Types Of Hauntings

A haunting is a kind of "recording" of a past event on an environment, such as a house, building or a battlefield. These recordings play back, over and over in a kind of loop - always the same, like a film or video. It is thought that the presence of certain people can trigger these recordings to play back. They are not ghosts capable of interacting with the living. It is not known how these recordings are made, but they are often associated with a traumatic or strongly emotional event.

There are many different types of hauntings, not limited to but including:

Attachment Hauntings

Attachment Hauntings (also widely known as intelligent or traditional Hauntings) is what most people think of when they hear the word ghost. Unfortunately these types of hauntings are very rare. An attachment ghost is kind of like Casper in the sense that they interact with people. The most common belief is that the ghost is connected to the site or people in some way.

Some reasons the ghost may be tied to the site or people:

1. Died as a result of a traumatic event, murder, car accident, etc.
2. Due to unfinished business.
3. The spirit may have died suddenly and not realized he/she died.
4. The living loved ones are so emotionally distraught they can't let go.
5. The spirit is emotionally connected to their loved ones.
6. They cannot rest due to an injustice done to them.
7. Fear of the other side or judgment

These ghosts are generally associated with physical activity like slamming, opening, closing, unlocking doors and windows, voices, and sounds. A strong presence, a scent, or touch may be experienced. People rarely see a manifestation of the ghost in the form of an apparition or mist.

Poltergeist Hauntings

Also widely known, as residual haunting is believed to be activity of reoccurring or traumatic actions from past events that leave an imprint on the environment.

This type is probably the most common type of haunting. Because its' characteristics are similar to the attachment haunting, people often mistake it for an attachment haunting. Like attachment haunts, some examples of activity are phantom footsteps, sounds, images, and scents. One major difference between this haunting and the attachment haunting, is that this type of haunting is not considered to be that of a ghost, and there is no interaction with the living.

It is believed that this activity is the dissipation of stored energy from the site. The theory is the energy is stored or absorbed by the site due to repetitive or traumatic events of the energy expended while performing such actions. Similar to a tape player, the energy is stored in the magnetic field of the environment. Over time the energy builds up and is discharged showing a replay of the event, and then the cycle starts again. Some suggest that atmospheric conditions such as storms may initiate the playback. There is also a quantum physics theory that relates the energy as light particles that are dormant until they are stimulated by an outside variable under the proper conditions. Researchers have observed that the energy tends to diminish over periods of time until eventually it is either exhausted, or the level is so low that it is not experienced again.

Although alot of people believe that poltergeist hauntings are caused by psychokinesis (the ability to move things by power of the mind alone). The question becomes whether the psychokinesis is from the people who live within (or visit) the place where the activity takes place, or if it is actually occurring from an unseen troubled spirit, called a ghost. The reason for this is because typically poltergeist hauntings are believed to center around an adolescent girl (although young males and even adults have exhibited the same phenomena) in the household. This is simply not the case.

Portal Hauntings

Some ghost hunters believe that portals exist between the physical and spirit worlds and that they act as a door for ghosts to cross over from the other side to the physical realm. Others believe portal hauntings to be doorways between the earth and other dimensions and maybe even other worlds. Still, no one knows for sure if portals actually exist and if so, what they may be.

Some paranormal investigators believe that strange entities (that appear other-worldly and do not seem human) captured by ghost photography, seem to be around areas with high activity and are thus suspected to be portal hauntings. These portal hauntings have also been identified as having a high occurrence around graveyards or near underground waterways for some reason. Some have fostered the notion that graveyards may have been built unknowingly, yet guided by the subconscious or higher powers that be, in areas that portals exist.

Phantom Hauntings

These are ghosts that so closely resemble the living that they are often not realized as ghosts until they do something uncanny, like walk through a wall.

1) Phantom Hitchhikers - According to many urban legends, these are ghosts who typically interact with the living in such a way that they ask for a ride, and before arriving at the destination, they mysteriously disappear. Usually occurs on the anniversary of their death.

2) Phantom Travelers - Ghosts that are found along a certain route, usually as a result of a deadly accident. They can be riding horses, or prepared to board a train or plane. Most manifest on the anniversary of their death.

Photographic Hauntings

Ghosts that are not seen until after a photo is taken and examined. These MAY include orbs, mists, (ectoplasm) vortexes, shadows and other unusual light or optical effects. Many debate whether they are actually ghosts, spirits, or souls; personally I feel they are some kind of energetic or spiritual byproduct.

Battlefield Hauntings

Also known as floating battlefields, they resemble an actual reenactment of war, but for some reason, they typically occur above the ground, from several to a hundred feet up, in some cases.

Transportation Hauntings

Also known as Phantom Craft under Location Based, they are often associated with the final moments of some tragic accident. The wreckage itself can attach energy in such a way as to become haunted. There are some kinds that are not necessarily relegated to one location, but can be seen anywhere that it would have normally been seen in pre-spirit existence. The Flying Dutchman is a famous example and is usually sighting one is a bad omen.

Out Of Body

The appearance of a living person who is actually in another location. They are not necessarily ill or dying, and can be either solid or translucent. Some claim to recall their OBE and can give verifiable details about the location they were seen. Probably related to Astral Projection.

Classic Haunting

Also known as an Entity Haunting, it is defined as an interactive ghost who does not fall into any special category such as those mentioned above. Can be a phantom, apparition, presence, or unexplained events that occur in a certain location.
Graveyard Specters

Also known as shells or shades, these are believed to be the etheric remnants of a person after death. Commonly found in graveyards days or weeks after a burial, they are scary but not dangerous. Typically seen as dark, shadowy forms they usually do not communicate or talk. Legend has it that people were buried alive in new graveyards to create a guardian, known as an ankou.