OBE: Out of Body Experiences

What is an OBE?
OBE = Out of Body Experience
characterized by a feeling of departing from one’s physical body and observing both one’s self and the world from outside one’s body. The experience is quite common in dreams, daydreams, and memories, where we quite often take the external perspective. You may have hear of Near Death Experiences and associated symptoms similar to that of an OBE. Truth is, an NDE is a particular kind of OBE. Sadly, there is little known for sure about OBE's. Some of those who experience OBEs claimed to have done so willingly, while others report having found themselves being pulled from their bodies. In some other accounts, the feeling of being outside the body was suddenly realized after the fact, and the experiencers saw their own bodies almost by accident. OBEs often occur during the borderline stage between REM sleep and arousal when sleep paralysis may persist and dream imagery may mingle with sensory input.

Types of OBE's?
There are several kinds of circumstances surrounding OBE's, and so many have been classified as such.
-During or after sleep: Usually associated with Lucid Dreaming. Pretty self-explanatory.
-Self-Induced: Several researchers and individuals have developed theories of ways to induse an OBE. Naturally, some are said to be more effective than others. Everything from Electroids to illegal pharmaceuticals.
-Near-Death-Experiences(NDE): OBE's associated with extreme trauma or near-death experiences.

How can I experience an OBE?
Out of Body Experiences a far more common occurrence then most assume. Surveys suggest somewhere between 10-20% of the world's population have experienced an OBe at some point in their lives. Most people have experienced such phenomena and just flush it off, probably not knowing the symptoms of the event or it's relevance. Some people who experience them, but can not directly recollect the event. This is most common with folks who have trouble remembering dreams and those who experience narcoleptic tendencies. Some OBEs coincide with lucid dreaming. Some people experience an OBE while under the influence of an anesthetic or while semi-conscious due to trauma. Some people have an OBE while under the influence of certain drugs. OBEs have been induced by electrically stimulating the right angular gyrus (located at the juncture of the temporal and parietal lobes)(1, 2) Also, don't forget NDE's.

Explanations for OBE?
Explantions vary widely, as with most paranormal phenomena. Some neurologists have suspected that the event is triggered by a mismatch between visual and tactile signals. Astral Projection, Bilocation, Duelism, and remote viewing are all similar terms as explanations for OBE phenomena. Astral Projection is the most often referenced paranormal explanation and suggests that a consciousness is a separate entity from the body and can exist without the body and the body without it. The disembodied consciousness can experience with the same senses as usual. Some speculate that 'mind,' 'spirit,' or 'consciousness' can operate over vast distances and perceive objects by some mysterious power not yet discovered. Others think that they are due to brain states triggered by disease or stress. Interesting question: If people regularly detach themselves from their physical bodies, how do they find their ways back and how do they keep from getting lost or reentering the wrong one? That's a good one.

We chose to do this blog because we received an email from a reader about an experience similarly described as an OBE. If you have a problem, question, or personal experience you would like to share with ParanormalUnknown, you can contact us by email. (click "contact us")
Keep in mind that this is just some basics, not all-inclusive. If you want to look further into it, I would suggest Google.

Sources:
1. http://www.skepdic.com/obe.html
2. OBE triggered by electrictrodes
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out-of-body_experience
4. OBERF

Bigfoot Basics

We feel it is safe to say that at some point or another we've all considered the possibility of Big Foot, or some other similar ape man, even if you only managed to indulge the idea just long enough to dismiss it entirely.

Who or What is Bigfoot?

Descriptions vary by region and eyewitnesses, but the bulk of reports describe the creature as a tall, hairy, ape-like man who walks on two legs and is a known carnivore. Female versions have been reported to be slightly shorted than the males with larger breasts.
Most Bigfoot accounts describe a Gorilla-like creature, but there have reports of creatures similar to chimpanzees (Humanzee or Manzee), Orangatangs (Yeren), and other variations. Some terms used to describe them include Yeti, Abominable Snowman, Sasquatch, Almas, Skunk Ape, and many other terms.

Where is Bigfoot?
If you follow the reports, it can seem as though Bigfoot is everywhere. To date, there have been reported sightings of an "ape man" or Bigfoot-type creature in all of Canada and every single state within the US, with the exception of Hawaii. The state of Washington holds the current US record for reported sightings at 437, the last of which was in September of 2007. The Canadian record is held by British Columbia at 102. Stories of Bigfoot-like sightings are not restricted to the US and Canada. There have been sightings in China, Brazil, Russia, Malaysia, and various other countries around the world.

