Bobby Elgee asked:

by Bobby Elgee, Sights Unseen Paranormal 

Many paranormal groups will detail the difference between two types of hauntings–residual and intelligent. Without going into a great degree of detail, residual hauntings are like a tape recorder that periodically plays for a variety of supposed reasons, while intelligent hauntings imply some degree of consciousness and interaction with the environment, including the people that encounter them. The goal of this article is not to go into a myriad of details regarding the specifics of these two types of hauntings, or necessarily, how to tell the difference. Instead, I’d like to discuss people’s propensity to attribute human characteristics to things that aren’t human. Consider the following definition, taken straight from Merriem-Websters 11th Collegiate Dictonary: 

anthropomorphize 

Main Entry: 

an·thro·po·mor·phize 

Function: verb 

Inflected Form(s): 

an·thro·po·mor·phized; an·thro·po·mor·phiz·ing 

Date: 1845 

transitive verb 

: to attribute human form or personality to 

intransitive verb 

: to attribute human form or personality to things not human 

— an·thro·po·mor·phi·za·tion  noun 

If you are a human being, you have a natural tendency to do this. It’s part of being human, much like recognizing faces in ambiguous visual stimuli; a wonderful ability afforded us by the most spectacular of all organs–our brains. The question is, how does one do this accurately in the realm of paranormal investigation? 

It’s natural for humans to be self-centered or egocentric. If something happened, its probably related to you, and perhaps is because of something you did. Ask a child of a certain age “Why does the sun come up?” and they will answer with some variation of “Because I got up.” It is simply a developmental stage that–hopefully–we all outgrow. 

But, to me, it seems that we may revert to earlier developmental stages when analyzing paranormal phenomena. Consider the following hypothetical questions and answers…. 

Why did that mist show up in a picture? 

It was a ghost trying to show itself to me. 

Why did those plates fall off the counter? 

A ghost was trying to get my attention. 

Why are the dowsing rods moving? 

A spirit is spinning them around in answer to your questions. 

Why did my EMF detector spike when there’s no electrical source around? 

A spirit is attempting to make contact with us. 

Why did this cold spot materialize? 

A ghost is trying to manifest, and tell me it’s here. 

Why did that door slam? 

The spirits are upset that we’re here. 

What is the cat looking at? 

A ghost, animals can see things that we can’t, and the ghost is trying to communicate with it.. 

The questions could certainly apply to many paranormal investigations I’ve been on. The answers however, show a clear indication of anthropormorphism–in addition to a lack of a debunking attempt. Their is no indication from the events that this is an intelligent haunting, and yet the person answering the question automatically makes it a conscious spirit interacting with the investigator. In addition, they are clearly ascribing human attributes to something non-human, in this case, a bunch of environmental observations. 

Whether such things are paranormal–not explainable by science–may be determined in the context of a careful investigation. Whether they were caused by a spirit or ghost can certainly never be proven, regardless of whether it is a residual or intelligent haunting. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we all need to fight against our basic human propensity to anthropormorphize. I feel it can sabotage an investigation, causing investigators to loose focus and pigeon-hole data into their belief system, and, perhaps, even cause people to miss potentially relevant events. 

So, unless a full-bodied apparition materializes in front of you in period dress, tells you it’s a ghost, and then offers to play a game of cards with you, be very careful about calling anything an intelligent haunting. The events that occurred are probably not paranormal to begin with. To make them into a ghost interacting with you is quite a stretch. 

Have I been in haunted places where I felt that a presence was interacting with the team? Absolutely! Have I recorded EVPs that respond to an investigators questions in a specific manner? Yes, albeit rarely. 

Assigning attributes such as sex and personality traits–as well as motivations–to paranormal phenomena is a slippery slope. I prefer to leave that stuff up to competent psychics–which are very, very rare. 

paranormal video

Dr. Theresa M. Kelly asked:

Warning: Please do not read this article if you have recently lost a loved one. The content below is based on paranormal experience, evidence and research and is not the belief of all paranormal investigators. The content below can be disturbing.

Para Ethics

“Ghosts” or Spirits are made up of unstable atomic nuclei which loses energy, can decay, when exposed to radiation in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves. Allowing excessive electrical equipment near active sites during paranormal investigations can affect spirits in a harmful way.

It is unethical to allow excessive electrical equipment near an active paranormal site including electrical equipment for paranormal research and household electronics.

It is unethical to transport spirits from an active site unless they pose a threat.

It is ethical to locate a professional to help a spirit crossover.

Conscious and Alive

A spirit is a being that did not crossover shortly after the death of the physical mind and body. Reasons why the being did not crossover vary including confusion, duty, revenge or fear. Whether they may have been “good” or “evil” human beings during their physical lifetime is irrelevant because they were still Human beings.

While paranormal based laws and ethics can not be upheld with our current limited understanding and interaction with the spirits of the deceased, educating those who may or may not ever experience a paranormal event on the laws and ethics that should be upheld, when dealing with the living spirits of deceased physical beings, can prevent unnecessary suffering.

Why Para Ethics and Laws are Crucial

Those who do not crossover due to the fear of the unknown wander this world lost, depressed, sometimes angry, filled with regret or fearful of their chosen unknown. Some spirits may have turned down a passing to the other side due to a need or feeling of obligated duty to family or friends. Some spirits may deny their death or never realize their death at all leaving them confused or uncooperative. There are many reasons why a spirit does not crossover, but there are just as many reasons why they should have.

