Merkabah

[Skarekrow]

Rainbow starry skies...

This picture is in actuality, an oil splotch in a Portland gutter, picture taken by my cousin.
I wanted to put it up because it makes one think of our perception of reality as what we see…well, what you see isn’t always what is true.
This picture could be something ugly and polluted…or by a simple switch in your perception - it is something vastly beautiful!
Just remember that the next time something seems to be lacking any goodness, or it seems hopeless….maybe you just need to change your view.
That’s my two-cents for the day...

 

[Kgal]

This picture is in actuality, an oil splotch in a Portland gutter, picture taken by my cousin.
I wanted to put it up because it makes one think of our perception of reality as what we see…well, what you see isn’t always what is true.
This picture could be something ugly and polluted…or by a simple switch in your perception - it is something vastly beautiful!
Just remember that the next time something seems to be lacking any goodness, or it seems hopeless….maybe you just need to change your view.
That’s my two-cents for the day...

Brilliant!! ...and totally worth a million sense!

 

[Cornerstone]

This picture is in actuality, an oil splotch in a Portland gutter, picture taken by my cousin.
I wanted to put it up because it makes one think of our perception of reality as what we see…well, what you see isn’t always what is true.
This picture could be something ugly and polluted…or by a simple switch in your perception - it is something vastly beautiful!
Just remember that the next time something seems to be lacking any goodness, or it seems hopeless….maybe you just need to change your view.
That’s my two-cents for the day...

Love it. I just got a new desktop. Shame it isn't a little bigger.

 

[Skarekrow]

Love it. I just got a new desktop. Shame it isn't a little bigger.

If you like I can ask him for a larger file of the photo?
Yes?

 

[Cornerstone]

If you like I can ask him for a larger file of the photo?
Yes?

If it's no hassle, sure. I like it!

 

[Skarekrow]

If it's no hassle, sure. I like it!

Here you go!

He said he adjusted the saturation up to get the effect.

 

[Skarekrow]

Roland Griffiths on
"The Mystical Experience and Psilocybin Research"

[video=youtube_share;uxWvIp9XtUc]http://youtu.be/uxWvIp9XtUc[/video]

Mystical-type experiences are profound experiences primarily characterized by a sense of the interconnectedness of all beings and things, and often accompanied by a sense of sacredness, feelings of joy and peace, and a sense of encountering ultimate reality.

Although such experiences have been described by mystics and religious figures throughout the ages, there are few meaningful prospective experimental studies because such experiences usually occur at low rates and often unpredictably.

Psilocybin in the form the Psilocybe genus of mushrooms has been used for centuries within some cultures for religious and healing purposes.
Recent studies at Johns Hopkins have investigated the effects of psilocybin administered to carefully screened and psychologically prepared volunteers who were encouraged to close their eyes and directed their attention inwards.

Under such conditions, psilocybin occasioned profound personally and spiritually meaningful mystical-type experiences in the majority of healthy participants. Analysis showed that mystical-type experiences mediate sustained positive changes in behavior, in attitudes about Self (e.g., more authenticity, self-confidence, and inner authority), and in attitudes about Life (e.g., more meaning, enthusiasm, optimism), attitudes about Others (e.g., increased compassion, sensitivity to needs of others, positive relationships), mood (e.g., increased love, joy, inner peace; decreased sadness, anxiety, anger), personality (i.e., increased Openness), spirituality (e.g., increased sense that all of life is interconnected, increased spirituality, increased connection to the God of your understanding, decreased apprehension about death).

Ongoing studies are exploring the effects of psilocybin in healthy volunteers including novice and long-term meditators.
Therapeutic studies are currently investigating psilocybin-facilitated treatment of anxiety and depression in cancer patients and psilocybin-facilitated cigarette smoking cessation using a cognitive-behavioral approach.

The finding that psilocybin can occasion, in most people studied, mystical-type experiences similar to those that occur naturally, suggests that such experiences are biologically normal, and that such experiences are now amenable to prospective scientific study.

Further research with psilocybin can be expected to provide unique insights into the biology and psychology of mystical experience, and may hold promise as a paradigm-shifting treatment approach.

Speculatively, a mediating mechanism (psychological or otherwise) for a transformative perceptual shift after an introvertive mystical experience is that the individual now “knows” (i.e., strongly holds a belief) that a portal to something of inestimable and ultimate value resides within -- an access point to a sense of the transcendent, which is variously described in religious traditions as Soul, Holy Spirit, God, Brahman, or Buddha Nature.​

 

[Skarekrow]

Albert Hofmann's - LSD Potion

[video=youtube_share;4uxvwiwY2OU]http://youtu.be/4uxvwiwY2OU[/video]

Researchers try to establish the medical benefits of LSD.

Hofmann's Potion traces D-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) from its initial discovery in 1943 by Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann, through its heyday in the 1960s counterculture, to its present status as a banned or controlled substance in many Western countries.

The film offers a sensitive and sympathetic portrayal of the chemists, biochemists, psychiatrists, and psychologists in the 1940s and '50s who privileged the model of mental illness based on brain chemistry over and above the psychoanalytic model in vogue at that time.

Stationed in Canada, the United States, England, and Czechoslovakia, these pioneers made unprecedented advancements in treating various mental illnesses with LSD.

Yet despite the rigorous standards the researchers adhered to, their groundbreaking work was choked out by the negative publicity that cropped up around amateurish thrill-seekers on LSD in the 1960s.

​

 

[Skarekrow]

Golden Milk, is a unique tonic that applies the attributes of a special Indian root called Turmeric,and strengthens it with many other organic ingredients.
Turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a cleansing substance for the body.

It is known to be beneficial to the inner organs, the spine and the joints.
The milk recipe displayed here has been shared to potentialize its healing properties.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Almond Milk (homemade recommended)
• 1 Tablespoon of Local Honey (may be added after milk is cooked)
• 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil (optional)
• 1 Teaspoon of Ground Turmeric
• 1 Cinnamon Stick or 1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
• Small Pinch of Black Pepper and Grated Ginger (the fresher the better!)

To make the milk, simply mix all the following ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a light boil for about 5-7 minutes (or until golden yellow)
This drink is super healing, and also detoxifying.

It is recommended that you drink a small glass of water after drinking this golden milk to help flush out your system.
Benefits:

• Prevent and Stop the Growth of Cancer
• Treat Respiratory Illness
• Cold and Cough Remedy
• Ease Menstrual Cramps
• Alleviate Aches and Pains
• Relieve Insomnia
• Cure Arthritis
• Revitalize Blood
• Increase Bone Health

 

[Skarekrow]

Feeling The Future: Is Precognition Possible?


​

Most science papers don’t begin with a description of psi, those “anomalous processes of information or energy transfer” that have no material explanation. (Popular examples of psi include telepathy, clairvoyance and psychokinesis.)

It’s even less common for a serious science paper, published in an elite journal, to show that psi is a real phenomenon.
But that’s exactly what Daryl Bem of Cornell University has demonstrated in his new paper, “Feeling the Future: Experimental Evidence for Anomalous Retroactive Influences on Cognition and Affect,” which was just published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Bem’s experimental method was extremely straightforward.
He took established psychological protocols, such as affective priming and recall facilitation, and reversed the sequence, so that the cause became the effect.

For instance, he might show students a long list of words and ask them to remember as many as possible.
Then, the students are told to type a selection of words which had been randomly selected from the same list.

Here’s where things get really weird: the students were significantly better at recalling words that they would later type.
Or consider this experiment, which is a direct test of precognition. Bems provided the following instructions to subjects:

This is an experiment that tests for ESP.
It takes about 20 minutes and is run completely by computer.

First you will answer a couple of brief questions.
Then, on each trial of the experiment, pictures of two curtains will appear on the screen side by side.

One of them has a picture behind it; the other has a blank wall behind it.
Your task is to click on the curtain that you feel has the picture behind it.

The curtain will then open, permitting you to see if you selected the correct curtain.
There will be 36 trials in all.

Several of the pictures contain explicit erotic images (e.g., couples engaged in nonviolent but explicit consensual sexual acts).
If you object to seeing such images, you should not participate in this experiment.

​

The location of the image was selected at random by the computer, which means that students should have correctly guessed the location of the pornography 50 percent of the time.

However, it turned out that over 100 sessions, the subjects consistently performed above chance, and correctly located the porn 53.1 percent of the time.

