Residual Hauntings
Residual hauntings is a hypothesis, which is to say a proposed explanation for this phenomenon. Others, like me, normally call this hypothesis a theory. The terms “hypothesis” and “theory” are, for many, interchangeable terms although their meanings are quite different. Whereas a scientific hypothesis is yet to be tested, a scientific theory has been tested having an accepted explanation. If we were to be more precise in our terminology, residual hauntings would be a working hypothesis in which it is a provisionally accepted hypothesis proposed for further
research.
Chesterfield Paranormal Research is not just another “ghost hunting” organization in that we primarily concern ourselves with research, our findings, the truth about the paranormal and assisting others. Knowing the truth behind residual hauntings is extremely important to us and ultimately to our clients. The vast majority of paranormal researchers, ghost hunters and some Religious Demonologists hold the position that residual activity is just that – residual activity. I am aware of only two people who believe that residual hauntings are a demonic show of deception, steering us away from truth. Where these two people differ is that one believes all such haunts are demonic in nature. He does an exceptional job in defending his position.
The consensus within the paranormal community is that residual haunts are non-interactive in nature and are the most prevalent of four types of haunts. This type of haunt is often validated by data gathered from the research of the property where the residual haunt is taking place. Interestingly, Demonologist David Scott of the North American Demonic Paranormal wrote an article entitled “Territorial Demon(s)” explaining a class of demon that knows the entire history of a property, who has lived there and the events that have taken place there. Scott links territorial demons with a number of residual hauntings, to wit:
“Therefore, if a paranormal team is called in to help the family or person, the demon could simply re-enact past events that happened on the property. When this is done, 9 out of 10 teams will automatically assume it is a residual haunt once they have done any research on that property. If the team chooses to believe that possibility then they will most likely tell the client that there is nothing to fear or worry about as the activity is ‘harmless’.”
In complete agreement with Scott I believe some residual hauntings are wrapped in a cloak of deception, concealing the true nature of a particular haunting. Scott also believes in the reality of residual haunts, as defined by the paranormal community. Noted activity from many of my earlier investigations was written off as being residual in
nature. After all, this type of haunting makes perfectly good sense – maybe.
Gettysburg, PA is a mecca for ghost hunters and has more than its fair share of residual hauntings. I have visited Gettysburg’s battlefield several times as I feel a connection to it. This connection might stem from having been a young man assigned to artillery battery whose lineage includes campaign participation credit for the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg’s battlefield is hallowed ground and if you ever get the chance to visit, you will feel something different in the air remaining with you long after having returned home.
In roaming the battlefield, I am in awe of phantom or residual cannon and/or small arms muzzle flash, lighting up the darkest of nights, leaving a dense cloud of white smoke. Holding fast to the commonly accepted explanation for residual hauntings, I am amazed that this is still taking place 150 years later. This hallowed ground is emotionally charged from such a brutal, traumatic and intense battle. I have noticed that there are strange energies on that battlefield that are neither human nor demonic in nature…energies that cannot be explained.
What is a residual haunt? Residual hauntings is a ghost hunting term for repeated playbacks of visual, olfactory, auditory attributed to a highly emotional event, a traumatic event or just a routine event of a person or place that caused an energy imprint in the immediate environment. Put another way, when a person releases a large amount of energy where heightened emotions were experienced, the energy embeds itself only to replay itself in a loop. This type of haunting is considered non-interactive in that there isn’t an intelligent spirit involved. In essence, we have
nothing more than a recording, giving us a glimpse of a past event.
Most paranormal researchers, myself included, have proudly stated at one time or another “our group and investigations are scientifically based.” This may be true in a narrow sense in regards to technology, tools of the trade used and the avoidance of metaphysical means to collect data; however, we dismiss the second law of a small branch of natural science known as Thermodynamics. It is believed that the laws of thermodynamics are absolute laws of nature with no known exceptions.
The first law of thermodynamics simply states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed although it can be converted from one form into another. In an appeal by paranormal groups to support their belief in ghosts and other spirit energies, the first law of thermodynamics is a perfect place to start. This starting point, however, is only one piece of the puzzle as we fail to take in consideration other laws.
The second law of thermodynamics deals with entropy, which is to say that when energy is transferred, there will be less energy available at the end of the transfer process than at the beginning. Energy experiences entropy until thermal equilibrium has been reached. Entropy is the measure of disorder of the available energy and increases as energy is transferred. To my understanding, when energy or energy clusters are released into the environment, dissipation quickly takes place. Scientifically speaking, this counters the argument for residual hauntings as this type of haunting would be an impossibility.
