Types of Ghost Hauntings

Do ghosts truly exist, or are our minds playing tricks on us? For centuries, investigators have tried to document paranormal activity and understand the mystery surrounding paranormal happenings. Are ghosts lost souls, trapped to repeat their daily activities on earth? Are they residual energy left as a result of some traumatic event? Can we communicate or summon the dead? What are they here to tell us? According to the various paranormal societies, ghost hauntings are very real, and there are many different types.

Even though the study of the paranormal is deemed a "pseudoscience," researchers categorize the data they receive into organized patterns of paranormal activities. They use anecdotal evidence from ghost stories they've heard, as well as more scientific data they've collected from cameras, white noise generators, electromagnetic field meters and thermometers. According to writer Paul Dale Roberts, there are several distinctive types of ghost hauntings one may encounter.

The intriguing modern theory of ghost hauntings is that they may be less supernatural beings and more apparitions of the mind. Researchers are beginning to look for connections between stress and emotional buildup with the presence of poltergeists, demons or other spirits. Other paranormal studies have noted a connection between hauntings, electromagnetic readings and brain activity. Perhaps the pent up energy manifests itself in bizarre ways that cannot be explained by known science. Of course, there are other different types of hauntings reported that may not be attributable to the mind.

Loyd Auerbach, Director of the Office of Paranormal Investigations, says that history may be dead, so ghost hauntings often rely on the living to act as witnesses of the past. "Hauntings actually show that we are all psychic receivers (clairvoyant) to some degree," says Auerbach. "In haunting cases, people report seeing (or hearing, feeling or even smelling) a presence (or several) that is typically engaged in some sort of activity. You might think of a haunting as a loop of video or audio tape playing itself over and over for you to watch." However, these residual ghosts aren't the only type of paranormal spirits you may encounter.
 
A residual ghost haunting is commonly connected with a tragic, violent or untimely death that abruptly cut the victim off from his or her life. This sudden departure is so shocking that an imprint is left on the location, which draws spirits back to the place. Most commonly, apparitions of burn, murder, rape or kidnapping victims appear. Witnesses may report the sound of footsteps, the appearance of apparitions, strange scents or playbacks of the past. There is no interaction with the spirits -- they simply appear and vanish. There is a remnant of the past there, but no spirit actually present. The basic scientific premise behind a residual haunting is that "energy cannot be created, nor destroyed," meaning that the extreme energy emitted during this emotional episode is still left behind. Experts say residual hauntings are by far the most common type of paranormal phenomenon.

Poltergeist ghost hauntings are usually caused by adolescent children going through puberty stages, where an extreme amount of inner energy is cultivating. Often this energy is then projected with the mind, causing tapping noises, moving objects, lights flickering and other disturbances, says writer Paul Dale Roberts. Individuals under extreme stress have also been known to cause telekinetic disruptions in the house unknowingly. For example, Walter B. Gibson was under such stress while writing his novel, The Shadow, that he began to see a holographic image of his character lurking in the apartment, making a racket. Documented cases of poltergeists date back to the 1600s and the most skeptical mystery paranormal researchers say there is no way to explain what they've seen based on physics.

Demons and paranormal experiences are often the most frightening type of ghost hauntings. These beings never had a mortal, human form and are more akin to extraterrestrial beings. Demons are comprised of pure energy, thrive off anger, and may manifest in different ways. Some are angelic, beautiful beings that tempt a human to commit a sinful or bizarre act. Others are horrific, evil-looking beasts that are incredibly hideous for scare effect. A third type of demon manifests itself as a black fog, shadow or smoke that follows the haunted. Demonic paranormal supernatural beings wreak serious havoc, chaos and destruction, although they are rare. For this reason, the Atlantic Paranormal Society discourages the use of Ouija boards because these devices may leave open one's back door. "Now, you may only have some little squirrels and chipmunks wander into your kitchen," says TAPS' Carl Johnson, "But odds are, you'll eventually find yourself facing a bear."

Shadow people and shadow masses are another type of ghost hauntings that ghost hunters find difficult to explain. These dark shadows move between walls, have no human features, and carry with them the feeling of dread. Clairvoyants do not classify these spirits as human, since they have no discernable face, but rather, manifest as a dark smoke or shadow. Some may appear in a child-sized humanoid form. Others may move in an invisible track as though they're on a carnival ride going in circles, or they may hop and dance along the walls. Occasionally, subjects have reported seeing a hooded shadow person or a shadow man wearing a 1930s fedora hat. Shadow animals in cat or dog form have also been reported.

Intelligent ghost hauntings are extremely rare -- and yet, they are the type of paranormal sightings with which people are most familiar. Human spirits that have not crossed over to heaven and who have unfinished business on earth remain behind to deliver messages before they can move on. These types of spirits are so emotionally connected with someone or something on earth that they refuse to pass on. Occasionally, these souls were killed so abruptly, they may continue to go through life as usual -- unlocking doors, running faucets and interacting with people directly. Scientifically speaking, the moment we die, we lose six ounces of body mass. Is it possible this loss is our energy, our aura, our soul leaving?

Doppelgängers are an intriguing, but extremely rare, type of ghost hauntings. In one case, a German woman reported seeing herself on a bus, staring back at her. A week later, she saw herself looking at herself in a crowded mall, dressed exactly the same. A week later, she was diagnosed with cancer. Seeing your doppelgänger -- or "evil twin" -- is almost always the harbinger of misfortune or an omen of death. There are many famous cases of doppelgänger paranormal sightings. For example, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley reportedly saw his evil twin a month before he drowned. English poet John Donne saw his wife's doppelgänger the night of her miscarriage. President Abraham Lincoln saw his double in the mirror five years before his assassination.

According to the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena, not all paranormal sightings are actually ghost hauntings. For instance, if you believe you've seen a clear figure wearing old-fashioned clothes, you've most likely seen an actor walking by. If you've seen a transparent figure, you may have a long exposure on your camera or you may be hallucinating. If you see figures acting very strangely or performing seemingly impossible feats, it's more likely a hallucination. However, if you see figures in haunted locations, unexpected faces in photos, or figures arriving unexpectedly, then you may be seeing a ghost!