Interestingly, their hit rate on “non-erotic pictures” did not deviate from chance. (They found neutral pictures, for instance, 49.8 percent of the time.)

The power of Bem’s paper is cumulative.
In total, he describes the results of nine different experiments, conducted on more than 1000 subjects.

All of the experiments revealed slight yet statistically significant psi anomalies, with an average effect size of 0.21 across all experiments.
However, the real contribution of this paper isn’t even these statistically significant results.

Instead, it’s Bem’s attempt to create rigorous, well-controlled tests of psi that can be replicated by independent investigators.
Because here is the dirty secret of anomalous phenomena like telepathy and clairvoyance: They’ve been demonstrated dozens of times, often by reputable scientists. (Bem is an extremely well-respected psychologist, best known for his work on self-perception.)

Why, then, do serious scientists dismiss the possibility of psi?
Why do rational people assume that parapsychology is bullshit?

Because these exciting results have consistently failed the test of replication.
And this is why Bem’s paper is so important: It provides the first testable framework for the investigation of anomalous psychological properties.

Unlike most tests of psi or ESP, Bem’s research builds upon well-known experimental paradigms, and minimizes the contact between the experimenter and the subject.

The data collection was automated and accurate; the paper passed peer-review. (Charles Judd, who oversaw the review process at JPSP, said: “This paper went through a series of reviews from some of our most trusted reviewers.”)

Only time will tell if the data holds up.
But at least time will tell us something.

Bem ends the paper with a reference to Lewis Carroll:

Near the end of her encounter with the White Queen, Alice protests that “one can’t believe impossible things,” a sentiment with which the 34% of academic psychologists who consider psi to be impossible would surely agree.

The White Queen famously retorted, “I daresay you haven’t had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

​

Update: The replication process has begun! (Isn’t empiricism neat?) See here for the results.

 

[Skarekrow]

In a mother’s womb were two babies.
One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”

The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”

The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”

The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”

The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one has ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”

The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”

The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”

Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”

To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”

- Útmutató a Léleknek
​

 

[Skarekrow]

Curious!

Quantum Equation Suggests The Big Bang Never Occurred –
The Universe Has No Beginning

When it comes to the science regarding the true nature of our reality, you won’t find a shortage of theories, or a shortage of criticisms of each theory.
We are like a race with amnesia, trying to discover and search for an answer that most probably exists, but has yet to be discovered.

How did the universe begin?
According to new research, there might not have been a big bang.

Instead, the universe might have existed forever.

The theory was derived from the mathematics of general relativity, and compliment Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
“The Big Ban singularity is the most serious problem of general relativity because the laws of physics appear to break down there.” – Ahmed Farag Ali, Benha University, Co-Author of the study. (source)

The big bang theory postulates that everything in existence resulted from a single event that launched the creation of the entire universe and that everything in existence today was once part of a single infinitely dense point, also known as the “singularity.”

Here is a good picture representing what the big bang theory is referring to.

.

​

So the big bang, again, postulates that the universe started out as an infinitely small point in space called a singularity, then exploded and created space where there was no space before, and that it is continually expanding.

One big question regarding that expansion is; how did it happen?
As you can see in the picture, “who is that guy?!”

According to Nassim Haramein, the Director of Research for the Resonance Project
“For every action there is an equal opposite reaction.” is one of the most foundational and proven concepts in all of physics. Therefore, if the universe is expanding then “the guy” (or whatever “he” is), who is blowing up that balloon, has to have some huge lungs that are contracting to be able to blow it up. This a concept that Nassim Haramein began exploring when creating an alternative unified field theory to explain the universe.” (source)

This is one out of many criticisms regarding the big bang theory.
There are many considerations to be pondered.

Can something come from nothing?
What about quantum mechanics and the possibility that there is no moment of time at which the universe did not exist?

Again, so many considerations to be pondered.

According to Phys.org:
“The scientists propose that this fluid might be composed of gravitons—hypothetical massless particles that mediate the force of gravity. If they exist, gravitons are thought to play a key role in a theory of quantum gravity.In a related paper, Das and another collaborator, Rajat Bhaduri of McMaster University, Canada, have lent further credence to this model. They show that gravitons can form a Bose-Einstein condensate (named after Einstein and another Indian physicist, Satyendranath Bose) at temperatures that were present in the universe at all epochs.” (source)

The theory also suggests (obviously) that there are no singularities or dark matter, and that the universe is filled with a “quantum fluid.”
These scientists are suggesting that this quantum fluid is filled with gravitons.

According to Phys.org:
“In a related paper, Das and another collaborator, Rajat Bhaduri of McMaster University, Canada, have lent further credence to this model. They show that gravitons can form a Bose-Einstein condensate (named after Einstein and another Indian physicist, Satyendranath Bose) at temperatures that were present in the universe at all epochs.”

As you can see, when quantum mechanics is thrown into the equation things appear to be far different.
Again, this new theory is suggesting that the universe could have always existed, that it never was what we perceive to be as “the beginning.”

Perhaps it was just an event that did occur that we perceive as the beginning, perhaps the event occurred not from nothing, but something.
Again, who is that guy blowing on the balloon in the picture?

There is something there that has yet to be discovered.

“As far as we can see, since different points in the universe never actually converged in the past, it did not have a beginning. It lasted forever. It will also not have an end, in other words, there is no singularity. The universe could have lasted forever. It could have gone through cycles of being small and big. or it could have been created much earlier.” – Saurya Das at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada, Co-Author of the study. (source)

What We Know Is Often Just Theory​

To conclude, it’s clear that we do not yet have a solid explanation regarding what happened during the Big Bang, or if it even happened at all.
This new theory is combining general relativity with quantum mechanics, and at the end of the day these are all just theories.

Not to mention the fact that theories regarding multiple dimensions, multiple universes and more have to be considered.
When looking for the starting point of creation, our own universe might not even be the place to start.

It might be hard given the fact that we cannot yet perceive other factors that have played a part in the make up of what we call reality.
What is even harder is the fact that quantum physics is showing that the true nature and make up of the universe is not a physical material thing!

We just don’t know yet, and there are still new findings in modern day physics that delve into non-materialistic science that many mainstream materialistic scientists have yet to grasp and acknowledge.

I’ll leave you with a quote that might give you something to think about:
“A fundamental conclusion of the new physics also acknowledges that the observer creates the reality.
As observers, we are personally involved with the creation of our own reality.

Physicists are being forced to admit that the universe is a “mental” construction.
Pioneering physicist Sir James Jeans wrote: “The stream of knowledge is heading toward a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine.

Mind no longer appears to be an accidental intruder into the realm of matter, we ought rather hail it as the creator and governor of the realm of matter.” (R. C. Henry, “The Mental Universe”; Nature 436:29, 2005)

“Despite the unrivaled empirical success of quantum theory, the very suggestion that it may be literally true as a description of nature is still greeted with cynicism, incomprehension and even anger. (T. Folger, “Quantum Shmantum”; Discover 22:37-43, 2001)

Sources:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1404.3093v3
http://phys.org/news/2015-02-big-quantum-equation-universe.html​

 

[Kgal]

Golden Milk, is a unique tonic that applies the attributes of a special Indian root called Turmeric,and strengthens it with many other organic ingredients.
Turmeric has been used for thousands of years as a cleansing substance for the body.

It is known to be beneficial to the inner organs, the spine and the joints.
The milk recipe displayed here has been shared to potentialize its healing properties.

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of Almond Milk (homemade recommended)
• 1 Tablespoon of Local Honey (may be added after milk is cooked)
• 1 Tablespoon of Coconut Oil (optional)
• 1 Teaspoon of Ground Turmeric
• 1 Cinnamon Stick or 1 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
• Small Pinch of Black Pepper and Grated Ginger (the fresher the better!)

To make the milk, simply mix all the following ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a light boil for about 5-7 minutes (or until golden yellow)
This drink is super healing, and also detoxifying.

