“The thing I find really scary about ghosts and demons is that you don’t really know what they are or where they are. They’re not very well understood. You don’t know what they want from you. So it’s the kind of thing you don’t even know how to defend yourself against. Anything that’s unknown and mysterious is very scary.”

Oren Peli

 Types of Hauntings

Residual Hauntings

A “Residual Haunting” is an event stuck in an eternity which gets repeated at times. Residual hauntings occur when something traumatic happens, such as on a battlefield, where intense energy leaves an imprint of the event. A residual haunting is a "recording" of the event. A spirit will move along a staircase like it did in life or a spirit will open the doors of its old house. A ghostly maid may even look like she’s sweeping the floor.

Like a recording, the events will replay over and over and over again and the entities involved in this residual haunting are unaware of their circumstances and apparently unaware of being observed from this realm.  When there is an interaction between the entities and the observer the entities seem to not to be able to comprehend what is occurring. During the making of the movie “Gettysburg”, while filming on the battlefield, some people reported seeing “ghost soldiers” drift into formation with the “movie soldiers”, standing in lunch lines and following them onto buses. 

Ghosts of Gettysburg

The energy that is felt in a residual haunting may be quite tremendous for the individual experiencing it, but it is not something that has to be feared. The energy may also result in interruptions to electricity and electrical appliances. It is also quite possible for parts of the area to change. Examples include the opening and shutting of doors. Once again, this is merely energy. There is no conscious effort on behalf of the spirit when it comes to these activities. 

Be careful not to confuse this type of activity with an intelligent haunting as it is possible that residual hauntings have little to do with what we think of as ghosts.

Intelligent Hauntings

Many people confuse residual hauntings with an intelligent ghostly manifestation. Also known as a classic or traditional haunting, intelligent hauntings differs from a residual haunting in that they are a type of haunting in which a spiritual entity is aware of the living world and interacts with or responds to it.  Paranormal researchers believe that such a ghost or spirit may be able to communicate with the living, not just by talking, but by moving inanimate objects such as furniture or toys. Study and classification of ghosts and poltergeists is regarded as pseudoscience because it does not use a system of controlled experimentation or scientific method.

In an intelligent haunting the spirit or ghost wants to be noticed and has an intelligence about it. A good example of an intelligent haunting is when a spirit or ghost wishes to communicate. These types of ghosts and haunting are very focused on the now and human interaction. They may appear at different times and places or in different ways and often try to make themselves known by interacting with our environments in some way. They can mess with our electronics, knock on walls, hide things, slam doors, create cold spots, or even wake us up in the middle of the night. We may see shadows out of the corner of our eye, or even a full bodied apparition. If a ghost turns to look straight at you, it’s likely intelligent, as opposed to residual.

Not all intelligent spirits try to invoke interaction, though. Some seem to be content to stay out of the limelight, to just be in their own world, whatever that world might consist of. You may catch a glimpse of them once in a while, but that is not their intent, as best we can tell.  They simply seem to share our homes in their own quiet way. Maybe they are unaware of us, or maybe they simply do not have the energy or a source of energy to manifest. Or maybe that is just how they were in life, quiet and unassuming and preferring to be left to themselves.  

Forms of Hauntings



 Demons

In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon is a supernatural being, typically associated with evil that seeks to possess, manipulate and deceive people and they seem to feed on the chaos and destruction they cause. Demons are pure energy entities and have never had a mortal human form, yet demons have distinct and unique personalities just like human beings. They have all the normal personality traits; they possess will, intelligence, emotion, self-awareness, and the ability to speak and interact. 

Demons are referred to as “devils” in the King James Bible and this is just one reason for the confusion around the various stories of the origin of demons. According to the work of the late Dr. Malachi Martin, noted Jesuit scholar and exorcist, demons exist as three different manifestations of what people see as "devils". First there is Satan, who is said to have led the revolt against God, which caused his "fall" and his being cast out of Heaven, along with one third of the angels (the “fallen angels”).

