At The Rangers Station

Captured by HCGH Inc. at the first Ranger Station in the state of Kentucky located in Putney, Harlan County, Ky. What do you see?

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At The Theater

This apparition was captured by one of our Paranormal Investigators at the Benham Theater - Benham, Ky...

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The Thermal View

Captured by one of the HCGH Team Members with a Thermal Imaging Camera during an investigation on old 119 in Letcher County, Ky. This shot was facing a cliff where it would be IMPOSSIBLE for anyone to be standing, walking, hiding, etc. The reports of the area are of a dark entity sitting on the rocks.

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Enter to win a HCGH T-Shirt

Would you like the chance to win a free HCGH T-Shirt? We are going to create a "Showcase" Album here on the page to display YOUR photos and give others the opportunity to see the Paranormal through YOUR eyes.

Every month the Harlan County Ghost Hunters Team will vote on what we consider to be the best fan based Paranormal Photo. The winner will receive a free Harlan County Ghost Hunters T-Shirt and will be featured on our Winners Circle page on the website. All photos will be shared in the album but only one(1) will win a shirt.

If you would like to have your photos shared in our Showcase Album, as well as be entered for a chance to win your very own t-shirt, send them to us in a message along with a short description and we will be happy to share them for you and enter them into the contest.

Please specify if you wish to remain anonymous and we will display your photo without mentioning your name. Maximum of two(2) photos per person please. Once we receive the first 10 photos we will create the album. Thank you for all your support and we can't wait to see what our friends have seen of the Paranormal kind. Good luck to everyone who enters...

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Paranormal Glossary

After-Death Communication: Communications received from a person who has died.

Agent: The person who is the focus of poltergeist activity.

Amorphous: Having no form or shape. Sounds more technical than “blob”.

Angel:  A celestial being which appears in human form with abilities such as healing powers and knowledge of future events.  Angels typically appear to people in times of crisis.  Also a messenger of God. 

Anomaly: An unusual event that does not fit a standard rule or can be explained adequately through scientific theories. We use this word many times when we are not 100% sure something is paranormal in nature, but we do not feel that this event or feature is not normal.

Apparition:  The form of a ghost or spirit either seen or captured on film. 

Apport:  A physical object (for example, jewelry, tools, etc.) that can appear within a haunting.  When a spirit attempts communication with the living, they can manipulate these items to appear and disappear at will to make themselves known. 

Archangel: An angel of high rank.

Astral Body: What we call the spirit or soul, the part of a body that survives the death of a physical body. It is also the portion of a person that can travel among the astral plane, creating what we call astral travel, or crisis apparitions.

Astral Projection: When the astral body of a living person travels outside of the physical body to the astral plane or another location in the physical world. The most famous projection is a crisis apparition or an out-of-body experience.

Aura:  The energy associated with living people.  Hauntings can at times tap someone’s aura for energy leaving the living person tired. 

Automatic Writing: Process by which an individual writes without conscious thought.

Autoscopy: During an Out-of Body Experience (OBE) or Near-Death Experience (NDE), the ability to see one’s own physical body when one’s astral body separates from their physical body.

Ball Lightning: A rare and controversial phenomenon in which a small sphere of light is witnessed for a short period of time. Some researchers have claimed they were able to duplicate it in a lab environment. This is a possibility of some ghost lights.

Banishing: Procedure to cast a paranormal entity from a location. 

Benign Spirit:  A spirit that is harmless or has no ill-intentions.

Bilocation: A phenomenon where a person seems to be at more than one location at the same time.

Clairaudience: The ability to hear things outside of normal hearing ranges.

Clairgustance: The ability to taste something without putting it in one’s mouth or without contact with the tongue.

Clairoleofactor: The ability to smell scents before it occurs or outside of normal smelling ranges.

Clairsentient: The ability to feel things or emotions not normally felt by most people.

Clairvoyance: The ability to see things, people or events from the past. Also the ability to be able to read someone’s aura.

Cleansing: Process to remove spirits – not to be confused with an exorcism.

Cold Spot:  A small area where the temperature is cooler than its surrounding area.  Believed to be an indicator of a paranormal entity drawing energy from the area in order to manifest. 

Collective Apparition: This is an apparition who appears to several individuals either simultaneously or independently.

Crisis Apparition: An image or sound of a living person who is seen or heard by another, often quite the distance away. The person whose image or voice is heard is typically in a crisis situation, extreme danger, or close to death.

Death Warning:  News or indication of the death of another person received outside of the normal sensory channels.

Deathbed Visitations:The phenomenon where a dying person sees or hears the presence of dead loved ones (deathbed apparitions). These spirits help comfort the dying or help them cross into the light.

Debunk: Find evidence that a claim of paranormal activity is not due to paranormal activity, but another reason.

Dematerialization:  The sudden disappearance of a spirit or object. 

Demon: Entity that was cast out of Heaven.

Demonic Haunting: Relatively rare phenomenon. A haunting caused by a demon where the events are typically severe.

