Guide to Different Types of Hauntings

The recent surge of ghost hunting shows has made ghosts a very popular subject. SyFy channel started it all with the first episode of the popular show "Ghost Hunters". Viewers got a taste of what is involved in hunting for ghosts and the type of scientific equipment used. Since then, new shows have appeared such as "Ghost Adventures", "Paranormal State", "Celebrity Ghost Stories" and "A Haunting". For those not familiar with some of the terms and different types of hauntings, here is a general breakdown of definitions:

Residual Hauntings

Residual-type hauntings are defined as paranormal activity that occurs at the same time of day, the same location and the apparition is seen doing the same thing over and over. A better explanation would be to compare it to a video recording that is playing on a loop. The ghost or spirit attempts no contact and does not seem to be aware of the human entities in the location.

Intelligent Hauntings

Intelligent-type hauntings differ from residual in the fact that in an intelligent haunting the ghost is primarily trying to make contact or be noticed. Examples would be: appearing as a full-body apparition to family members, knocking things off counters, opening cupboard doors and moving things. In these situations the ghost wants someone to know they are there and may be confused not realizing what has happened to them.

Poltergeist Activity

Poltergeist is the German word for "noisy ghost", these are more mischievous spirits that like to cause trouble. They seem to be drawn to children and teens around the age of 12 or 13 years of age. Some people speculate that is has something to do with puberty but nothing has been proven as fact.

Demonic Entities or Dark Spirits

Demonic spirits are less common and normally occur in situations where a person is experiencing severe depression or mental illness. These conditions do not cause the activity but these types of spirits are drawn to people in these situations because they attempt to influence people with low self-esteem and play on their fears and insecurities. Their purpose is to scare them and slowly break down their defenses until they can easily be manipulated. Houses can have demonic spirits when there has been a history of violence and death in that location such as the story of the incidents in Amityville, Long Island, New York. (Note: The story of the Amityville house is very controversial due to the claims of people who have lived in the house and the current occupants. The statement about the story above is used as reference and not stated as a fact.)

Distinction Between Ghosts and Spirits

Ghosts

The term "Ghost" is used in reference to a spirit that is earthbound and has not "crossed over" or found peace. Ghosts typically haunt the places where they died seeming to be trapped by the violent event that lead to their demise. Many ghosts are not aware they are dead and may be confused by people moving around them but do not seem to see or acknowledge them. It is a generally held belief that ghosts are spirits who stay in that location because they are looking for a family member or are afraid of entering the "afterlife" due to fear of judgment or condemnation. They often appear to the living dressed in period clothing with the appearance of wounds or missing limbs.

Spirits

Spirits are people who have crossed over into the next plane of existence and are free to move within the realms. These spirits are often relatives of family members that appear to the individual the way they did when alive. Often times they appear healthy and younger than their physical age before death. Their purpose is not to scare anyone but to offer reassurance or comfort to family members experiencing a traumatic event.

In most cases of hauntings the spirits are not harmful but seek to let their presence be known. There have been cases where injuries have occurred but they are rare and happen infrequently. There is no scientific evidence that ghosts can harm the living, their tactics are used to scare or frighten people out of homes or locations. The cases of spirits inflicting harm on individuals are classified under the demonic spirit category.

Reference:GhostTypesDefined
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