Satan's actual name is not given in Christian scriptures, but it is often mistakenly believed that Satan's name was "Lucifer", which translates in English as "Light Bearer" (the Latin name for the Morning Star). Some Bible scholars believe that Satan and Lucifer are not the same, but that Satan is king of the demons and Lucifer is the prince. The demons then are the lesser of the fallen angels who serve Satan and/or Lucifer.

But, not all demonic entities manifest from 'religious' origins. Many of these 'demons' may be from other dimensions and have entered into this dimension through energy portals and/or vortexes and in that case it is not enough to just deal with the entity, but the portal or vortex through which they have entered must be found and closed as well.

Demonologists believe that once a doorway opens, demonic entities may enter. This may start out subtly, with bumps in the night, things moving on their own, or strange shadows and apparitions. Demonic hauntings may escalate quickly into more intense events, such as physical afflictions to people (scratches, bites, hits), objects flying through the air, religious items being thrown off walls or being damaged by an unseen force, audible growls or voices, strong sulfuric or vile odors, visions and emotional manipulation.

Many attempts at finding a universally accepted definition of demons and their classifications have been made throughout the course of history, without much success. Classification systems tend to look at either their nature, the sin with which they tempt people and may include their angelic adversary or their behaviors, appearance, and methods of torture, but this has led to even more confusion.

• Succubus/Incubus  - Demon spirits that have sexual intercourse with mortals.  A succubus is a demon that takes the form of a woman in order to have intercourse with a man in his sleep. An incubus is a demon that takes the form of a man in order to have intercourse with a sleeping woman. These demons have no gender and their attacks on the victims are not for the sexual gratification of the demon, but to use "rape" to create terror that will produce the fearful emotions in the victim upon which the demon actually feeds.

Demons generally manifest in three different forms: 

1) As a beautiful angelic being or one of saintly bearing that will manipulate the person to unknowingly commit an evil or destructive act.  It is traditionally believed that when demons appear in this “holy” form they will invariably appear standing with their feet obscured by a cloud.  It is said that the cloud hides the cloven hooves of the demon.

2) As a horrific, evil looking monster, incredibly hideous to look at and striking terror in those who see it.

3) As a black mist, black fog, black shadow, black pool or black smoke.

Doppelgangers

Though much rarer than a poltergeist haunting (see below), doppelgangers are a well know type of haunting and a favorite subject of fictional horror stories.  A doppelganger  is an entity that manifests in the image of the person it haunts and is considered to be like the person’s evil twin.  In most cases the doppelganger is a harbinger of misfortune and is often an omen of death placing the victims of these haunting activities in grave danger.  Some paranormal investigators theorize that the doppelganger is a projection of the individual as he or she exists in an alternate universe and the doppelganger is out to destroy what it considers to be its rival for existence. 

Many different types of doppelganger have arisen in cultures around the world. A doppelganger may be an "evil twin," unknown to the original person, who causes mischief by confusing friends and relatives. In other cases, the double may be the result of a person being in two places at once, or even an individual's past or future self. Other times, the double is merely a look-alike, a second individual who shares a strong visual resemblance.

In folklore, the doppelganger is sometimes said to have no shadow or reflection, much like vampires in some traditions. These doubles are often malicious, and they can haunt their more innocent counterparts. They may give bad advice or put thoughts in their victim's heads. Seeing one's own doppelganger or that of a friend or relative is usually considered very bad luck, often heralding death or serious illness. In some traditions, a doppelganger is considered a personification of death.

• The Fetch:  A fetch is a mysterious phenomenon which frequently appears in Irish and British folklore. A fetch can be a spirit, double, or an apparition. Sometimes it is referred to as a wraith. It can be an apparition or vision of the person of whom it is supposed to presage death in almost every detail but appears as a ghostly, shadowy figure. A fetch in Irish and English folklore, is the term for one’s Double, an apparition of a living person. The fetch is also called a “co-walker” in England. Seeing a fetch is a sign of ill-boding, although in Irish lore, to see a fetch in the morning means one will have a long life. When seen at night, however, the fetch is believed to foretell a person’s death. Fetches are seen by friends or family of the living person just prior to, or at the moment of, that person’s death. 

