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The Queen Mary has been a permanent feature in Long Beach, California for a couple fo decades and is one of the most famous cruise ships of all time. The ship has become a hotel, museum and popular tourist attraction, and the historic ship is internationally recognized and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Besides the living guests, the ship is said to play host to several ghosts. It has been speculated that the Queen Mary might be one of the most haunted places in the world. Reports say that as many as 150 known spirits have taken up residence and lurk in various locations all around the ship.

The Queen Mary sailed her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936. Built in Scotland to be used as part of a two-ship express service from Southampton to Cherbourg to New York, the Queen Mary is 1,000 feet long, and in her day was said to be bigger, faster and more powerful than the Titanic. She also held the record for the fastest-ever North Atlantic crossing. The historic ocean liner's passengers included the most celebrated people of the time, including royalty, top entertainment figures and important world leaders.

At the start of World War II in 1939, luxury travel stopped and the ship was turned into a carrier ship that was used by allied forces to carry troops from March of 1940 to September of 1946. It was during this time that she would become known as "The Grey Ghost". By the end of World War II, the ship had carried more than 700,000 troops, traveled over 500,000 miles and played a significant role in almost every major Allied campaign. She also survived a collision at sea, set the record for carrying the most people ever on a floating vessel (16,683), and participated in the D-Day invasion.

When the war ended, the Queen Mary was refurbished and started up her elegant cruises again in July, 1947, with weekly service between Southampton, Cherbourg, and New York. By the early 1960's, the popularity of transatlantic cruises greatly decreased due to the increasing affordability of air travel. The ship attempted to revive its popularity, but without central air condtioning, outdoor pools, or other amenities offered on most other cruise ships, the attempt was unsuccessful.

In 1967, the Queen Mary was pulled from service and was sold to the city of Long Beach, California, to be used as a maritime museum and hotel. On December 9, 1967, she made her final voyage to Long Beach.

During her 60-year history, the Queen Mary was the site of 49 reported deaths, opening the doorway for potential spirits to haunt her. Reported hauntings include a young crewman in the engine room, swimmers in the first-class pool, a man in black, and a woman in blue. Some of the Queen Mary's most haunted places include the propeller box, engine room, boiler room, cargo hold and first class swimming pool.

One of these hauntings is thought to be the spirit of John Pedder, a fireman in his late teens who was crushed to death by a watertight door in 1966 during a routine drill. Unexplained knocking has been heard around the door, and a tour guide reported she saw a figure dressed in dark clothing as she was leaving the area where the young man had been killed. She saw his face and recognized him from his photographs. He was dressed in blue coveralls and sporting a beard. The young man has often been seen walking along Shaft Alley before disappearing by door number 13. This famous door was used in the filming of the Posiedon Adventure and has reportedly crushed at least two men during the ship's history.

The first-class swimming pool seems to be a hot spot for ghostly encounters. Wet footprints mysteriously appear even though there's not a drop of water in the pool. These footsteps lead from the deck of the pool to the changing rooms. Women in vintage bathing suits are occasionally seen stopping by for a swim ,even though the pool has been closed for more than 30 years. There have also been reports of seeing the spirit of a young girl carrying her teddy bear along with disembodied voices, laughter and splashing sounds.

In the second class pool area the spirit of another little girl named Jackie is often been seen and heard. The girl drowned in the pool during the ship's sailing days and doesn't seem to want to move on. Her voice and the sound of laughter has been captured in this area.

In the room that was used as the third class playroom, there have been reports of the sound of children crying in the nursery room. There is also a report that a single baby's cry has been heard. This crying is thought to be that of an infant boy who died there shortly after he was born.

In some of the first-class staterooms there have been reports of a tall, dark haired man wearing a 1930's style suit showing up in various places. In addition to sightings of the man, the faucets and lights get turned on in the middle of the night, and phones ring in the early morning hours but no one is ever on the other end of the line.

There are several other reports of sightings about the ship including a beautiful young woman in an elegant white evening gown who dances alone in a shadowy corner of the salon, which was once used as the ship's first-class lounge. Another mysterious woman in white has been seen close to the front desk. She will usually disappear behind a pillar.

Other phenomena that has been reported throughout the ship include the sounds of knocking, doors slamming and high pitched squeals, drastic temperature changes, and the recurring smells of another time.