Demonologist: A person who pursues demons in order to remove them from people’s lives. This is an undertaken not to be taken lightly. Serious consequences can occur and is not meant for the faint of heart or for those without deep faith. It is not a game, nor is it fun!

Discarnate: A spirit without a physical body.

Disembodied: Without a physical body.

Disembodied Voice: A voice that is heard with human ears whose source comes from someone without a physical body. This is different than an EVP as the voice is actually heard by human ears, while EVPs are only heard through the use of a recorder.

Divination:  The act of seeking knowledge or communicating with the dead to foretell the future.  A Ouija board is an instrument that can be used for divination.  Automatic writing is another such method.  Divination is not recommended because it can summon evil entities that are difficult and dangerous to remove. 

Doppelganger:  A double of a living person created by energy, or the astral body of a person appearing to someone outside of their physical body.  Very uncommon, but there are records of this phenomenon

Dowsing: The action of using a pair of rods held in the hands to located energy sources that may be paranormal in nature.

Dream Communication:  Phenomenon where a spirit can manifest itself within one’s dreams to communicate.  These events usually occur when the spirit attempts to notify the living of their death.

Ectoplasm: Older definition is the substance that was emitted through openings of a medium supposedly as the result of a spirit’s communication. Generally, they were hoaxes (if not all). Nowadays, the word is incorrectly used to describe the mist or fog-like anomalies that can appear on photographs.

Electromagnetic Field Recorder:  A device used to measure data on electromagnetic fields (EMFs).  Common belief is paranormal entities can disrupt natural electromagnetic fields. 

Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP):  Voices and sounds captured on audio recorders that were not heard by human ears at that time.  If the voice was heard at that time it is called a disembodied voice. 

Empathic Abilities: The ability of some people to feel the emotions a paranormal entity gives off.

Epicenter:  The person that a ghost or poltergeist centers on.  Paranormal activity is at its greatest when that person is in the vicinity. 

Etheric Body: The lowest layer in the aura (human energy field). It is thought to be in immediate contact with the physical body in order to connect it with the “higher” bodies.

Evocation: Summoning of spirits by ritual or incantation.

Exorcism: The process or ritual where prayers are used to drive out evil entities or spirits from a possessed person or a place. 

Extra Sensory Perception (ESP): The ability to receive information about either the past, present or future that are not obtained by the five senses – either through precognition, clairvoyance or telepathy.

Fear Cage: A phenomenon where very high electromagnetic fields, usually in a confined location, caused panic to set in as the high EMF promotes uneasiness, paranoia, anxiety, and fear. The high EMF can be the result of faulty wiring or appliances or electronic devices and appliances.

Ghost:  A recording of the energy of deceased people.  This paranormal activity is not intelligent in nature, meaning that it is not aware of its surrounding nor can it interact with the living.  We call the haunting by a ghost a residual haunting. 

Ghost Hunter:  A person who attempts to gather evidence of paranormal activity.  Also called a Paranormal Investigator.   

Ghost Lights:  Strange forms of light that appear in locations that have no logical explanation.  These lights are usually found by fault lines, railroad tracks, or sources of water.  Many believe (including us) that there are natural explanations for this phenomenon. 

Globule:  A ball-shaped light, often seen in groups of two or more, that is visible to the naked eye.  These are different than orbs because orbs cannot be seen by the eye but appear in a photo or video footage.  Globules are a form generally associated with paranormal activity. 

Haunting:  A repeated appearance of paranormal activity associated with ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, or entities. 

Hypnagogia: The transitional state between being awake and asleep.

Hypnopompia: The transitional state between being asleep and being awake.

Imprint: Events, energy, and strong feelings or emotions that are left on an object, a location, or even a specific person.

Incubus:  An entity who preys on women.  It is thought that the incubus attempts sexual intercourse.  Many report the feeling of being pinned down to a bed; however, sleep paralysis commonly occurs and can easily be mistaken for this type of entity.  Most real incubus phenomenon is not caused by demons, but by spirits with addictions that try to fulfill their addictions.

Induced After-Death Communications: Messages received from the dead through the use of a practice that was originally designed to by a therapeutic technique for those that are grieving the loss of a loved one. Some claim that they can communicate with the spirits of loved ones in order to conclude their grieving process. 

Infestation: We use this term to describe a haunting that is either repetitive or persistent and by more than one spirit or energy.

Infrared Digital Thermometers:  A device used to monitor the presence of cold or hot spots that occur during paranormal events. 

Infrasound:  Any sound that is lower in frequency that 20 Hertz (Hz) or cycles per second. This is the “typical” limit of human hearing. 

Inhuman Entities:  As the name suggests, these entities were never human.  (We’re not talking about cats and dogs).  We’re talking about potentially evil entities.  They can be an annoyance to potentially very dangerous.  The only way to remove these entities is by cleansing one’s house or business.  These entities on rare occasion can cause possessions.

Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC):  ITC is simply the use of modern electronic devices in an attempt to communicate with spirits. ITC can be attempted on radios, televisions, computers, telephones, and audio recorders.

