Paranormal Investigation: What are you seeing?

Part 2 of the Paranormal Investigation article series

Most people, when they witness something of a paranormal nature, have a tendency to generalize, saying they “saw the ghost of…” or “a spirit haunts my house” etc. What they don’t realize is that there are distinctions between the different types of things people see. For those who have an interest in the matter, it would be good to be able to tell the difference between paranormal entities. 

One thing to clear up, is that anything you see that isn’t really there or living, such as a ghost or spirit, is called an apparition. One common misconception many people have is the idea that ghosts and spirits are the same and that those are the only things you see in a haunted place. According to Hans Holzer, a professor of parapsychology, and summitdaily.com, there is a distinct difference. Ghosts are said to be the soul of one who has been unable to pass on and are generally tied to the place that they died. Most would have what you call “unfinished business” and many are unaware that they are dead or do not accept the way in which they died, which many times was very tragic or unnatural.

Spirits, on the other hand, are the remaining memories and personality of one who has passed on and is able to move between realms. They aren’t tied to a particular place and are simply a leftover soul with no body. These encounters are most often spurred by an emotional connection with a loved one and this may result in a visit from a spirit. 

One other common form of apparition is what is considered a “place haunting”, in which a highly emotional or energized event that occurred in the past simply replays over and over again, much like a song on repeat. If you have ever heard the phrase, “If these walls could talk”, know that perhaps they do, and just so happen to give the occasional scare when they do so.

Another interesting misunderstanding of ghosts and spirits is their ability to move objects. Many say that they do move things, like doors or other objects, but researchers in the field discovered that they do not actually move those objects, but rather provide the illusion of said object being moved. When an object within a house is actually being moved, apparently on its own, such a happening could be attributed to a poltergeist. The word poltergeist literally means “noisy ghost,” but in actuality this is far from accurate. From what experts know, poltergeist-like activity can be traced to living people who are controlling and moving objects either with or without their own knowledge.

livescience.com
Many people wonder about the apparitions that they see, whether they be ghost, spirit, or something else.