The Queen Mary has been investigated by a number of paranormal professionals, printed publications, television shows like Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted, and several others. In addition to portions of the movie "The Poseidon Adventure" being filmed there, the X-Files filmed a 1998 WWII era episode about a time warp in the Bermuda Triangle aboard the ship. That was a great episode - it was called "Triangle" - you should check it out if you missed it!

On the Ghost Hunters episode, what was thought to be a fantastic paranormal event caught on tape turned out to be not so fantastic as it appeared someone had tampered with the video camera. So is the Queen Mary really haunted or not? The Ghost Hunters are heading back out there in February of 2008 to see if they can find out. Hopefully there won't be any tampering this time and they can capture some evidence to support all the claims of paranormal activity on the Queen Mary.

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Londonledge1

Located at the mouth of the Thames River, entrance to New London Harbor, Connecticut at the eastern end of Long Island Sound sits the New London Ledge Lighthouse.

Built in 1909 on the Southwest Ledge, the lighthouse was originally called the Southwest Ledge Light, but to avoid confusion with another lighthouse in New Haven, the Southwest Ledge Light, the lighthouse was renamed to New London Ledge Light in 1910.

This lighthouse itself is a unique, one-of-a-kind structure with square red brick quarters topped with a mansard roof (a French type of roof designed to make maximum use of the interior space of the attic) and a circular lantern room.

To appease the residents who didnt want to gaze upon an eyesore sitting in the sea, the lighthouse was built in Colonial and French architectural style in order to blend in with the large and historic homes on the shores.

The lighthouse was finally built after a half-century of petitions requesting an offshore lighthouse - the first one in 1845 - from mariners and residents stating the dangers to maritime traffic in the area due to the inadequcy of the four buoys in the harbor and the The New London Harbor Lighthouse on the shore.

The Lighthouse Board detailed the inherent dangers to maritime traffic at New London to Congress in 1902 and 1903 and requested funds for constructing a lighthouse. The construction was completed in 1909. The United States Coast Guard officially took over the care of the lighthouse in 1939 and still keeps an eye on the place.

Most of the stories of the ghostly lightkeeper have come from the Coast Guard crews manning the lighthouse. New London Ledge is locally famous for the ghost nicknamed Ernie who allegedly haunts the lighthouse.

The famous ghost legend Ernie was a lightkeeper supposedly jumped to his death from the roof of the lighthouse after learning that his wife ran off with the captain of the Block Island Ferry in 1936. Ernie is said to make his presence known by opening and closing doors, washing the decks, operating the light and fog signal, and untying secured boats to let them drift away. Before the station was automated, Coast Guard crews on duty reported frequently hearing mysterious knocks on their bedroom doors in the middle of the night, doors opening and closing, the television being turned on and off repeatedly, and covers pulled off the end of their bed.

The New London Ledge Lighthouse was the last remaining manned lighthouse on Long Island Sound when it was finally automated in 1987. Since then, reports of Ernie's visits have dramatically decreased, most likely because there is hardly ever anyone there. This seems to be a relief to those who were stuck manning the light house.

The final day of manned operation shows a log entry reading, "A Rock of slow torture. Ernie's domain. Hell on earth. May New London Ledge's light shine on forever because I'm through. I will watch it from afar while drinking a brew." There have been investigations at the lighthouse.

In the late '90s, a TV reporter from Japan spent a night inside the lighthouse to investigate the story of Ernie, and loud whispering noises were heard through the night, audible on camera.

The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), who have become known by their series "Ghost Hunters" on the Sci-Fi Channel, investigated the place in 2005 but made no significant observations.

Today, the lighthouse is leased by the Coast Guard to the New London Ledge Lighthouse Foundation, partly funded by the City of New London. The lighthouse is used as a maritime classroom, while the Coast Guard continues to maintain the automated light. The group plans to eventually open the lighthouse as a museum and may offer overnight accommodations.

For more articles and information on haunted lighthouses please visit HauntedLighthouses.info.

A demon is considered to be a powerful, supernatural being that is generally malevolent (wishing or appearing to wish evil to others) in character. The word demon comes from the Greek word daimon, which means a divine or semi-divine power that determined a person's fate. Some believe demons are angels who have fallen from grace or have chosen to take the cross over to the dark side, so to speak.

