Types of Hauntings

Over the past couple of weeks I have been reading alot of topics relating to ghosts. I have learned a great deal of valuable information from the ATS forum, and I believe it contains a good number of relevant articles. However, no one has written a topic explaining the various types of hauntings that occur.

There are four main categories of hauntings. These would include: Intelligent, Residual, Poltergeist, and Demonic. Each of them share certain characteristics, but are unique in their haunting "method."

Intelligent

In an Intelligent haunting, the ghost is exactly as the name implies, intelligent. They know you are there, and are capable of interacting with you. Generally, this type of ghost cannot move a great deal of weight (usually no more than 10 pounds). The most common signs associated with this haunting are footsteps, banging, temperature changes, shadows, and even full body apparitions.

A few reasons why they may remain here are:

• Violent Death (Murder, Suicide, Car Accident, Fire, ect)
  
• Not realizing they are dead
  
• Fear of passing on to the other side
  

Because this is not an inhuman entity, they are extremely difficult to get rid of. The good news is that this type of spirit, while some may not have the best intentions, is usually not capable of causing physical damage to the occupants of a house.

Residual

A Residual haunting is the most common type of ghostly experience. This is a reoccurring scene from the past. Many of it's traits are similar to that of an Intelligent haunting, and therefore many people will mistake it for one. This type of haunting is generally not considered to be related to a ghost, merely an impression that was somehow left behind at a specific site. You will probably recognize this type of haunting by seeing (or hearing) an event that repeats at a certain time, or in specific conditions.

This haunting is caused by a build up of energy, and is usually goes away after a period of time.

Poltergeist

A Poltergeist is a type spirit that is capable manipulating it's environment. This type of activity may start off very small, and is often dismissed, but a Poltergeist will almost always intensify as time goes on. The activity can range anywhere from bangs, to large furniture being moved across a room. This type of activity is usually centered around one person.

Poltergeists are thought to be caused by several spirits joining together, at once, to gain the strength to move heavier objects (sometimes much greater than 10 pounds).

While there is no sure way to get rid of a Poltergeist, it is thought that if you explain how you aren't able to communicate in the way it is communicating, that it may eventually stop.

Demonic

A demon is a very rare, inhuman entity. Demonic infestations are very easy to indentify, as their traits are much different than any other type of haunting. They may growl, change shape, and even injure you. This type of entity is considered to be very dangerous. You will probably be able to pick these out because of a warmer temperature, or rotten eggs type of smell in the air. Demons have a general hatred towards people.

Any type of satanic activity is thought to increase the likelyhood of their presense.

Religious provocation is the best way to remove this entity.

[edit on 11/5/2006 by JBurns]

That's quite interesting, thanks.

It seems that the cases of peope having "shadow people" mess with them is somewhat of a demonic haunting.

I know of a situation involving Poltergeist.

It involved things like light switches operating by themselves, door knobs turnings, and maybe even a floating bed (I'm dead serious). Took place at my grandma's old house, upper story where someone was renting it there. Supposedly it stopped when the son of the person who lived there contacted a priest. The kid was rather disrespectful and attracted whatever the thing was....

Of course, this was passed onto me from a lousy source (a relative), my grandma forgot most of it cuz her memory blows, so.....yeah......

And my uncle might have a Intellignet haunting going on in his house, both of the past owners died and he got things like footsteps, spiderweb type effects, once his TV turned on by itself 2 or 3 times in one day, and on 2 occasions his foot was pulled by some phantom hand while he was snoozing. Ironically, when my grandma was there, she said something weird is going on upstairs, and she tries not to believe in ghosts..

So yeah, as weird as this post is, I'm not joking.

[edit on 1111/5/0606 by Acekwak]

Regarding Demonic activity, religious provocation is certainly not the best way to get rid of it, view it as threatening the mean body-building senior in your high school class and you being Captain of the Math Club. Demonic presence (with the exception of invocation or stupid means of contact such as Ouija) generally occurs because of something amiss in your life, in the early stages at least. Reviewing your life and fixing what is off will generally make the presence dissapear. In the later stages, religious provocation yes, but not from a laymen. By that point one would be near actual possession, you thought it was bad when they were without a human host?