Any real research into Bigfoot?
Similar to the legitimacy and professionalism of TAPS in the world of paranormal investigation, there are a number of organizations striving to legitimize claims of Bigfoot and collect evidence from a more skeptical perspective. Though most have failed to find enough valid proof to convice the world of Bigfoot being a reality, many people and Cryptozoologists have spent their lives dedicating their time, energy to this research and putting their reputations on the line in an effort to uncover evidence of what they believe to be an endangered species. There are several established organizations, like the BFRO, which conduct exhibitions into the suspected hunting grounds of these creatures looking for proof. Interested individuals range from people with firsthand experience to dedicated skeptics, and everyone in between.

More information coming soon, this is just a taste.
Things here at ParanormalUnknown have become quite busy, but we plan to get back to regular blog submissions soon!

Contact Us!

Hello Readers,
We've noticed that while giving you information, we have not given you a great way to give us information. In trying to solve this, we are now opening up communication between readers and ParanormalUnknown. If you would like to reach us, you can do so by emailing us. We are eager to hear your questions, concerns, personal paranormal experiences, and possible haunts.
Thank you for your continued support,
ParanormalUnknown

Email: paranormalunknown@yahoo.com

Earthbound Spirits

What is an Earthbound Spirit?
We a ParanormalUnknown approach the term with this outlook: earthbound spirits, technically speaking, are the disembodied souls of people who have left the physical realm, but not entirely moved on. Earthbound spirits account for a large portion of legitimate haunts.
Note: A common misconception people have is that if it is in a realm capable of being perceived by a living being, that all entities or spirits percieved must be an earthbound spirit.

Why is a Spirit Earthbound?
Firstly, when trying to identify with an earthbound spirit you need to remember that this spirit was and still is a person. They have the same feelings and plight of man, and sometimes more. Most people think that earthbound spirits are prevented from moving on because of "unfinished business". Though this is sometimes the case, there are a number of reasons why a spirit could be earthbound (and a number of people make a living off of identifying the reasons and also by helping the earthbound spirits move on), here we will go over a few of the most common reasons:
-Unfinished Business-
The most popularized reasoning behind earthbound spirits, spirits that stay due to unfinished business are also found in other categories of earthbound spirit, notably including vengeful earthbound spirits. These spirits usually only stay until their business has been tended to and then easily move on.
-Lost-
Some earthbound spirits stay within the immediate vicinity of their death, often when their death is surrounded by sudden or unexpected circumstances. These souls are are usually confused and having trouble accepting or coping with the reality of their death, some may even fail to realize that they are dead at all. These lost earthbound spirits are often vary eager to make their presence known, trying to attract the attention of anyone that passes, especially those who are more sensitive to spirits.
-Vengeful-
What does a vengeful earthbound spirit want? Revenge or vengeance. These earthbound souls are often found in similar circumstances to lost earthbound souls, usually surrounding violent or sudden deaths. But unlike lost spirits, vengeful spirits have a single purpose for staying here and not moving on. They want revenge or to avenge their death, only then would they be able to find peace and move on.
-Guilty-
Guilty earthbound spirits are earthbound due to guilt or regret, usually surrounding suicides, overdoses, or and other accidental deaths. They feel guilty because of their acceptance of the responsibility of their death and the consequences that follow(ed).
-Fearful-
When a spirit realizes their death, and the existance after, some are reluctant to move on for fear of a finality to it all. To some spirits, going to the light symbolizes the end, and officially be dead, not just walking around spooking unsuspecting tourists. It could be the finality, the unknown, or the possibility of being judged or going to hell: whatever is holding a spirit in fear is responsible for keeping it earthbound; fearful earthbound spirits are earthbound by their own fears of moving on.
-The Living Hold-
When people say that you have to learn to let go, they mean it. Literally. This is a term for a particular circumstance. When someone passes, we as humans have a tenancy to cling to what was rather than what it. Death is an odd, and more often difficult, concept to grasp despite experience or belief. Often earthbound spirits will stay until they feel that their loved ones have come to terms with their death and/or moved on, thus freeing them to do the same, but the living hold is what we use to refer to more extreme cases. The living hold is a term we use to describe situations where the living become obsessed with the desceased, going beyond what is seen as the general terms of grieving. You have to remember that these earthbound souls are human spirits, with emotion and empathy; they are not going to want to abandon their loved ones if they do not feel it is right to do so, nor if their loved ones can not learn to let go.
Note: A residual haunt can be an earthbound spirit, even though it's technically not an intelligent haunt. It still feels and is a human soul, it is just unaware of its current condition or circumstance. Some residual haunts have been theorized to be surrounding lost or vengeful earthbound souls.

