Ghosts Spirits & Hauntings Types
What are ghosts, spirits & hauntings? What are the different types of these entities? So we can make things easier to understand, lets briefly talk about our universe, dimension & plane of existence. If we have a better understanding of our surroundings, we can better understand these phenomena and how it's possible for ghosts, spirits & hauntings to exist in our world. Scientific facts and leading theories are great places to start.
The Universe
The universe is made of energy. Everything around you is energy when broken down to it's purest form of subatomic particles including yourself. Energy cannot be totally destroyed, it just changes form. When you are born, a spark of energy brings you into this world, and within our universe are other dimensions or planes of existence. There are many doorways to these worlds and black holes will soon prove this. Astro physicists agree black that holes exist and we now have the technology to create them with particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva. A black hole is a perfect example of how anything is possible in this universe because all the laws of physics go out the window when you reach the center, which is called the Singularity. Leading scientists agree the singularity is a very likely place to enter another dimension or plane of existence. This gives a great argument that doorways to other worlds do exist and how such phenomena like ghosts, spirits & hauntings are scientifically possible on our dimensional frequency in a universe made of energy.
Everything in this Universe has energy
Everything in this Universe has purpose
Everything in this Universe is connected
Ghosts
What are ghosts? Our theory is that ghosts are the energy of a person or animals soul that once lived. Ghosts exist in between our dimension and the next, like a radio signal that isn't quite coming in clear on our dimensional frequency. They have not fully crossed over to the spirit realm. There are multiple reasons why ghosts make themselves known to us and how they interact with the living is usually determined by what personality characteristics they had when they where alive.
Ghost Personality Characteristics
Ghosts were once human, just like you and I. It is believed that you keep your personality characteristics when you die. For example, if you where an evil person in life, you will be the same as a ghost. Mean spirited ghosts usually torment the living at haunted locations, feeding off the victims fear energy. The same goes for good people. If you were a loving person in life, you will be a loving ghost. Good spirited ghosts are usually very protective of families that live in haunted locations.Remember not all ghosts are bad.
Why Ghosts Are Here
There are multiple reasons why ghosts make themselves known to us and why they are still here. However, there doesn't have to be a particular reason, sometimes they just happen.It can happen to anyone, at any age and remains a mystery as to why.
Crisis Apparitions
Crisis apparitions are usually a one-time paranormal experience, when a ghost is seen at the time of it's death by family & friends as a way of saying goodbye or giving important information. For example, your watching tv in your living room after visiting your mother in the hospital, and turn around to see her standing over you smiling and then she vanishes. A second later, the phone rings and when you answer, her doctor tells you she has just passed. If someone visits you more than once to give you information or comfort, that is a good sign they have progressed to your self appointed guardian angel. We will get more in depth about this in the spirit section.
Ghosts That Are Unaware They Are Deceased
Ghosts that are unaware that they are deceased, go about their business as if they are still living. They do not understand they have passed. A great example is the movie "The Others". The ghosts portrayed in the movie believe the living are the ghosts. Sometimes, ghosts cant see the living but instead feel their presence. This can cause stress on the ghost as well as the living and happens often when people move into the house of a recently deceased person, usually an elderly person who lived and died alone in the final years. The ghost sees the new comers as invaders, but simply talking to the ghost about their death can help them cross over.
Ghosts With Unfinished Business
Ghosts with unfinished business can linger in this world for numerous reasons. Like a father making sure his children succeed in life despite his sudden death. There are many cases involving victims of foul play unable to cross over until justice has been served. Another example would be of a recently deceased lover making sure their partner finds happiness and moves on.
Ghosts that are trapped or lost
These types of ghosts usually know they are dead, but for one reason or another cannot cross over yet. Some may fear moving on because of the person they were in life, or they fear leaving what is familiar to them. Some ghosts may be trapped in fear and held captive by another ghost or evil spirit, like in a murder suicide haunting. Other ghosts may be trapped at a location because an evil spirit or ghost may have drove them to suicide. Dark entities feed off the fear energy of ghosts and the living. A common example of a lost ghost could be someone who died abroad and is now trying to find their way home.
Vengeful Ghosts
An example of a vengeful ghost would be if a women was murdered by a male and now as a ghost only torments or attacks males when they are present at the haunted location.
