Hauntings -
General Information
This article was originally written nearly two years ago by Chase Daniels and posted on our blog. Since then, it has been the most popular and most commented post on the entire blog. So, since it seems to be a phenomenon that a lot of people have experienced, I thought I'd copy it to here on the main site. Below is the original article, along with all comments to date. Hopefully more of you guys will get something out of it, or, if you've had a similar experience, maybe you'd like to share it with everyone.
3am Dead Time
So what exactly is "Dead Time"? Well, this opinion varies from person to person. Some paranormal investigators believe that 3am is the time when paranormal activity is at its peak. These select investigators feel that, in essence, it's the most active time because one theory is that Jesus died at 3pm, so the opposite is 3am. They feel that this particuliar time, because of this very reason, tends to be the preferred time of spirit activity.
Now personally, I don't really feel the same way. Spirits are active 24 hours a day and I've seen no evidence that 3am is more active than say, 1am or 5am. Ghost hunting is done in the dark more for practical and technical reasons rather than a personal belief about a particuliar time. On the practical side, paranormal activity is more prevalent at night. I mean, you typically don't tell ghost stories at 1pm in the afternoon, do you? On the technical side, darkness is more suited for using cameras, recorders and other instruments, especially IR and FLIR cameras. It's easier to see possible manifestations, apparitions and anomalies at night, that's a given. But nighttime is also better suited for a persons senses: the environment is more quiet.
But... nighttime can also play on your senses in a negative or false manner. Since everything is quiet you tend to hear more of the subtle normal sounds of a home or the environment, the sounds that are typically present at all hours. Also, the night is usually cooler. The wood used in houses expands in the heat of the day and constricts at night, causing popping and creeking sounds. The sounds can lead a novice or rookie investigator to believe they are caused by the paranormal. The darkness can play "tricks" on your eyes, fooling you into thinking you see shadows or something that's not really there; this is especially true if investigating in a wooded area.
There are other speculations about "Dead Time". Some believe that 3am is actually the devil's hour. They also believe that 3am is not the time when all spirits are more active, but rather when demons are active. Again, they believe that since Jesus died at 3pm then 3am is the polar opposite. Demons will do what they can to defy Christ and therefore being most active at the polar opposite 3am is what they enjoy. Also, more specifically, 3:33 am is widely belived to be the "Witching Hour". Supposedly, 3:33am is the time when the veil between the two worlds is the thinnest, allowing the spirits to cross over easier.
So, is this all true? Well, it's an opinion. There's nothing to really support these theories other than some personal experiences. But there are just as many personal experiences contradicting this "Dead Time", experiences that occur at all hours. For me, I don't believe in "Dead Time". I think spirits are active at all hours. Sure, nighttime may yield more results for ghost hunters, but this is because our senses are hightened at night.
©2008 Chase Daniels & South Georgia Paranormal research Society
Comments:
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3AM Dead Time
Wow, cool story. I also believe there is no set "dead time" I've had many experiences at different times and yes mostly at night. But because of this story, I am going to post a few of my supernatural experiences, I hope you will enjoy. And my question question to you is do you think ghosts haunt people or places?
Hi elvis... thanks for the comment! Definitely post some of your experiences and let me know when you do; I'm very interested.
Anyway, to answer your question: I think that the hauntings do occur. Yes, I think places can be haunted, or retain a high amount of paranormal activity. There are a lot of factors involved, such as death that may have occurred (and what type of death) and the amount of electromagnetic energy contained within that area. As far as people being haunted, that's a bit more in-depth. Actually, you've inspired me to write a few posts on this. I'll get one up tonight. Hey, thanks again for the comment... and inspiration. Please keep checking back!
This is true, in our previous house. I slept in our living room and i always awoke 3:00:00 AM the third hand exactly on that and I see some strange white stuff reflecting off our T.V., I felt unable to move for a while but was able to run like heck :(
Hey Kenneth! That's very interesting. I've heard some stories similr to yours but just never chalked it up to "Dead Time". But now I'm rethinking my position. Some investigators I know swear by it. Thanks for sharing that. Also, have you had any experiences in your current home?
Thanks for the comment!
Great post. I had never heard of "dead time" before, but I find it interesting that 3 AM is considered the peak for paranormal activity.
I did have a couple experiences where I went into sleep paralysis around 3 AM, which kind of freaks me out.
Hey Ashley,
Thanks for the comment!
Sleep paralysis around 3 am? Now that IS freaky. Have you ever had any paranormal experiences in your home?
Thanks!!
Chris
I have a TRUE story that has happend to me for the last 27 months, about 6 nights a month from the 17th to the 24th or there abouts I get woken up by a psssssssssss sound then a voice tells me to WAKE UP ITS 3 AM or just tells me to wake up, I have about 40 recordings of this entity "I belive it is a demon cause it has about 5 or 6 different voices on the recorder or there is more than 1. I have since been activly going to church, reading the Bible and trying to be a good chritian and that has helped a lot but it has not got rid of it, I have also tried Sage and Frankensence but Holywater seems to do the best, has anyone one else felt something grabbing thier feet at night. DW
Hi Wolf,
Wow, that's a very interesting story. I wont discount 3am Dead Time altogether... as I've seen for myself that activity has been hightened around that time, so there's some truth lying somewhere about Dead Time.
Anyway, it's very possible that you've been experiencing the presence of a demon. But it's also possible that it could be a non-threatening human-type of haunting. I would do some research on your home and the property that it lies on and the general area.
I myself have had 2 experiences where I've felt something place their hand on my leg while in bed. Strange thing is that both times, it occured right after a nightmare. I personally felt that it was my grandmother who recently passed away trying to make me feel at ease regarding the nightmare. This also happened around the 3am mark.
In my experience, Sage does a pretty good job at cleasning the home as long as it's done correctly. Holy Water will work nicely if it a demonic haunting. If it's not, Holy Water will have absolutely no effect on a presence that's not non-human. Frakensense, in my opinion, does absolutely no good what-so-ever on any type of haunting.
Check the links below to our website where you can find the proper smudging techniques for use with Sage.
You can also contact us directly via email if your situation escalates or if you feel you might need help.
Good luck, and let me know if there's anything we can do.
Chris
Thank you for responding last night was another bad night I tell you the truth 3:00 am I was jumped on in bed and growled at then I heard a metal sound going tic tic tic, I will agree it seems like the Frankensence is making it angry and the holy water is not working either, I have tried sage numerous times and have a night or 2 of rest, I did not tell you this thing had been gone for a while because I was ignoring it and going to church but 2 nights ago me and my wife watched the passion of the christ and it came back, do you think this has anything to do with that, this is a real serius issue.