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Dealing With A Haunting

Demons

What is a Demon?

A Demon is a product of Christianity, having its origin from the Greek word Daemon, said to be an evil supernatural being. In Christian Demonology, it is considered to be an unclean spirit that has one objective: To cause enough havoc in ones life to lead to possession. It is important, however, to know that the term Demon actually has many different meanings across different cultures and religions.

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General Paranormal

What is a Doppleganger?

A Doppleganger is believed to be the ghostly double of a living person, with intent to haunt that person. In folklore, it is said that when the Doppleganger shows itself to it's fleshly counterpart, it is a signal of bad luck or misfortune or an omen of death.

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What is an EVP?

An EVP is short for Electronic Voice Phenomenon. EVP is the ability to record spirit sounds or voices on a tape or digital voice recorder. The experimenter can ask questions and may get a response. This response can be in any form, such as an answer to a direct question, asking a question, making a statement or a moan or cry. The voices can only be heard when playing the tape back.

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How do investigators determine a place is haunted?

When paranormal investigators accept a case, they first interview the subjects and document their experiences. This is done to be able to more accurately evaluate a situation and so investigators will know what to look for and what they're possibly up against. Next, the investigators will take a tour of the building or home and document any abnormalities. During this time, they will take baseline EMF and temperature readings an make note of any abnormalities. Some investigators will also bring in a medium or psychic to see what they may pick up on. Investigators will then set up their technical equipment and begin. Their determination of a place being haunted is based on the conclusion of evidence gathered during the investigation, as well as any input from mediums or psychics, if they choose. Remember, most investigators do not consider medium or psychic input to be evidence, rather it is simply added to the case file as documentation or to possibly corroborate stories or experiences. While all groups have their own methods, this is a common basis for most.

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What is a Certified Ghost Hunter?

A Certified Ghost Hunter is bogus; It means absolutely nothing. An investigator can possess a certificate of completion from paranormal courses that teach proper use of equipment and evidence evaluation, which is good. But a "Certified Ghost Hunter" is pure BS.
First of all, there are no accredited paranormal courses... which means there are no real certifications. Paranormal investigator Patti Star conducts such courses. Patti has a lot of experience and does an excellent job. People that complete her courses are "Certified" by her organization; But still, the question remains: Certified in exactly what?
For starters, the term "Ghost Hunting" is considered to be a novice one. Professionals are "Paranormal Investigators" or "Paranormal Researchers". Don't get the wrong idea: This doesn't mean that any group that claims they are certified are not professional. One of our network groups are certified, but at the same time, they are very professional and do a very good job. We just want you to understand that being "Certified" is fine, but it certainly does not mean that someone "certified" is a better, more professional investigator than someone who isn't. The bottom line is that going through such courses isn't bad. BUT... DO NOT let that apparent credential be the deciding factor on choosing an organization. Different groups/investigators have different ways of conducting investigations. Some are comfortable with certain techniques, others use their own personal proven techniques. The point is that everyone does this differently. It's a subjective field and you can never implement one procedure. Courses teach investigators to use their own methods; But what if those methods aren't the best? What if those methods are dated or out of line with what another investigator chooses. One-for-all does not work in this field. Thus, being Certified is just a waste of time until there are nationally recognized accredited courses.

And if you're an up-and-coming investigator or group, don't waste your time and money with these courses. In the "real world" of our side of things, it means absolutely nothing.

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Can a group guarantee to get rid of a haunting?

Absolutely not! Don't fall for anyone that guarantees they can get rid of a spirit. This is just plain BULL and these people are frauds in every sense. Nobody can guarantee their paranormal service or investigation will be successful. Nobody can guarantee that they can get rid of any spirit. Besides that, most paranormal groups are there to research and investigate the claims, not get rid of a haunting.

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Ghosts & Hauntings

So what is a ghost?

Depending on who you ask, you'll get different answers to what ghosts are. There's the definition of ghosts given by Webster's Dictionary. There's the general term used by most people. There's the typical view of a ghost floating around in a white sheet. There's many different definitions., but one thing we have to remember is to not mix Hollywood's fictional view with the logical.

We believe a ghost is the energy and spirit (or soul) of a person who has passed away and is either stuck between the veils of existence, unable to cross over, or have chosen to stay on our level of existence by choice. The reasons why (or how) ghosts are here truly remains a mystery. The best we can do is make educated guesses and well-formed opinions based on years of researched information and documented evidence.

Read More About Ghosts

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What is a haunting?

In basic terms, a haunting is a series of unexplained, documented events associated with the supernatural. In order for a haunting to be considered a haunting, it should be investigated by a professional paranormal research organization, using a combination of techniques, which can include scientific devices, measurements, documentation from those who experienced the phenomena, and the input of a medium, if they choose. The most important aspect of a suspected haunting is absolutely discounting anything that can be logically or scientifically explained.

