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Can the dead talk?

Many people believe that ghosts can communicate with us, while others
are skeptical of such claims. A common tool used by paranormal
investigators is EVP - also known electronic voice phenomena.

What is a EVP ?

EVP is speech (or speech-like sounds) heard on electronic devices, but
not heard in the environment at the time they are recorded. In EVP
recordings, human-sounding voices will actually respond to questions
posed by investigators, comment on situations, and will sometimes
address paranormal investigators by name.
These voices have been recorded on a variety of electronic devices such as
tape recorders, digital voice recorders, and video recorders. Strangely, the
voices are not heard at the time of the recording---it is only when the
recording is played back that the voices are heard.

There are hundreds of these voices documented - maybe even thousands.
Researchers all over the world are capturing EVP's, and many of these
voices have accents, and show strong emotion. These voices can respond
to you, answer questions, and even ask questions of their own.

Is there more than one kind of haunting ?

Residual Haunting

  Residual hauntings are the most common type of haunting, and can be described as a playback of a past event (sometimes at a designated time).  The apparitions are not intelligent spirits, but rather "recordings" of a past event.  Residual hauntings are simply expressions of stored energy.  These types of hauntings are not always visual - instead they can be "replayed" as sounds or noises that have no explanation. Usually the sounds and images are related to traumatic events which took place at the location.  These traumatic events created a "psychic impression" or "psychic disturbance" on the atmosphere of a particular place. This may explain why so many battlefields and prisons are famous for their residual hauntings.   
In other residual ghost hauntings, the images have been created by actions/events that were repeated over and over again. This may explain why there are so many haunted staircases-the huge number of times that people travel up and down staircases, and the amount of energy expended in doing so creates a psychic impression and energy fingerprint.
In a residual haunting, ghosts will not notice the living people around them, and they will usually repeat the same actions over and over again.  Residual hauntings are harmless and sometimes stop naturally on their own.  Once the stored energy dissipates, the playback (and hence the ghost) is no longer there.  You would be unable to communicate with the ghost, since the ghost is merely stored energy, and not an intelligent entity.
Situations where you can communicate with ghosts are referred to as "intelligent hauntings." These ghosts will unlock doors and open windows, run the faucets and can interact with you directly because they are an "intelligent" presence-the personality of a person who was once alive but who has stayed behind, rather than passing over.

Intelligent Haunting

An intelligent haunting is the rarest type of haunting.  In this type of haunting, you are dealing with an "intelligent" presence that can communicate with you, and interact with you in a seemingly "intelligent" way.  This ghost is best (and most simply) described as the personality of a person who once lived and who has stayed behind in our world.
A good example of an intelligent haunting can be seen in the movie, "The Sixth Sense." The main character in "The Sixth Sense" could hear, see and speak with the ghosts around him.
The ghosts portrayed in the movie were actual human spirits that had not yet crossed-over, and had some unfinished business with a living person (or a message they wanted to deliver before crossing-over). Some intelligent ghosts are too emotionally attached to their loved ones that they refuse to cross-over.

Are Intelligent ghosts Dangerous ?

Intelligent ghosts are not "evil" or "dangerous," as some people would have you believe. "Intelligent" ghosts are simply human personalities, and if the spirit was a kind and caring person in life, the spirit will most likely be the same way in death. Likewise, angry and mean people will usually keep those same negative character traits as spirits.

What Are the Signs of an Intelligent Haunting?

An intelligent haunting can be very annoying because the spirit/ghost seeks to get the attention of living people. The ghost can be compared to a child seeking attention. To get attention, the ghost may try turning things on and off, hiding objects, moving things, and other annoying or nuisance behaviors.
Some possible signs of an intelligent haunting include:

- Objects are hidden from you, furniture or small objects are moved, doors open and close, and things turn on and off (such as lights, faucets, radios, TVs).
- Slamming doors, and unlocking doors and windows.
- Strange sounds (that are not residual or repetitive in nature).
- Cold chills and a strong presence.