Hungry Ghosts
In Chinese/ Hindu Buddhist belief, the Hungry Ghosts are said to come back to this realm for reasons such as to visit their families or old homes. In Taoism religion, hungry ghosts are deceased people that in one way or another did not find everything they needed in the afterlife. These ghosts will come back to feed off victims fear energy. It is believed that leaving offerings of food, drink & money will appease them, so they will leave in peace.
Residual Ghosts
Residual ghosts usually live out their final hours over and over again. Residuals most often show no intelligence or self awareness, they will go right past or through you without a flinch. Many believe it was their emotional energy that left an imprint or recording on our our dimensional frequency, like a tape recorder. One example would be of someone getting hit by a train on a full moon night and now every time there's a full moon the ghost is seen walking the tracks.
Child Ghosts
Child ghosts are the ghost of children that have passed for one reason or another. This type of paranormal activity is very sad for obvious reasons. These types of ghosts are usually lonely and seek attention, inadvertently terrifying people by making toys or other objects move. Some believe these ghosts are actually demons in disguise.
Ghostly Sounds and Smells
Ghostly sounds like knocking, screams, music, moaning, and voices are quite common around haunted locations. These sounds can be residual or intelligent. Knocking is an old way of communicating with the dead. Ghostly smells are also a very common occurrence in areas with high levels of paranormal activity and they can be residual or intelligent as well. Perfumes, cigar smoke and food smells are just a few of the scents one may encounter. Beware of foul smells like rotting garbage or sulfurs, to name a few. Foul smells like these could mean dark entities, demons or very evil ghosts are making themselves known.
Animal Ghosts
Animal ghosts are the ghosts of deceased animals and can remain in this world for numerous reasons, like their human counterparts. Animal spirit guides are different than animal ghosts. Look in the spirit section for more information on animal spirit guides.
Living Ghosts
A living ghost can be when the soul leaves the body of the still living. Such as outer body experiences, near death experiences and astral projections. There are some rare cases of people seeing themselves as a ghost only at a different age. This can happen if something traumatic took place and a piece of you was left behind or imprinted in some way at a location. These rare types of ghosts can show intelligence and self awareness. A doppelganger is different because its an exact copy of yourself. Doppelgangers can be harmless or omens of death. The harmless doppelgangers are often times an unconscious projection of a person’s will. The entity is visible to others, but the projector rarely sees it. This is a good thing, because it is believed that when a person witnesses their own doppelganger it then becomes a omen of their impending death.
Ghost Vessel, Ghost Ship, Phantom Vehicle or Ghostly Object
Phantom vehicle may refer to a ghostly or haunted vehicle, also, for insurance purposes, a vehicle that causes death, injury, or damage without making physical contact. These types of ghostly phenomena could be due to the enormous amounts of human energy that has passed through these vehicles when they where in service and can be very disturbing because they are usually connected to tragic events. For example, a ship carrying thousands of passengers throughout its carrier could store tones of energy and eventually take on a type of life of its own. There are many reports of ghost ships seen by sailors. Many are apparitions of ships that have sunk, wrecked aground, or disappeared years or centuries ago. Some sailors say siting a ghost ship foretells of impending doom on the high seas.
Many apparitions of trains, cars and carriages have been seen as well. According to the legend, every April 29th, Lincolns Ghost Train is seen. The funeral car carrying the body of Abraham Lincoln rumbles through the town of Urbana, Ohio, following the route it took back in 1865 when it carried the President's body back to Springfield, Illinois.
Spirits
A spirit is a generic term used to describe any entity that was never human like angels, demons, elementals or other Gods. However a human spirit, is the soul of a person who has crossed over and is not bound to this world like ghosts.
Angels
Angels are spirits aligned with God, they are positive energy beings that were never human. Some believe there is a hierarchy of Angels, each with a specific purpose. Different ways to evoke these spirits have been around for centuries and they will protect you from dark entities as well as the living. It is said an Angels aura is so bright that it gives the appearance of wings. Angels represent the good and positive forces of the Universe, however they are very powerful beings that are not to be trifled with.
Guardian Angels
Guardian Angels are believed to be human spirits, usually an ancestor sent to guide and protect you along life's journey. It is said that a person can have more than one Guardian Angel depending on someones sensitivity to the spirit world as well.