  
Intelligent Haunting:   A haunting caused by a spirit that is aware of its surroundings and is aware of the living.  They can answer questions and move things.  Most intelligent hauntings are human and will cause no harm.  Most intelligent hauntings are just trying to get your attention about something because they have something to say or have unfinished business.

Intuition: The ability of obtaining information beyond the typical learning processes. Some believe it is based partly on subconscious pattern association of information already known, plus impressions caused by the subconscious psi. 

Kinetic Energy: The energy required to force an object at rest into motion. As kinetic energy diminishes it changes into potential energy as energy is neither created nor destroyed.

Levitation: During hauntings (especially Poltergeist activity), a phenomenon where solid objects, including people, float in the air as if they have been lifted by an unseen force.

Light: Term used to represent the divine presence (God) or Heaven. Describes the knowledge, truth, illumination, comfort and love originating from God.

Living Apparition: The manifestation of an image of a living person that appears in a different location (often many miles away). This can occur in moments of danger or pain (crisis apparition) of related to astral projection and out-of-body experiences.

Lucid Dream: A dream in which one is aware that one is dreaming

Malevolent Spirit: A spirit who has ill-intent.

Manifestation:  The real signs of a haunting which can include visual, audio, touching, or smell. 

Materialization:  The sudden appearance of a spirit, ghost, or object. 

Matrixing:  The phenomenon of the mind to complete a picture that is not there.  For example, tricks of shadow can make your mind create a face that is not there. 

Medium: One who communicates with human spirits.

Metaphysics: The field of study of phenomenon that is best described as being beyond the laws of physics.

Near-Death Experience (NDE): Experiences of people that have been pronounced medically dead or very close to death.

Necromancy: The practice of communicating with spirits in order to obtain knowledge of the future or other’s secrets.

Negative Entity:  Inhuman entity, demonic in nature. 

Nonhuman Entity: An entity that was never a human on Earth. Nonhuman entities consist of angels and demons.

Olfactory Apparition:  Smells or odors associated with the ghost or spirit.  These smells can be cigars, lotions, or perfume/cologne closely associated with the deceased person.  Can also be called a phantom smell. 

Orb:  A spherical shape captured by a camera that is usually light in color.  Many believe an orb is an indicator of paranormal activity.  This may be true; however, any natural floating item (dust, bugs, moisture, pollen, etc.) can produce a reflection from a camera's flash and result in an orb.  An orb is easily duplicated by experimentation using everyday material. 

Outward Manifestation: The physical manifestation of any paranormal activity.

Paranormal:  Anything that is impossible to explain or understood in a scientific manner. 

Parapsychology: The study of paranormal phenomenon. It is the study of communication or interaction between individuals outside of standard communication methods.

Poltergeists:  (German word for “Noisy Ghost”) – A phenomenon that makes its presence known by causing disturbances.  Poltergeists usually center on an individual (most likely a youth going through puberty).  Poltergeists are believed to manifest around people dealing with a high levels of physical and emotional stress.  If a poltergeist is allowed to strengthen too much, it could cause dangerous conditions. 

Portal: A location where spirits can enter the physical realm.

Possession:  The entry of a spirit or entity into a human host, willing or unwilling, in which the spirit or entity controls a person’s functions. 

Precognition: The ability to gain knowledge of future events.

Precognitive Dreams: Dreams that foretell events before they actually occur.

Premonition: The ability to obtain a feeling or warning about future events.

Psi:  Another term for soul, psyche, or personality

Psychic:  A person who claims sensitivity and can communicate with the paranormal.

Psychic Attack: An attack by a spirit or entity.

Psychic Trigger:  Objects used to attract ghosts to a location in order to enhance activity.  The trigger is usually an object that belonged to the ghost or spirit or an item commonly used during their time. 

Psychometry: The ability to touch an object and obtain information about that object and its history as well as someone who may have owned or used the item.

Religious Provocation:  The process in which prayers, holy water, crucifixes, or any religious relic is used to make an inhuman entity make its presence known in order to expel it.  This is a very dangerous procedure and must only be done by those very experienced in this type of matter. 

Remote Viewing: The ability to acquire information about a distant or shielded item or information via the mind (ESP).

Residual Haunting:   trapped energy that has no awareness of its surroundings or you.  These can be noises or a vision of a spirit that replays over and over like a recording. 

Sensitive:  Another word for a psychic, medium, or clairvoyant.  A person who can see or feel spirits or ghosts or any other entity. 

Shadow Figure: Paranormal apparition which appears as a black mass, most often taking the shape of a human figure.

Shape-shifting: The ability of a paranormal entity to assume the form of another person, mass or animal.

Soul: The essence of a person or animal. The soul is often called a spirit, mind, or self.

Speaking in Tongues: The ability for a person to speak a language unknown to the speaker.

Specter: An apparition that appears in a form that is considered frightening to the observer. The entity can unintentionally or intentionally let themselves be seen in this manner.