Demons are evil, supernatural beings of intelligence, wit, and immense power. They have the power to invade our homes, attach themselves to objects, and inflict torture both mentally and emotionally by attacking or even possessing the human body.

Demons are usually portrayed as large, muscular, human-like creatures. They are usually thought to be red, winged, and even surrounded by fire. They can take on any form they want, but mostly commonly it is a half man, half animal form.

In many cases, demons are summoned by someone using a Ouija board, or tinkering with some form to magic, witchcraft,or demon worship that perhaps they shouldn't be tinkering with. They most likely don't know what they could be getting themselves into.

Demonic hauntings are commonly represented by a stench similar to rotting flesh or sulfuric acid. The air in the area will feel thick and the temperature will drastically change, typically becoming warmer, although intense coldness is sometimes present. Growling sounds seem to come from everywhere all at once. The sounds of manacing laughter or disembodies voices speaking in foreign tongues, usually Latin, can often be heard. The demon may make verbal threats or throw objects. They like to push, shove, hit, and scratch. They may cause nightmares, consistent bad luck, and overwhelming senses of hate, anger, and evil. A demon's main goal seems to be to break down a person's free will so they can possess them.

Demons have the ability to morph into any shape they want. They can change from a human form to an inhuman form before your very eyes. They are neither male nor female, but will change to whatever meets their need at the time. Demons are commonly seen as black masses standing in doorways or in the corner of the room.

Demon hauntings usually start in a subtle way. Faucets dripping, scratches in the walls, thumping sounds. These behaviors are typically the same behaviors displayed by a poltergiest, but more extreme. It's common for several entities to exist in one location with a strong evil presence seemingly controlling the others and not allowing them to cross over.

It is believed that demons hate humans and think them very lowly and stupid. Demons should never be challenged, unless you want a crash course on how weak you really are. Most demonic entities like a challenge and are incredibly conniving; they may have you believing they are good spirits or may appear to have gone away, only to confront you again at the least expected and most vulnerable moment.

Short of an exorcism, which is usually successful, some believe it may be possible to actually command a demon to leave. Be persistent, show no fear and tell it to get out. They will leave, although not necessarily right away, but keep trying. Also, it's been said that demons don't like to be ignored. If it can't get you to fear it, then the game is over. Like say they, ignore it and it will go away. It's worth a shot at least.

Something else that might help is smudging. To smudge your house, open the windows and light a bundle of dried sage. Sage is believed to clear away negative energy and spirits. Catch the ashes with a plate held underneath the bundle and walk around your home to cleanse it with the sage smoke. It is also said that sprinkling holy water throughout the house might work too.

Demons have lived for thousands of years and will be here long after we're gone. Although it's possible to get a demon to leave a place with the above mentioned methods, but they may not necessarily be destroyed. They may just find a new place to terrorize.

For more articles and information on haunted stuff and the paranormal, check out HauntedStuff.net and ParanormalStuff.info.

Alcatraz2

Located in San Francisco Bay with a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco, you'll find perhaps the most famous prison in the world. Alcatraz, nicknamed "The Rock", was originally known as "La Isla de los Alcatraces" or "The Island of the Pelicans" because of its appearance as a barren white rock. The white was caused by pelican droppings, hence the name. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963 when it became a national recreation area. Today it is maintained by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and nearly a million visitors per year stop by to check the place out.

The island, believed to be an evil place by Native Americans, has seen centuries of death from accidents, murders, and suicides. With this dark history, it's no wonder Alcatraz is said to be one of the most haunted places in the nation. If ghosts return to haunt the places where they suffered traumatic experiences when they were alive, then Alcatraz must be bursting at the seams with spirits.

For years there have been reports of mysterious happenings on Alcatraz Island. These reports come from visitors, former guards, former prisoners, and national park service employees. From the original lighthouse reappearing on occasion to clanging, screaming, and sobbing, there are too many tales to put into this short article. It would definitely take a book to tell them all. Some of the strange occurences are recounted in the following paragraphs.

The Lighthouse - There have been several reports that on foggy nights the old lighthouse, built in 1854 and torn down after it was damaged in the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, will suddenly appear, accompanied by an eerie whistling sound and a flashing green light that makes its way slowly around the island and then vanishes as suddenly as it appears.