Animal Spirit Guide
Native Americans believe that when you are born an animals spirit enters your body. They could be a type of animal guardian of your soul and will protect you along life's journey.
Demons
Demons are negative none human spirits, commonly used in Judeo - Christian terms as fallen Angels. The term also applies to many different Gods & Spirits in other cultures that predate Judeo - Christian ones. It is believed there is a hierarchy with demons as well, ranging from the very powerful to lesser ones. Demons are very deceptive about concealing their true identity, often disguising themselves as harmless spirits or ghosts. A demon can appear as many entities to confuse its targets and to extract more fear energy out of victims by making their numbers seem greater. However they usually attack in waves starting with the lesser Demons leading the way. Once the victim has been morally broken down over time the more powerful Demons step in for the possession. It is important to obtain the Demons name, as this will help the Exorcist or Shaman in the exorcism or cleansing. Foul smells like rotting garbage and sulfur are tell tail signs of a demonic presence. The sounds of animal grunting are associated as well, and their appearance can range from a dark shadow form, human- like form to, half animal like creatures. Never taunt or challenge a demon unless properly trained, as this usually increases the violence at a haunted location.
Demons are evil inhuman supernatural beings of intelligence, wit and power. They have the ability to invade our homes, attach themselves to objects and humans and cause both mental and emotional torture by attacking or possessing humans. They can morph into any shape they wish, from humans to animals, before your eyes. They are neither male nor female, but will change to whatever meets their need at the time. Demons are most commonly seen as black masses standing in doorways or in corners of the room. They have a hatred for mankind and think of us as lowly and stupid. 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. Their main goal is to break down a person's free will in order to make way for possession, beginning as oppression. This can take days, months or years, but time is of no concern to them... they don't give up easily.
What are ghosts, spirits & hauntings? What are the different types of these entities? So we can make things easier to understand, lets briefly talk about our universe, dimension & plane of existence. If we have a better understanding of our surroundings, we can better understand these phenomena and how it's possible for ghosts, spirits & hauntings to exist in our world. Scientific facts and leading theories are great places to start.
The Universe
The universe is made of energy. Everything around you is energy when broken down to it's purest form of subatomic particles including yourself. Energy cannot be totally destroyed, it just changes form. When you are born, a spark of energy brings you into this world, and within our universe are other dimensions or planes of existence. There are many doorways to these worlds and black holes will soon prove this. Astro physicists agree black that holes exist and we now have the technology to create them with particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva. A black hole is a perfect example of how anything is possible in this universe because all the laws of physics go out the window when you reach the center, which is called the Singularity. Leading scientists agree the singularity is a very likely place to enter another dimension or plane of existence. This gives a great argument that doorways to other worlds do exist and how such phenomena like ghosts, spirits & hauntings are scientifically possible on our dimensional frequency in a universe made of energy.
Everything in this Universe has energy
Everything in this Universe has purpose
Everything in this Universe is connected
Ghosts
What are ghosts? Our theory is that ghosts are the energy of a person or animals soul that once lived. Ghosts exist in between our dimension and the next, like a radio signal that isn't quite coming in clear on our dimensional frequency. They have not fully crossed over to the spirit realm. There are multiple reasons why ghosts make themselves known to us and how they interact with the living is usually determined by what personality characteristics they had when they where alive.
Ghost Personality Characteristics
Ghosts were once human, just like you and I. It is believed that you keep your personality characteristics when you die. For example, if you where an evil person in life, you will be the same as a ghost. Mean spirited ghosts usually torment the living at haunted locations, feeding off the victims fear energy. The same goes for good people. If you were a loving person in life, you will be a loving ghost. Good spirited ghosts are usually very protective of families that live in haunted locations.Remember not all ghosts are bad.
Why Ghosts Are Here
There are multiple reasons why ghosts make themselves known to us and why they are still here. However, there doesn't have to be a particular reason, sometimes they just happen.It can happen to anyone, at any age and remains a mystery as to why.
