Types of Hauntings

This is a spirit, usually mischievous and occasionally malevolent, which manifests its presence by making noises, moving objects, and assaulting people and animals. The term "poltergeist" comes from the German poltern, "to knock," and geist, "spirit." Some cases of poltergeists that remain unexplained and may involve actual spirits. In other cases the phenomena may be produced by subconscious psychokinesis on the part of an individual.

Included in the most common types of poltergeist activities are the rains of stones, dirt, and other small objects; moving or throwing of objects, including large pieces of furniture; loud noises and shrieks; and vile smells. It seems that poltergeists have adapted to the development of technology. They are known to have caused interference in telephones and electronic equipment, and turning lights and appliances on and off. Some poltergeists are said to pinch, bite, hit, and sexually attack the living.

Generally poltergeist activity starts and stops abruptly. The duration of it may extend over several hours to several months; however, some cases have been reported to last over several years. The activity almost always occurs at night when someone is presence. Typically this is the "agent," an individual who seems to serve as a focus or magnet for the activity. In most cases the agent is a factor, both those that seem paranormal or that may be caused by human PK. The agent is usually female and under the age of twenty.

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 of the energy expended while performing such actions. 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. Some suggest that atmospheric conditions such as storms may initiate the playback. There is also a quantum physics theory that relates the energy as light particles that are dormant until they are stimulated by an outside variable under the proper conditions. (Brandon, The Ghost Hunters Bible) 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.

This type of haunting is perhaps the most widely accepted kind of ghostly activity, although it's not as common as you might think. Here, the spirit or entity involved is an "intelligent" presence in a haunted location. It is there because of a connection to the site or to the people in the location. This ghost is best (and most simply) described as the personality of a person who once lived and who has stayed behind in our world instead of passing over to the other side.

This sometimes happens in the case of a murder, traumatic event or unfinished business. At the time of death, the spirit refuses to pass over because of these events. The spirits often linger because of emotions that tie them to the earth, from anger to love. Or perhaps the person does not pass not because they couldn't, but because they did not want to. In other cases, there is the chance the spirit does not even realize they are dead (like Patrick Swayze in Ghost). This can occur when the death is sudden.

These spirits are made up of the energy that once made up the personality of a living person. These intelligent spirits are not evil or demonic, as some would have you believe. Spirits are simply human personalities, or souls, and if the spirit was a kind and caring person in life, the spirit will most likely be in death. On the other hand, angry and cruel people will also keep those same nasty qualities as spirits. These negative spirits can be frightening, especially to people not trained in the paranormal. In very rare cases they have been able to harm the living, but that is generally not the case. It is much more common to hear of an encounter with a benevolent spirit than with a negative one. That's a relief, isn't it?

Some theorize that portal hauntings are another type of haunting. Portals are a link or doorway between our physical world and the spiritual world. If a portal exists in a particular area and spirits can go through it into our world, that location may be haunted. However, some debate that portals do not exist. Others content that they may exist but we don't know exactly what they are.

Inhuman spirits are exactly what the name implies. These spirits are inhuman and have never been a human. They exist as an entity of their own. Some claim that inhuman spirits are demons or evil spirits that were cast out of heaven with Satan. These spirits roam the earth in search of someone whom they can possess.

It is believed that inhuman spirits harbor extreme hatred towards humans and that all of their activities are designed to pave the way to breaking the person’s will and taking possession of their body.

Inhuman spirits are able to manifest themselves in any form they choose, but generally manifest as a half-man and half-animal