If the law of entropy is absolute as is the first law, why haven’t I heard any discussions about the same within paranormal circles? It wasn’t until last year, after having picked up a copy of Pastor Mark Hunnemann’s book entitled “Seeing Ghosts through God’s Eyes,” that I have heard of an argument against the idea of residual hauntings, as understood within the paranormal community. The author argues the impossibility of residual hauntings within the context of science. While the author and I do not see eye to eye on various points throughout his book, his knowledge of the Bible, science and the paranormal is most impressive. I cannot wax eloquently on the topic as well as the author, but you can read his well thought out and compelling argument on pages 203 – 210 of his book.
Hunnemann’s scientific perspective is sound and he buttresses his perspective with the reality of demonic deception.
Deception is one of Satan’s greatest weapons in his arsenal, preventing us to know truth. It is true that both Satan and demons alike thrive on our ignorance to their existence and their work. Demons can re-enact past events that have taken place at a property. He is correct in believing that the demonic can conceal themselves in residual hauntings, blinding us to the true nature of a haunting. Following his line of thought, we see the folly of paranormal groups assuring property owners that they having nothing to worry about given that there isn’t an intelligent being behind it.
Given Demonologist David Scott’s perspective regarding territorial demons and Mark Hunnemann’s arguments, we at C.P.R. believe a number of residual haunts are demonic deceptions. Where Pastor Hunnemann and I part ways is that I do not believe every residual haunting is a show of demonic deception. Given my experience in the field, it is my opinion that Hunnemann’s argument does not take into consideration what we do not know about the spirit world more specifically its superior laws. These higher laws which we as yet to become acquainted may very well possess the key to unlocking the mystery of residual hauntings. After all, the spirit world is a distinct creation and its higher laws are not constrained by our knowledge of the laws of nature. The physical only exists because of the spiritual in which the former is subjugated to the latter. Our knowledge of the spirit realm is limited.
To illustrate this difference we need only to look at miracles. While miracles contradict nature, they are the outworking of a higher law – a spiritual law. As to the laws we know and do not know, the Bible tells us that there are laws of nature—“ordinances of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33:25). These laws describe the way God accomplishes His will in the universe. These precise laws of nature are imposed upon the universe by God. The logical, orderly state of the universe testifies to the existence and the design of a infinitely perfect, all knowing Creator.
The question of lingering energy remains a mystery in that our finite minds are inadequate in developing a satisfactory explanation as it is out of reach. I have no intellectual or spiritual presuppositions clouding my belief in God’s laws of nature. I do question how much we think we know. The universe is far more complex than we can collectively imagine. I think about the story of Job and when he gets his chance, before God, to air his grievances and charges. If you think about it, God’s answer to Job is not only surprising but is revealing of a great truth. Instead of answering Job directly, God appealed to the complexity of His creation. In essence God was saying that even if He were to answer Job, he could not possibly understand the answer. This is a humbling picture of where we really stand in regards to many unknown truths. God’s wisdom and knowledge is infinite meaning that his creatures cannot completely search out that which is and will always remain incomprehensible. I believe we can spend the better part of eternity searching out these unknown truths, and after 100,000,000 years, we will not come close to scratching the foothills of truth.
As for my defense of authentic residual hauntings, I do not believe that an appeal to higher spiritual laws is a “special pleading,” which can be construed as a logical fallacy. We cannot apply a line of logic here. As the paranormal community at large postulates that residual hauntings are the product of released energy imprinting the environment, which is impossible according to the second law of thermodynamics, maybe we should adopt a better theory with a better explanation – the String Theory.
The String Theory is a relatively young science by which scientists hope to discover how gravity and quantum physics fit together. One of its features is the holographic principle, which states how information in a space can relate to information on the surface of that space. In essence everything that happens in a space can be explained in terms of information that’s stored on the surface of that space. In other words, the holographic principle says that everything that happens in a space can be explained in terms of information that’s somehow stored on the surface of that space. Until this theory is proved to have no merit, it is one that I will keep in the back of my mind for now.