The ghost/spirit may be looking for assistance to pass over or for assistance to accomplish a certain task. The spirit may also be seeking company with the residents. The key factor in an intelligent haunting is that the ghost can interact with you (communication, it responds and notices human beings).  If the ghost does not notice you or other human beings, and cannot interact or communicate with you, it's not an intelligent haunting.

Poltergeist

Included in the most common types of poltergeist activities are the rains of stones, dirt, and other small objects; moving or throwing of objects, including large pieces of furniture; loud noises and shrieks; and vile smells. It seems that poltergeists have adapted to the development of technology. They are known to have caused interference in telephones and electronic equipment, and turning lights and appliances on and off. Some poltergeists are said to pinch, bite, hit, and sexually attack the living.
Generally poltergeist activity starts and stops abruptly. The duration of it may extend over several hours to several months; however, some cases have been reported to last over several years. The activity almost always occurs at night when someone is presence. Typically this is the "agent," an individual who seems to serve as a focus or magnet for the activity. In most cases the agent is a factor, both those that seem paranormal or that may be caused by human PK. The agent is usually female and under the age of twenty.
William Roll, project director of the Psychical Research Foundation in Durham, North Carolina, further explored this psychological dysfunction theory. Starting in the 1960s, Roll studied 116 written reports of poltergeist cases spanning over four centuries in more one hundred countries. Roll identified patterns that he labeled "recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis" (RSPK), which are inexplicable, spontaneous physical effects. Generally, he discovered, the most common agent was a child or teenager whose unwitting PK was a way of expressing hostility without the fear of punishment. The individual was not aware of being the cause of such disturbances, but was, at the same time, secretly or openly pleased that they occurred.
Other investigators have also investigated agents finding that those in poor mental and physical health are vulnerable to stress. Patient having unresolved emotional tensions have been associated with houses where poltergeist activity occurred. When studying the personalities of agents psychologists found anxiety reactions, conversion hysteria, phobias, mania, obsessions, dissociative reactions, and schizophrenia. In some cases therapy eliminated the poltergeist activity.

Can I start my own paranormal team?

Why wouldn't you. It's one of the coolest things that I've ever started. Before you run out and buy a really cool EMF reader , K2 meter, digital camera, DVR, IR cams, and voice recorder, first pick up a ghost hunting / paranormal book and start reading. Ghost hunting isn't as easy as you would think.

What kind of investigators should I look for to put together a team  ?

Start talking to friends , family members or co workers to start. If that doesn't work run a add on craigslist.com.

Should I have the new members sign any legal forms ?

YES. Make sure your team understands that all evidence belongs to the owner of the team. Even if they leave the group anything related to your investigations must be turned into you. There are legal forms on the internet that will help you creat one just for your needs.

Why do I see keep seeing ghosts out of the corner of my eye?

I often have heard this: "Out of the corner of my eye I saw...." Fill in the blank: Shadow, movement, moving shadow, something moving fast, etc.
Rather than a cause for alarm or take off in that direction during an investigation, in most cases this phenomenon is simply due to the physical construction of our eyes, and the interpretations our brains make of images which are received without a lot of visual data.
According to ScienceDaily.com, "We have surprisingly low visual acuity (resolution) in parts of the visual field that are not at the center of gaze — where we are looking. We are not aware of this because we instinctively direct our center of gaze to where we are looking.

The center of gaze, called the fovea, has a higher density of cones than anywhere else on the retina. In fact, at the fovea, there are no rods at all. (In the diagram at right, the cones are shown in green.) The fovea evolved to have the highest possible visual acuity, and the cones are as small as they can possibly be and still function. Moreover, in the fovea, the retinal ganglion cells have smaller receptive fields, and in the periphery, they have much larger receptive fields.

At what point do you call a area or house Haunted?

