Common Haunting Experiences

There are many forms of haunting experiences and of course the paranormal. Certainly some of these experiences are more intense than others as well as some being more common than most.
Residual Haunting
This type of haunting is a very common site to see or maybe even just hear. Residuals are typically memories or characteristics of the departed which are believed to be imprinted to the environment.
You might see a jogger running in the park for instance, or see someone cooking in the kitchen or any other kind of activities that some person at some point of time has done.
The residual haunting is not only seen, they can be just heard as well. For example sounds of sword fighting on famous battlegrounds, agonising screams from the tortured souls at Dracula's Castle and even in Japan's Aokigahara Forest many have claimed on numerous occasions of hearing voices in the trees telling the living to kill themselves.
Intelligent Haunting
This type of haunting is a full apparition of a living presence and unlike the residual haunting, this spirit is well and truly aware and may even interact with the living.
This goes above just memories and characteristics, these ghosts have carried on their personalities too. An intelligent haunting can be very unnerving and some time it's claimed that these spirits may be aggressive.
Generally it is believed that these ghosts will appear to a person of living in order to convey a message or to find someone they were searching for in their former lives.
The film 'Sixth Sense' is a perfect example of this form of ghost, where the boy could see dead people but they hadn't known they passed on and needed guidance accepting this fact to cross over.
Poltergeist
Poltergeist are general not visible to the human eye, these spirits like to cause havoc by moving or throwing objects and making a lot of noise.
The theory with Poltergeist is that these spirits were mischievous in their former lives or are generally young to adolescence, but there is much debate whether or not a poltergeist are ghosts or not.
The argument is that when a poltergeist is reported it has often happened to a person with a highly emotional charge and this power can create a strong telekinetic force. In short it is said that the person being haunted is actually the one causing everything to move telepathically.
Demonic
Demons are seen as something a little different to ghosts, while they are spirits and certainly fall into the category of the paranormal... it is not believed to be a spirit of a former living person.
Due to the varying nature of demonic haunting it is very hard to tell if the haunting is from a ghost or a demon. The demons purpose in the Earth realm is to break down a human's spirit in order for possession of the body to take place.
A demon is one of the great deceivers much like the devil and will often pose as a lost relative or an innocent looking young child but it doesn't take long until the demon starts showing signs of evil.
The smell of sulphur is often an indicator of a demon as well as the behaviour of the haunting. Compared to ghosts of the former living a demon may become irrational and angry as well even causing physical harm to the person they "befriend" such as a hand print or burn mark.
Some other ghost haunts include something known as white noise. This is where you may see or hear ghosts through static on the TV or on the radio and unexplained shadow figures.
As the ghostly experiences vary it is hard to determine whether or not you are experiencing a true haunting.
Common traits of a real haunting are things like hearing doors or cupboards slamming, generally heard but not seen by the living, when certain items go missing and reappear frequently, pets behaving strangely without apparent cause, strange perfume or odours in the air, hot and cold spots throughout the house and the unnerving feeling of being watched. Not to mention the smell of sulphur if a demon spirit is present.

These are the common types of ghosts sighted, but of course there are many other experiences and cases reported. It could be ghosts in houses & other spooky places such as haunted hotels, haunted castles, haunted cemeteries and many other locations.
To continue reading about the world's most haunting experiences and their locations, history, resident ghosts, demonic haunting cases and much more then grab the eBook ' Ghosts in Houses & Other Spooky Places.

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Ghost Hunting 101

Do you hear bumps in the night? Does your hair stand on end when you walk into a room? Maybe you feel as if someone is watching you or perhaps you think you see someone out the corner of your eye, but when you turn to look no one is there? What you may be encountering in those unsettling moments is a ghost. So before you go running out of your house screaming, let’s take a moment to talk about ghostly encounters and those that investigate this phenomena.

A ghost is believed to be the spirit or soul of a person who has remained on Earth after death. When a ghost has taken up residence in a location, it is referred to as a haunting. There are two different ways in which a ghost inhabits a location. The most common type of haunting is a residual haunting. A residual haunting is typified by ghostly energy that is static or goes through a number of movements over and over again. It can be likened to watching a movie clip that repeats itself or a record album that has a skip in it, causing the needle to jump back to an earlier point on the album and begin again.

The second classification of haunting is the classic haunting. In a classic haunting the ghost displays intelligence and interacts with the people in the environment. It is not uncommon during a classic haunting for items to be moved around, for lights or electrical appliances to turn on and off, to hear voices our sounds out of nowhere or to be touched, tickled, stroked or even shoved. These ghosts often reflect the personality of an individual, even after their death. With this type of haunting, the aroma of flowers, perfume, cigarette smoke or other scents that are associated with the individual are often detected.

So whether you think you are being haunted by a ghost and want to have a group of trained professionals to come to your home or are interested in investigating all that goes bump in the night, but don’t know where to begin, here’s some information that can help you get started.

It is held that ghosts are electro-magnetic in origin and they create these fields when trying to manifest into this dimension. The energy that is given off by a ghost causes disruptions in the locations magnetic field, thus making it detectable by specialized equipment and psychics alike.

Because the presence of a ghost can be detected by specific types of equipment, a ghost hunter can become well equipped with a number of affordable pieces of equipment, many of which you may already own. From basic to advanced, there are many different types of equipment you can use to detect an otherworldly presence. For someone thinking about participating in an investigation, this doesn’t mean you have to own every piece of equipment in order to perform a reliable investigation. It does mean that you should at least possess a basic set of tools to use.

Basic Equipment

35mm or Digital Camera – For a beginner, having a camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film can capture paranormal activity, activity that is often invisible to the naked eye. This is especially true in the case of documenting the presence of orbs and ectoplasm.