The Grounds - Many guards and park rangers have reported experiencing unexplainable crashing sounds, cell doors mysteriously closing, unearthly screams, and intense feelings of being watched. A number of guards from 1946 through 1963 experienced something out of the ordinary at one time or another. There have been reports of sounds of sobbing and moaning, horrible smells, phantom cannon shots, gun shots, and screams. Once in a while, groups of phantom prisoners and soldiers appear in front of startled guards, guests, and the families who lived on the island. None of these occurances have ever been explained.

The door and the corridor - Behind a door in Cellblock C that looks as if it has been welded shut, lies the utility corridor where Bernard Coy, Joseph Cretzer and Marvin Hubbard were killed by grenades and bullets during the bloodiest escape attempt in Alcatraz's history in 1946. Additionally, the attempt took the lives of two guards and injured 18 others. The trial afterward resulted in the execution of two more convicts who took part in the aborted escape. Behind this door can sometimes be heard loud clanging along with the sounds of people running as if trying to escape and disembodied voices. Others have reported seeing the apparitions of men wearing fatigues at the site of the riot that left the three prisoners dead. As a result, this utility corridor is recognized as one of the most haunted spots in the prison.

The laundry room - Also in Cellblock C is the laundry room that is said to hold an unseen presence. The story is told that a hit man named Butcher was killed in the laundry room. The room is said to occasionally emanate a strong odor of smoke, as if something was on fire. The sensation of the choking smoke would drive guards out of the room, only to return a few minutes later, the area now completely smoke free.

The most haunted area on Alcatraz is Cellblock D, or solitary, as it was often called. D-Block, which became known as the Treatment Unit was made up of 42 cells with varying restrictions. None of the prisoners put in D-Block was able to have contact with the general population. These inmates were not allowed to work or go to the mess hall to eat; they had to eat in their cells. They were allowed one visit to the recreation yard and two showers a week. These cells faced the Golden Gate Bridge, from which fierce cold winds often blew and one guard who worked D-Block was notorious for turning on the air conditioning to make it even colder for those confined on the block.

Five of the cells in D-Block, cells 9-14, are known as "The Hole,". These cells contained only a sink and toilet, had no windows and only one light with a low-wattage bulb that could be turned off by the guards on a whim. The darkness made it seem like a hole in the ground. Reserved for the most serious prison rule breakers, these cells were located on the bottom tier, the coldest place in the prison. All mattresses were taken away during the day and the prisoners were not allowed time in the yard, showers, or reading materials. Inmates could be sentenced to up to 19 days in the hole, completely isolated from the rest of the world.

Needless to say, these horrible conditions led to misery, anger, and possibly even insanity. That ambiance seems to linger to this day. Most people who go to Cellblock D get feelings of sudden intensity and a feeling of cold in certain cells, especially cell 14-D. This cell is often reported to be 20 degrees colder than the rest of the cells on the block. Psychics who have visited the area reported picking up on the feelings of torture, misery, and abuse that were left behind by 29 years' worth of prisoners who were forced to stay there. These cells are so eerie that some national park service employees refuse to go there alone.

A guard who worked at the prison in the 1940's reported that guards often saw the ghostly presence of a man dressed in late 1800's prison attire was often seen walking the hallway of "The Hole". Perhaps the strangest event occured when an inmate locked in a cell in "The Hole" immediately began to scream that someone with glowing eyes was in there with him. The spectral prisoner had become so much of a practical joke among the guards that the convict's cries were ignored. The inmate's screams continued well into the night, and then suddenly stopped. When the guards inspected the cell, the convict was dead with a terrible expression on his face and noticeable handprints around his throat. The autopsy revealed that the strangulation could not have been self-inflicted.

At the time, many believed the inmate was strangled by a guard who got tired of hearing the inmate scream, but no one ever admitted to the strangling. Most believed the prisoner was killed by the restless, evil spirit of the nineteenth century prisoner who was so often seen wandering the corridors.

As a footnote to this tale, when the guards lined-up the convicts for the daily count, there was one too many convicts in the line-up. At the end of the row, stood the recently strangled convict. As everyone looked on in stunned silence, the ghostly figure vanished.

As the years go by, ghost hunters, authors, crime buffs and curiosity-seekers continue to visit the island hoping to have their own encounter with the ghosts of Alcatraz. Although most encounter nothing, they do have a tendancy to leave with a feeling of uneasiness. The majority of the ghostly experiences of Alcatraz have been reported by former guards and national park service employees who often spend hours alone on the island. Many claim not to believe in the supernatural but occasionally, one of them will admit that weird things happen here that they cannot explain.