Spirit: The soul of a deceased individual that remains in the living realm.  The cause of an intelligent haunting.

Spirit Realm: Also called a “spirit world”, this is the world inhabited by spirits. The spirit realm is independent form the natural world, both the spirit realm and the natural world are in constant interaction. 

Spontaneous Human Combustion: Rare phenomenon in which a person is badly burned in which the cause of the fire is unexplained.

Stigmata: Phenomenon in which wounds appear on people that correspond to the wounds of Jesus during his crucifixion.

Stone-Tape Theory: Theory in which certain qualities of stone can absorb and release energy, used to explain residual hauntings.

Succubus: A spirit that sexually assaults men.

Telekinesis:  A phenomenon in which objects can be moved by the power of one's mind.  Some believe spirits are able to manipulate physical objects through telekinesis.

Telepathy: The ability to communicate directly through mind-to-mind contact. 

Teleportation: Transportation of objects from one location to another without a living person.

Vortex (plural vortices):  The center of paranormal activity, thought to be an actual portal to the spirit realm.  A vortex is an area with a cold/hot spots, electromagnetic anomalies, and an increase in paranormal activity.

Wandering Spirit: A spirit who on their travel to a certain area become distracted about energy and briefly stay at a location until their curiosity abates. These spirits will then leave and never heard from again (at that location).

White Noise: A repetitive sound (usually static) used in an attempt to hear spirits.

Wraith:  The apparition of a person that appears just before or after death.

The above glossary was written by: Manchester Paranormal Investigations. All Rights Reserved.

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Types of Paranormal Activity

Full Body Apparition -This is the "Holy Grail" when it comes to paranormal hunters search. More are seen than most people think. Some even interact with the living. Most fall into the "Residual Haunting" category as the entity will go about its business whether someone is present or not. 

Intelligent Haunting -Is a haunting where a paranormal entity can interact with on intelligent level and/or answer to given questions or requests at the time of interaction. Intelligent Entities are a very powerful because they make itself known and respond in many ways to questions and or actions we may ask of them. This ranks up there with the "Holy Grail" of paranormal activity known as a Full Body Apparition.

Residual Haunting or an Un-intelligent Haunting -A haunting that is referred to as an event that is recorded (so to speak) and will replay itself over and over in exactly the same way. The event may occur on the same day or on a frequented basis.

Messengers -Are supposed ghosts who return to living to give them a message, relay information put a loved one at ease. There are even stories of where someone died and then showed themselves to a loved one to let them know they had passed over. There are several well documented cases of the latter having occurred.

Poltergeist -Taken from the German Language meaning a "Noisy Ghost" known for making noise and moving things around. Articles or objects can be moved, thrown or can disappear and then re-appear in a different area or place. The most noted case is the Bell Witch. This case went on for years, and was witnessed by many people; it was even witnessed by President Andrew Jackson (who made a hasty retreat).

Shadow People -A black mass that resembles a persons form. We are not sure if they are ghosts spirits or some other form of entitiy. But they do move as a person would move. They exist but in most cases do not tend to interact with the living other than making their presence known.

Ectoplasm -Some say ectoplasm is an actual substance that you can touch that some entities produce at certain times. Others say it is an entity try to make it self known either on film on in our reality. This type of evidence like most of the others is something we really know little if anything about other than it exists.

Mists -Mists have been known to form into what appears to be a person, or may reverse this process. The mist may hover, move from one point to another, materialize and de-materialize. A mist could be the sign of an entity, but one must be discounted when environmental factors dictate. We have captured many mists over the years some forming into paranormal entities; see our picture page.

Orbs -Balls of lights. Some people think they mean nothing while others like Sylvia Browne believes that they are angels. Others believe they are a soul manifesting itself as a ball of light. Still others believe they are made up of gasses or are caused by environmental factors unknown to us at this time. We believe some are camera anomalies and others can be legitimate paranormal activity depending on the circumstance. In photographs some orbs can be explained away as insects, dust or a camera anomaly.

Ghost Lights -Lights that are seen in homes or in open areas. Some tend to mimic our modern lights others lanterns and still others like large balls floating or moving with a purpose of some kind. Ghost lights in the mountains of Texas have been reported by hundreds if not thousands of people. But no one to date has come up with their origin or purpose.

Smells -Most people who report smelling things that are not there tend to report smelling flowers, cigar or pipe smoke when none of those things are present at the time the scent occurs.

Auditory Events -Some people will report hearing their names being called, doors opening and closing, knocks on the walls or floors and footsteps. Some people even report hearing an entity talking to them or someone else that they cannot see but must have been with the entity when they were alive.

Animal Ghosts -There are human hauntings why not animals? There are many cases of ghost dogs, cats and horses. How many stories have you heard of a ghost carriage pulling up in front of an old mansion?

Portals or Vortexes -A supposed portal or vortex are places where entities from "the other realm" can enter and/or exit ours realm. These areas are also known for having a large amount of paranormal activity taking place.