It is recommended that you drink a small glass of water after drinking this golden milk to help flush out your system.
Benefits:

• Prevent and Stop the Growth of Cancer
• Treat Respiratory Illness
• Cold and Cough Remedy
• Ease Menstrual Cramps
• Alleviate Aches and Pains
• Relieve Insomnia
• Cure Arthritis
• Revitalize Blood
• Increase Bone Health

We just came home from driving down an hour to the city to purchase organic food, eat an Indian Food restaurant, and see the movie Jupiter Ascending. An awesome day all around.
I pulled up your recipe and purchased all of the organic ingredients to make many cups of this Golden Milk. Serendipitously the lady checking us out has Lupus and she drinks this milk all the time to ease her symptoms and help her function in every day life. I noticed she had partial paralysis of her face and had to talk mostly out the side of her mouth but was able to utilize the rest of her body pretty easily.
She drinks exactly the same thing except she leaves out the ginger root. She even told us many people purchase the actual turmeric roots and put pieces in their smoothies. I've never thought of that.

Anyway - I wanted to thank you for sharing this particular recipe.

 

[Kgal]

So....my best friend of 35 years called and left me a message on phone telling me she and her husband think they've seen a Poltergeist. She said they weren't sure but they think this is what's going on and she wants to talk to me about it.

I have zero experience with Poltergeists. I seem to recall you having some experience of a similar nature if not the exact thing.

Do you have anything you could share with me about them?

On a similar note - I now have two co-workers coming to me and telling me about their experiences with seeing the dead. Either they have seen them directly and/or their family and children have seen them. They love talking to me about it because I think it's normal.
Also - yesterday I had a Mom of a client come to my office to sign paperwork and do a family needs assessment. She started telling me about how she sees and dreams of her Grandpa and her brother who completed suicide a few years ago. She also told me the brother visits her sister. Now...he's nice to the Mom of my client - but not her sister....and she wanted to talk all about this.

I kid you not.

This is not the normal kinds of conversations other social workers are having with their client's Moms.....

I tell you the veil is getter thinner and thinner....
[MENTION=6697]apemon[/MENTION] [MENTION=95]efromm[/MENTION] [MENTION=2873]Serenity[/MENTION] [MENTION=5807]AJ_[/MENTION]

 

[Skarekrow]

So....my best friend of 35 years called and left me a message on phone telling me she and her husband think they've seen a Poltergeist. She said they weren't sure but they think this is what's going on and she wants to talk to me about it.

I have zero experience with Poltergeists. I seem to recall you having some experience of a similar nature if not the exact thing.

Do you have anything you could share with me about them?

On a similar note - I now have two co-workers coming to me and telling me about their experiences with seeing the dead. Either they have seen them directly and/or their family and children have seen them. They love talking to me about it because I think it's normal.
Also - yesterday I had a Mom of a client come to my office to sign paperwork and do a family needs assessment. She started telling me about how she sees and dreams of her Grandpa and her brother who completed suicide a few years ago. She also told me the brother visits her sister. Now...he's nice to the Mom of my client - but not her sister....and she wanted to talk all about this.

I kid you not.

This is not the normal kinds of conversations other social workers are having with their client's Moms.....

I tell you the veil is getter thinner and thinner....
@apemon @efromm @Serenity @AJ_

If it is just a couple without children I would question the Poltergeist diagnosis…these almost 100% of the time coincide with a child reaching adolescence in the house and is usually centered around them…it’s like a ball of teenage angst and emotion that becomes almost self-aware in a way…it acts how it’s been programed in a way…or maybe an instinctual response would make more sense. Okay "self-aware” were the wrong words…it acts in an almost instinctual manner….like an insect, or maybe even a bird or small mammal.

Here….this explains it better (see highlighted area) -

Ghosts or poltergeists are created when the observer’s emotions create a semi-permanent “indentation” into the quantum tapestry of the universe.

Like the scent of burned toast that remains long after the offending bread is discarded, ghosts are impressions of emotions that remain long after the cause has been resolved.

Ghosts, therefore, are formed not always from the dead, but from the living and their interactions with the world around them.
The recording of events within the subatomic weave gives rise to an afterimage, and depending on the intensity of the emotion and the permeability of the quantum state, different “types” of ghosts can be created.

Negative emotions are many times more likely to cause these effects.
The reason for this is currently unknown, though it may have to do with the quantum spin of the universe; in an anti-matter universe, positive emotions might create ghosts more effectively.

Regardless of the reason, negative emotions, particularly hate, guilt and grief, are the most common causes for ghost formation.
This also explains why ghosts have traditionally been thought of as the spirits of the dead; death of a loved one can cause profound negative emotions from multiple sources, all centered around the memories of the deceased, which can then amalgamate into a ghost that appears to be the deceased.

The formation of ghosts, however, is somewhat rare. It requires more than an excess of negative emotions.
The quantum state around the individual or individuals who form the ghost must be favorable for the formation.

Certain areas are more susceptible to this than others, especially those where negative emotions are most common, such as cemeteries or hospitals.

Other areas may be conducive to ghost formation due to other environmental factors.

Measuring and Classifying Ghosts

The intensity of the impression upon the quantum weave determines the “type” of ghost spawned.
Ghosts can be categorized by measurable, observable characteristics:

1. Size and shape
2. Range of motion/area
3. Duration/frequency of appearance

Based on these three data points, ghosts fall into one of the following basic categories:

• Type A – small balls of light, sometimes only captured via camera, repeating in nature, commonly referred to as orbs.
• Type F – apparitions, may take partially human form, may have auditory component, repeating in nature, non-independent.
• Type N – specters, human form, full sensory spectrum, semi-independent in nature.
• Type R – poltergeist, metamorphic form, sensory and extrasensory spectrum, capable of limited independent action.
• Type X – entity, fully independent with wide range of quantum-based abilities, often self-aware, sometimes called “demons”, capable of possessing human host via quantum alignment.

Type X ghosts are exceedingly rare, formed from large quantum disturbances over many years.
The classic western “ghost” would be either Type N or Type R.

Intervening types, for example Type B-Type E, are variations on the primary of each subset.
A Type B orb, for example, has measurable color shifting.

Because ghosts are quantum phenomenon, they can be disrupted via other quantum phenomenon.
Powerful magnets, for example, can cause ghosts to be attracted or repelled, and radioactive materials can cause mutations in a ghost’s form.

Since ghosts are not made of solid matter, they can pass through objects with no difficulty, but the movement of matter is very difficult for any ghost below the R subtype.

Interactions With Ghosts

Ghosts with fully independent awareness often believe they are the mythological spirits of the dead and act accordingly.
Only on rare occasions do they accept that they are not the remnants of the dead, though this may explain various other mythological creatures such as djinn or faeries.

Destructive ghosts are generally bound to the event that created them, and may be discorporated if the event is resolved.
This explains why ghosts might vanish after a murder is solved, for example.

Additionally, certain items may cause ghosts to be forced away, not due to any “magical” properties, but simple because the quantum state of the item in anathema to the ghost’s quantum signature.

In conclusion, ghosts are neither supernatural nor imaginary.
They can be quantified and measured.

An intriguing experiment would follow; placing a Type R or higher ghost within a particle accelerator.
However, such an experiment would likely destroy the ghost, though it might reveal new subatomic particles.

In any event, ghost study may be academically pursued without need for the ridiculous trappings of the paranormal.
As always, science shows us that the world around us is more complex that we imagine, but always within our grasp.

I need more information about the specific situation before I can recommend a good course of action for them.
Please give me as many details as you can.

 

[Kgal]

If it is just a couple without children I would question the Poltergeist diagnosis…these almost 100% of the time coincide with a child reaching adolescence in the house and is usually centered around them…it’s like a ball of teenage angst and emotion that becomes almost self-aware in a way…it acts how it’s been programed in a way…or maybe an instinctual response would make more sense. Okay "self-aware” were the wrong words…it acts in an almost instinctual manner….like an insect, or maybe even a bird or small mammal.

Here….this explains it better (see highlighted area) -

I need more information about the specific situation before I can recommend a good course of action for them.
Please give me as many details as you can.

Your information coincides with two other people have told me. Thank you for this.

I haven't heard from my friend yet...so still don't know details....but I can tell you even though it's just the two of them - ages 54 and 52 - there is a HUGE amount of Fear, Guilt, Shame, and Anger being 'contained' at their place. (They live on 25 acres out in the country with virtually no neighbors much like I do).

They are both ex Cops. He is ex Mercenary and has recently come home from a tour of 'duty' in Papua New Guiniea where he was hired to protect the interests of the Gold and Copper Mining Corporation there. He is suffering from full blown PTSD due in part to previous mercenary tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They weren't as bad as this most recent one - though. His wife - my best friend - told me about a month ago he's been telling her bits and pieces of what he saw while he was there....and now SHE is having nightmares.