Crisis Apparitions
Crisis apparitions are usually a one-time paranormal experience, when a ghost is seen at the time of it's death by family & friends as a way of saying goodbye or giving important information. For example, your watching tv in your living room after visiting your mother in the hospital, and turn around to see her standing over you smiling and then she vanishes. A second later, the phone rings and when you answer, her doctor tells you she has just passed. If someone visits you more than once to give you information or comfort, that is a good sign they have progressed to your self appointed guardian angel. We will get more in depth about this in the spirit section.
Ghosts That Are Unaware They Are Deceased
Ghosts that are unaware that they are deceased, go about their business as if they are still living. They do not understand they have passed. A great example is the movie "The Others". The ghosts portrayed in the movie believe the living are the ghosts. Sometimes, ghosts cant see the living but instead feel their presence. This can cause stress on the ghost as well as the living and happens often when people move into the house of a recently deceased person, usually an elderly person who lived and died alone in the final years. The ghost sees the new comers as invaders, but simply talking to the ghost about their death can help them cross over.
Ghosts With Unfinished Business
Ghosts with unfinished business can linger in this world for numerous reasons. Like a father making sure his children succeed in life despite his sudden death. There are many cases involving victims of foul play unable to cross over until justice has been served. Another example would be of a recently deceased lover making sure their partner finds happiness and moves on.
Ghosts that are trapped or lost
These types of ghosts usually know they are dead, but for one reason or another cannot cross over yet. Some may fear moving on because of the person they were in life, or they fear leaving what is familiar to them. Some ghosts may be trapped in fear and held captive by another ghost or evil spirit, like in a murder suicide haunting. Other ghosts may be trapped at a location because an evil spirit or ghost may have drove them to suicide. Dark entities feed off the fear energy of ghosts and the living. A common example of a lost ghost could be someone who died abroad and is now trying to find their way home.
Vengeful Ghosts
An example of a vengeful ghost would be if a women was murdered by a male and now as a ghost only torments or attacks males when they are present at the haunted location.
Hungry Ghosts
In Chinese/ Hindu Buddhist belief, the Hungry Ghosts are said to come back to this realm for reasons such as to visit their families or old homes. In Taoism religion, hungry ghosts are deceased people that in one way or another did not find everything they needed in the afterlife. These ghosts will come back to feed off victims fear energy. It is believed that leaving offerings of food, drink & money will appease them, so they will leave in peace.
Residual Ghosts
Residual ghosts usually live out their final hours over and over again. Residuals most often show no intelligence or self awareness, they will go right past or through you without a flinch. Many believe it was their emotional energy that left an imprint or recording on our our dimensional frequency, like a tape recorder. One example would be of someone getting hit by a train on a full moon night and now every time there's a full moon the ghost is seen walking the tracks.
Child Ghosts
Child ghosts are the ghost of children that have passed for one reason or another. This type of paranormal activity is very sad for obvious reasons. These types of ghosts are usually lonely and seek attention, inadvertently terrifying people by making toys or other objects move. Some believe these ghosts are actually demons in disguise.
Ghostly Sounds and Smells
Ghostly sounds like knocking, screams, music, moaning, and voices are quite common around haunted locations. These sounds can be residual or intelligent. Knocking is an old way of communicating with the dead. Ghostly smells are also a very common occurrence in areas with high levels of paranormal activity and they can be residual or intelligent as well. Perfumes, cigar smoke and food smells are just a few of the scents one may encounter. Beware of foul smells like rotting garbage or sulfurs, to name a few. Foul smells like these could mean dark entities, demons or very evil ghosts are making themselves known.
Animal Ghosts
Animal ghosts are the ghosts of deceased animals and can remain in this world for numerous reasons, like their human counterparts. Animal spirit guides are different than animal ghosts. Look in the spirit section for more information on animal spirit guides.
Living Ghosts
A living ghost can be when the soul leaves the body of the still living. Such as outer body experiences, near death experiences and astral projections. There are some rare cases of people seeing themselves as a ghost only at a different age. This can happen if something traumatic took place and a piece of you was left behind or imprinted in some way at a location. These rare types of ghosts can show intelligence and self awareness. A doppelganger is different because its an exact copy of yourself. Doppelgangers can be harmless or omens of death. The harmless doppelgangers are often times an unconscious projection of a person’s will. The entity is visible to others, but the projector rarely sees it. This is a good thing, because it is believed that when a person witnesses their own doppelganger it then becomes a omen of their impending death.