The word "haunted" isn't the best term to use when runing into paranormal activity,  and truthfuly it has becoming a negitive word to most paranoraml investigators. Most of the time it takes more than one investigation to determine if an area has paranormal activity. Just because you get a EVP that sounds like a persons voice or doors opening doesn't always make it " HAUNTED ". What we look for are certain types of interaction with the spirit/ghost. For example, if I was asking a series of questions and it responded with the answers, then we could have a intelligent ghost, but it's never that easy. It took us 2 years of investigating Wellington before calling it a active, but only took us one summer to call the Seattle Underground paranormaly active. It takes time to solve a mystery of death.

NWPIA is a paranormal research and investigation team serving the Pacific Northwest. Using both experimental and proven methods for collecting evidence of the paranormal, we work to help people understand the phenomenon that they are experiencing. Everything that we do is free of charge, and completely confidential. Our goals are to search, learn, document, share what we have learned, and to hopefully someday understand the rules of engagement between the material world and the unseen.

Bad Ghost vs. Good Ghost

There are some misconceptions about demons and ghosts. Generally we find that a ghost is a ghost. If a person had a grumpy disposition in life, chances are they’re going to remain grumpy after death. If your ghost died as a mischievous adolescent then that’s what you may get, a prankster. Some believe that demons have taken over there house. I have yet to run into a demon and chances are we wouldn’t. Just because your ghost knocks papers off the table or slams doors doesn’t make it a demon. Ghost love attention and they’ll do what they want when you’re least expecting it. The more you react, the more they seem to like it. If you have had enough of the ghost(s) then kindly ask it to leave. Remember, ghosts were people once and they react similar to the living. If you scream and yell then it may react harshly. It is wise to take the nicest approach first. Just because it's a dark shadow figure doesn't mean it a nasty ghost. In turn the same goes for white colored ghosts. Remember not to lable a type of ghost by its color. I've seen way to much of that with the living.

What about the environment ?

The environment inside the home is a factor most people don’t consider when it comes to paranormal activity. Our behavior and actions may impact the environment we live in. In some cases, the negativity emanating from one or more residents in the home can create unstable living conditions, especially around children. Depending on the person, he/she can unconsciously create paranormal activity by diverting the attention away from themselves. The blame then goes to the “ghost,” it was the “ghost” that made them carry out an action. Paranormal activities seem to disappear when the affected person seeks out professional help or the problem(s) that acted as the catalyst for the negativity get resolved.
We have found that many children claim to have encountered a ghost, they tend to do this either for attention, or they want to help embellish the adult’s claims. In one of our cases the child had coded her paranormal activity. Through dreams and drawings the child had created a monster that visited her in the middle of the night to hurt her. Unfortunately, in reality it wasn’t a ghost or monster, it was a family member. Even though case studies have shown that children have been contacted first by ghosts/paranormal activity, their brains are still actively growing and have equally growing imaginations.
We have also had cases where roommates have played a role in paranormal activity. In one of our cases the ghost would only take $ 20.00 bills out of the piggy bank, leaving the change and $ 1.00 bills. The activity would then heighten as the money disappeared. The “ghost “would then create a distraction and hide some of the roommates stuff. The roommate’s stuff would be more costly than the money missing but was recovered quickly if needed. The money was never recovered. The home owners were so caught up in the paranormal activity and anticipating a ghostly encounter, they never suspected foul play. The home owner set up cameras and the activity stopped.
The power of suggestion is one of the leading factors of paranormal activity. It takes only one person to contaminate the thought process of another person. We seek out people that agree with us, its human nature. The problem with the power of suggestion is that every little noise or shadow is automatically “a ghost. “ Also, comments such as, “did it get really cold in here or what?” are other examples of the power of suggestion. Most people would agree that the air temperature did change. The more fearful the person, the more likely they can create ghosts out of normal everyday things.

What about the air quality ?

Air quality is important to your health and living environment. If living in an apartment or condo/town house, make sure others around you aren’t adding to your paranormal experience. If the tenants before you didn’t keep a clean house, you may be inhaling there leftovers. If your health progressively worsens after you moved in, you may need to consider the maintenance of the residence in general. Is there water damage that could hold fungus in the walls? Could there be a pest problem. Have the air ducts or air filters been cleaned or replaced prior to moving in?