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Can ghosts hurt me?

While there has never been a documented case of any person being seriously harmed by a spirit, based on witness reports and statements, it has been said to have happened. One of the most famous cases is the one of the Bell Witch and the alleged paranormal-related death of John Bell and his family. Remember though, there is no official documentation supporting the claim of John Bell being killed by a witch. Honestly, how can there be?

It's also important to remember that pain comes in many forms, including emotional, mental, and psychological.
So with that in mind, it is easily assumed that they can cause harm to us on one level or another. How likely is a ghost to cause harm? That depends on many factors, especially the person experiencing it. How common is it for someone to be physically hurt by a ghost? You're more likely to be struck by lightening. Claims of physical attacks do exist, but there is simply no way to substantiate any such claims.

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Are there evil ghosts?

Evil? Well there certainly were (and are) evil people in the world... right? So by theory, one would believe that since there are evil people out there and since a ghost is the spirit of someone who has passed away, then there surely is evil after death. We believe ghosts are in the same form as when they were alive. There are nice ghosts and mean ghosts, just as there are nice and mean people out there. But the term evil, per say, is typically not used to refer to "spirits". An evil entity is considered by most to be a demon, which, based on theory, is not a ghost at all. Whether that determination is right or wrong is ultimately up to you to decide.

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What's a Vortex?

A vortex is believed to be a portal from the spirit world into ours. It's alleged to be in the form of a white tornado-shaped mist. All photos that we've evaluated of alleged vortex's have been disproven. Most of the time when they appear in photos, they are actually the camera strap dangling in front of the lens or a hair on the lens. Both appear white in color because of how close it is to the camera and the flash reflecting off of it. Do they exist? It's highly doubtful. But surely there are doorways to "the other side". Can these doorways be seen? I don't believe so.

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What is a Poltergeist?

Poltergeist is a German word that means "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 combustion, etc.

Check out this article for further reading on the poltergeist phenomenon.

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What is an apparition?

Apparitions is another term that is somewhat used loosely. Basically, an apparition is the visual appearance or manifestation of a spirit or any unusual visual phenomena that does not necessarily take the shape of a human form. An apparition can be that of a ghost that has manifested or it can also be a negative entity, or demon. Apparitions can also be in the form of animals. They can appear as white, whispy, cloudy shapes or a dark shadowy form.

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I think my home is haunted: How do I know for sure?

Is it hauntind or not? That can sometimes be a tough question to answer. Some people are very sensitive and can just "feel" the presence of a spirit. Other signs may be abnormal noises, such as loud distinct knocks or bangs, scratching on walls or ceilings, objects being moved without human interaction, faint clouds or mist, shadows that can't be easily explained or apparitions. Hauntings are sometimes difficult to discern, especially since houses exude natural noises such as creaking or popping sounds. Shadows can be naturally occurring as well. Most of the time, if it's an actual haunting, you'll sense it. Statistically, about 80% of signs of a haunting can be explained as natural or environmental occurrences.

Check out Signs of a Haunting for more info.

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My home is haunted: What do I do?

Well, the first step is to really analyze the situation yourself. Think about all the things that you feel are happening and try to determine if any could possibly be caused by nature or human interaction. If there's anything that you can rule as a natural occurrence then you should rule that phenomena out. What you want to look for are the things that are truly unexplainable. There are sure signs of a haunting, such as objects being moved, voices, clouds or mist, physical interaction and apparitions. If you truly feel your home is experiencing paranormal phenomena, then evaluate that phenomena. You need to decide if it's something you can live with. If so, and if the haunting seems to be harmless, then you should probably do nothing. Just live with the experiences and accept them. If you're experiencing something frightening or possibly something evil, or if it's a situation that you simply can't live with, then you need to contact a paranormal investigation group or investigator. They have the knowledge and ability to help you deal with the situation.

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Can I get rid of a haunting?

Maybe. If the haunting is a residual one, then the answer is usually no; only time and new energy will help decrease the frequency of a residual haunting. If it's an intelligent haunting, then sometimes it is possible to get rid of it. Can the spirits involved in an intelligent haunting be forced to leave? Most of the time, no. But they can be asked to leave. Also, don't be fooled by television and movies: In this type of haunting, the spirits aren't inhuman, so religious methods will not work. And don't fall for those controversial methods (read more about these here). Your best bet is to seek the help of a paranormal investigator. If you are experiencing an inhuman or demonic haunting, then yes, you can almost always get rid of these entities. You need to first seek the help of an investigator, demonologist or priest. If you're experiencing a poltergeist type haunting, then this is more detailed.

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