So if you are like I am, you watch several of the paranormal shows on TV and spend time researching the paranormal. I always wonder why most people only really talk about two types of haunting – residual or intelligent. There are at least six different types of haunting I have come across.

Residual Haunting

A residual haunting is when an entity replays a specific activity or time period over and over like video or audio loop. These phenomena are attributed to a traumatic event, life-altering event, or a routine event of a person or place. The entity doesn’t show signs of awareness of the living world, nor do they interact with or respond to it.

Intelligent Haunting

An intelligent Haunting is when an entity appears to be aware of the living world and interacts with or responds to it. These entities are able to communicate with the living by talking, moving inanimate objects or making noises.

Demonic

A demonic haunting is especially frightening because the spirit that does the haunting was not human and has malicious or evil intent. These haunting start with small paranormal events, but they will escalate over time. Some studies of demonic hauntings have concluded that these types of spirits like to attack individuals that are experiencing weaknesses on a psychological and emotional level.

Poltergeist

Most poltergeist activity has nothing to do with ghosts or spirits. Most of the activity is centered around an individual who has experienced emotional, psychological or physical stress (even going through puberty). The subconscious mind of that individual can manifest these events. Phenomena can be displayed as unexplained noises, objects moving or manipulation of lights or electrical appliances.

Shadow People

Shadow people  are supernatural shadow-like figures of both modern folklore and paranormal popular culture that believers describe as dark humanoid forms or evasive spectators that are seen mostly in the peripheral vision. They are commonly regarded as malicious or evil spirits.

Doppelgängers

A doppelgänger is said to be a person’s double. It describes the sensation of having glimpsed oneself in peripheral vision, in a position where there is no chance that it could have been a reflection. Doppelgängers are often perceived as a sinister form of bilocation and generally regarded as harbingers of bad luck. In one legend, a doppelgänger seen by a person’s friends or relatives is an omen of ill will, while seeing one’s own doppelgänger is an omen of death.