For more articles and information on haunted stuff, please visit HauntedStuff.net. 

Intelligent Hauntings are the type of haunting that people usually think of when they think of a haunting. In an intelligent haunting, the entity is aware of its surroundings and interacts with the present.

These hauntings are considered to be intelligent because communication with the living usually occurs. This ghost is best described as the spirit of a person who once lived and has stayed behind in our world instead of "crossing over" or "going into the light" to get to the other side. This sometimes happens in the case of murder, a traumatic event or if there is some unfinished business in the person's life. If these things happen, the spirit may be unable to or may even refuse to cross over. In some cases, the spirit may not even realize it's dead. This can happen if the person died very suddenly or unexpectedly.

The spirit will usually manifest itself in physical ways like slamming, opening and unlocking doors and/or windows; weird sounds, disembodied voices, disturbance of electrical devices, cold chills and a strong presence like the feeling like you're being watched or the hair on the back of your neck standing up, goosebumps, etc.

Sometimes these spirits will hide things, move stuff around, turn things on and off or do other annoying things like a child lookinf for attention. These are examples of ghosts trying to get noticed so it can communicate from the other side.

The spirit might need help to cross over or maybe it needs to take care of some unfinished business. Maybe it needs to deliver a message from the other side or just wants to watch over loved ones. In some cases, the spirit may be afraid of death and moving on to a new world.

It has also been documented that the spirit may just be lonely and want some company. In some cases, as has been my personal experience, a loved one will visit in dreams and visions, especially right before or after sleep when we are most open to contact. I remember asking my father a question a few days after he passed away and he answered it in a dream that same night.

Believe it or not, it's fairly common to actually see a ghostly loved one. It's most common for ghosts to materialize between the hours of 11pm and 4am. This time period seems to be the easiest time for entities to manifest themselves because it's darker between those hours. Most spirits aren't stong enough to show themselves during the daylight because it takes too much energy. It's similar to turning on a light in the daylight; you can hardly see it and it's pretty much not worth the effort. This is how spirits work as well. If they use too much energy during the day they will be too weak to show themselves at night.

These spirits can be benevolent or mischievous, depending on the reason they're haunting a location. Perhaps they used to live there and they want you to leave. If they discover that someone can see them, they might decide they want to stick around. In some cases, there might be some kind of object or keepsake they are are emotionally attached to and want to be close to. They could also may be looking for something or someone. Sometimes the spirit may not be willing to accept that they're dead.

When people die, their spirits keep the same personality they had while they were living. Negative spirits are usually people who were angry and bitter in life. If the spirit was a kind and caring person, the entity will most likely hang onto those qualities in the afterlife. Negative spirits can be frightening, and in very rare cases they have been able to harm the living, but that is generally not the case. It is much more common to hear of an encounter with a positive spirit than with a negative one.

There are many spirits remaining in our world who have left behind relatives and loved ones and don't want to leave. It's possible they feel they can't leave until they finish a certain task or deliver a certain message. They may not rest because they suffered some injustice and want to help solve the mystery before they go. Sometimes they just want to see their children grow up.

Overall, knowing that some spirits hanig around is actually kind of sad. Although we might think it's cool and exciting to encounter a ghost, we have to remember that many spirits are confused about what has happened to them and may not even know they're dead. Alot of them died suddenly or traumatically. Others cling to the life they know and are afraid to let go and move on to something new.

These ghosts frequently need help to be convinced that they don't belong here anymore. They aren't demons and don't need to be exorcised. Most likely they just seek direction to find where they should go. They need to be made to understand that there's more for them on the other side than there is here. It's possible to help them by simply talking to them or maybe calling in a priest of minister to pray for them.

For more information and articles on haunted stuff and the paranormal, stop by HauntedStuff.net and ParanormalStuff.info.

Poltergeist is the German word meaning "noisy ghost". The word comes from the German term poltern which means "to knock" and geist which means "spirit". The best defining mark of a poltergeist is any manipulation of the physical environment such as the movement of objects, physical attacks, spontaneous combustions, etc.

Poltergeist phenomena is usually credited to mischievous spirits or ghosts and is associated with psychokinesis which is the ability to move things by power of the mind alone. This kinetic type of energy remains unexplained, but even somemainstream scientists are starting to explore the idea that it does exist.