The Reality is...
...that the likelihood of a deceased loved one haunting you for the sake of it is rather rare; it has and does happen, but it's not as popular of an occurrence as most would like (or tend) to believe. As with any kind of experience that suggests a haunt, we suggest that you try to observe objectively. We have encountered several incidents where people wish to contact their death loved ones so badly that they will start to assign normal occurrences, or other non-related paranormal phenomena, to the presence of the loved one as a means of affirmation. No matter the situation, sometimes the living hold just is not enough and when emotions get involved things always get messy. Earthbound spirits deserve to move on.

If you have had an experience, or are curious as to whether or not you or your home might be haunted, there is useful information in the Hauntings 101 blog.

Source(s):
Shadowlands
Personal knowledge from various research and investigation.

Ley Lines

What is a Ley Line?

Ley lines are hypothetical alignments of a number of places of geographical interest, such as ancientmonuments and megaliths. Their existence was suggested in 1921 by the amateur Archaeologist Alfred Watkins, whose book The old Straight Track brought the alignments to the attention of the wider public. It is important to note the Watkins did not invent or discover, but merely re-discover and popularize the theory of Leys or Ley Lines.

What do Ley Lines mean?

The existence of alignments between sites is easily demonstrated. However, the causes of these alignments are disputed. The major interpretations are:
-Archaeological-
-Cultural-
-New Age-
-Skeptical-
The Archaeological interpretation of Ley Lines suggests a new avenue of archaological study: archaeogeodesy. Archaeogeodesy examines Geodesy as practiced in prehistoric time, and as evidenced by archaeological remains. One major aspect of modern Geodesy is surveying. As interpreted by geodesy, the so-called ley lines can be the product of ancient surveying, property markings, or commonly traveled pathways.
The Cultural interpretation of Ley Lines suggests many cultures use straight lines across the landscape. In South America, such lines often are directed towards mountain peaks; the Nazca lines are a famous example of lengthy lines made by ancient cultures.
The New Age interpretation of Ley Lines suggests that Ley Lines and their intersection points resonate a special psychic or other form of mystical energy, often including elements such as Geomancy, dowsing, or UFOs, stating that, for instance, UFO's travel along ley lines (in the way that one might observe that cars use roads and highways). This belief postulates that points on lines have electrical or magnetic forces associated with them.
Lastly, the Skeptical interpretation of Ley Lines often suggests the classification of Ley Lines to be pseudoscience. Such skeptics tend to doubt that ley lines were planned or made by ancient cultures, and argue that apparent ley lines can be readily explained without resorting to extraordinary or pseudoscientific ideas.
Note: The existence of the observed alignments is not controversial. Both believers in magical and ancient theories of ley lines and skeptics of these theories agree that these alignments exist between megaliths and ancient sites.

According to claims by investigators of Ley Line theories, some points along the lines possess higher magnetic energy than the average geomagnetic intensity. These claims have been published in "Places of Power" (Paul Devereux; Blandford Press, 1990) and "Lodestone Compass: Chinese or Olmec Primacy?" (John B. Carlson; Science, 1975).