Demons -Some believe that anything paranormal has a demonic connotation. Some paranormal occurrences could certainly be demonic, but not all are in our opinion. In over 10 years of performing paranormal investigations we have only come across what we feel to be one negative entity.

Witches -Modern witches are known as Wiccan and practice white magic. "Harm none do as ye will" is their creed. So they are not the ones to fear. There are those who worship the "Dark Art" and those people are trying to bring about their own will. What they fail to recognize is the "Law of Threes" What you do come back to you three times. Basically speaking "What goes around comes around" They may try to harm, but they harm themselves more so.

Other Types of Paranormal Activity -There are certainly other types of proclaimed paranormal activity throughout the world in every culture including Voo Doo, fairies, ghost animals, dopplegangers, vampires, goblins, leprechauns, ufo's and the list goes on and on. Therefore, some paranormal events will be based in beliefs. Beliefs based on religion, superstition, life experience, and still others will base beliefs on circumstances, personal perception or someone else's beliefs that have been relayed to them.

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What is a Residual Haunt?

A residual haunt is not caused by a spirit of soul; it is a recording from the past that somehow replays itself. While some residual haunts can be traumatic (if they are recorded during a traumatic event), they pose no harm at all. There is not thought, no logic, no recognition on the part of the apparition. It is not aware you are there nor is it aware of its surroundings. It is just a recording. The replayed energy can manifest itself as auditory, visual, olfactory or other sensory phenomenon.

Signs of a Residual Haunting - We claim that most famous hauntings are the actions or residual energy. How does one know if activity is residual or intelligent (spirit)? Residual hauntings have the following characteristics:

• The visual apparition performs the same tasks or actions each time or is seen at the same time each time


• The same noises are heard and at the same time of day


• If an apparition is present, it acts as if you are not there

 Type of Apparitions in a Residual Haunt - When most people hear the word apparition, they imagine the visual clues that a ghost is present. Visual is only one of several types of apparition that may be present. Below are the different types of apparitions that may be present as a result of a residual haunting:

• Auditory Apparition - This is the most common of all reported paranormal activity. The apparition is heard only. The most common sounds are footsteps, sounds of doors opening and closing, conversations, screams, crying, laughing, even the sound of cannons in areas where wars were fought.

• Visual Apparition - An apparition that is seen by someone through the naked eye. Visual apparitions are typically not complete; meaning some portion of the figure is missing.

• Olfactory Apparition - An apparition that is smelled, such as perfume or cologne, flowers, tobacco smoke. The odors are directly indicative of the person whose energy has been trapped and recorded.

• Tactile Apparitions - The most common report of tactile apparition is the presence of an unexplained cold spot. Another common tactile apparition is the unexplainable emotions that seem to be at a location. These strange emotions can be felt.

 The apparitions described above can also be present in cases on an intelligent haunting.  But in an intelligent haunting, the entity can react to you, has awareness, and has a sense of thought to it’s motions.

 Another Theory - Some believe that some hauntings that are labeled as residual could also be a spirit that is somehow unable to recognize, interact, or communicate with the living. They may be in such crisis that they are so confused that they created their own Hell and are unaware of anything or unable to communicate. We feel it is quite possible for a portion of residual haunts to fall into this category. 

 “The Stone Tape” Theory - This theory was proposed in the 1970’s as a possible explanation for residual haunts. It states that materials can absorb energy for living beings and events. The theory speculates that recordings are made during periods of high tension and trauma such as murder, war, rape, or other intense moments or someone’s life. This stored energy is released resulting in a playback of the events.

 Limestone, Magnetite, and Quartz – Prevalent in Residuals - It is thought that limestone, magnetite and quartz are prevalent features in residual hauntings. Either the structure itself contains any of these natural materials or the property is located on land that has these materials present.

Magnetite is theorized to be an excellent recorder since it is naturally highly magnetic. Again, magnetic energy can fuel paranormal events, so the replaying of events seems logical. Quartz is considered excellent to transmit past events as quartz is used in radios, televisions and radar. As for the limestone, it is believed that the quartz present in limestone is the driver for activity.

 Place Memories - The concept of “place memories” is similar to residual hauntings and “stone tape” theories. It is believed that memories from an individual’s mind can attach itself to the environment. The energy can then be picked up by others causing a hallucination of that specific memory.

This Article Copyright Manchester Paranormal Investigations

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What is an Intelligent Haunting?

An intelligent haunting is simply a haunting in which the paranormal entity involved is able to interact and respond and is aware of the living realm. Whether or not they do interact is up to them – but the key is awareness of the present world. Most intelligent hauntings are the work of a soul (spirit) of a person who once walked the Earth. We classify nonhuman entities (angels and demons) in the category of an intelligent haunt because of the interaction.

In the case of a human spirit, the soul has either elected or is somehow trapped in this realm due to a connection with a person, place or object or through their own fears and emotions. In some cases, the spirit may be confused and not know they are dead – but in our experience this is relatively rare. 