But I'm hearing Strange Noises ?

Strange noises at night go hand in hand with the paranormal. Are they the same noises as during the day? When we turn the lights out at night our vision goes with the lights. When this happens our other senses take over: ears, smell and touch. Without our sight we feel vulnerable and defenseless causing us to become more alert and focused. Every little creek in the floor boards become amplified in the dark. Could it be that we are just more aware of our surroundings because of the lack of light? Try matching the noises with the lights on but close your eyes, or better yet, listen during the day. Pets can do strange things at night. Other common things are voices during the night. Could it be the kid on the cell phone late at night? The neighbors talking into the wee hours of the morning? Move around the house and see if you can hear the same sounds.

My house sits next to a graveyard. Now what ?

Hollywood has made it difficult to see the forest for the trees. The two things we hear most are, someone died here and the house was built on an old Indian burial ground. Tell you the truth, it doesn’t really matter where you’re house was built because the state law prohibits building homes on burial sites and people die inside homes all the time. The reason your house may be haunted could be unrelated to either one of these scenarios. It could just be a loved one checking up on you. The most important thing is not to believe everything Hollywood tells you.

After I pulled my back out I started seeing ghosts.

Legal drugs to illegal drugs, the cause and effects can create paranormal activity. Under some circumstances mixing vitamins and cold medicines can give you the ideal environment for paranormal activity. Call your doctor if paranormal activity occurs if taking new medications. If it’s caused by illegal drug use, then you’re on your own.

What about temperature Change

A ghost’s touch ? Looking for the dead is like looking for a certain needle in a stack of needles. When there is a temperature change doesn’t always mean there’s a ghost. It could be a draft in the room, open window, or the air kicking on. Cold spots form in homes just like they do outside. A drastic change in the environment is what we look for. If a room is 60 deg but one spot in the room is 30 deg and it’s moving it maybe something trying to manifest it’s self. Once again this is very rare but not unlikely. If you take all the mechanical reasons away you have a better shot at paranormal activity.

I've been seeing some scratching, bruising and bites.

Take out all the reasoning why this isn’t paranormal first. There a lot of reasons why you could be scratched, bit, or bruised and it may not be paranormal. This could be from pets to fleas to spiders. These occurrences from the paranormal are very rare and have been witnessed even less. Stress can contribute to strange markings on the body or a allergic reaction to something that you came in contact with during the week. Rule out all the possibilities first before calling it paranormal.

What about the Movies and T.V. Ghost shows ?

Some but not all Hollywood and T.V. shows have portrayed ghosts as being mean and hate full. Mediums and physics have claimed to be possessed, jump up and down yelling and screaming then collapse to the floor. In real life this isn’t the case, people really don’t go it to trances and speak in a foreign tongue. Challenge what’s real and what’s getting good ratings. The truth behind researching the paranormal is ….it’s 90% sitting and waiting and 10% maybe a ghost. 

Are there professionals in the paranormal research field ?

Yes.

What about Ouija boards ? Do you use them?

We have used a Ouija board but not at a clients home or place of business. I think that Ouija boards have a  reputation of being evil. We have investigated the history of the Ouija board and stories  from people using them. Most of the stories are nothing more than a over active imagination or ideomotor effects ..At one point when we used it a man named Russ, 40 yrs old from Seattle spelled out, " ypmoo ". After researching the word on Google, a web site came up......Russ Motors. The truth is, whenever working with the paranormal we have to think about every aspect and hope we get results. I don't think the Ouija board is evil or evil spirits can be contacted through the Ouija board. Matter of fact I haven't see anything evil that couldn't be explained. For more info on Ouija Boards check out this link. http://www.museumoftalkingboards.com/

Need help, or just have a question email us at BertCoates@nwpia.com