What would you expect in a world of living spirits with no law or order, with mixed personalities, those lacking in morals and those left vulnerable because of their morals. Spirits roam lost, uncertain of purpose or direction, unacknowledged by loved ones, scared, bitter and with no one to protect them.

Spirits are not only vulnerable to other entities, but to their atmosphere or rather the invisible world around them. Spirits are energy based, and living, and like all living beings they are seemingly mortal because the requirement for eternal life resides on the other side leaving spirits here low energy, weak, vulnerable and unstable.

As their deterioration advances the spirit become less and less capable of organizing thought, emotion, sensation and so forth until the deterioration is so highly developed that thought is rare, emotions are erratic and sensation is limited to the feelings associated with a slow, frightening bereavement. Eventually the soul is at rest when no energy remains to give the spirit its individuality and it once again becomes a part of the grand architecture of nature.

How You Effect Spirits

The antagonist that wears down a spirit most is radiation and everything emits radiation, even you. The exposure of radiation, magnitude and time exposed, determines the level of deterioration or decay of the spirit. Some forms of radiation that can affect a spirit include: (1) The human body has a small amount of naturally radioactive potassium. (2) Homes made out of stone, brick and adobe due to a small amount of natural radioisotopes. (3) Smoking results in a great deal of radiation because the tobacco leaf collects long-lived isotopes of air-born radon, like lead-210 and plutonium. (4) Natural and artificial light results in a great deal of radiation due to protons and electromagnetic waves etc. (5) Heat. (6) Any and all electronics such as televisions, computers, microwaves, radios and cell phones.

Spirits at risk of advanced decay tend to stay in cool (to avoid heat radiation), dark (to avoid light radiation) and humid (to avoid static electricity and other potential electrical antagonists) spaces. This results in basements and under-maintenance or abandoned buildings to be the ideal place for a decaying spirit retreat. Spirits of many types can cause “cold spots,” but cold spots are not a determinate of paranormal activity as cold spots can be caused by natural temperature variances such humidity.

Types of Spirits

General Presence – When a spirit may reside in a space, but does not have the effect of a haunting. General presence spirits tend to cause hair to stand up, shivering or slight chills and rare auditory events. Spirits of this type can occasionally move objects, but only inches. This type of spirit can be annoying at times, but is rarely every a threat of any kind. This can be a spirit with little to no rate of decay to a spirit with advanced decay. It is considered by Para Ethics to be unethical to exorcise this type of spirit as the spirit is non-threatening and removing the spirit from its current location can cause the further decay of the spirit.

Apparitions – A spirit that has been lost for a great deal of time that has deteriorated and only knows the difference between light and dark, can feel pain and express emotion. This is a type of spirit that even a medium can not speak with due to the spirits inability to function to such a degree. It is highly unethical to exorcise this type of spirit as relocation can result in the destruction of the spirit as they are vulnerable to almost all forms of radiation including sunlight and heat. This type of spirit is most commonly found in dark, cool and humid spaces.

Anniversary or Resident Spirits – Spirits who only appear on certain dates of the year or have been resident of a specific space for more then two generations. These spirits are traditionally non-threatening and therefore it is considered unethical to exorcise them unless they have proven to be a threat by causing a great deal of disturbances.

Haunting Presence – A genuine haunting consists of mild to heightened auditory events, psychokinetic events (where the spirit moves and throws objects, turns on electronics, shorts out electronics, cause fires, pushes or strikes a living person or cause heightened behavior modification/manipulation of those residing or visiting the space etc.). These hauntings can be the cause of a single spirit, several spirits or a poltergeist. It is not considered to be unethical to exorcise these types of spirits. In the case of a poltergeist, a demonic presence may be involved. As a result of this poltergeists should only be exorcised by a professional well versed in the paranormal and demonology.

Poltergeists – Demonic Presences – Poltergeists can be the result of several weakened spirits trapped in a location that contained a demonic presence prior to becoming trapped or after the fact. In this case the spirits individuality, that which separates one spirit of energy from another, may or may not have been decayed by the demonic presence and the accumulation or individual spirits are strengthened through demonic means causing extremely heightened psychokinetic events and full visual manifestations etc. This strengthening does not allow spirits to escape the trap because it results in the emotional, “mental” and atomic instability of the spirit ensuing confusion and erratic and violent behavior. Typically these locations are places that have a traumatic or horrifying history including horrific murders.

Lifespan

The average lifespan of a spirit that did not crossover following the death of its physical body varies due to: (1) The age of the deceased body, as the energy of the spirit weakens over the lifespan of the physical life. (2) The amount of exposure to antagonists throughout the life of the spirit.

The longest estimated lifespan of a spirit is roughly four-hundred years. The average lifespan of a spirit is estimated at two-hundred years. Sites and spaces with paranormal activity predating four-hundred years are typically a result of residue memories of decayed spirits, new spirits drawn to the area because it is and ideal retreat or the site may have an active poltergeist tied to a demonic presence in which case the demonic presence prolongs the essence of the spirits, but not their individuality.

Ghost Hunting Gear