Last week she admitted to me she now understands the majority of people believe in a False Reality....including war. While he's been off fighting the "good" fight - she's been there living by herself taking care of 25 assorted dogs, cats, ferrets, pigs, and horses. This has given her 3 years of peace and quiet away from the Cop usual life. She now sees how humanity has been cut off from Nature and a natural way of living with cooperation and compassion. This huge piece of information that came out of that conversation is she NOW views her husband's mercenary trips as Dark, Violent, Unnecessary, Illusionary, and Evil.....as it destroyed Life and Nature and Gaia.

Yet they desperately needed the money he made on these dangerous and abhorrent trips.

It really rocks one to their core when we find out we're whores and slaves to the very enemy we despise and thought we were escaping.

She sees the manipulations. He's trapped in Hell created in his mind. She hates what he's done to beloved Gaia....and Loves him for his noble intentions of providing for the family and (what he thought was protecting the world from the bad muslims).

So you can see how convoluted and easy it is to brainwash people's minds when they view the government words. You see...my friend quit watching television 4 years ago while her husband has not.

They are both suffering from very debilitating physical issues now including her back disintegrating on her and he caught Malaria down there which exacerbates his mild form of Muscular Dystrophy.

In my opinion there is a HUGE amount of repressed emotions boiling and roiling there. I'll let you know more later.

Here is a picture of the mining operation. It is located near the headwater of a major river. The Indonesian government supplied their military to kill the locals and keep uprisings from interfering with operations. My friend's husband is one of those mercenary specialists formerly US military who can go in and provide direction and supervision to the local troops. He has seen some awful and horrendous stuff including what happens to a man shot with one of those darts coated in Coumari(sp?) where the man was paralyzed from the neck down and made to watch as the others flayed him alive.

[shakes head in disbelief]. All of that has traumatized him for life....and for what?.....copper, gold, and profits for the ultra rich. He came home with a measley salary after they taxed the shit of them(the slaves), Malaria, and a broken mind and spirit. The man she loved is no more and is a living representative of all she has come to despise and hate in the world.

It's very, very sad to see....

 

[Skarekrow]

Your information coincides with two other people have told me. Thank you for this.

I haven't heard from my friend yet...so still don't know details....but I can tell you even though it's just the two of them - ages 54 and 52 - there is a HUGE amount of Fear, Guilt, Shame, and Anger being 'contained' at their place. (They live on 25 acres out in the country with virtually no neighbors much like I do).

They are both ex Cops. He is ex Mercenary and has recently come home from a tour of 'duty' in Papua New Guiniea where he was hired to protect the interests of the Gold and Copper Mining Corporation there. He is suffering from full blown PTSD due in part to previous mercenary tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. They weren't as bad as this most recent one - though. His wife - my best friend - told me about a month ago he's been telling her bits and pieces of what he saw while he was there....and now SHE is having nightmares.

Last week she admitted to me she now understands the majority of people believe in a False Reality....including war. While he's been off fighting the "good" fight - she's been there living by herself taking care of 25 assorted dogs, cats, ferrets, pigs, and horses. This has given her 3 years of peace and quiet away from the Cop usual life. She now sees how humanity has been cut off from Nature and a natural way of living with cooperation and compassion. This huge piece of information that came out of that conversation is she NOW views her husband's mercenary trips as Dark, Violent, Unnecessary, Illusionary, and Evil.....as it destroyed Life and Nature and Gaia.

Yet they desperately needed the money he made on these dangerous and abhorrent trips.

It really rocks one to their core when we find out we're whores and slaves to the very enemy we despise and thought we were escaping.

She sees the manipulations. He's trapped in Hell created in his mind. She hates what he's done to beloved Gaia....and Loves him for his noble intentions of providing for the family and (what he thought was protecting the world from the bad muslims).

So you can see how convoluted and easy it is to brainwash people's minds when they view the government words. You see...my friend quit watching television 4 years ago while her husband has not.

They are both suffering from very debilitating physical issues now including her back disintegrating on her and he caught Malaria down there which exacerbates his mild form of Muscular Dystrophy.

In my opinion there is a HUGE amount of repressed emotions boiling and roiling there. I'll let you know more later.

Here is a picture of the mining operation. It is located near the headwater of a major river. The Indonesian government supplied their military to kill the locals and keep uprisings from interfering with operations. My friend's husband is one of those mercenary specialists formerly US military who can go in and provide direction and supervision to the local troops. He has seen some awful and horrendous stuff including what happens to a man shot with one of those darts coated in Coumari(sp?) where the man was paralyzed from the neck down and made to watch as the others flayed him alive.

[shakes head in disbelief]. All of that has traumatized him for life....and for what?.....copper, gold, and profits for the ultra rich. He came home with a measley salary after they taxed the shit of them(the slaves), Malaria, and a broken mind and spirit. The man she loved is no more and is a living representative of all she has come to despise and hate in the world.

It's very, very sad to see....

They could very well have some sort of manifestation similar to or actually being a poltergeist…it is usually the early teenage angsty feelings (more likely girls) but any time there are dark feelings that have been bottled up…it sounds like both of them have more than their share to cause something to manifest.
What I am curious about is what happened and what they saw?
Was it things being thrown, or did they see an actual apparition.
There is a HUGE difference in how these are dealt with….but I can tell you in almost all cases (unless it’s demonic) a house blessing never seems to make things worse (unless it’s a demon….once again) and it probably wouldn’t hurt for both of them to be blessed as well.
My main worry here is not that it is a poltergeist or apparition…but that your friend’s husband has some sort of negative spiritual attachment because of the nature of his work and what he has done….I think his wife senses this attachment to him and has subconsciously made this into a moral issue for her.
If he does has such an attachment then we could be looking into something as simple as a negative spirit that has been feeding on his negativity…or it could be something older and much more difficult to remove if you can at all.
Please…if you can, find out what she and he have seen and experienced…including what they were feeling at that time or discussing?

 

[Kgal]

They could very well have some sort of manifestation similar to or actually being a poltergeist…it is usually the early teenage angsty feelings (more likely girls) but any time there are dark feelings that have been bottled up…it sounds like both of them have more than their share to cause something to manifest.
What I am curious about is what happened and what they saw?
Was it things being thrown, or did they see an actual apparition.
There is a HUGE difference in how these are dealt with….but I can tell you in almost all cases (unless it’s demonic) a house blessing never seems to make things worse (unless it’s a demon….once again) and it probably wouldn’t hurt for both of them to be blessed as well.
My main worry here is not that it is a poltergeist or apparition…but that your friend’s husband has some sort of negative spiritual attachment because of the nature of his work and what he has done….I think his wife senses this attachment to him and has subconsciously made this into a moral issue for her.
If he does has such an attachment then we could be looking into something as simple as a negative spirit that has been feeding on his negativity…or it could be something older and much more difficult to remove if you can at all.
Please…if you can, find out what she and he have seen and experienced…including what they were feeling at that time or discussing?

Will do. I agree we need to know what we're dealing with. ....and the thought of burning Sage while invoking Blessings was definitely in order.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[Skarekrow]

@Kgal
Here are a few tidbits on the current topic that may be helpful to some...​

POLTERGEIST PHENOMENA ​

​

In the German language, poltergeist literally means "noisy ghost." Indeed, poltergeist experiences are often noisy --- although the characteristic physical disturbances are no longer thought to be the work of "ghosts."

Rather, current (since the 1950s) studies indicate that a living person, the poltergeist agent, who is typically involved simultaneously in another stress-inducing situation, causes the poltergeist situation.

​

RSPK:The Poltergeist Mechanism:
During a poltergeist experience, the agent, in an attempt to relieve emotional stress, unknowingly causes the physical disturbances using mental forces.
The mental mechanism that allows the poltergeist agent to unconsciously cause these physical disturbances is called psychokinesis.

Psychokinesis, PK, more commonly known as "mind over matter," is the human ability to mentally affect the physical environment.
Because the psychokinetic activity of the poltergeist agent is recurrent and spontaneous, this form of psychokinesis is termed RSPK or recurrent spontaneous psychokinesis.