It is important to know that spirits retain the personalities of the person when they were living. As such, motivation and intentions of the individual spirits can vary. Just as in society, there are happy spirits, sad spirits, angry spirits, and spirits that want to cause mischief or misery. We term the spirits with evil intentions “malevolent spirits”. Malevolent spirits are attracted to negative energy and can thrive off of it. They like to cause chaos to increase fear for their enjoyment. Most spirits are harmless, and even the really cranky ones, their bark is worse than their bite as they have limited ability to manipulate objects.

A human spirit can only be removed when they choose to move towards the light. Malevolent spirits can be removed by removing their fuel – negative human emotions. Once they lose that, they’ll quickly bore and move on. Malevolents can also be convinced to move toward the light – but with greater difficulty and resistance.

Intelligent hauntings can be unnerving to some, since these spirits can interact with the living.  However, it is important to remember that these spirits were at one time human beings like you and I.  They had family, jobs, hopes, dreams, and concerns.  They typically maintain their personalities they had when they were alive.  Kind, warm people turn into benevolent spirits.  Angry or bitter people turn into troublesome spirits.  It is important to note that these so-called troublesome spirits will rarely cause injuries to the living.  Most injuries to the living are the result of careless fleeing because of fright.  However caution is recommended with the real cranky ones!  There are even spirits that can be a little mischievous for their amusement. 

Most people associate intelligent hauntings as one that has evil or bad intentions.  In fact, most intelligent hauntings are seeking just one thing – attention.  They do what they can to get your attention – they open and close doors, move things, turn electronics on and off, try touching you, and make noise.  Their intention is often misunderstood, most are not trying to scare you, but get your attention.

This Article Copyright Manchester Paranormal Investigations

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16 Signs of a Residential Haunting

How do you know if that persistent rapping on your walls is bad plumbing or a mischievous spirit? Here are some of the signs of a haunting

You hear heavy footsteps in the upstairs hallway when you know no one is up there. Doors slam unaccountably. Commonly used items disappear and reappear without cause. The kitchen light turns on by itself. There's the unmistakable scent of a strange perfume in the air.

These may be indications that your house is haunted. True hauntings are rare occurrences, and it may be difficult to determine whether or not any strange phenomena you are experiencing in your home might be due to a haunting. For one thing, no one really knows what a "real" haunting is - what causes it or why it starts. There are many theories, of course, which we have discussed in this space in the article "Ghosts: What Are They?" But if you think your house may really be haunted, what can you do about it?

THE SIGNS OF A HAUNTING

The first step is to determine, as best you can, whether or not you truly have a legitimate case of a haunting. Not all hauntings are alike, and they may exhibit a variety of phenomena. Some hauntings feature a single phenomenon - such as a particular door slamming shut that occurs repeatedly - while others consist of many different phenomena, ranging from odd noises to full-blown apparitions.

Here's a partial list of phenomena that might indicate that your house is haunted:

• Unexplained noises - footsteps; knocks, banging, rapping; scratching sounds; sounds of something being dropped. Sometimes these noises can be subtle and other times they can be quite loud.


• Doors, cabinets and cupboards opening and closing - most often, these phenomena are not seen directly. The experiencer either hears the distinct sounds of the doors opening and closing (homeowners get to know quite well the distinctive sounds their houses make) or the experiencer will return to a room to find a door open or closed when they are certain that it was left in the opposite position. Sometimes furniture, like kitchen chairs, are perceived to have been moved. Very rarely will the experiencer actually witness the phenomenon taking place.


• Lights turning off and on - likewise, these events are seldom seen actually occurring, but the lights are switched on or off when the experiencer knows they were not left that way. This can also happen with TVs, radios and other electrically powered items.


• Items disappearing and reappearing - this phenomenon, which we have dubbed "the DOPler Effect" (DOP = Disappearing Object Phenomenon), has been examined in the article "The DOPler Effect." Others have called this "the borrowers" phenomenon, and it's the familiar experience of not being able to find a regularly used item - say, your set of car keys - which you believe you placed in a spot you routinely place them. But they're gone and you look high and low for them with no success. Some time later, the keys are found - in exactly the place you normally put them. It's as if the object was borrowed by someone or something for a short time, then returned. Sometimes they are not returned for days or even weeks, but when they are, it's in an obvious place that could not have been missed by even a casual search.


• Unexplained shadows - the sighting of fleeting shapes and shadows, usually seen out of the corner of the eye. This phenomenon has also been discussed in some detail in "Shadow People." Many times, the shadows have vaguely human forms, while other times they are less distinguishable or smaller.


• Strange animal behavior - a dog, cat or other pet behaves strangely. Dogs may bark at something unseen, cower without apparent reason or refuse to enter a room they normally do. Cats may seem to be "watching" something cross a room. Animals have sharper senses than humans, and many researchers think their psychic abilities might be more finely tuned also. (See "Animals and Ghosts" )


• Feelings of being watched - this is not an uncommon feeling and can be attributed to many things, but it could have a paranormal source if the feeling consistently occurs in a particular part of the house at a particular time.