Notebook & Pen or Pencil – Simple as this may be, it is always a good idea to have something to record any notes, findings or experiences you may have during an investigation.

Flashlight – Many times an investigation will take you to a dark or foreboding location such as a cemetery, old warehouse, abandoned building or other place that is dark or without electricity. In these instances you will need to have a portable light source.

Extra Batteries – Depending on the paranormal activity of a location, batteries oftentimes will mysteriously and unexpectedly lose their charge leaving you in the dark. Regardless of the type of equipment you use, make sure you bring extra batteries along to replenish depleted ones.

Intermediate Equipment

EMF Detector – The Electromagnetic Field Detector is probably one of the most important pieces of equipment to own if you are serious about doing an investigation. In addition to detecting the energy fields of ghosts, it is a key tool to use when taking baseline readings of a site. A baseline reading is a preliminary evaluation of a location, where investigators identify any existing or man made electromagnetic fields such as those created by power lines or electrical appliances.

Digital Video Camera – Video cameras can be a useful investigation tool. Unlike still cameras, a video camera will document any activity in its entirety including the length of time the phenomena occurs, the surrounding conditions, as well as the phenomena itself. A tripod to rest the video camera on is also helpful, especially if it is going to be left in a stationary position to record the activity in a specific location.

Tape Recorder with an External Microphone – There is no better way to capture EVP’s (electronic voice phenomena) than through the use of a tape recorder. Whether using a traditional tape recorder with high quality tapes or a digital recorder, an external microphone should always be used. A detached mic will eliminate the sounds of internal gears and turning wheels that can contaminate your recording.

Advanced Equipment

Motion Detectors – Motion detectors can be used to sense the movement of unseen forces. Many need to be plugged in to an outlet, but battery operated ones are also available. Before you go out and buy one, decide which type will best support you investigatory needs.

Thermal Scanner – A thermal scanner or non-contact thermometer can be used to detect rapid temperature changes. A change of ten degrees or more from the ambient temperature (the temperature of the surrounding area) can indicate an ethereal presence.

Psychics – As An Investigative Tool

In addition to tools such as cameras, meters and gauges that are used by ghost hunters, many groups also utilize the services of trained psychics as a means of gathering information about a site. This is the role I play when working with ghost hunting groups.

Finding a true psychic to work with can be a real asset to the quality of your investigation. They can play an invaluable role in supporting the efforts of any paranormal investigation. Like a good piece of equipment, a psychic can help to detect anomalies as well as provide additional insights into the nature of activity encountered.

If your group decides to include the use of a psychic as part of the investigation team, there are a few items that should be considered. To maximize the objectivity of the investigation, it is critical that the psychic go into a location “cold”. This means that they do not know the details of the location or of any activity that may have been encountered by other members or the property owner. Telling the psychic the history of a property can cause the individual to become “contaminated”, which can make it difficult for them to differentiate what they perceive from what they have been told.

Conducting An Investigation

With at least a basic kit of equipment in hand, you are now ready to explore the world of paranormal phenomena. Before you begin, there are a few ground rules to consider. First, never go on an investigation alone, in addition to personal safety, you never know what may happen. Next, consider the fact that ghost hunting groups are often judged by their behavior and professionalism – so always try to be respectful of the people, places and situations you may encounter.

To do an investigation, the first step is to select a location. Locations can include cemeteries, old buildings, historic sites, private homes and businesses. Always get permission to be on a site. This will keep you from getting in trouble for trespassing. Before you begin a formal investigation it is a good idea to do some research on the site. Talk to the owner, check out old newspapers, or contact the local historic society to see if anything happened there in the past. It is also a good idea to evaluate the terrain for potential hazards or/or to identify places where you can setup stationary video cameras, motion detectors or tape recorders.

Most investigations occur after dark, between the hours of 9pm and 6am. These hours are considered the “psychic hours” and are believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity.

When you get to the selected location, walk around to get a feel for it. Next, set up any stationary equipment and take baseline readings of the site. Then let the investigation begin. Take pictures, shoot video, record for EVP and take meter readings. Take them everywhere and anywhere, especially if you feel something or get a reading on another piece of equipment. When you are done walking around a site, turn your stationary equipment on and let it run while you and your group are out of the area.

When you have finished collecting your data, it is time for analysis. Here each picture, video and tape is reviewed for evidence of a haunting. This is probably the most important part of any investigation. As you review your materials, be skeptical. Look for earthly causes of any phenomena. Was someone smoking in the area? Was the room or location dusty? Where there reflective surfaces that could be the cause of the anomaly in your image? It is important to make sure your evidence will stand up to scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.

As you pore over your data, what you will find is that not every location you go to will have ghostly activity. You may discover that many of the things you initially detected during your investigation actually have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. What keeps many ghost hunters going is that one-in-five chance that this investigation will be the “real” thing.

When your analysis is done, presenting your finding to the home or property owner or sharing your results with others is often done. Many groups also post the results of their investigations on their group’s website, thus share the outcome of their investigation with the rest of the world.

If you are interested in ghost hunting or think your have a ghost hanging around in your local, there is a plethora of information available on the worldwide web. Here you can find articles about ghost hunting in general, stories of other people’s ghostly encounters, places that sell ghost hunting equipment and even sites hosted by ghost hunting groups in your geographic area.

So if you think you are hearing bumps in the night, don’t be afraid – it just might be a ghost!

© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer (www.soulhealer.com) 2006. All rights reserved.

By: Dr. Rita Louise

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Dr. Rita Louise, Ph D is a Naturopathic Physician and the founder of the Institute Of Applied Energetics. It is her unique gift as a medical intuitive that enlivens her work. Let Dr. Rita assist you bringing health, healing and wholeness back into your life. Visit www.soulhealer.com or www.appliedenergeticsinstitute.com for more information.