Poltergeist is the German word meaning "noisy ghost". The word comes from the German term poltern which means "to knock" and geist which means "spirit". The best defining mark of a poltergeist is any manipulation of the physical environment such as the movement of objects, physical attacks, spontaneous combustions, etc.
Poltergeist phenomena is usually credited to mischievous spirits or ghosts and is associated with psychokinesis which is the ability to move things by power of the mind alone. This kinetic type of energy remains unexplained, but even somemainstream scientists are starting to explore the idea that it does exist.
Poltergeists are not usually considered to be spirits, but instead some theories state that poltergeists are mass forms of energy that a living person is unknowingly controlling. Poltergeist hauntings may be the most misunderstood, most terrifying, and rarest type of haunting, and some believe that poltergeist hauntings are not even a haunting at all. In some cases, extreme poltergeists activity has even been linked to demons. A key question that comes into play with poltergeist cases is whether the psychokinesis is causing the activity, or if it is actually occurring from an unseen troubled spirit or ghost.
In a typical poltergeist case there is most likely a variety of phenomena taking place. There may be knocking and tapping noises, sounds with no visible cause, disturbance of stationary objects like household items and furniture, doors slamming, lights turning on and off, fires breaking out and much, much more. Chairs have been known to move around by themselves; walls shake from loud, unexplained banging. Water drips from a ceiling. Things like hairbrushes and jewelry disappear, only to reappear at a later time in right where they should have been in the first place.
Usually, after a subtle and somewhat calm start, the activity will become more intense, manifesting itself through voices and even the appearance of full apparitions. Furniture may slide across the room and beds may shake. Sometimes the effects of a poltergeist are more playful than harmful, but sometimes the activity has been known to be downright nasty. Reports of scratches, bites, harmful objects being put in one's way such as glass shards on a pillow or tacks under a bed sheet have been noted, as well as possession.
Poltergeists build over time to a climax, then start over. They can travel anywhere. Most poltergeists nearing the climax of their energy can become dangerous to the living. Inflicting both mental and physical terror in extreme cases. Poltergeist hauntings seem to mysteriously go away as quickly as they began. The most famous and terrible accounts of a poltergeist attacking a family is the Bell Witch.
A common factor of classic poltergeist activity is the presence of a female adolescent in the household or for all of the activity to be centered around one specific person. It is common that none of the activity will take place unless that person is present at the time. In most cases, when that specific person is removed from the location, the events cease. The person causing all of the phenomenon is doing so subconsciously and usually isn't even aware that they're the cause. Ths activity could also be centered around someone who is under an unusual amount of stress. When the stress is relived, sometimes by leaving the location itself, the problems stop. If the stress continues, the "haunting" seems to follow them.
In true poltergeist hauntings, none of the activity will continue after the person is removed from the environment, as they are not there to create it or influence an unseen entity. It has been reported, however, that activity can return later if the "right" person visits or lives in a notably poltergeist-haunted place. This would lead one to believe that it requires a combined psychic energy to manifest such terrible hauntings. In most cases, relieving the inner problems of the indivudual is the key to stopping the poltergeist activity.
On the other hand, not all cases of supposed poltergeist activity involve disturbed individuals. Not all hauntings can be easily categorized and it's important not to jump quickly to conclusions. In some cases, what appears to be the work of a disturbed person may actually be that of the spirits, and vice versa. In addition, some genuinely haunted spots seem to be so filled with energy that witnesses at the location can even manifest their own phenomena.
Poltergeist activity provides an excellent opportunity for researchers to document strange activity, but these case most likely won't have anything to do with ghosts and there is really no way to help the victims. It's usually best to refer the family to a good counselor or mental health care provider, rather than try to act as a paranormal investigator. A counselor is usually the best person to provide assistance under these circumstances because psychokenesis normally manifests because of emotional disturbance.
Find more articles and information on hauntings and the paranormal by visiting hauntedstuff.info and paranormalstuff.info.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
The Basics of Residual Hauntings
The most common type of haunting is a residual haunting. A residual haunting can be described as an image that has been recorded in time and played back in a continuous loop over and over again through the years. Additionally, there is no intelligent ghost, spirit, or other entity directly involved. You may see the same scenes all the time, hear the same noises repeatedly, or even smell the same smells, usually at the same time of day. The image you are seeing will not even realize that you are there.
Although you might think you're seeing a spirit, it isn't really an actual spirit. It's not even there; it's just the leftover energy of an event in the past; like a recording. This repeated scene that plays over and over is usually a very significant event, life-altering event, or even a common event of a person or place. Usually the sounds and images recorded are related to traumatic events that took place at that location and caused some sort of disturbance or "psychic impression" to happen there. Traumatic events like beheadings, great battles, murders, or even a celebration can be the focus of a residual haunting.