Most agents are unaware that they are causing the physical disturbances, and even those with vague awareness usually have no conscious control over how and when the disturbances will occur.

The Poltergeist Experience:
In poltergeist cases, typical reported disturbances include strange noises and knockings, and objects moving about as if under their own power.
Objects have been reported to fly about in bizarre trajectories, to crash to the floor and break, to break or shatter in place, and to disappear and reappear, sometimes in different locations.

Beds are sometimes reported to shake and furniture to rearrange itself. In more rare cases, small, innocuous fires have started, water droplets or bursts have fallen from nowhere, stones have pelted homes, and vague apparition-like forms have been seen.

Whatever the nature of the physical disturbances, poltergeist phenomena can inevitably be linked to an "agent."

The Poltergeist Agent:
(Kgal)
Though the agent can usually be narrowed down to one person, in some cases the agent appears to consist of two or more people who co-create a psychological dynamic that causes one or more of the people to mentally "set off" the physical disturbances.

Studies and investigations show that agents are typically experiencing repressed or unresolved emotional stress.
Adolescence is commonly a stressful life period (psychologically and physically) and not surprisingly, the majority of reported poltergeist cases involve adolescent agents (the age range is from 12 or 13 to early 20s).

However, people of all age groups are potential poltergeist agents (although there has been a noticeable lack of agents under 10 or 11).
Studies have also shown that people with epilepsy or epileptic-like activity in the brain are sometimes associated with poltergeist activity.

This does not mean that everyone under stress or with epilepsy will be a poltergeist agent.
In fact, the phenomenon is very uncommon, even though minor PK events may occur throughout someone's lifetime.

Even in severe cases of repressed stress or epilepsy, poltergeist activity rarely occurs.

Patterns and Metaphors of Poltergeist Activity:

With the exception of rare lengthy cases, poltergeist phenomena generally last from two to six weeks (short term 1 week, long term about 18 months).
Cases are nearly always reported in homes, offices or workplaces – wherever a dynamic of human interaction takes place.

Poltergeist activity, with its connection to unresolved stress, appears to be a rare form of stress relief.
Instead of the stress releasing itself in "normal" ways, the agent unconsciously "blows off steam" with the PK activity.
Patterns found in the disturbances are generally symbolic and can give clues as to the identity of the agent and the nature of the unresolved stress.​

Often object and area focused activity occur whereby the disturbances tend to stay with certain forms of objects or in certain locations in the physical environment.
The disturbances often appear as metaphors to the causes of stress.

For example, sexual tension may be released through causing the bed to shake.
Anger towards a certain person may be released by the agent causing items belonging to the target person to break.

The rare outbreak of small fires may be associated with a general release of anger, whereas water is more often associated with grief (as in tears not being physically shed).
More unusual cases involving guilt have resulted in the agent actually giving him/herself a psychokinetic "self-beating" displayed by the spontaneous manifestation of bruises or other marks of physical punishment.

Other very rare poltergeist cases have involved sightings of apparition-like forms.
These are not thought to be true apparitions (or ghosts – a consciousness operating outside of or after the death of his or her physical body).

Rather, they are thought to be unconscious projections from the mind of the agent that are "picked up" telepathically by people associated with the agent (and of course, by the agent as well).

These apparitional forms are often not human in appearance (in contrast to ghosts), and may even look like an archetypal "monster."
As frightening as they may appear, these mental projections are harmless and are simply a reflection of the agent's inner psychological "monsters or demons."

As with the physical activity, they are often a metaphor for the mental and emotional stress the agent is experiencing.
More subtle forms of poltergeist activity involve micro-effects whereby the agent mentally, though unconsciously, affects the functioning of technology (these are effects that occur throughout our lives).

It is now known that technology such as watches, computers, telephones, photocopiers, etc. are apparently susceptible to PK.
Similar to the large scale poltergeist effects, these micro-effects appear to be a form of stress-relief or a reflection of the mood of the agent, and the type of effect is often a clue as to the nature of the stress.

​

​

Practical Problem Solving:
Since poltergeist cases have psychological stress and emotional dynamics at their core, investigations involve detailed observation of the human interaction present in such cases.
All family members or co-workers are interviewed separately and en masse in order to assess the nature of the disturbances and the emotional interplay.

Many personal questions are asked, and in some cases, medical information may be requested.
Patterns in the disturbances are noted and participants may be asked to re-enact scenes when the disturbances occurred.

Because the investigation may alter the emotional dynamics, leading to difficulty in finding the agent, on some case the investigator(s) may request an extended stay on the premises in hopes that the dynamics return to their usual state.

Throughout the study, "normal" disturbances are separated from those that may be "paranormal."
Often the participants believe the disturbances to be the result of a ghost or outside entity.

Because stressful emotional dynamics are at the core of such cases, this "ghost" is used as a scapegoat for the occurrences and even for the events or issues that are causing the stress in the first place.

In addition, people are often more sensitive to anything out of the ordinary in the environment during such situations.
In many cases, participants may misinterpret overlooked physical occurrences with normal, though not obvious, normal explanations.

Finally, because there is often a ghostly scapegoat to blame, there may be a mixture of real RSPK events with intentionally caused disturbances surreptitiously carried out by the agent and/or other participants.

A lot can be done in the name of stress relief when there's a ghost present to take the blame.
In cases such as this, the intentional disturbances are not generally an attempt to dupe the investigator, but are rather directed at other members of the family or group as a more "normal" form of stress relief.

Such non-malicious fraud can make a poltergeist investigation very challenging.
At worst, such "mixed" cases may be dismissed as normal when paranormal elements are actually present.

The stress inherent in a poltergeist case, as well as the stress caused by one, does make counseling very important.
Not only the agent, but all participants can benefit from individual or group counseling. Poltergeist activity tends to stop when the stress is identified, addressed or released, or when the stressful situation itself is identified, altered or ended.

Poltergeist activity also tends to stop when the agent realizes he or she is responsible for the phenomena (and especially if the agent accepts responsibility for it).
One the activity has ceased, follow-up therapeutic work may be crucial in order to help resolve the underlying causes of the poltergeist outbreak.

Finally, for the poltergeist agent, there always exists the potential for learning to focus and apply this psychokinetic ability in positive ways.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________​

Ghost Types

​

The Interactive Personality
The first and probably most commonly understood type of 'ghost' is that of the deceased human being—usually of someone known to the observer such as a friend or family member (though they may also be strangers or 'historical' figures as well).

This type of ghost appears not only self aware and intelligent, but capable of interacting within the linear world of time and space; interactions which may include making itself visible (manifesting), being heard audibly or telepathically, and even of being capable of touching the living (tactile capabilities).

Some ghosts even seem capable of manufacturing odors (such as tobacco, perfume, or after shave) that were associated with them when they were alive. Further, just as human beings are capable of displaying a whole range of emotions and temperaments, so too is a ghost.

Some may be playful and loving while others are dark and angry.
Often they are described as brooding, sad, or melancholy, and are seen even to exhibit such very human emotions as rage, fear and jealousy.

As such, an encounter with a ghost may be either a pleasant experience or a frightening and disturbing one, depending upon the nature and temperament of the ghost and the circumstances of its manifestation (as well as the emotional state of the observer.)

In general, however, ghosts are usually considered harmless and, in some cases, even beneficial, and should be treated with the respect and dignity accorded to any human being, be they living or dead.

​

Therefore, since such ghosts apparently retain much—if not all—of their former earthbound personality, be it positive or negative, and are capable of feeling emotions such as love, joy, anger, guilt and regret, I think a better term for a non-corporeal or disembodied consciousness that is clearly human in origin should be a personality rather than either 'entity' or the more generalized term 'ghost'.

Personality captures the essence of what this being is; it is a 'person' who simply no longer resides within the context (and some might say, the confines) of the physical body.

As such, to identify such a presence as a personality is simply to acknowledge its inherent humanity.​

Personalities are further divided into several sub categories, largely determined by their relationship to the viewer.

Those of a recognized family member or friend who have passed are called familial personalities because they are intimately familiar to the witness.
This would be a parent, a spouse, a child or a close friend, or someone otherwise known to the witness, and are probably among the most common type of manifestation seen.

Accounting for the vast majority of all sightings, familials are also not only the most common type of ghost, but are often the most short-lived variety as well; they are frequently seen but once, usually to a grieving spouse or parent, assumedly as a means of saying farewell or in an effort to comfort or reassure the bereaved.