Those are some of the most common experiences of those who think their houses are haunted. Yet even stranger things can happen.

STRONGER EVIDENCE

The following phenomena are more rare, but could be stronger evidence of a haunting:

• Mild psychokinetic phenomena - hearing a door open or close is one thing. Actually seeing it happen is quite another. Similarly, actually seeing a light go on or off by itself is greater proof that something unexplained is happening. Do you see the TV or radio turn on? Or perhaps you're present when a child's powered toy begins to operate on its own. Doors and windows are locked or unlocked. Some people report that when they are in bed they can feel and/or hear something sitting on the bed.


• Feelings of being touched - the feeling of being watched is one thing, and actually feeling like you are being touched is quite another. Some people feel something brush past them, something touching their hair or "a hand" on the shoulder. Some feel a gentle poke, push or nudge.


• Cries and whispers - on occasion, muffled voices, whispering and crying can be heard. Sometimes it's music from some unknown source. People hear their names being said. This phenomenon, as is true for the one above, gains more credibility if more than one person hears or sees the same thing at the same time.


• Cold or hot spots - cold spots are classic haunting symptoms, but any instance of a noticeable variance in temperature without a discernable cause could be evidence.


• Unexplained smells - the distinct fragrance of a perfume or cologne that you do not have in your house. This phenomenon comes and goes without any apparent cause and may accompany other phenomena, such as shadows, voices or psychokinetic phenomena. Foul odors can happen in the same way.

Rarer still are more extreme phenomena, some of which have been called poltergeist phenomena, and can be quite strong evidence of a true haunting:

• Moving or levitating objects (severe psychokinetic phenomena) - dinner plates sliding across the table; pictures flying off walls; doors slamming shut with great force; furniture sliding across the floor.


• Physical assault - scratches, slaps and hard shoves. This kind of personal assault is extremely rare, but obviously highly disturbing.


• Other physical evidence - unexplained writing on paper or walls; handprints and footprints.


• Apparitions - physical manifestation of a spirit or entity. These phenomena are also very rare and can take many forms: human-shaped mists or forming mists of some indistinguishable shape; transparent human forms that disappear quickly; and most rarely, human forms that look as real and solid as any living person, but that disappear into a room or even while being viewed.

If you suspect that your house is haunted, here's what you can do to find out, then take some action

IF THERE ARE weird, unexplained things going on in your house -- unexplained sounds, sights, movements, or other signs of a haunting -- here are the steps you should take.

RULE OUT RATIONAL EXPLANATIONS

A person who has experienced some of these phenomena might have cause to believe that his or her house is haunted. But maybe not. In fact, according to most experts, probably not. The human mind and human senses (as any magician will tell you) are easily fooled. And people can often mistake explainable (if unusual) occurrences in their homes for the paranormal.

Before you decide there's a ghost in your house or move out from fear, do your best to find rational explanations for what you are experiencing. Virtually all of the phenomena listed in "16 Signs That Your House is Haunted" could have perfectly natural causes:

• Noises could be house settling, plumbing or even vermin such as mice and squirrels


• Opening and closing doors could be faulty hinges or caused by drafts


• Disappearing objects (DOPler phenomena) could just be carelessness and forgetfulness


• Shadows could be just that - shadows caused, perhaps, by a passing car's headlights


• As real as some of these things might seem to you, they really could be just products of your imagination

Of course, the more extreme the phenomena, the harder they are to dismiss. And if multiple witnesses experience the same phenomena, they are likely to be taken more seriously.

Get help in finding rational explanations for the phenomena. A plumber might help you find the cause of that banging. A carpenter can fix that door from closing on its own. A friend or neighbor might be able to look at your particular experience in a different way and offer a reasonable explanation for your "haunting" that you might not have thought of. In short, make every possible effort to prove that your house is not haunted.

KEEP A JOURNAL

If you feel you have ruled out rational explanations for the phenomena that are taking place in your house, and they are still occurring on a more or less regular basis, document them. Keep a journal of the phenomena as they happen. For example:

• June 2, 2011; 10:30 p.m. - Was sitting watch TV when the bathroom light switched on by itself. Went in and turned it off again.


• June 10, 2011; 9:14 p.m. - Was in the kitchen and heard the footsteps crossing the upstairs hallway again. No one was up there. Went up to investigate and could find no cause. A journal such as this could help with any formal investigation of the phenomena by experts.

If you hear unexplained noises, attempt to record them with a portable tape recorder. If there are physical phenomena of any kind, photograph or videotape them. Keep your journal, recording and camera equipment readily available so you can document the phenomena as it happens.

CALL THE EXPERTS

When should you call a paranormal investigator? Only when you have ruled out any rational explanations for the phenomena you are experiencing and are thoroughly convinced that your house is truly haunted should you contact the experts. Of course, if the phenomena are extreme and you feel that you and your family are in any kind of physical or psychological danger, you should call for help right away.