Ley Line Controversy?
According to Paul Devereux, it was the Occultist Dion Fortune in her 1936 novel The Goat-Foot God (republished in 1971 by S. Weiser, New York, and in 1989 by Aquarian Press, Northamptonshire) who invented the idea that ley lines were "lines of power" linking prehistoric sites. A few years later, it was suggested that ley lines followed lines cosmic energy in the Earth and could be detected using dowsing rods. In the 1960s, ley lines, or "leys" as they were now called, became linked with UFO sightings.
The demonstration of the plausibility of the current evidence under the null hypothesis is not a formal disproof of Ley Line claims. However, it does make skeptics likely to consider Ley Line theories as unsupported by the current evidence. Most skeptics would be willing to reconsider the hypothesis of Ley Lines if there were non-anecdotal evidence of physical, geomagnetic or archeological features that actually lie along the lines. Skeptics believe that no such convincing evidence has been presented. There is a broad range of beliefs about and theories of Ley Lines, many of which are not falsifiable, and which are thus not generally amenable to the Scientific Method. Some people find Ley Lines compatible with a scientific approach, but much of the literature is written by people who are indifferent to or actively oppose such an approach.

Whether there is any real power or reason behind Ley Lines, the world may never know.

Some Famous Apparitions

Following our Apparitions blog, we've decided to put together a small collection of legendary or well known folklore surrounding a few kinds of apparitions. Please keep in mind that this list is extremely limited and does not include any ghost stories. If you have not yet checked into our blog on apparitions and basic types, you can see it HERE.

Some Famous Apparitions:
- Doppelganger -
Doppelganger is a German word that literally means "double-goer". It is a term used when referring to a ghostly double of a living person. Though most cultures view this phenomena as negative, many believe it to be a death omen similar to seeing a black shuck, especially one that haunts it's fleshy counterpart. Doppelgangers are generally seen as full-bodied apparitions and usually considered to be crisis apparitions.

- Wraith -
An old term sometimes used to denote the Astral Body, when seen as an apparition of a living person, or a ghost. (3) It is viewed as an apparition of a living person that appears as a portent just before the person's death. Much of this theory is based upon a legendary ghost that brings misfortune or death to anyone who sees it, often resembling the commercial appearance of The Reaper. These are generally full-bodied and often thought to be a crisis apparition, these have also been reported a deathbed apparition.

- Black Dog -
AKA Black Shuck or Hellhound, among many other names. This is a rather commonly reported phenomena. Notably though, it is not always, but often, reported as as apparition. There is an extensive history and numerous theories behind the Black Dog phenomena; some even classify the phenomena under Cryptozoology, while others simply file it under Demon. Usually seen as a full-bodied apparition, sometimes only missing single parts of the body such as the head, ear, or leg. The sightings of this apparition are rather random. Though some see them as a death omens, many people who claim to have seen them have lived full and healthy lives. Other more dramatic theories suggest they are the guardians and/or soul collectors/punishers of hell, while more plausible theories suggest the phenomena is related to an actual wild dog, or just the spirit of a wild dog.
(Click "Black Dog" for more information.)

- Lepke -
A very unique and interesting type of spiritual manifestation, not technically "legendary", but interesting nonetheless. They are full-bodied apparitions that may even converse with someone before vanishing. Such apparitions are generally reported within or immediately outside cemeteries. Few, but some, reports of these apparitions have been of collective apparitions.

Other terms for some interesting kinds of apparitions or other general terms include: Tash (Irish), Vorthr (Norse), Phantom, Specter, Deceptive Phantom (theory), Dybbuk (Jewish), and many others. Most of the terms followed by their origin(s) are accompanied by interesting backgrounds and have their own associated folklore.

Source:
Personal knowledge from various research and investigation.

Apparitions FAQs

What is an Apparition?
Apparition is defined as "a ghostly appearing figure" and/or "the appearance of a ghostlike figure". (1) Some simply define apparitions as "paranormal appearences suggesting the presence of someone distant or dead". TAPS defines apparitions as "the projection or manifestation of a quasi-physical entity".(2) Paranormal investigators sometimes use the term differently due to personal variations, but most folks interested in the paranormal have a personal definition themselves. Here at ParanormalUnknow, we like to refer to an apparition with the use of both definitions.

What could cause an Apparition?
Though the term is fairly general, there are several explanations and terms assigned to various experiences and situations associated with the appearance or perception of an apparition. Some people readily attribute apparitions to disillusion, Astral Projection, and other causes readily dismissing the possibility of paranormal entities or earthbound spirits. Others think quite differently. Many people have talked to us throughout our investigations, along with other avenues, and it is surprising to see how few people know about the classifying of apparitions. There is no guarantee as to who or what an apparition is or it's cause, but here we would like to give you some information on the kinds of apparitions we at ParanormalUnknown have encountered, either in the field or through extensive research.