Ghosts

The traditional view of ghosts is that they are the spirits of dead people that for some reason are "stuck" between this plane of existence and the next, often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. Many ghost hunters and psychics believe that such earth-bound spirits don't know they are dead.

Classified as "intelligent hauntings," these ghosts exist in a kind of limbo state in which they haunt the scenes of their deaths or locations that were pleasant to them in life. Very often, these types of ghosts are able to interact with the living. They are, on some level, aware of the living and react to being seen on the occasions that they materialize. Some psychics claim to be able to communicate with them. And when they do, they often try to help these spirits to understand that they are dead and to move on to the next stage of their existence.

Ghosts are often depicted of a human size and shape (although some accounts also mention animal ghosts). Parapsychologists refer to the "substance" of which ghosts and other spirits are made of as "ectoplasm". Ghosts do not have a physical body like human beings, but only a subtle astral body. Sometimes they do not manifest themselves visually but in terms of other phenomena, such as the movements of an object, spontaneous throwing of a light switch, noises, etc., which supposedly have no natural explanation.

Some ghost researchers approach the possibility of ghosts from a more scientific standpoint, seeking to find correlations and causal relationships between recordable phenomena and the supposed presence of ghosts. Those who follow this approach most often believe that ghosts are not actual disembodied souls or spirits, but rather they are impressions of psychic energy left behind by a deceased (or in some rare cases, still living) person. They assert that traumatic events (such as a murder or suicide) cause mental energy to be released into the world, where it may be experienced by other people who are sensitive to its presence.



Islam and the Jinn

According to the Quran (Koran), God created both the seen world and the unseen world. Among God’s creations in the unseen world are the Angels and the Jinn. The Jinn  (or Djinn) are supernatural creatures that exist in a world parallel to our own. Almost every culture boasts stories and legends of unseen creatures. We know of Jinn and the unseen world because of their numerous mentions throughout the Holy Quran, and narrations of our last and final Prophet, Muhammad peace be upon him. The Holy Quran features a full chapter named ‘The Jinn’. It is an obligatory part of our Islamic creed to believe in the unseen world and Jinn.  This invisibility is one of the reasons why some people have denied their existence.

Islam postulates that Jinn are beings living in a parallel world. It is a most confusing mythical feature of the Quran. The Quran explains Jinn as created from fire whereas the human beings are created from clay. Although they are as spirits invisible to human eyes, the jinn can see humans. Like human beings they are also allegedly entrusted with responsibilities. They also will be rewarded for their righteousness and will receive eventually “punishment” for their obvious wickedness.

Together, the Djinn, humans and angels make up the three sapient creations of God. That which clearly distinguishes the Jinn from mankind, are their powers and abilities. One of the powers of the Jinn, is that they are able to take on any physical form they like. Thus, they can appear as humans, animals trees and anything else.

Thousands of people have sighted strange looking creatures all over the world and it seems more plausible all the sightings of such creatures may have been Jinns parading in different forms. Jinns possess people for many reasons. However, most of the time possession occurs because the Jinn is simply malicious and wicked.

While this may all sound like pure religious legend and folklore, many Muslims, strongly believe that the Jinn are real. Indeed, all manner of paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, fairies, demons, alien encounters and even strange creatures or cryptids such as the Yeti are often attributed to being the Jinn in disguise.



Orbs

Orbs are circular light anomalies, most often seen on stills photographs (usually from digital cameras) and video recorder footage, (spirit photography). Circular light anomalies seen with the naked eye are often reported and they also have been linked with paranormal hauntings. In many cases these photograhed orb images are out of focus bits of dust or water. However, there are cogent reasons to believe that those orbs observed with the naked eye are truly paranormal in origin and are some sort of energy manifestation occurring in areas of  intense spirit activity. Some witnesses have also reported observing what appear to be reactionary energy orbs that move as if under intelligent control.