Poltergeists are not usually considered to be spirits, but instead some theories state that poltergeists are mass forms of energy that a living person is unknowingly controlling. Poltergeist hauntings may be the most misunderstood, most terrifying, and rarest type of haunting, and some believe that poltergeist hauntings are not even a haunting at all. In some cases, extreme poltergeists activity has even been linked to demons. A key question that comes into play with poltergeist cases is whether the psychokinesis is causing the activity, or if it is actually occurring from an unseen troubled spirit or ghost.

In a typical poltergeist case there is most likely a variety of phenomena taking place. There may be knocking and tapping noises, sounds with no visible cause, disturbance of stationary objects like household items and furniture, doors slamming, lights turning on and off, fires breaking out and much, much more. Chairs have been known to move around by themselves; walls shake from loud, unexplained banging. Water drips from a ceiling. Things like hairbrushes and jewelry disappear, only to reappear at a later time in right where they should have been in the first place.

Usually, after a subtle and somewhat calm start, the activity will become more intense, manifesting itself through voices and even the appearance of full apparitions. Furniture may slide across the room and beds may shake. Sometimes the effects of a poltergeist are more playful than harmful, but sometimes the activity has been known to be downright nasty. Reports of scratches, bites, harmful objects being put in one's way such as glass shards on a pillow or tacks under a bed sheet have been noted, as well as possession.

Poltergeists build over time to a climax, then start over. They can travel anywhere. Most poltergeists nearing the climax of their energy can become dangerous to the living. Inflicting both mental and physical terror in extreme cases. Poltergeist hauntings seem to mysteriously go away as quickly as they began. The most famous and terrible accounts of a poltergeist attacking a family is the Bell Witch.

A common factor of classic poltergeist activity is the presence of a female adolescent in the household or for all of the activity to be centered around one specific person. It is common that none of the activity will take place unless that person is present at the time. In most cases, when that specific person is removed from the location, the events cease. The person causing all of the phenomenon is doing so subconsciously and usually isn't even aware that they're the cause. Ths activity could also be centered around someone who is under an unusual amount of stress. When the stress is relived, sometimes by leaving the location itself, the problems stop. If the stress continues, the "haunting" seems to follow them.

In true poltergeist hauntings, none of the activity will continue after the person is removed from the environment, as they are not there to create it or influence an unseen entity. It has been reported, however, that activity can return later if the "right" person visits or lives in a notably poltergeist-haunted place. This would lead one to believe that it requires a combined psychic energy to manifest such terrible hauntings. In most cases, relieving the inner problems of the indivudual is the key to stopping the poltergeist activity.

On the other hand, not all cases of supposed poltergeist activity involve disturbed individuals. Not all hauntings can be easily categorized and it's important not to jump quickly to conclusions. In some cases, what appears to be the work of a disturbed person may actually be that of the spirits, and vice versa. In addition, some genuinely haunted spots seem to be so filled with energy that witnesses at the location can even manifest their own phenomena.

Poltergeist activity provides an excellent opportunity for researchers to document strange activity, but these case most likely won't have anything to do with ghosts and there is really no way to help the victims. It's usually best to refer the family to a good counselor or mental health care provider, rather than try to act as a paranormal investigator. A counselor is usually the best person to provide assistance under these circumstances because psychokenesis normally manifests because of emotional disturbance.

To read more articles on haunted stuff and the paranormal, please visit HauntedStuff.net, HauntedStuff.info, and ParanormalStuff.info.

The most common type of haunting is a residual haunting. A residual haunting can be described as an image that has been recorded in time and played back in a continuous loop over and over again through the years. Additionally, there is no intelligent ghost, spirit, or other entity directly involved. You may see the same scenes all the time, hear the same noises repeatedly, or even smell the same smells, usually at the same time of day. The image you are seeing will not even realize that you are there.

Although you might think you're seeing a spirit, it isn't really an actual spirit. It's not even there; it's just the leftover energy of an event in the past; like a recording. This repeated scene that plays over and over is usually a very significant event, life-altering event, or even a common event of a person or place. Usually the sounds and images recorded are related to traumatic events that took place at that location and caused some sort of disturbance or "psychic impression" to happen there. Traumatic events like beheadings, great battles, murders, or even a celebration can be the focus of a residual haunting.