Unfortunately, the fact that they are often not seen or experienced repeatedly makes them among the most difficult to confirm or study, since no return appearance is usually anticipated.

Of course, sometime familials will make more than a single appearance, though this is less common; in most instances, they appear to have a specific agenda in mind, and seem to interact only to the degree that they are trying to comfort the still living.

​

The second type of interactive personality is the historical, which is roughly defined as the manifestation of a person not personally known to the witness, but who is still identifiable as a known deceased individual.

The ghost of Abraham Lincoln is probably the most famous example of a historical, though of course, one needn't be famous to be 'historical;' simply being a past owner of a now haunted residence can make one a 'historical' personality.

All that is required is that the person be identifiable, even if their identity is not determined until after the viewing.
Unlike familials, historicals are among the more long-term manifestations seen, often residing within a particular locale for years or even decades, and are seen by countless scores of witnesses over a considerable period of time.

As such, they also make the best 'test ghosts' because of their longevity and, to some degree, predictability.

​

The third type of personality is the anonymous, who is, by definition, the manifestation of an obvious human being whose identity remains unknown to both the witnesses or research historians.

An example of such a personality might be that of a Revolutionary War soldier who regularly appears in the cellar of an eighteenth century era home built near a battlefield.

Clearly human in nature and even apparently interactive, it's identity remains anonymous mainly because it was never a resident of the place it is haunting and as such leaves no historical records that might be able to place a name to the apparition.

Additionally, such entities can be among the most difficult to interact with, for unlike the familial—who is here to comfort the grieving—or the historical—who consider themselves still a part of their environment—the anonymous frequently appears to be angry, frightened or confused, and often seems to be as afraid of the still living as the living are of them.

While still capable of being documented and studied, they tend to be more difficult to get to 'come out and play' and so do not generally make as good 'test cases' as others.

​

It should be remembered that while these three sub-categories seem to be set, they are in fact largely relative and even, to some degree, interchangeable.
For example, a familial personality may be someone else's historic or another person's anonymous, depending upon the relationship of the witness to the ghost (or lack thereof) and other circumstances, making each 'type' superfluous at best.

These terms are really for the benefit of the observer, and have little to do with the actual reality of the situation.
In the end, it is best to refer to all apparently human manifestation that appear capable of interacting within linear time and space simply as personalities and leave it at that.​

The 'Non-Interactive' Personality
The second type of ghostly manifestation is known as the non-interactive personality.
Also known as an 'imprint', this type of manifestation, while apparently human in appearance and mannerisms, gets its name from the fact that it appears and acts as though it is entirely oblivious to its surroundings.

Further, and what specifically differentiates the non-interactive personality type ghost with the interactive—aside from this marked lack of awareness of others—is their tendency to repeat the same actions (such as walking down a set of stairs or sitting in on the edge of the same bed) as though they are actors in play that is being acted out over and over again.

Many who have encountered this sort of phenomenon often describe it as being akin to watching a few frames of a movie being played out on a continual loop. And, of course, any efforts to communicate with such a manifestation or interact with it in any way is always met by silent indifference, as though the observer was the one who was invisible and imperceptible rather than the ghost.

​

This leads some investigators to questions whether such manifestations are 'ghosts' at all, or merely a reflection of a moment in time that has somehow been 'inscribed' or 'imprinted' into the environment.

In other words, these may not be genuine disembodied personalities at all, but pictures or 'snapshots' of a once living human going about his or her daily activities that has somehow been recorded by the environment, only to be replayed when conditions are apparently ideal.

​

While this theory has some plausibility and is growing in popularity with paranormal investigators, it does leave a few questions unanswered.
Aside from the question of what physical process might be involved in 'imprinting' a scene into an environment, it doesn't address the question of whether such a ghost may be unable to interact or is simply choosing not to interact.

Then there is the question of whether it is possible such a ghost may even be aware it is visible to the still living; in effect, it may not be trapped in a prerecorded visual 'loop' but may simply suffer from an inability to perceive the living any more than we are usually able to perceive the dead.

In such a case, then, the tendency to repeat the same actions may be no more remarkable then our own tendency to repeat precise routines day in and day out in our own world; we often walk through our home via the same route, open and close the same doors in order, sit in the same chairs, gaze out the same windows, with similar regularity, so there is no reason an earth-bound ghost-especially if it wasn't aware it was visible to the living-might not keep the same routine it had while alive.

​

Most paranormal investigators don't accept this theory, however, preferring instead to retain the belief that these are not real personalities, but imprints embedded upon the environment the way a song is imbedded within the swirled indentations of a CD.

The biggest problem with the 'imprint' theory, however, is that these manifestations not only frequently appear at different locales throughout a house, but may even appear outdoors in open meadows or fields.

If we work from the premise that they are mere images engraved upon the environment, however, how do we explain this phenomenon?
Even if there might be some process by which human energy is somehow imprinted into the very building materials of a structure, what might it be imprinted upon in an open field?

For this theory to work, there has to be some medium upon which to 'imprint' in the first place, making these anomalies inexplicable.​

In either case, the non interactive personality remains the most easily observed of all the ghostly phenomenon as they are frequently repeatable, usually confined to a particular locality that can be carefully monitored, and to some degree, even predictable.

Whether they are true personalities or mere imprints of human energy, however, remains uncertain, and a continuing source of some debate.​

The Living Ghost
Though extremely rare, there are a few anecdotal accounts of people encountering manifestations of a person-usually well known to them-who are still alive, but are at another physical location, frequently far away.

These 'ghosts' usually appear at a time when the person the ghost is manifesting is in great distress or danger; for instance, a pilot flying through a bad storm might suddenly appear hundreds of miles away at his home, as though his spirit or soul has left the body and gone to a place of safety, sometimes to warn a loved one they are in peril and ask for their prayers or some other such plea for help.

Such manifestations, however, are completely unexpected and so are not capable of being studied, and exist purely as anecdotal stories.​

An only slightly more common yet closely related phenomenon to the living ghost is the 'moment of mortality ghost' in which the manifestation of a person far away suddenly appears to a friend or family member at the precise moment of their death.

A woman, for example, suddenly awakens from a deep sleep to observe her father, whom she knows to be residing at a nearby nursing home, sitting on the foot of her bed.

Though surprised, she is even more amazed to see him suddenly vanish before her eyes, filling her with confusion and consternation.
Finally persuading herself she has simply had a strange dream, she finally falls back to sleep only to be awakened a few hours later by a phone call from her mother telling her that her father had passed away during the night.

Recalling that her phantom visitor had appeared at a quarter after two a.m., she asks her mother when father had passed, only to be told 2:15 a.m.—precisely the moment she had seen him in her bedroom.

​

Technically, such a manifestation is an example of a familial personality (as we defined earlier.)
I only differentiate it because of its proximity to a particular moment of time, a place, and a particular person.

Unfortunately, such phenomenon are, again, exceedingly rare and entirely incapable of being substantiated, and so remain of little value to the paranormal investigator.

They do, however, strongly suggest that there exists a strong link between loved ones that transcends death, and can manifest itself in strange and unexpected ways even at a great distance.​

Inanimate Manifestations
Not all ghosts are animate in nature.
Inanimate objects such as ships, trains, automobiles and aircraft have been regularly reported, and remain among the most difficult type of manifestation to account for.

Obviously, since inanimate objects do not possess consciousness and were never 'alive' in any sense of the word, their 'survival' after their demise seems to have no rationale.

The best answer is that they are not actual manifestations of physical energy at all, but mirages or pre-recorded impressions of some kind, making them more akin to the 'imprint' variety of ghostly manifestations than anything else.

The difficulty with this theory, however, is, as we touched upon a moment ago, the lack of environment upon which to imprint the object.
A 'ghost airplane'—for example—could hardly have been somehow imprinted upon the currents of air in the same way a person might be imprinted into the building material of a house.

Air is not a stable medium like a solid object, making such a phenomenon all the more inexplicable (the same is true with 'ghost ships' as well, with the ever changing sea being a logically unlikely medium upon which to hold and replay the image of a ship.)

In any case, inanimate manifestations (sometimes also called apparitions) are uncommon and tend to be non interactive (though not always.)
They are also usually 'one shot' affairs that rarely repeat themselves, making them difficult subjects to study or document.

