Intelligent vs Residual Hauntings: A Way to Tell the Difference
Author: Bobby Elgee
Ghost Dance Texture by Ian Burt via Flickr
I believe in humans. I’m not sure I believe in ghosts. Though I’m a skeptic, I can unequivocally say that I’ve encountered events I haven’t been able to explain. Whether the phenomena was caused by a ghost–the existence of a human consciousness after death–or other paranormal source, I can’t say for sure. No one else on the planet can say for sure either.
At least in the foreseeable future, I suspect that we may never be able to answer the question as to the existence of ghosts. Perhaps it’s something we aren’t ‘meant’ to know. Belief in ghosts is just that–belief–and every human is entitled to their beliefs.
Given the above caveat, humans behave in predictable patterns and, by definition, intelligent ghosts should too. So, when a paranormal investigator visits a haunted residence how do they tell the difference between an intelligent vs a residual haunting? The answer isn’t quite as clear as it seems.
Let’s say we encounter a door that opens and closes or footsteps that cross the floor at a specific time that a known human was known to exhibit such behavior. Such an event could be due to a residual haunting–energy left imprinted on the environment–or an intelligent haunt–the ghost, at least in some respect, is able to choose to exhibit itself at a certain place in time and space because it wants to do so.
So, given human behavior, in the event of a certain environmental phenomena, how would one tell the difference between footsteps caused by a residual haunting and an intelligent haunting?
First, a paranormal investigator–or other human–should try and document the phenomena via video and/or audio. Ideally, it should be documented again. Upon the third occurrence, one should try and interrupt the process. This could be done via voice, placing objects or oneself in the path of the footsteps, or other ‘intervention’ in an attempt to interrupt the process. If it stops, that still doesn’t prove anything.
One must look for a common behavior that would be exhibited in humans , e.g. you block someone from walking a certain path, they will stop, go the other way, walk around you, or confront you. Of course, the ghost–whether due to a residual or intelligent haunting–could choose just to walk through the interruption as well.
But, if the path of the footsteps deviated and/or the physical intervention by the living caused some other type of ‘behavior’ by the ghost, theoretically, you would be one step closer to be able to determine whether the phenomena was intelligent.
Of course, the ghost may simply choose to leave the location and go somewhere else, in which case a paranormal investigator is left at square one. Well, nearly square one. It has at this point become obvious that a living person can cause the phenomena to react.
In the field of paranormal research, and due to the lack of experimental controls, it’s impossible to prove anything regardless of what happens. Each investigation becomes a single case study. Important? Yes, but investigations don’t lend themselves to appropriate sample sizes with the controls necessary to extrapolate from the ‘data.’ Single case studies are the standard.
Still, if I interrupted the footsteps–and they took a different path around me–and I recorded an EVP at the same time that said “get out of the flippin’ way,” I’d probably be a lot more likely to consider it an intelligent haunting versus a residual haunting.
Many of us have encountered footsteps occurring at specific times, and yet I haven’t seen this type of interaction attempted. Many times, as paranormal investigators we’re very excited to record such phenomena. If we can record it more then once, Wow! Most of the time, we tentatively deal with such phenomena hoping not to disturb it. ‘Don’t turn on the lights! It will stop!’
Some individuals feel that a device such as a KII Meter (a type of electromagnetic field detector) can help an investigator determine whether a haunting is intelligent or not. For those not familiar with the device, there are a series of lights that a ghost or spirit can supposedly light up in response to questions. On the surface, this device may appear to be breakthrough when it comes to communication with the afterlife, but in reality, it is not.
I’m a firm believer in the power of the human mind–if you haven’t done so kind reader, research some well documented cases of poltergeist activity and SPK (spontaneous human telekinesis). Given this, a KII meter going off in response to some questions in a logical manner doesn’t convince me of anything approximating an intelligent haunting. Disregarding anomalous electromagnetic fields, I think it’s more likely that your brain–and not a ghost–is causing the KII meter to go off. At least I know for a fact that the brain exists.
Of course, there’s as much evidence of spontaneous human telekinesis as there is of ghosts. Thus, as with all paranormal phenomena, the cause behind it evolves into a belief. And people ascribe different beliefs as to the cause of paranormal phenomena.
Still, using a KII meter doesn’t even come close to interrupting a series of events caused by a possible paranormal phenomena to see what the reaction is and then attempt to determine whether its something that one could define as a human reaction.
The tactics and possibilities are nearly endless, but one should take a very close look if one puts themselves in the position of attempting to call a haunting intelligent, and I suggest in the rare cases of phenomena that repeatedly occurs at a specific place and time, we have an important opportunity to take things a step further.
Always consider…what would a human do? Then, see if the paranormal phenomena reacts in a series of events in a way that a living human human might.
Then, one may get a tad closer to being able to confidently confirm the belief of an intelligent haunting.
Have many of us encountered phenomena that we felt was reacting to us? Absolutely. One needs to take a closer look and attempt to first replicate the effect, then introduce variables, consider how an alive human would react and push the envelope that goes beyond simply recording EVPs or other half-hearted and easily-debunked attempts to label such phenomena.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/metaphysics-articles/intelligent-vs-residual-hauntings-a-way-to-tell-the-difference-3997295.html
About the Author
Bobby Elgee is an investigator for Sights Unseen Paranormal,a ghost hunting team based in New England.
