02.10
Yesterday I posted about how PPS should not be thought of as ghost busters since we cannot claim to be removers of ghosts. I mentioned that the evidence and type of haunting will dictate the direction we take in order to resolve our client’s fears. A lot of times what seems like a sign of a haunting or malignant spirit may actually be explained by natural causes. This is why we don’t speculate on the type of haunting or course of action until a full investigation is complete and all evidence is analyzed. Which brings me to my main point of discussion for today, Residual hauntings.
A residual haunting is Any haunting where spirits are seen repeating the same actions, behaviors, or movements over and over again in the exact same way. It is most often compared to a tape that plays in a continuous loop and the entity has no knowledge of the individuals or environment around it. In this type of haunting nothing can really be done to get rid of the spirit since the “tape” will keep playing over-and-over again whether somebody is there or not. Some people believe that helping the spirit by telling it that it is no longer living that this will help it “move on.” This has not been proven to work as many still encounter the same experiences. This of course does make sense since the entity has no knowledge of your existence it would not be possible to communicate and telling it to move on would be as effective as telling your DVR (VCR for you older folks) to willfully leave your home.
There are several theories involved with residual hauntings. Composition of the surrounding bedrock; namely limestone, quartz and perhaps bodies of water have been thought to act as a battery. It is believed that during the life of the apparition, strong emotions (positive, or negative) can imprint themselves upon the property. These ‘imprints’ become part of the property as much as the foundation. Horrific events during the life of the apparition; violent acts, abuse, etc. can cause the imprint as well. While these theories are not proven, there does appear to be higher reported incidents of residual hauntings in areas which exhibit these properties.
Although the events repeat over and over, (even having the apparition walk through a doorway that no longer exists) the frequency varies. It could be nightly, weekly, on a particular date tied into the imprint event, etc.
If you find activity in your home seems to follow a set pattern, we advise keeping a journal of specific times, detailed activity, lighting conditions, family members present, what activity the homeowner was performing, etc.
The advice above pertaining to what to do about a residual haunting is accurate. As this type of haunting presents no danger to the homeowners, accepting the occurrences as part of the home’s uniqueness is the best course of action. You may want to research the properties history and lineage of ownership to learn more about your guest. If that doesn’t appeal to you, then give the apparition a name and warn unsuspecting guests to your home about the haunting.