Ghost Vessel, Ghost Ship, Phantom Vehicle or Ghostly Object
Phantom vehicle may refer to a ghostly or haunted vehicle, also, for insurance purposes, a vehicle that causes death, injury, or damage without making physical contact. These types of ghostly phenomena could be due to the enormous amounts of human energy that has passed through these vehicles when they where in service and can be very disturbing because they are usually connected to tragic events. For example, a ship carrying thousands of passengers throughout its carrier could store tones of energy and eventually take on a type of life of its own. There are many reports of ghost ships seen by sailors. Many are apparitions of ships that have sunk, wrecked aground, or disappeared years or centuries ago. Some sailors say siting a ghost ship foretells of impending doom on the high seas.
Many apparitions of trains, cars and carriages have been seen as well. According to the legend, every April 29th, Lincolns Ghost Train is seen. The funeral car carrying the body of Abraham Lincoln rumbles through the town of Urbana, Ohio, following the route it took back in 1865 when it carried the President's body back to Springfield, Illinois.
Spirits
A spirit is a generic term used to describe any entity that was never human like angels, demons, elementals or other Gods. However a human spirit, is the soul of a person who has crossed over and is not bound to this world like ghosts.
Angels
Angels are spirits aligned with God, they are positive energy beings that were never human. Some believe there is a hierarchy of Angels, each with a specific purpose. Different ways to evoke these spirits have been around for centuries and they will protect you from dark entities as well as the living. It is said an Angels aura is so bright that it gives the appearance of wings. Angels represent the good and positive forces of the Universe, however they are very powerful beings that are not to be trifled with.
Guardian Angels
Guardian Angels are believed to be human spirits, usually an ancestor sent to guide and protect you along life's journey. It is said that a person can have more than one Guardian Angel depending on someones sensitivity to the spirit world as well.
Animal Spirit Guide
Native Americans believe that when you are born an animals spirit enters your body. They could be a type of animal guardian of your soul and will protect you along life's journey.
Demons
Demons are negative none human spirits, commonly used in Judeo - Christian terms as fallen Angels. The term also applies to many different Gods & Spirits in other cultures that predate Judeo - Christian ones. It is believed there is a hierarchy with demons as well, ranging from the very powerful to lesser ones. Demons are very deceptive about concealing their true identity, often disguising themselves as harmless spirits or ghosts. A demon can appear as many entities to confuse its targets and to extract more fear energy out of victims by making their numbers seem greater. However they usually attack in waves starting with the lesser Demons leading the way. Once the victim has been morally broken down over time the more powerful Demons step in for the possession. It is important to obtain the Demons name, as this will help the Exorcist or Shaman in the exorcism or cleansing. Foul smells like rotting garbage and sulfur are tell tail signs of a demonic presence. The sounds of animal grunting are associated as well, and their appearance can range from a dark shadow form, human- like form to, half animal like creatures. Never taunt or challenge a demon unless properly trained, as this usually increases the violence at a haunted location.
Demons are evil inhuman supernatural beings of intelligence, wit and power. They have the ability to invade our homes, attach themselves to objects and humans and cause both mental and emotional torture by attacking or possessing humans. They can morph into any shape they wish, from humans to animals, before your eyes. They are neither male nor female, but will change to whatever meets their need at the time. Demons are most commonly seen as black masses standing in doorways or in corners of the room. They have a hatred for mankind and think of us as lowly and stupid. 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. Their main goal is to break down a person's free will in order to make way for possession, beginning as oppression. This can take days, months or years, but time is of no concern to them... they don't give up easily.
Clairvoyance
"Clairvoyant" redirects here. For other uses, see Clairvoyant (disambiguation).
An experiment in sensory deprivationaiming to stimulate clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance (/klerˈvɔɪəns/)[1] (from French clair meaning "clear" and voyancemeaning "vision") is the alleged ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through extrasensory perception.[2][3] A person who has this ability is called a clairvoyant (/klerˈvɔɪənt/)[4] ("one who sees clearly").