In most cases people may hear the sounds of screaming,crying, breathing,phantom footsteps walking on the stairs or through hallways, or even odd, repetitive sounds like tapping or slamming. Although these images may manifest themselves Visually, they won't interact with the living and will just continue to repeat the same actions over and over again. It's just like rewinding a movie and watching the same scene over and over. The activity, whether sounds or sightings, will be random.
Although research is ongoing, some theories on residual hauntings have been suggested. A common explanation for this type of haunting is the energy has, in a way, become part of the dwelling it once occupied. This can be explained by the fact that some building materials, such as the slate that was used to build old castles and stone structures along with iron nails used in many of the same buildings, have properties similar to audio or video tape which have a tendency to make "recordings" of things that happen near them. The energy of these occurances imprints itself into the atmosphere of the place and cannot be erased. The materials store the energy created by these traumatic events and play them back at a later, random time. In some cases, the images have been created by events or actions that were repeated over and over again, which causes an impression. In older places like Europe, it has been suggested that the porous stones of castle walls soak up the energy and that's why there are so many haunted old buildings there. Some of the most famous hauntings appear to be residual ones. The Tower of London's ghost of Anne Boleyn and the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall are two famous examples of residual hauntings.
There is usually very little that can be done to stop this kind of haunting. This type of haunting is not dangerous at all so if you or someone you know ever has to deal with the situation, understand what is going on and realize that there is really no danger. Someone who is in this situation will have to learn to live with it or relocate.
If you want to read more articles on haunted stuff, stop by HauntedStuff.net.
Although you might think you're seeing a spirit, it isn't really an actual spirit. It's not even there; it's just the leftover energy of an event in the past; like a recording. This repeated scene that plays over and over is usually a very significant event, life-altering event, or even a common event of a person or place. Usually the sounds and images recorded are related to traumatic events that took place at that location and caused some sort of disturbance or "psychic impression" to happen there. Traumatic events like beheadings, great battles, murders, or even a celebration can be the focus of a residual haunting.
In most cases people may hear the sounds of screaming,crying, breathing,phantom footsteps walking on the stairs or through hallways, or even odd, repetitive sounds like tapping or slamming. Although these images may manifest themselves Visually, they won't interact with the living and will just continue to repeat the same actions over and over again. It's just like rewinding a movie and watching the same scene over and over. The activity, whether sounds or sightings, will be random.
Although research is ongoing, some theories on residual hauntings have been suggested. A common explanation for this type of haunting is the energy has, in a way, become part of the dwelling it once occupied. This can be explained by the fact that some building materials, such as the slate that was used to build old castles and stone structures along with iron nails used in many of the same buildings, have properties similar to audio or video tape which have a tendency to make "recordings" of things that happen near them. The energy of these occurances imprints itself into the atmosphere of the place and cannot be erased. The materials store the energy created by these traumatic events and play them back at a later, random time. In some cases, the images have been created by events or actions that were repeated over and over again, which causes an impression. In older places like Europe, it has been suggested that the porous stones of castle walls soak up the energy and that's why there are so many haunted old buildings there. Some of the most famous hauntings appear to be residual ones. The Tower of London's ghost of Anne Boleyn and the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall are two famous examples of residual hauntings.
There is usually very little that can be done to stop this kind of haunting. This type of haunting is not dangerous at all so if you or someone you know ever has to deal with the situation, understand what is going on and realize that there is really no danger. Someone who is in this situation will have to learn to live with it or relocate.
If you want to read more articles on haunted stuff, stop by HauntedStuff.net.
Monday, December 24, 2007
The Basics of Paranormal Investigation
The word paranormal comes from the words "para" meaning beyond, and normal. So the term paranormal really means something that is beyond the normal scope of science or being beyond a scientific explanation. According to the Journal of Parapsychology, the term paranormal describes "any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions."
Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the naked eye. In addition to a camera, it's important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it's dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you'll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.
Once you have these basic items, you're ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.
The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you're going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won't get into any trouble for trespassing. It's also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.
Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It's important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.
Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.
For more articles and information on the haunted stuff and the paranormal, please visit Paranormal Investigation, HauntedStuff.net, and HauntedStuff.info.
Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the naked eye. In addition to a camera, it's important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it's dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you'll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.
Once you have these basic items, you're ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.
The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you're going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won't get into any trouble for trespassing. It's also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.
Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It's important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.
Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.
For more articles and information on the haunted stuff and the paranormal, please visit Paranormal Investigation, HauntedStuff.net, and HauntedStuff.info.
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