In most cases people may hear the sounds of screaming,crying, breathing,phantom footsteps walking on the stairs or through hallways, or even odd, repetitive sounds like tapping or slamming. Although these images may manifest themselves Visually, they won't interact with the living and will just continue to repeat the same actions over and over again. It's just like rewinding a movie and watching the same scene over and over. The activity, whether sounds or sightings, will be random.

Although research is ongoing, some theories on residual hauntings have been suggested. A common explanation for this type of haunting is the energy has, in a way, become part of the dwelling it once occupied. This can be explained by the fact that some building materials, such as the slate that was used to build old castles and stone structures along with iron nails used in many of the same buildings, have properties similar to audio or video tape which have a tendency to make "recordings" of things that happen near them. The energy of these occurances imprints itself into the atmosphere of the place and cannot be erased. The materials store the energy created by these traumatic events and play them back at a later, random time. In some cases, the images have been created by events or actions that were repeated over and over again, which causes an impression. In older places like Europe, it has been suggested that the porous stones of castle walls soak up the energy and that's why there are so many haunted old buildings there. Some of the most famous hauntings appear to be residual ones. The Tower of London's ghost of Anne Boleyn and the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall are two famous examples of residual hauntings.

There is usually very little that can be done to stop this kind of haunting. This type of haunting is not dangerous at all so if you or someone you know ever has to deal with the situation, understand what is going on and realize that there is really no danger. Someone who is in this situation will have to learn to live with it or relocate.

I love reading and writing about haunted stuff and the paranormal.  If you want to read more articles like this one, I have lots of them posted on my websites: HauntedStuff.net, HauntedStuff.info, ParanormalStuff.info, and Paranormal Investigation.

The word paranormal comes from the words "para" meaning beyond, and normal. So the term paranormal really means something that is beyond the normal scope of science or being beyond a scientific explanation. According to the Journal of Parapsychology, the term paranormal describes "any phenomenon that in one or more respects exceeds the limits of what is deemed physically possible according to current scientific assumptions."

Ghosts generate strong electro-magnetic fields. These fields cause disruptions in the magnetic field of a location which makes it detectable by both specialized equipment and psychics. Ghost hunters use many different types of equipment to detect an paranormal phenomena. A 35mm or digital camera is probably the easiest and least expensive way to begin. Pictures, whether digital or recorded on film have the ability to capture paranormal activity that is usually invisible to the naked eye. In addition to a camera, it's important to have a flashlight since most paranormal investigations will be in dark places like cemeteries, basements, attics, or old buildings. Also, most investigations occur between 9pm and 6am when it's dark. This is believed to be the best time to record paranormal activity. Along with the flashlight you'll need extra batteries, since batteries will sometimes mysteriously lost all their charge during paranormal investigations, literally leaving you in the dark.

Once you have these basic items, you're ready to start exploring the world of paranormal investigation. Some important things to remember are: never go on an investigation alone, and be respectful of the of the people, places and situations you encounter.

The first step in an investigation is selecting the place you're going to investigate. Once you choose a location, be sure to get permission to access the property to ensure you won't get into any trouble for trespassing. It's also very important to do some research on the location before you go out and physically investigate it. You can go to the library and look up old newspapers, visit the local historical society to find out about the history of the place and if anything strange has happened there, and of course talk with the owner of the property.

Once you get all your data collected you have to analyze it. Every picture, video, audio recording is reviewed to look for any sign of a haunting. When doing your analysis, be sure to be skeptical. Make sure you rule out any explainable causes for anything odd that may show up. Check for mirrors, shadows, light sources or anything else that may cause something weird to be seen or heard in your collected data. Most of the time, the things you initially detected during your investigation will have real world explanations as opposed to supernatural ones. It's important to make sure your evidence will stand up to any scrutiny by eliminating any other explanations. This will give your data more credibility.

Once you complete your analysis, you need to present your findings property owner. At this point you would recommend whether the owner needs to seek additional help, such a having the property blessed or if there is really nothing that needs to be or even can be done. Sometimes just having someone investigate the place and find nothing can help ease the mind of the person experiencing the haunting.

I love reading and writing about haunted stuff and the paranormal.  If you want to read more articles like this one, I have lots of them posted on my websites: ParanormalStuff.info, Paranormal Investigation, HauntedStuff.net, and HauntedStuff.info.