral vision. They are known to do things that are different from ghosts. They can move between walls, they have no human features, they wear no clothes People who encounter them, have a feeling of dread. Clairvoyants that encounter Shadow People, say they do not feel they are human.

Portals:  Portals aren't really a new concept, as we've seen them in a lot of sci-fi flicks. But in the real world portal hauntings are considered controversial as there is little known  about them and the idea is mostly theory or speculation. Portals are thought to be doorways to another world or dimension in which entities travel through.  It's speculated that portals are not limited to one location, region or to sacred ground. Typically places that experience a wide array of different types of anomalous activity such as glowing balls of light, odd creatures, strange shapes, or unexplained mists or fog, are suspected to have a portal in which these energies are traveling back and forth.

 

OUT OF BODY EXPERIENCES (OBE)

The appearance of a living person who is actually alive in another location. They are not necessarily ill or dying, and can be either solid or translucent. Some claim to recall their OBE and can give verifiable details about the location they were seen. This is related to Astral Projection. As astral projection is a type of OBE.

 

POLTERGEIST

Poltergeist is a German word meaning “noisy ghost”. A common trend between different poltergeist hauntings has strongly indicated that they are caused by psychokinesis (the ability to move things by power of the mind alone).  The question becomes whether the psychokinesis is from the people who live within (or visit) the place where the activity takes place, or if it is actually occurring from an unseen troubled spirit, called a ghost.  The reason for this is because typically poltergeist hauntings center around  one person. Typically, this central person is usually emotionally disturbed in some fashion, and is some how the root cause of objects moving, knocking sounds and other noises, the turning on and off of lights and electrical appliances, etc.  In true poltergeist hauntings, none of the activity will continue after the person is removed from the environment, as they are not there to create it or influence an unseen entity.  However, it has been reported that activity can return later if the "right" person visits or lives in a notably poltergeist-haunted place.  This would lend one to believe that it requires a combined psychic energy to manifest such hauntings.

 

Author Brad Steiger says that the central figure in a poltergeist haunting actually brings additional energy, which the troubled ghost then uses to manifest with physical attacks or manipulation of the person or objects.  This can be especially true if one is somewhat psychic and/or full of fear.  The ghostly entity seems to feed off these energies.  This is when more harmful attacks can occur.

 

 Sometimes the effects of a poltergeist are more playful than harmful, but have been known to do both.  Reports of scratches, bites, harmful objects being put in one's way have been noted. Perhaps Brad Steiger's best phrase is, "Ghosts haunt houses; poltergeists haunt people."  Perhaps many times, the troubled spirit wants only to communicate a message to those who still are in bodies.

 

Poltergeists have been reported in many cultures around the world. All with the basic same description.

 

 

This is only so far what we have begun to understand.. There may be more types out there we haven't encountered and that we don't currently know about. But that's why we study the paranormal because there's so much about it to learn!

 

Cassy

Ghost Hunters Guild Founder