In conclusion, CPR believes that residual hauntings can be divided into two categories or classes. We accept and share with our clients that there are residual hauntings that are deceptive fronts, concealing the true nature of a haunt and that other residual haunts are just that – residual hauntings. Although we haven’t adopted a scientific basis which provides a satisfactory answer to authentic residual hauntings, we are mindful of higher laws with which we are not acquainted, embedded within the universe, relationally in harmony with one another and to the whole of creation.
research.
Chesterfield Paranormal Research is not just another “ghost hunting” organization in that we primarily concern ourselves with research, our findings, the truth about the paranormal and assisting others. Knowing the truth behind residual hauntings is extremely important to us and ultimately to our clients. The vast majority of paranormal researchers, ghost hunters and some Religious Demonologists hold the position that residual activity is just that – residual activity. I am aware of only two people who believe that residual hauntings are a demonic show of deception, steering us away from truth. Where these two people differ is that one believes all such haunts are demonic in nature. He does an exceptional job in defending his position.
The consensus within the paranormal community is that residual haunts are non-interactive in nature and are the most prevalent of four types of haunts. This type of haunt is often validated by data gathered from the research of the property where the residual haunt is taking place. Interestingly, Demonologist David Scott of the North American Demonic Paranormal wrote an article entitled “Territorial Demon(s)” explaining a class of demon that knows the entire history of a property, who has lived there and the events that have taken place there. Scott links territorial demons with a number of residual hauntings, to wit:
“Therefore, if a paranormal team is called in to help the family or person, the demon could simply re-enact past events that happened on the property. When this is done, 9 out of 10 teams will automatically assume it is a residual haunt once they have done any research on that property. If the team chooses to believe that possibility then they will most likely tell the client that there is nothing to fear or worry about as the activity is ‘harmless’.”
In complete agreement with Scott I believe some residual hauntings are wrapped in a cloak of deception, concealing the true nature of a particular haunting. Scott also believes in the reality of residual haunts, as defined by the paranormal community. Noted activity from many of my earlier investigations was written off as being residual in
nature. After all, this type of haunting makes perfectly good sense – maybe.
Gettysburg, PA is a mecca for ghost hunters and has more than its fair share of residual hauntings. I have visited Gettysburg’s battlefield several times as I feel a connection to it. This connection might stem from having been a young man assigned to artillery battery whose lineage includes campaign participation credit for the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg’s battlefield is hallowed ground and if you ever get the chance to visit, you will feel something different in the air remaining with you long after having returned home.
In roaming the battlefield, I am in awe of phantom or residual cannon and/or small arms muzzle flash, lighting up the darkest of nights, leaving a dense cloud of white smoke. Holding fast to the commonly accepted explanation for residual hauntings, I am amazed that this is still taking place 150 years later. This hallowed ground is emotionally charged from such a brutal, traumatic and intense battle. I have noticed that there are strange energies on that battlefield that are neither human nor demonic in nature…energies that cannot be explained.
What is a residual haunt? Residual hauntings is a ghost hunting term for repeated playbacks of visual, olfactory, auditory attributed to a highly emotional event, a traumatic event or just a routine event of a person or place that caused an energy imprint in the immediate environment. Put another way, when a person releases a large amount of energy where heightened emotions were experienced, the energy embeds itself only to replay itself in a loop. This type of haunting is considered non-interactive in that there isn’t an intelligent spirit involved. In essence, we have
nothing more than a recording, giving us a glimpse of a past event.
Most paranormal researchers, myself included, have proudly stated at one time or another “our group and investigations are scientifically based.” This may be true in a narrow sense in regards to technology, tools of the trade used and the avoidance of metaphysical means to collect data; however, we dismiss the second law of a small branch of natural science known as Thermodynamics. It is believed that the laws of thermodynamics are absolute laws of nature with no known exceptions.
The first law of thermodynamics simply states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed although it can be converted from one form into another. In an appeal by paranormal groups to support their belief in ghosts and other spirit energies, the first law of thermodynamics is a perfect place to start. This starting point, however, is only one piece of the puzzle as we fail to take in consideration other laws.
The second law of thermodynamics deals with entropy, which is to say that when energy is transferred, there will be less energy available at the end of the transfer process than at the beginning. Energy experiences entropy until thermal equilibrium has been reached. Entropy is the measure of disorder of the available energy and increases as energy is transferred. To my understanding, when energy or energy clusters are released into the environment, dissipation quickly takes place. Scientifically speaking, this counters the argument for residual hauntings as this type of haunting would be an impossibility.