However, there are a few exceptions: long ago fought battles are reported to sometimes appear repeatedly, or at least the noise of that ancient battle is heard still rumbling off the horizon.

Whether this is some kind of imprint or an example of a 'time slip' (an idea we will examine in more detail later) is unclear, but remains a good source for further study.
​

Animal Manifestations
The question of whether an animal—usually a family pet—might be capable of manifesting itself is a source for considerable debate.
As we discussed in chapter two and the case for immortality, it appear that animals do not possess the prerequisite sentience necessary to be considered a conscious personality, so it is hard to understand how their 'essence' might survive death and be capable of manifesting in the physical realm.

However, numerous anecdotal accounts and a few examples caught on film suggest otherwise, so we must take this possibility into account as well.
But if animals lack a personality or the type of consciousness that makes such a thing possible, what is happening here?

Do animals, in fact, possess more of what we would define as a soul than we imagine, or is there some other explanation available to explain this discrepancy?
(Skarekrow here: Both my Mom and Sister heard the cat calling as it would do when it needed help getting up about 4 hours after putting her to sleep ((she was 19 years old I think?)) anyhow, both my Mom and Sis started to get up to help the cat…then stopped, and asked the other if they had just heard the cat, which they both had…nothing after that one time…so I definitely believe that animals have a spirit)

A couple of possibilities present themselves.
First, since many people frequently form a very strong bond with their pets, it's not remarkable then when ghosts of those pets sometimes enter into the mix.

The question, however, is not whether these manifestations are being produced by the conscious, free-will actions of the deceased pet—as it is assumed human based ghosts or personalities do—but if they are produced subconsciously by the viewer.

This is not to imply such encounters are hallucinations-though this may sometimes be the case-but that the human mind might hold the image of the beloved pet so tightly in its subconscious that it might be able to inadvertently manifest it under ideal conditions.

The apparition, then, is not the literal spirit of the dead animal, but a type of 'memory bubble' produced by the observer's own inherent but unconscious telekinetic energy.

In this case, it is the owner's love for their pet that keeps the pet's spirit alive, not the inherent nature of the animal itself.
The fact that the vast majority of animal ghosts are those of beloved family pets-manifestations of regular farm animals and wild animals are far less common-could be an important clue that this might be the case.

Another possibility is that animals do possess some very basic consciousness and may attach themselves to physical places in the same way some humans do; the manifestations, then, may be temporary residual energy bursts unconsciously created by even the most primitive animal consciousness for a brief period of time, and one that lasts only until the basic energy of the creature fades and it eventually winks out of existence.

The analogy would be that of a glowing ember that continues to glow for a time after the fire has gone out; the animal's consciousness may initially survive physical death for a time before eventually dissipating into nothingness or, perhaps, being absorbed into some form of greater 'animal consciousness'.

On the other hand, since most animal manifestations are of higher order animals such as dogs, cats, and horses, it's entirely possible that even low-levels of consciousness—that state of awareness just below full sentience—might actually be capable of surviving death just as a human's may.

The fact that manifestations of more primitive animals such as reptiles, amphibians, fish, and birds are almost unheard of also strongly suggests such a possibility.

Of course, this is all purely speculative, but then the intricacies of consciousness and just were one might draw the line between sentience and non-sentience is not always easily defined.

As such, while I personally find it hard to imagine how an animal's consciousness—even that of a more advanced one—could survive death, the possibility that it might has to be at least considered.

​

Non-Human Manifestations: The 'Extra-Celestial'
Next we come to one of the more controversial and, in some ways, more fantastic type of ghost.
This type not only is interactive and apparently intelligent, but, like the interactive personality, also frequently manifests emotions and sometimes seems to be on a mission.

The only difference between it and the personality, however, is that this ghost is not of human origin.​

If we work from the premise that the universe is a very large place likely home to countless races of intelligent, sentient beings-both physical and spiritual-it would be erroneous to presume that all ghosts are necessarily human.

In fact, the ghosts of human beings (personalities) may make up only a tiny minority of all the spiritual beings in the universe, so another category is needed to differentiate this group from the purely human personalities.

Frequently referred to simply-and somewhat vaguely-as an 'entity', I prefer the term 'extra-celestial' for these varieties of intelligent energies that either once existed as physical creatures on another planet, or are creatures that have lived all their life in the spiritual realm as a being of pure spirit.

Unlimited by the restrictions of either human mortality or the vagaries of linear time and space, they are the free roaming and often ancient intellects which may well constitute the majority of all conscious and sentient non-corporeal life that make up the universe.

They may even be inter-dimensional beings who exist on another plain of existence far outside of our venue or comprehension, and who occasionally choose to interact with us for some specific reason.

What those reasons might be are as varied as the stars in the sky, but probably have something to do with humanities' spiritual development (although, of course, this is purely speculative.)

​

Extra celestials are distinguished from personalities in the markedly different ways they interact with the living when compared to human based ghosts: whereas personalities tend to do and say very human things, extra celestials operate on a different level.

They are frequently spiritual masters or teachers dispensing tremendous wisdom, or angelic beings willing and able to intervene in human affairs.
Additionally, extra celestials are extremely difficult to document, as they normally interact in more subtle and non-perceivable ways than do personalities.

For instance, they rarely appear to the naked eye (though some mediums claim to be able to see them) preferring instead to work behind the scenes.
They may also function essentially as guides for lost or confused personalities that are still caught in the earth plain, or as overseers of the spiritual realm sent basically to keep order.

Further, just as there are malevolent humans to contend with, it is possible that there are malevolent extra celestials as well.
Could these entities serve as the foundation for many of the demon mythologies inherent in most religions?​

The Poltergeist
Probably the most famous type of ghost is the poltergeist (German for 'noisy ghost').
These are the most linearly interactive types of ghosts known for their tendency to move-and, in many cases, hurtle-objects about a room, hide small trinkets from the living, and produce a cacophony of noises (usually loud and persistent rapping).

Though generally harmless, they are also capable of more dangerous stunts such as pushing people over and even starting small fires.
Though instances of someone being injured by a poltergeist are rare, their ability to frighten people could lead to traumatic problems in the more feint hearted or injury in the cases of people fleeing such entities in panic.

Until recently, poltergeists were thought to be typical personalities-that is, the ghosts of angry or mischievous individuals-but this idea has been challenged and, to a large degree, discarded.

Once it was noticed that poltergeist activity normally centered around a single person—usually a young prepubescent girl or a high strung teenager—it was hypothesized that it was not ghosts that were doing the damage, but intense levels of highly charged telekinetic energy the victims themselves were putting out that were responsible for the phenomena.

In essence, a stressed youth was unconsciously moving objects through telekinesis (the ability to move objects with the power of the mind) which, in effect, made them both the perpetrator and the victim of a haunting at the same time!

This explained not only why poltergeist activity abruptly ceases when a certain individual was no longer present, but why it sometimes followed them to other locations as well.

It also neatly explained why poltergeist hauntings rarely produced visual manifestations of ghostly apparitions, and why most activity stopped once the teenager reached adulthood.

On the surface, this seems an ironclad explanation for poltergeist activity, though it doesn't account for it all.
While ghostly manifestations are rare at poltergeist hauntings, they are not unheard of, and there have even been cases of communication being made with spirit energies at a poltergeist site.

In fact, poltergeist activity is often an element of many hauntings, suggesting that at least some of it may be the manifestations of malicious or mischievous spirits and not all of it the work of subconscious telekinetic energy.

Additionally, it doesn't account for why such a phenomena isn't more common considering how many stressed teenagers there are in the world, making its extreme rarity the best argument against the 'nervous' teenager theory.

Finally, it doesn't answer the question of why if some living humans are potentially capable of moving objects through the power of the mind alone, there shouldn't be ghosts who are similarly capable of doing the same thing.

In other words, if I am capable of telekinesis in the flesh, I should be capable of it from the 'other side' as well.
As such, there is no real rationale why a ghost shouldn't be able to fling objects around as well as our earthbound mind can.

Despite these problems, however, it is enough to know that most paranormal investigators do not consider poltergeists to be actual ghosts, making the poltergeist less a 'type' of ghost than a form of telepathic anomaly.

