What's WHAT?
Ghostly Definitions
What's the
difference between Ghosts, Spirits, & Poltergeists?:
Many people use the terms "ghost" &
"spirit" as meaning one & the same. {We admit it, by calling
ourselves "ghost hunters" we are doing this also!} Actually there is
a difference.
Ghosts are generally thought of as
"impressions" left behind by traumatic, highly emotional. or repetitive events
from the past. These are events that replay like a tape, but have no
consciousness. Ghosts have a tendency to lose energy & eventually
fade away.
Spirits, on the other hand, are conscious beings who are
capable of interacting with, & responding to, their environment & humans.
They are usually humans or animals (yes, animals have spirits, too!) that have
the same personality as when they were alive, but now no longer have their
earthly bodies. Some may not even realize that they are no longer in
physical form. Spirits have a tendency to gain strength the
longer they are on the "other side".
Pets & children are often the first to notice & respond to spirits.
They are more open minded & have no preconceived notions yet that these spirits
aren't "normal" or must be "make-believe". Ever see an animal react
to something you can't see? And keep in mind that often times
children's imaginary playmates aren't so imaginary after all....
Poltergeists
are often
referred to as "noisy ghosts". This is a bit misleading, as they
usually involve signs of awareness, and they are almost always the result of
living spirits. Poltergeist activity typically centers
around one person. Children & pre-teens are the most common targets,
but sometimes it is a person who is mentally or emotionally unstable.
It is thought that the activity is a form of psychokenesis generated by the
unconscious & powered by the emotional upheaval in the person.
Some of the forms poltergeist activity may take are stones falling from 'no
where', objects being moved with no visible means, raps, spontaneous fires, & at
times, even voices.
To get an idea of what some of the possible "symptoms" of a haunting are, read our CIGHT Survey questions!
Orbs: Usually
when you get multiple orb effects, they are caused by dust or moisture. {some
look closer than others, they will be irregular shapes, many faint, & they
will often have the ''cell" effect. High pollen counts in the summer
can cause this, too} You have a better chance of pictures that have just
one or two orbs being real, but you still have to still have to "take them
with a grain of salt". Your best proof that an orb is real is
if it shows movement, like a stream of connected orbs, a light trail, or
vibration effect, or if it shows depth {looks 3 dimensional}, casts a shadow or
has a shadow cast on it, or is passing thru a solid object. {See
below} An orb is literally a ball of energy, & while stationary ones
can be real, they are much disputed any more with out additional proof.
That's why I don't consider posting the ones we get any more, unless we have
other evidence to go with it, such as meter readings, more than one person
capturing the same thing, or other phenomena occurring with it. If you
capture an orb that is obviously being watched by your dogs, it is more likely
to be real, too. Animals & small children can often see things we
can't. Animals will often chase or play with orbs that we can't see
{a good time to get the camera out!}.
But, C.I.G.H.T. does not consider orbs as solid proof of a spirits. It's always best to have other data to back it up. (Such as electronic data, related paranormal activity at time of the photo, or related photographic evidence.) Sometimes, if they are moving quickly, they will have a trail in the form of a light streak, known as "contrails", or a string of connected, but defined orbs. (This is referred to as a vortex if it seems to spiral through the picture.) They will not have an obvious "cell effect", meaning an strong outer wall & a semi-transparent, grainy nucleus, or be diamond shaped. Bright spots with a jagged or winged look are usually bugs caught in the flash. See our investigations page for examples of true orbs. Click here for an example of dust orbs. Click here for a false vortex caused by a camera strap.
ECTOPLASM:
Also referred to as "ecto", this is
the appearance of a
wispy, smoke like effect. This is usually the
closest some spirits get to appearing in their full form.
Sometimes this substance will even take on the general shape of a human or
animal. Other times it may appear as a strange,
heavy mist.
Actual smoke, fog, exhaust, or breath if it's cold, will
look similar, but ecto will usually have softer, less defined edges than actual
smoke, & appear more transparent than breath. As a rule, we
never allow smoking during investigations, don't film when it's foggy, & care is taken not to breathe 'into'
the photo area on cold days.
Our
Investigations page includes photos of ectoplasm. Click
here for an example of false ecto- in this case, cigarette smoke.
Energy Lights &
Rods: Sometimes spirits will manifest
in a pure energy form. They may appear as rods of light or swirling
& streaking beams of light, sometimes in colors. This is the most
common type of light energy that shows up on photos.
Other light sources, rapid camera movement, & camera/film errors have to
be ruled out, but many people capture these types of manifestations with out
knowing it. Ever take a photo & have streaks of light sweeping
across it that you can't explain? You may want to take a second
look! People have actually reported seeing light rods, balls
of light, or areas of 'sparkling light' with out the aid of a camera.
APPARITIONS:
This is when a ghost or spirit
appears as it did in life. Some may be transparent, or
semi-transparent, some may seem as solid & real as a live being.
Apparitions appear both
in color & a smoky gray. A few appear as a
white form. Also, they can just be, well, parts. How
much of the apparition appears, (i.e.: full body, no legs, just a
head, etc...), depends on the amount of energy it has to manifest.
Or possibly, if it's a spirit, it's mood. Mischievous spirits seem
enjoy scaring people as much as some living people do! (As a plus, spirits
can mine more energy from a scared person than a calm one.) True
apparitions are the rarest things to capture in photos & video, but it is
possible & it has happened. Sometimes apparitions are over looked
because of their transparency or location. You also have to
rule out the possibilities of double exposures & reflections.
One of our investigators was lucky enough to capture a fairly well developed
apparition in the window of a deserted building.
Details
are on our Investigations page.
SHADOW
PEOPLE: This are dark, shadowy masses
that usually take the general form or size of a person. Other times
they will just be a
small dark mass. They are thought to belong in
the ghost category. Color ranges from a dark gray to black, & they
are semi-transparent to opaque. Most reported sightings
involve seeing these "shadows" move across walls, peek around
corners or stand in them, & are often fleeting glimpses. On
photos they will sometimes block out the subject, appear in the
background, or even show dimension. Care must be taken to rule
out any natural causes for the dark areas when evaluating photos & video.
Click Here to Find More Definitions of Technical Terms