Another type of orb is often seen in conjunction with Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. They appear to assist and shield the craft, as well as being used as a means of propulsion. They primarily are seen high up in the sky, higher than the spirit orbs, although they are, on occaision also seen at  eye-level. This is possibly due to their higher dimensional level of existence. These are the usually fully visible orbs which are capable of extremely high speed flight

Most orbs appear to be white, but some orbs are pink, purple, blue, green or even multi-colored. It is common for orbs to display an aura, thus a white orb may have a blue aura, or a red aura, and so forth. (It is relatively uncommon to see grey or black orbs, although they do exist.) Some paranormal researchers theorize that the orb color may reflect the emotional state of the orb spirit in the same manner as that of the auras of all living creatures and objects.

As regards orbs associated with UAPs, while most appear as white orbs, it is not uncommon to witness blue, green, red or yellow orbs. In recent years reports of glowing orange orbs in the sky have been increasing with no apparent explanation. The orange orb UAPs are different from other UAP orbs in that they seem to have the ability to morph easily in size, shape, and even number by splitting into two separate orbs. Disturbingly, an increasing number of witnesses to these encounters have reported that they had the sense that these orange orbs were stalking them, even as far as into their homes.

• Flying Rods: Also known as "Sky Fish", flying rods are a phenomena in which mysterious rod-shaped objects appear in video footage or photographs. Some people believe these rods to be an unknown form of life, perhaps extraterrestrial in origin. Others think they are paranormal, perhaps related to orbs. Skeptics believe most flying rods are actually insects or small birds that only appear to have the mysterious rod shape because they are blurred by photographic exposure time. A typical flying rod often has the following features:

1. A central rod-shaped "torso".
2. Multiple fins or wings.
3. Size may vary from a few centimetres to a few meters in length.
4. Travel at high velocities, changing direction at will.
5. Invisible or barely visible to the human eye without the aid of photographic or video equipment.

Poltergeists

Probably the most common and well know type of haunting,  a poltergeist  is a spirit, usually mischievous and occasionally malevolent, which manifests its presence by making noises, moving objects, and assaulting people and animals. The word "poltergeist" comes from the German words "poltern," which means "noisy", and "geist," which means "spirit." Poltergeists are a different sort of spirit from the typical haunting entity. These particular spirits seem to be able to interact at will with the material world, sometimes with malevolent force.

The most common types of poltergeist activities are the moving or throwing of objects, loud noises and vile smells. It also seems that poltergeists have adapted to modern technology and have been known to cause interference with telephones and electronic equipment, turning lights and appliances on and off and in some cases have been known to tinker with email and other computer communication. Poltergeist activity almost always occurs at night when someone is present to act as an “agent. The agent seems to serve as a focus for the activity and is usually a female going through puberty. 

Shadow People

Shadow people are generally said to be shadow like creatures of supernatural origin that appear as dark forms in the peripheries of people's vision and disintegrate, or move between walls, when noticed. Reports of shadow people are similar to ghost sightings, but differ in that shadow people are not reported as having human features or attempting to communicate and witnesses do not have the sense of being in the presence of something that 'was once human'. Their description varies from a two-dimensional shadow to a vaporous or distorted three-dimensional form.

Other encounters have them described as seemingly made up of pixels. Both descriptions may be valid, reflecting different levels of manifestation on this plane. What is significant in this instance in when they are often described as seemingly to be composed of pixels, suggesting perhaps that their portals of entry to this realm may be video display screens. 

Reports of shadow people are similar to ghost sightings, but differ in that shadow people are not reported as having human features or attempting to communicate and witnesses do not have the sense of being in the presence of something that 'was once human'. At times when they move, they appear to be moving on an invisible track from one place to another and at other times they appear to hop about in what appears to be a strange dance. A common report is that when Shadow People seem to realize that they are being observed they flee immediately



Those who have encountered Shadow People, report they do not feel these entities are human in nature and they also have reported experiencing a feeling of dread during the encounter.  Like orbs, they are a recently examined phenomena and investigators have yet to come up with an explanation as to what these Shadow People are and what their intention is in manifesting. 

Additionally, a number of people reporting shadow people sightings have described an entity that has come to be known as "Hat Man". The Hat Man almost exclusively wears a fedora and sometimes has red, glowing eyes. Witnesses report sensing that it is extremely malevolent and that it is feeding off their fear and unlike the common form, Hat Man does not flee when observed but will menacingly appear to hold its ground.  Heidi Hollis, who coined the term "Hat Man" believes this entity may not be part of the Shadow People phenomena, but is a different and extremely malevolent presence.