However, I think this is an issue that deserves more consideration by the parapsychology community before a final verdict is rendered, for the standard explanation poses as many questions as it attempts to answer.
​

Types of Visible Ghostly Manifestations
Of course, every paranormal investigator is trying to get one thing and one thing only: a photo of a ghost.
However, what constitutes photographic evidence of a ghost is not always clear, for one person's ghostly image may simply be another person's speck of dust.

It is necessary then, that we look at the various types of ghostly manifestations investigators are looking for when they take photos at a 'haunting' and what each is supposed to represent.

​

First of all, it is something of a misnomer to assume a 'ghost hunter' traipses about a darkened house in the middle of the night until he spots a ghost and then aims his camera and shoots away the way one would were they stalking hyenas.

Ghosts are almost never that obvious.
Further, investigators rarely if ever actually see a ghost manifest before them; manifestations are often only noticed later when they appear on the developed film.

More often than not, investigators wait-often for hours-for some anomaly in the environment (such as a sudden 'cold spot' or heightened electro-magnetic readings to appear on their instruments) and begin taking a series of photos in the general area of the aberration.

Usually they have no idea if they will capture anything on film (usually they do not) which is what makes photographing a ghost such a lengthy and difficult process.

Like playing the slots in Vegas, it can take many hours to hit the jackpot, but once success is achieved, it can be an exhilarating feeling.​

Ghostly images are generally divided into three categories: orbs, vortexes, and full body manifestations.

We will look at each in turn-and in order of rarity-as well as look at the most common explanations for each usually forwarded by the skeptical community.

​

Orbs:
An orb is basically a ball of light that appears unexpectedly in a photo.
Normally white or bluish in color, one or more may appear on an otherwise normal photograph, and are occasionally captured on videotape as well (in which case they are usually moving, often at a high rate of speed.)

They are hypothesized by some researchers to be basic manifestations of spiritual energy in its simplest and most primitive form.
In other words, it is thought by some that an orb is a ghost that is in the most early stage of manifesting, its essence being contained within a tiny globe of pure energy like air inside a bubble.

Many researchers, however, reject this notion.
Even some 'ghost hunters' do not accept the 'orb as energy' theory, dismissing the little balls of light as lens flare or merely reflections of light off airborne particles such as dust, snow, drizzle, or even insects that have wandered in front of the camera just as the flash goes off.

They correctly point out that many times pictures are taken in dusty, dark rooms where the smallest particles of airborne material can reflect the flash of a camera to stand out in stark contrast to the darkness of the background.

In the hands of inexperienced or overly enthusiastic ghost hunters, then, every blob of light on a photo thus becomes a 'ghost'-much to the chagrin of their more careful and somber colleagues.

That most orbs are flash reflections off some airborne particle of dust is probably valid and, like the overwhelming majority of UFO photos, most orb photos undoubtedly can be explained away as such.

However, there are those who insist on accepting at least some orbs as ghostly manifestations, pointing out that they are sometimes found on photos that did not use a flash or are taken during the day.

It is also difficult to understand why, if orbs are simply reflections of particles of dust, they don't appear on every picture taken in the same area by the same camera.

If one is dealing with a natural phenomenon such as dust or flying insects, orbs should be seen on nearly every photo.
Also, it doesn't explain why they so frequently appear on photos taken at 'haunted sites' but are so seldom seen on other photos taken under similar circumstances.

The author, for example, has taken or seen literally thousands of photos over the years shot under all kinds of lighting conditions, both indoor and out, and has never found even a trace of an orb or other inexplicable reflection.

While that my not be particularly significant, the fact that they seem to only appear on photos taken at haunted locations must be considered at least interesting.

Finally, there are others who are quick to point out that true orbs do not 'sparkle' the way reflected light would off a dust particle, but are instead more generally more opaque and, in some cases, even appear to have rings within them.

Additionally, some that have appeared on video cameras are occasionally seen to abruptly change direction or make other 'unnatural' movements that would seem to argue against them being natural objects.

That doesn't prove they are paranormal energies of course, but they do imply that the light refraction theory doesn't seem to go far enough in explaining all of these anomalies with any degree of thoroughness.
​

Vortexes:
(If I remember properly someone here on the forum has seen a vortex, was it
@Eventhorizon ?)

Somewhat less common than orbs are those little clouds or wisps of light that sometimes appear in photos known as vortexes (or, sometimes, vortices.)

Usually appearing as a swirling spiral of light (though they can also be more substantive as well, sometimes taking on the form of an apparently opaque shape, often of considerable size) they, like their cousin the orb, are also thought to be spiritual energies in the process of manifesting themselves, but ones that are closer to achieving that goal than are their spherical cousins.

In other words, a vortex can be thought of as an orb that is in the process of moving 'outside' the confines of its energy bubble in an effort to take on a more human-like form.

Like orbs, vortexes too are usually dismissed as reflections of light off either exhaled breath or cigarette smoke, while the more substantive opaque shapes can be explained away as camera straps or some other object that has inadvertently fallen in front of the lens (human hair makes for especially good and 'spooky' vortexes).

Again, like the 'orbs as dust' theory, this explanation probably does account for the majority of vortexes caught on film (especially those taken by amateurs.) It's extremely easy to forget about objects inadvertently placed in front of a camera lens and then enthusiastically proclaim the resultant anomaly a 'ghost', so this explanation does carry considerable weight.

However, vortexes have their defenders as well, who maintain that 'true' vortexes look nothing at all like exhaled breath or cigarette smoke, but instead have an eerily unique and unusual pattern all their own.

Additionally, they also point out that vortexes shot by careful investigators need to be taken seriously, since such people are usually meticulous about ensuring that camera straps are removed and people are not smoking in the vicinity at the time the photo is taken.

Then there are even those vortexes that seem to be forming limbs and other recognizable human features to consider.
Though these can be the result of the eye wanting to bring order to a random swirl of mist (a type of rhorsach effect) some of the best vortex photos truly do appear remarkable, so it would be unwise to dismiss all of them as simple tricks of the eye or ham-handed incompetence.​

Full Body Manifestations:
The 'holy grail' of all spirit photos is the rare full body manifestation.
These are images of a recognizable human (or, sometimes, an animal) in which the subject appears either partially or fully formed and usually transparent (at least in part.)

In some cases, the figure is clear enough to be readily identifiable by the deceased's friends or family, making them even more valuable as evidence of paranormal activity.

​

Full body manifestations usually appear quite unexpectedly on photos, most commonly in the background of a portrait.
In some of the more remarkable examples, they can even appear quite solid and seem to be interacting with the cameraman, just as a person often does in life.

It is almost as if they are posing for a picture, as though they are either unaware or unwilling to accept their own death, or wish to continue to do the same things they did before death.

There are a number of instances where the image of a dead soldier or airman appears in a group photo standing behind his still living mates, as if he refuses to break those close bonds that often exists among men who have been through combat together.

Still others, however, seem oblivious to the camera, and often appear to be about much the same routine they maintained while alive.
This leads one to speculate whether the ghost is aware the camera is capturing their image, or is simply choosing to ignore it.

While it certainly seems that some ghosts are quite aware they are being photographed, there is no way of knowing whether this is true of all ghosts.​

Only about a dozen really superb full body manifestation photos exist, and these constitute some of the best evidence of paranormal phenomenon on record but, as I said earlier, they will never constitute proof of ghosts simply because even the very best spirit photos are capable of being hoaxed.

They are tantalizing tastes of what sophisticated equipment might be capable of recording, but seem forever fated to remain just outside the realm of empirical evidence.

That's not to say that one day a few seconds of clear, crisp footage of a full color apparition walking down a stairs in front of a room full of witnesses may not earn a very close and serious look; it's just that scientific standards of what constitutes proof are unlikely ever to be met by a bit of flickering celluloid or magnetic tape, no matter how convincing it might be.​

 

[sprinkles]

[MENTION=2578]Kgal[/MENTION]

It is my opinion that spirits do not manifest in this reality of their own accord. You invoke them and they evoke something for you. The invocation can be just about anything and doesn't have to be explicitly intentional.

It is my opinion that spirits don't suddenly appear and start harassing you just because you've been bad. For the most part they are neutral I find. But a runaway mind (such as a guilty mind) can invoke a spirit, or cause you to do things which attracts it. Just recounting the past and dwelling on it, and telling your friends about it can be like an invocation - on an emotional level and mental level it can work exactly like a ritual and have similar effects.

That's just me though.