Kinds of Apparitions?
- Full-Bodied Apparitions -
This is a basic term used to define apparitions that are of the full or almost full figure of a human or other entity and can be either transparent or solid. Any apparition can fall under this category if it fits the previously stated perimeters.

- Crisis Apparition -
Roughly put, these are apparitions viewed in a time of great distress or crisis in a familiar person's life, such as a family member or close friend. Typically, the ghosts appear only once to a special loved one who may be many miles away at the time of the accident. This phenomenon can also manifest in the person hearing a voice of a friend or loved one with some message or warning while the person who is heard speaking is no where near and totally unaware that this has occurred. Most of these crisis apparitions occur at a moment of great crisis or death when a person is in some form of danger or pain. (4)
(Click "Crisis Apparition" for more information)

- Collective Apparitions -
These apparitions are manifestations of the living or the dead that are viewed by multiple witnesses in multiple locations at the same moment in time. It has been estimated that at least one third of apparitions sightings are experienced by collective witnesses.

- Reciprocal Apparitions -
These apparitions are manifestations of both the agent and the witness appearing to the other simultaneously. These cases are rare but have similar aspects of crisis apparitions. One theory in regards to reciprocal apparitions is that there is a strong desire in the agent and percipient to see one another unconsciously causing an out-of-body experience. (5)

- Verdical Apparitions -
These are apparitions that can be corroborated by facts. For instance: Lady A., a famous night club singer, was murdered in the hall of her Victorian mansion with a candlestick in 1930. The story was printed in all the local newspapers at that time. Since then, she appears in the hall dressed as she was on that fateful night at the exact time of her murder. She can be positively identified by photographs taken in 1930 as well as by her one of a kind voice that can be heard seconds before she appears. These cases are considered to be the best to study as there has been prior documentation to back up the claims of witnesses. In many cases these apparitions are unaware or are oblivious to any witnesses. They appear to be replaying a specific moment in time as if it were a video recording of the event or incident. These cases are classified as Residual Haunts. (5)

- Apparitions of the dead -
These apparitions are the manifestations of the recently deceased. Usually, their purpose is to complete unfinished business, convey information, comfort loved ones or, in some cases, announce themselves as a spirit guide. (5) These are, for obvious reasons, one of the most popularly reported apparitions, along with Religious Apparitions.

- Deathbed Apparitions -
Not to be confused with apparitions of the dead. These are the things seen by people who are entering or are already in the process of dying, but have also been reported by people who claim to have had a Near Death Experience (NDE).

- Shadow People -
AKA Shadow Men, Night Shades, or simply Shadows. There are numerous reports and no real explanation behind the shadows Phenomena. Shadow People are generally observed extremely briefly, most often out of the corner of the eye(s).
(Click "Shadow People" for more information.)

- Religious Apparitions -
Since the celebration of religion, apparitions of the their particularly glorified deities have been reported and well documented. Apparitions of religious deities have always been quite popular, especially those concerning the sight of Jesus Christ or the Holy Mother Mary.

If you feel that your apparition or other paranormal experience is worth looking further into, be sure to check out the "Hauntings 101" and "Earthbound Spirits" blogs for more helpful information and tips.

Sources:
1. Princeton Dictionary
2. TAPS Glossary
3. The Mystic Cauldron
4. Ghost Central
5. GHS Glossary
Personal knowledge from various research and investigation.

Who is La Llorna?

La Llorona is a fairly common tale in the North America, as if finds it's roots in Mexico, but has reached as far as South America and other countries where Hispanic folklore is more widespread.