Claims for the existence of paranormal and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance have not been supported by scientific evidence published in high impact factor peer reviewedjournals.[5] Parapsychology explores this possibility, but the existence of the paranormal is not accepted by the scientific community.[6] Parapsychology, including the study of clairvoyance, is an example of pseudoscience.[7][8][9][10]
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UsageEditPertaining to the ability of clear-sightedness, clairvoyance refers to the paranormal ability to see persons and events that are distant in time or space. It can be divided into roughly three classes: precognition, the ability to perceive or predict future events, retrocognition, the ability to see past events, and remote viewing, the perception of contemporary events happening outside of the range of normal perception.[11]
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Séance conducted by John Beattie, Bristol, England, 1872
Mediumship is the practice of certain people—known as mediums—to purportedly mediate communication between spirits of the dead and living human beings.[1][2]
Attempts to contact the dead date back to early human history, with mediumship gaining in popularity during the 19th century. Investigations during this period revealed widespread fraud—with some practitioners employing techniques used by stage magicians—and the practice started to lose credibility.[3][4] The practice still continues into the 21st century, with high-profile fraud uncovered as recently as the 2000s.[5]
Scientific researchers have attempted to ascertain the validity of claims of mediumship. An experiment undertaken by the British Psychological Society led to the conclusion that the test subjects demonstrated no mediumistic ability.[6]
Several different variants of mediumship exist; arguably the best-known forms involve a spirit allegedly taking control of a medium's voice and using it to relay a message, or where the medium simply "hears" the message and passes it on. Other forms involve materializations of the spirit or the presence of a voice, and telekinetic activity.
The practice is associated with several religious-belief systems such as Vodoun, Spiritualism, Spiritism, Candomblé, Voodoo, Umbanda and some New Age groups.
Contents
ConceptEditIn Spiritism and Spiritualism the medium has the role of an intermediary between the world of the living and the world of spirit. Mediums claim that they can listen to and relay messages from spirits, or that they can allow a spirit to control their body and speak through it directly or by using automatic writing or drawing.
Spiritualists classify types of mediumship into two main categories: "mental" and "physical":
- Mental mediums allegedly "tune in" to the spirit world by listening, sensing, or seeing spirits or symbols.
- Physical mediums are believed to produce materialization of spirits, apports of objects, and other effects such as knocking, rapping, bell-ringing, etc. by using "ectoplasm" created from the cells of their bodies and those of seance attendees.
Channeling can be seen as the modern form of the old mediumship, where the "channel" (or channeller) allegedly receives messages from "teaching-spirit", an "Ascended Master", from God, or from an angelic entity, but essentially through the filter of his own waking consciousness (or "Higher Self").[8][9]
Paranormal events are phenomena described in popular culture, folklore and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described to lie beyond normal experience or scientific explanation.[1][2][3][4]
A paranormal phenomenon is different from hypothetical concepts such as dark matter and dark energy. Unlike paranormal phenomena, these hypothetical concepts are based on empirical observations and experimental data gained through the scientific method.[5]
The most notable paranormal beliefs include those that pertain to ghosts, extraterrestrial life, unidentified flying objects, psychic abilities or extrasensory perception and cryptids.[6]
Witchcraft the Wonderful Craft of the Modern Day Witch Do You Want To Be A Witch?Witches have not received good publicity. Witches always end up to be the bad guys in television shows, movies, and books. But witchcraft is not evil. It is a religion and way of life. It is the craft with only the utmost respect for Mother Nature. They may possess supernatural abilities and can perform rituals that are out of the ordinary but they are not what the society pictures them to be. If you are one of those that believe in the witches’ religion and craft then there are ways you can do to start your path in becoming a witch.
First thing of course is to do a lot of research. Everything at first is about the fundamentals and less of the practical applications. This is to equip your mind of the basics and what to expect when you become successful in becoming a witch. This is also a good way to think of what you want over and over again.
After reading everything about witches and witchcraft, you should be able to embrace it. Witches love and respect Mother Nature. That includes everything and everyone living in it. You should be able to be in sync with the environment because it will be your guide throughout your journey in becoming a witch.
Next would be finding a place that you feel belong with. Like an artisan in his workshop, this place will be your haven- the one place where you can do all your rituals freely and without disturbance. You should also make sure that the place you will choose feels right. It will serve as your best friend so make sure that it flows with you.