What is interesting about the appearance of Hat Man is that although the phenomena of Shadow People has been around throughout the centuries Hat Man itself began to be reported in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, around the same time as the introduction of analog television into the household. Also interesting to note I feel is that he is a sort of meme image that was being of the frightening Commie spy hiding under your bed, most popularly personified in Mad Magazine’s “Spy vs. Spy” from that period.

It was a time of intense fear of sudden nuclear attack. Fallout shelters and children being taught to hide under their desks. One can imagine some evil entity on the other side of the 1950's TV screen looking in and seeing the fear of this holocaust on the faces of the people watching the set and recognizing what a great image it would be to scare people in order to be able to create the dark energy for thatthese entities seem to feed on. In the modern age the red caped devil with a pitchfork had become an almost comical caricature, but Hat Man was a much more real embodiment of evil and impending doom, which was exactly what these entities wanted you to feel.

see also: "Ghosts in the Machine"

Skinwalkers

In the religion and cultural lore of the Native American Southwest, the Navajo, Hopi, Utes, and other tribes there medicine man and women who have attained the highest level of priesthood in the tribe, but chose to use his or her power for evil by taking the form of an animal to inflict pain and suffering on others. Skinwalkers are most frequently seen as coyotes, wolves, foxes, eagles, owls or crows and are not creatures to be trusted.

Because it is believed that skinwalkers wear the skins of the animals they transform into, it is considered taboo to wear the pelt of any animal. In fact, the Navajo are only known to wear two hides, sheepskin and buckskin, both of which are only used for ceremonial purposes.

Though religiously significant in Native American mysticism, similar legends are found around the world , (such as the legend of the werewolf), and the stories have many similarities. Those who have talked of their encounters with these evil beings describe a number of ways in which a skinwalker will try to inflict harm. Some describe hearing knocks on the window or banging on the walls. Others have spotted an animal-like figure peering in through a window.

According to the Navajo skinwalker legend, they are seldom caught. Those who do track a skinwalker and learn of their true identity must pronounce the name of the evil one in full. Once this happens, the skinwalker will get sick or die for the wrongs they have inflicted against others..

Unfortunately, in recent years the Skinwalker story has taken an unpleasant turn. While Skinwalkers have long been a part of Navajo Tribal Mysticism, Skinwalker sighting have gone from being a phenomena to becoming a business. Certain commercial interests have incorporated UFO’s, secret government projects and bases into the mix and most of the supposed sighting and activities of the Skinwalker  now seem to be deliberate hoaxes, perpetrated to extract money from the gullible, or perhaps for more nefarious reasons.

“There are an infinite number of universes existing side by side and through which our consciousnesses constantly pass. In these universes, all possibilities exist. You are alive in some, long dead in others, and never existed in still others. Many of our “ghosts” could indeed be visions of people going about their business in a parallel universe or another time – or both.”

Paul F. Eno

Common to all these types of haunting are certain phenomena that often accompany a haunting.

• Unexplained noises - footsteps; knocks, banging, rapping, and sounds of something things falling. Sometimes whispers or the sounds of crying might be heard as well.
• Doors, cabinets and cupboards opening and closing and objects being moved. (Very rarely will you actually witness the phenomenon taking place.                                      
  
• Lights turning off and on. This can also happen with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items.
• Items disappearing and reappearing.
• Unexplained shadows.
• Strange or distorted images in mirrors
• Strange pet behavior. Dogs may bark at something unseen or refuse to enter a room. Cats may seem to be "watching" something in the room or may seem to be observing something in a mirror.
• Feelings of being watched or being touched.
• Unexplained breezes. 
• Cold or hot spots. Cold spots are classic haunting symptoms, but any instance of a noticeable variance in temperature without a discernible cause could be evidence.
• Unexplained smells such as the distinct fragrance of tobacco smoke or a perfume that you do not use.

While these things do not indicate a haunting in and of themselves they are still phenomena to be watched for in determining the actual presence of a haunting.

  ©2019 John Reder