Different Types Of Hauntings

As a paranormal researcher you’re expected to be able to analyze and explain a situation such as a haunting. If someone calls on you asking for help due to unexplained events , they’ll have an expectation that you’ll be able to give them good information and help them understand what is happening.

Hauntings have been defined as “the repeated manifestation of strange and inexplicable sensory phenomena — smells, sounds, tactile sensations and hallucinations—said to be caused by ghosts or spirits attached to a certain locale.” The word haunt comes from the same root as the word home, a traditional haunting is said to be the former inhabitants of a home who perhaps died in there. Hauntings are not only confined to a location though, objects have also said to be haunted. From possessed dolls to cursed pianos there have been many strange reports of haunted objects.

In my opinion most reports of hauntings that are said to occur at a particular time, and on a particular day, are most usually false. A haunting generally does not follow any certain time pattern; this is one reason evidence of the paranormal can be difficult to come by. This is also why not everyone that visits a reportedly haunted location will experience anything paranormal. This is not to say that there are not locations where the frequency of haunting activity is higher.

The majority of a reported haunted activity is not visual, but instead involves occurrences such as unexplained noises, footsteps, voices, different odors (perfumes, cigar smoke,etc), or physical sensations such as feeling light headed or a tingling sensation.

Most paranormal investigators will be called to a private residence to investigate paranormal activity; there are several common types of haunts you may encounter

Residual Hauntings
Intelligent Hauntings
Poltergeist Hauntings

Here are some easy ways to determine what type of haunting you are dealing with so you will know how to approach the situation.

Residual Hauntings

A residual haunting is a very common occurrence in the paranormal research field. The theory is that a residual haunting is an event from the past that is replaying itself. For example many people will report seeing a man/woman walking across a room and disappearing into a wall. Often what is discovered is that there used to be a door in that location, so what we are seeing is a moment in time that was somehow recorded and replaying.

There are several theories as to how this may occur. One speculation is that the minerals in ground of the location play a major role in this, for example quartz crystal is believed to have heightened properties when it comes to the storage of energy. A location that is built on land with a lot of quartz may have a higher probability of a haunting.

Many common reports of a residual haunting include sounds of unexplained footsteps, disembodied voices, and full body apparitions.

Intelligent Hauntings

An intelligent haunting occurs when a ghost or spirit appears to be interacting with people in a meaningful way. An intelligent haunting is a bit more rare than a residual, but they are reported quite often. An example of an intelligent haunting may be what people refer to as a visitation where one see’s and interacts with a deceased friend or family member.

Ways to identify this type of haunting include a person reporting to have a two way conversation with a spirit, objects being moved or hidden, or EVP”s that respond directly to questions.

Poltergeist Hauntings

Poltergeist is a German word meaning “noisy spirit”, and is by far the most rare type of haunting. This is very descriptive to what the reports of poltergeist activity have been. Poltergeist can be characterized by sometimes violent physical activity, the moving and stacking of objects, objects or people being levitated or thrown, or rapping and banging noises on doors and windows to name a few.

Often time’s poltergeist activity tends to focus around a particular individual, so it is not attached to a location. For this reason people experience poltergeist activity will try and move only to find the haunting continues. There is also a common theme among many reported poltergeist hauntings that the catalyst tends to be a teenage girl.

Take this knowledge with your when you start to investigate a location to determine which type of haunting yor are dealing with. The easiest to get mixed up are intelligent and residual, mostly because they exhibit much of the same reported activity. Further investigation might be needed in cases like this , so don’t feel like you have to give a definitive answer. Often times what you think going in is not at all what the situation turns out to be. Always have an open mind, you obviously do! Being as you’re a ghost hunter and all.

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