Make your own Book of Shadows. This book is like the personal journal of witches. This is where they write their experiences and the knowledge they have acquired over the years. Your very own Book of Shadows will be filled with spells and rituals that you can use as reference and will be with you forever.
Live the witches’ life by experiencing magick and practicing spells. This defines witches. Witches can do spells and rituals that can help lift away pain, can protect from harm, etc. You do not need to be frustrated when you cannot do complicated spells at first because it is not possible. Always start with the basics because this will build the foundation of your becoming a witch.
Becoming a witch is a choice. It may have been a family legacy in the ancient history but because of circumstances, the legacy has stopped and so nowadays, the practice of witchcraft is a result of great respect for Mother Nature. And so if you really want to become a witch make sure that your ideals and principles are intact because this craft is not to be taken lightly. This is a way of life for some, a religion even. And so be 100% sure when you start taking your path in learning witchcraft because from this day on everything should be done wholeheartedly.
Gadgets for the ghosthunter
Paranormal investigators Rona Anderson and Ben Myckan sporting some of their ghost-hunting gear in front of their hearse, Nocturna
Image Gallery (14 images)
In a survey conducted by CBS News in 2005, it was found that 48 percent of Americans believed in ghosts. Other surveys have put the number at anywhere from around 20 to over 50 percent. While such figures certainly don't imply that ghosts are real, they do suggest that belief in them is relatively common. When someone does suspect that a ghost is present in their home or business, they will sometimes call in "experts" to ascertain if that is, in fact, the case ... and what sort of gear do these ghost hunters use to detect said spirits? We decided to find out.
Given that ghosts are frequently thought of as non-physical beings that can only be seen by people like Jennifer Love Hewitt or Haley Joel Osment, one might wonder how regular human technology could possibly register their presence. We're told that it all comes down to what people are made of.
"We're built out of energy – atoms and molecules," says Rona Anderson, co-partner in the nonprofit Paranormal Explorers ghost-hunting group, which operates out of Edmonton, Canada. "I just think it's an internal piece of us that stays when our bodies deteriorate."
"When somebody dies, do they go into another dimension, with a very thin wall?" asks her partner, Ben Myckan. "I think that's sort of what it is. You can't destroy energy, it's just in a different dimension."
So apparently, it's not so much about looking for lost souls as it is looking for unexplained energy, or evidence of its manipulation.
EMF meter
When it comes to detecting energy, an electromagnetic field meter is definitely a good tool to have. "At a haunted location, erratic and fluctuating EMF levels are likely to occur," says Alexandra Woodfield, of UK-based paranormal gear retailer TomsGadgets. "Out of all the paranormal tools, the EMF meter is an excellent introduction to ghost detecting. Although currently there is no device that can conclusively detect for the existence of ghosts, the EMF meter is the closest tool on the market."
Rona and Ben use their EMF meters partially to identify man-made electrical fields within buildings, as some researchers have suggested that supposed ghost sightings could be caused by such fields interacting with the human brain. The couple are also interested in detecting EMFs in places where no electrical features are present, however, as those could be caused by ... well, you know.
Thermometer
Anderson tells us that ghosts both gather energy from rooms and release it into them, causing highly localized drops or rises in temperatures – hence the "cold spots" you might have heard mentioned in horror movies. A good thermometer will confirm that such perceived changes aren't just due to heebie-jeebies on the part of the observer, and will document exactly how large the changes are. "It has to be at least a ten-degree drop before we think, 'Oh, well maybe something's happening in this room'," she explains.
Besides a regular thermometer, Rona and Ben also use an infrared digital point-and-shoot model, that can instantly obtain temperature readings from any point that it's aimed at within a room.
Digital audio recorder
Ghosts supposedly do sometimes want to talk to us, but not in a way that's easy to understand in real time with the unaided human ear. Proponents of Electric Voice Phenomenon (EVP) tell us that if you record the room noise while asking questions aloud to the ghost, although you may hear nothing in response at the time, you'll be able to make out some replies when you play back the audio file. If you've heard EVP on any of the numerous paranormal reality TV shows, however, then you will know that a lot of those "replies" can be pretty faint and ambiguous.