Who are the experts? There are hundreds of paranormal investigation organizations across the U.S. and Canada. You can find a state-by-state listing of many of them here, although I cannot vouch for the expertise of any of them. Most certainly, they vary in expertise and in the degree of their practical experience, so you should be careful in your choice.

Despite whatever strangeness you are experiencing, your house probably is not haunted. But if it is, perhaps it is a benign spirit or phenomenon that you can live with. Usually, it is something you need not fear.

Article written by Stephen Wagner - about.com

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Ghosts: What Are They?

YOU'VE SEEN THEM depicted in movies, read stories of their unnerving activities and have seen television shows and documentaries sensationalizing them. You have probably seen rare photos of them and have likely heard of first-hand ghostly encounters from friends and relatives. I receive dozens of reports from readers every month. Perhaps you have even seen a ghost yourself.

But what are ghosts? I'll give you the answer straight out: No one knows for certain. There are, however, many theories to explain the thousands upon thousands of documented experiences that people around the world have had since the beginning of recorded history. Ghosts and hauntings seem to be a relatively common part of the human experience. And there appear to be several types of ghosts or hauntings, and more than one theory might be needed to explain them all.

DEAD PEOPLE

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. Veteran ghost hunter Hans Holzer wrote, "A ghost is a human being who has passed out of the physical body, usually in a traumatic state and is not aware usually of his true condition. We are all spirits encased in a physical body. At the time of passing, our spirit body continues into the next dimension. A ghost, on the other hand, due to trauma, is stuck in our physical world and needs to be released to go on."

 Also known 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.

RESIDUAL HAUNTINGS OR RECORDINGS

Some ghosts appear to be mere recordings on the environment in which they once existed. A Civil War soldier is seen on repeated occasions staring out a window at a house where he once stood guard. A dead child's laughter is heard echoing in a hallway where she often played. There are even cases of ghost cars and trains that can still be heard and sometimes seen, even though they are long gone. These types of ghosts do not interact with or seem to be aware of the living. Their appearance and actions are always the same. They are like spirit-level recordings - residual energies - that replay over and over again.

 "A traumatic moment in time leaves an indelible impression on the building or area," says Strange Nation in "What Is a Ghost?," "replaying itself for eternity. This could be anything from a 'glimpse of the past' - a recreation of some traumatic or emotion-laden event - to footsteps up and down a hallway."

 What causes these recordings to be made and how and why they are played back is a mystery. "How and why past events are recorded and replayed repetitiously is not understood," writes Lauren Forcella. "Whatever the actual mechanism, it apparently possesses longevity as the encore performances of a haunting can continue for decades or longer. Generally, the haunting is a fragment or portion of an actual event."

MESSENGERS

These kinds of ghosts may be the most common. These spirits usually appear shortly after their deaths to people close to them. They are aware of their deaths and can interact with the living. They most often bring messages of comfort to their loved ones, to say that they are well and happy, and not to grieve for them. These ghosts appear briefly and usually only once. It is as if they intentionally return with their messages for the express purpose of helping the living cope with their loss.

"This category commonly involves one-time visits to someone with whom the apparition has close emotional ties," says Lauren Forcella at Paranormal Investigations, who calls these ghosts "crisis apparitions." "Though the encounter usually seems to be a type of farewell, sometimes important and useful information is relayed to the 'viewer.' Though dying is the most common crisis, other life-threatening situations can also trigger apparitional visits."

POLTERGEISTS

This type of haunting is the most feared by people because it has the greatest ability to affect our physical world. Poltergeists are blamed for unexplained noises, such as wall-banging, rapping, footsteps and even music. They take our possessions and hide them, only to return them later. They turn on faucets, slam doors, turn lights on and off, and flush toilets. They throw things across rooms. They have been known to pull on people's clothing or hair. The malevolent ones even slap and scratch the living. It is because of these sometimes "mean-spirited" manifestations that poltergeists are considered by some investigators to be demonic in nature.

Other investigators, however, believe that poltergeist activity is not caused by ghosts at all, but by certain living people under stress. "During a poltergeist experience," writes Lauren Forcella, "the agent, in an attempt to relieve emotional stress, unknowingly causes the physical disturbances using mental forces. The mental mechanism that allows the poltergeist agent to unconsciously cause these physical disturbances is called psychokinesis."

PROJECTIONS

The skeptics' point of view - if they are willing to admit there is anything to haunting experiences at all - is that they are all in our minds, or are products of our own minds. Ghosts, they say, are psychological phenomena: we see them because we expect to or want to see them.

A grieving widow sees her dead husband because she needs to; she needs the comfort of knowing that he is alright and happy in the next world. Her mind produces the experience to help itself cope with the stress of the loss. Since we know so little about the power and capacity of our own minds, it's possible that they can even produce physical manifestations, such as apparitions and noises - projections that even others may be able to see and hear. But they are not "real" in any sense, say the skeptics, just the conjurings of powerful imaginations.

Are there such things as ghosts? The phenomena of ghosts and hauntings are very real experiences. It is their true cause and nature that is the ongoing mystery.

Article written by Stephen Wagner - about.com

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