A Residual Ghost

What is a residual haunting? Many ghost hunters agree that a residual haunting is just a scene from the past played back by an unknown trigger in the environment, like a movie from beyond the grave. They believe what is observed is not a ghost at all. Rubbish! If you observe a ghost, you have observed a ghost! Ghosts often repeat movements and ignore living people. Why? Because they do not know they are dead! With tunnel vision they go on with their existence, ignoring clues all around them that belie their situation. This is what ghosts do!

And why are electronic voice phenomena not considered a component of a residual haunting? Can't words be played as easily by the environment as images? Ghost hunters believe that EVPs are interactive -- the ghost is talking to me! Yet they do not consider that a ghost must consume large quantities of ambient energy just to manifest itself. The act of becoming visible is, in itself, interactive.

The physical manifestation of a ghost is but one part of the larger whole. While one is mindlessly recording the residual ghost, perhaps it is affecting their judgement, the environment around them, or their equipment. Did the temperature just drop? What was that rapping sound? Why are the batteries suddenly dead? The ghost interacts after all!

All hauntings are intelligent, some ghosts are just more so than others.

J.S.