Types of Paranormal Entities by Chad Stambaugh

When you're dealing with a paranormal entity, it doesn't take very long to realize that there are a number of different types to consider. If you are experiencing paranormal events or a haunting, it's important to understand the type of entity with which you may be dealing.

The word "entity" is used to describe something that seems to have its own form of existence. Any distinct "thing" is an entity, whether it is living or nonliving. What makes something an entity is that it simply exists and is distinct from other "things" around it? Paranormal experts use the word "entity" because so little is known about these paranormal beings except for the fact that they exist and interact with our world in both predictable and unpredictable ways.

Due to the different experiences paranormal investigators have when dealing with hauntings and other activities, researchers classify entities into various types. It's important to understand that the phenomenon itself appears manipulative and unpredictable at times, so most of these classifications are only educated guesses. It's easier to explain an unknown cause of an event if you can place it into a classification system. This lets you determine whether you're dealing with only one "thing" or several.

Apparition or Ghost

This type of entity usually exists in a location where a person or animal repeated the same task over and over during its life. Some investigators believe that through repetition, a psychic imprint is left within that space and remains long after the person or animal has passed away. Investigators have reported seeing people in vintage period clothing walking through the lobbies and hallways of old Inns or peering out the window of an old home. Most often, the history of the location includes a person who experienced very strong emotions over a long period of time. If the emotion was strong enough, even as a one-time event, an imprint may have been made. A few examples include:

· Widows that lost their husbands at sea

· Battlefield soldiers replaying terrifying battle scenes

· A murderer attacking someone

· A person heartbroken over losing a loved one

· A parent that lost a child in some tragedy

Sentient Spirit

Unlike apparitions, spiritual activity actually seems to have intelligence and interacts with the world and with investigators. Spirits may knock, open and close doors or cupboards, move objects, and sometimes even interact with electronic equipment like flashlights and EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field) meters. The existing, yet unproven, theory states that spirits are made up of energies of varying power levels, and that they take energy out of the area around them in order to manifest those interactions. A room may become colder; electronic devices may fail or the batteries may be drained. Some examples of what may cause this type of paranormal entity include:

· Someone who was murdered

· Someone who died suddenly in an accident

· A person who died with unrelenting guilt for something he did while alive

· A person who died from an illness and still had unfinished business

Most often, spirits that remain with one foot still in the material world can't seem to completely pass over into the spirit world. Something that occurred in their lives keeps them anchored to this reality.

Poltergeists and Demonic Entities

Some people classify poltergeists and demons within the same category. Others consider them separate entities. Still other investigators do not consider them demons at all; they consider them superstitious artifacts from past cultures. However, evidence from possessed individuals and extremely violent poltergeist cases suggest that a form of violent and hateful entity certainly exists in parallel to material reality. These cases involve anything from objects flying across the room to shoves and pushes from invisible forces. People have even reported being pinned down, punched and scratched by unseen assailants. As terrifying as such cases can be, they are also the rarest.

Finally, there have also been very rare reports of visitations by beings that present themselves under a variety of guises. In some cases, people report being visited by spirits that are filled with light and bring life-affirming or life-changing messages. Other people report being visited at night by surreal entities that witnesses believe are aliens from outer space. In almost every case, the paranormal entity has a significant and life-altering effect on the person's life. Some people choose to move to avoid the activity entirely, while other people embrace the reality of the entity and seek to understand it.

For now, much of what is known about any type of paranormal entity is still considered theory, but paranormal investigators may one day gather enough evidence to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt what these phenomena truly are.