Spirit Energy

Types of Spirits

(Be sure to see our "Getting Rid Of Ghosts" Page For More About Different Types Of Spirits)

Residual - Residual Hauntings are "recordings" of an event in time that are left at a location, that are played back at a later time. You may hear residual hauntings on tape recordings or see them, endless loops of the same scene being played over and over, and they are usually always experienced in the same location. A couple ways these impressions are left on a location is: A traumatic event happening at the location, or by someone doing an action over and over at a location, causing it to be imprinted there. A traumatic moment in time leaves an indelible impression on a building or area, one example being Battle Fields. There are numerous accounts of people seeing soldiers fighting battles on old battle fields, only to learn later that day that there were no reenactments going on that day. By someone doing an action over and over in an area, they can leave an impression on the location also, example being: when people hear footsteps walking down hallways yet no one is there, or when people see apparitions walking up/down staircases. Another example of this is: In St. Augustine, Florida there's been a apparition of a woman who, every time seen, is always in the same location, and always doing the same thing.. Her laundry. As if she is stuck in time.

Anniversary Ghosts

Anniversary ghosts do, as the title suggests, only appear on an anniversary of some significance like deaths, birthdays and other times that held some meaning for the deceased or are of historical significance to them. Since this type of ghost only appears on the anniversary of a special event, it seem likely this type of haunting could be a residual haunting, reenacting a certain event in time on that one day or night

Intelligent Ghosts

Unlike residual hauntings, these type of ghosts are not in a 'stuck in time' type of deal. They actually seem to have intelligence. These spirits are interactive, sometimes verging into the territory of the poltergeist. They may try and attract your attention by creating odors, moving things, making noises such as footsteps, slamming doors, or moving and hiding objects.

Poltergeists

The Poltergeist – German for "noisy spirit" – seems to be between the categories of ghost and psi (the term applied to unusual abilities of human origin such as ESP and psychokinesis and investigating "exceptional human experiences" such as out of body and apparitional experiences). As the name suggests, they are noisy, often throwing objects around, pinching and prodding residents and generally disrupting the residence. They may not be "mean" or "evil", Just active, wanting to let people know they're there. Interestingly, most cases often center on a teenage or female presence in the home. This would seem to indicate that the activities are in some way attributable to the teenager or focus person. Hauntings are usually associated with places of strong emotion. Adolescence is one of the most stressful and emotional times of a person's life. Perhaps the effect of this stress may attract the hauntings? Another theory that is becoming more and more used to explain poltergeist activity is that the focus person in the household may be a natural medium or suffering from repressed emotions that are somehow outwardly manifested, meaning the person them self may be actually causing these things to happen without even knowing it..

Different stages/levels of Poltergeist activity

Stage/Level	Occurrences
Stage 1: Referred to as a Senses Attack because in the early stages of a poltergeist the activity mainly revolves around the human body's basic senses.	• Cold spots • Strange noises • Odd odors and smells • Hearing footsteps • Unusual animal activity, such as dogs and cats running from rooms, etc. • Feelings of being watched..
Stage 2: This level is where the noises and smells begin to turn into something more direct. Everything is still at its basic level but turned up a few notches.	• Whispers, Laughs or giggles • Moans or shrieking • Moving shadows • Breezes in closed areas • Visible clouds (base apparitions) • Strong static electricity • Marks on floors or walls (Not writings)
Stage 3: At this stage the poltergeist begins to make it's presence felt. The difference is that in the first two levels it could be said that it was the mind playing tricks, but now, it's hard not to notice something real is happening. This is the level that the classic haunting falls into.	• Lights and other electrical appliances turning ON/OFF • Unseen hands grabbing or touching people • Writings on walls or pattern markings • Doors that Open/Close or Lock/Unlock • Hearing voices or words clearly • Full apparitions or dark figures • Showing levels of communication with living people
Stage 4: This is where an advanced poltergeist begins to gain momentum. Moving closer to the danger level and picking up a clearer consciousness.	• Flying/moving objects • Objects disappearing and reappearing elsewhere • Shaking furniture • Pushing or shaking people • Windows, mirrors or other household objects breaking for no reason • Levitation
Stage 5: At this level the poltergeist is at its highest energy point and should be considered dangerous, not because it wants to hurt people, but just because it has a great deal of energy and could end of hurting someone with it (either on purpose or by accident). The time frame here, and for all stages listed, will vary depending on the poltergeist. It could end in days, months or years. After this stage, the poltergeist will usually go dormant and then begin this cycle over again.	• Dangerous activity • Biting, Slapping or punching • Animating objects • Use of household electrical systems • Hair pulled • Heavy objects falling

Types of spirit energy

Orbs

These are the most commonly photographed anomalies captured on film. They usually are seen as 'balls of light' hovering over the ground. If you look inside them you can usually see a swirling pattern, possibly energy moving around. Be sure to follow "Standards and Protocols" to try and avoid capturing false evidence like dust, rain, etc. that could show up as orbs on film.

Ectoplasm

This is a form of spirit energy that appears either as long white swirls or as a vapor or cloud like apparition. It's important for you or other people to not be smoking during a ghost hunt/investigation. If you must smoke, make a place away from the investigation for everyone to smoke at. If someone is smoking around the investigation, then it's hard to tell if it was the smoke from the cigarette or something paranormal on film. But if no one is smoking, you are not breathing in front of the camera (on cold days), there's no fog, and you see no mist with the naked eye, etc.. then you may have something.

Vortex/Vortices

This is a swirling column of white (usually vertical) light that is often mistaken for a camera strap. Always remember to either remove your camera strap or make sure it is not in the way of the camera lens to avoid confusion. The column may be of any color, but the most common is white. Often a blue-white color may be visible associated with portions of the column being transparent.

Apparitions

Some psychics "claim" to see them on a regular basis but as for the rest of us it's a very rare occurrence. Catching an apparition on film is what every ghost hunter aspires to but seldom, if ever sees. They show up in a transparent human form and usually wear the clothing of their period. You might also note that they normally appear faint and disfigured as in being incomplete.