If the law of entropy is absolute as is the first law, why haven’t I heard any discussions about the same within paranormal circles? It wasn’t until last year, after having picked up a copy of Pastor Mark Hunnemann’s book entitled “Seeing Ghosts through God’s Eyes,” that I have heard of an argument against the idea of residual hauntings, as understood within the paranormal community. The author argues the impossibility of residual hauntings within the context of science. While the author and I do not see eye to eye on various points throughout his book, his knowledge of the Bible, science and the paranormal is most impressive. I cannot wax eloquently on the topic as well as the author, but you can read his well thought out and compelling argument on pages 203 – 210 of his book.
Hunnemann’s scientific perspective is sound and he buttresses his perspective with the reality of demonic deception.
Deception is one of Satan’s greatest weapons in his arsenal, preventing us to know truth. It is true that both Satan and demons alike thrive on our ignorance to their existence and their work. Demons can re-enact past events that have taken place at a property. He is correct in believing that the demonic can conceal themselves in residual hauntings, blinding us to the true nature of a haunting. Following his line of thought, we see the folly of paranormal groups assuring property owners that they having nothing to worry about given that there isn’t an intelligent being behind it.
Given Demonologist David Scott’s perspective regarding territorial demons and Mark Hunnemann’s arguments, we at C.P.R. believe a number of residual haunts are demonic deceptions. Where Pastor Hunnemann and I part ways is that I do not believe every residual haunting is a show of demonic deception. Given my experience in the field, it is my opinion that Hunnemann’s argument does not take into consideration what we do not know about the spirit world more specifically its superior laws. These higher laws which we as yet to become acquainted may very well possess the key to unlocking the mystery of residual hauntings. After all, the spirit world is a distinct creation and its higher laws are not constrained by our knowledge of the laws of nature. The physical only exists because of the spiritual in which the former is subjugated to the latter. Our knowledge of the spirit realm is limited.
To illustrate this difference we need only to look at miracles. While miracles contradict nature, they are the outworking of a higher law – a spiritual law. As to the laws we know and do not know, the Bible tells us that there are laws of nature—“ordinances of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33:25). These laws describe the way God accomplishes His will in the universe. These precise laws of nature are imposed upon the universe by God. The logical, orderly state of the universe testifies to the existence and the design of a infinitely perfect, all knowing Creator.
The question of lingering energy remains a mystery in that our finite minds are inadequate in developing a satisfactory explanation as it is out of reach. I have no intellectual or spiritual presuppositions clouding my belief in God’s laws of nature. I do question how much we think we know. The universe is far more complex than we can collectively imagine. I think about the story of Job and when he gets his chance, before God, to air his grievances and charges. If you think about it, God’s answer to Job is not only surprising but is revealing of a great truth. Instead of answering Job directly, God appealed to the complexity of His creation. In essence God was saying that even if He were to answer Job, he could not possibly understand the answer. This is a humbling picture of where we really stand in regards to many unknown truths. God’s wisdom and knowledge is infinite meaning that his creatures cannot completely search out that which is and will always remain incomprehensible. I believe we can spend the better part of eternity searching out these unknown truths, and after 100,000,000 years, we will not come close to scratching the foothills of truth.
As for my defense of authentic residual hauntings, I do not believe that an appeal to higher spiritual laws is a “special pleading,” which can be construed as a logical fallacy. We cannot apply a line of logic here. As the paranormal community at large postulates that residual hauntings are the product of released energy imprinting the environment, which is impossible according to the second law of thermodynamics, maybe we should adopt a better theory with a better explanation – the String Theory.
The String Theory is a relatively young science by which scientists hope to discover how gravity and quantum physics fit together. One of its features is the holographic principle, which states how information in a space can relate to information on the surface of that space. In essence everything that happens in a space can be explained in terms of information that’s stored on the surface of that space. In other words, the holographic principle says that everything that happens in a space can be explained in terms of information that’s somehow stored on the surface of that space. Until this theory is proved to have no merit, it is one that I will keep in the back of my mind for now.
In conclusion, CPR believes that residual hauntings can be divided into two categories or classes. We accept and share with our clients that there are residual hauntings that are deceptive fronts, concealing the true nature of a haunt and that other residual haunts are just that – residual hauntings. Although we haven’t adopted a scientific basis which provides a satisfactory answer to authentic residual hauntings, we are mindful of higher laws with which we are not acquainted, embedded within the universe, relationally in harmony with one another and to the whole of creation.