Having to pick out the ghost's end of a conversation after the fact kind of limits what you can talk about, but a new product offers a way around that limitation. Connecticut's DAS Distribution makes a gizmo called the RT-EVP, which uses parallel microprocessors to simultaneously record audio and play it back on a time delay – that delay can be from 1 to 60 seconds, as set by the user. If you were to set the delay for five seconds, for instance, you would ask a question, then hear a recording of yourself asking the question, followed by an ongoing playback of whatever audio the device recorded in the room just five seconds ago.
Because it can pick up sounds down to 15Hz, which is below the threshold of human hearing, it can indeed "hear" things that we can't ... possibly even the voices of lost loved ones, according to product designer and DAS president Gary Galka. "Since the completion of the RT-EVP instrument, we have received three beautiful etheral messages from our daughter Melissa," he tells us.
Ghost Box
While EVP can allegedly be found in ambient sound, it's said to be easier for ghosts to work their voice messages into white noise, which is where something called the Ghost Box or Spirit Box comes in. A Ghost Box scans across local radio frequencies, supposedly allowing ghosts to use stray bits of static, squeal and other noise to form and/or carry their messages. The RT-EVP, in fact, has a "frequency sweep" feature that lets it operate as a Ghost Box.
For her part, Anderson believes that Ghost Boxes have their place, but can't be relied upon. This is due to the simple fact that what is being heard could very likely just be distant radio broadcasts. "The only way you know is probably what they're saying," she says. "If they say 'Help me,' or 'My name is Joan,' you're going, OK well that doesn't sound like a radio station."
A somewhat similar device is the Ovilus. It takes temperature and EMF readings, combines those readings into one number, chooses a word from an onboard database that matches up with that number, and then "speaks" the word aloud. The idea is that a ghost, knowing this device is present and presumably knowing how it works, will purposely make changes to the temperature and EMFs so that it can communicate through the Ovilus. Should you not want to shell out for the device itself, though, you can always download the iOvilus app to your iPhone. Just don't believe everything it tells you ...
The Ovilus "works" on the same principle as Ouija boards, which many ghost-hunters steer clear of, as they are said to open up portals that anyone or anything could come through. "You're not necessarily going to get who you think you're going to get," says Anderson, of the boards. "We've had people who have called us to come and do an investigation because they've used a Ouija board and someone's dropped in and hasn't left."
In other words, go ahead and download iOvilus, but don't blame us if you end up getting sucked into your TV.
Motion detector or beam barrier alarm
"These are also used for security by creating an invisible barrier to detect for any movement," says Woodfield. "Paranormal activity can trigger these beams and set off an alarm. Of course it is important to set up a digital video camera to eliminate tampering from other people or animals."
Rona and Ben also use a Trail Master camera trap, in which a motion detector is wired directly to a digital still camera, which snaps a shot whenever the detector is tripped. The setup is commonly used in the wilderness by wildlife photographers, or even cryptozoologists looking for Bigfoot ... but that's another article.
Infrared wireless cameras
When it comes to digital video cameras, Paranormal Explorers and most other groups use the infrared variety, running several of them into a split-screen display on a laptop. That way, they can show the client what their eyes might be missing, and make a DVD copy of the footage for them. Just what might that footage show?
"Sometimes you might just see something floating around," says Myckan. "You might see just a ball of light ... Sometimes you might even see a mist, or an ectoplasm, and it might be in the shape of something."
"Usually, when people watch it on TV, they really seem to have an epiphany, and they seem to be not frightened anymore," adds Anderson.
Digital still cameras are also considered essential gear, both for showing up things that us humans can't see (such as in Paranormal Explorers' shot below, possibly), and simply for documenting locations where investigations are carried out.
Other bits of gear used by Paranormal Explorers and/or recommended by Woodfield include parabolic microphones, flashlights, two-way radios, night vision equipment, FLIR thermal imaging cameras, and even dowsing rods.
It could be that one of the most useful things to have, however, is simply good "ghost sense."
"When we go into a house that is supposed to be plagued by stuff, I do rely on my intuition," says Anderson. "Usually I can pick up right away if there are spirits."
So, is it possible that any of these instruments – or even the human subconscious – could be detecting anything from the great beyond? We look forward to receiving your comments ... just remember the advice of Dr. Egon Spengler: "Don't cross the streams."