The most common storyline goes:
There was a beautiful woman named Maria who wished, to and eventually did, marry. The couple had three children, but as the husband started to work away Maria, who was ignored and eventually cheated on by her husband became quite troubled. So one day she finally snapped and killed her children by drowning them, consumed by a jealous rage when she learns her husband is going to wed the other woman. Realizing what she has done, Maria then becomes overwhelmed by guilt weeping and crying hysterically and eventually kills herself. After a man finds her body by the river with her children and they are buried, the tale of her ghost spread quite rapidly as people heard tales of mysterious weeping sounds. Thats the background, at least.
The theory behind exactly why and where her mournful spirit haunts are rather broad and typically vary, some by topography and other means of geographic reference. Various accounts portray how La Llorona acts similar to the crying banshee, mourning the deaths of people around her, while other darker varieties of the tale foretell of death omens, and even how La Llorona will haunt and sometimes kill people, and children. The tales of her murderous spirit generally are accompanied about how she haunts various topographical entities: near a river or some other small body of water, a small back road or alley, and some even say she will come if you live near a particular variety of tree. Most of the darker conclusions of the haunting story result in drowned children or dead men as La Llorona lurks for revenge against her unfaithful husband.
Typically, the legend serves as a cautionary tale on several levels. Parents will warn their children that both bad behavior and being outside after dark will result in a visit from the spirit. The tale also warns teenage girls not to be enticed by status, wealth, material goods, or by men making declarations of love or any promises too good to be true. Some also believe that those who hear the cries of La Llorona are marked for death.
Personally I have some quite unnerving memories associated with the story of La Llorona. When I first heard the tale, I was about 4 or 5 year old and living in a small town in called Saguache, Colorado. The tale of the weeping (or crying) woman (literal translation of La Llorona) reached my school and scared the heck out of a lot of us. It was the first scary story anyone every told me and the cautious fear of it is one of my earliest memories. Thoughts of La Llorona often left me sleeping with a baseball bat as a means of protection. These days I know better than to try and hit a ghost with a baseball bat, but it just goes to show how this tale has spread and why I would have a particular interest in it. I also think it's interesting to note how the Susan Smith murder case resembles that of La Llorona tale.

Sources:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona
2. http://www.literacynet.org/lp/hperspectives/llorona.html

Hauntings FAQ's

Ever feel as though you are not alone?

Hauntings and contact with the other side has been well documented since the written word. It's man's attempt at the age old question of what happens after death. Whether there is a paradise in the sky, or we are simply here for eternity in a more spiritual form: when some people die, they don't want to leave. This is going to be more of an educational and informational blog and not one of a recent event or news bulletin in the world of paranormal phenomena. Today we are going to cover a few basic questions: How can I tell if I am haunted? What is haunting me? What am I haunted? Whether it is all in your head (common ways to debunk)? What can I do about it?

There is a lot of ground to cover here, so you might want to get comfortable.

How can I tell if I or my home are haunted?

If you have any reason to feel you are haunted, know that you are not alone. We are not trying to tell you that there's not the possibility that you are entirely schizophrenic, but we will say that you may not be all that crazy.

Though most occurrences can be easily debunked, there are a variety of occurrences associated with a haunting including apparitions, EVP, Ectoplasm, voices, high EMF readings, large temperature fluctuations, banging or rapping, orbs... and the list goes on.

What is haunting me?

If you genuinely do feel that you are haunted, there are some simple things you can do to check out the other world around you and help you legitimize or debunk your claim. First off, you need to find out what's going on and identify your symptoms. I speak as though it's some kind of ailment, but in all honesty, most haunts are harmless. You might be surprised to find that it's easy to categorize a haunt if you have an intelligent full-bodied apparition standing beside you, but otherwise it can sometimes be tricky.
There are three basic categories of haunt:
- Residual -
- Intelligent -
- Inhuman -
A Residual Haunt is an unintelligent haunt. Plain and simple. Residual haunts are, generally speaking, a haunt where there is a repeated event or phenomena regardless of outside influence. An unintelligent/residual haunt will not notice the presence of it's fleshy observers, and often will occur around the same time and/or place. There have been many documented reports of unintelligent apparitions and various repetitive events; if you see it and it doesn't see you, it's a good bet that it is a residual haunt. Most residual haunts are as if someone recorded an event or scene and then replayed it on an eternal loop. As mentioned before, apparitions along with EVP's or sounds, are generally reported, but it does not have to be either to be a Residual. Just a repetitive sight, sound, event or unintelligently motivated paranormal occurrence. Generally speaking, you will not have to worry about a residual haunt because they are an unintelligent haunt and not malevolent in nature, occasionally they have been reported to be the cause of property damage. Though not an intelligent haunt, these can be the result of an earthbound spirit.
An Intelligent Haunt is broad category covering everything malevolent and benign from a previous owner to your mom's dead great aunt who just wanted to drop by and say hi. These are spirits or entities that respond to outside stimuli including conversation, provocation, or even just noting the presence of other people or objects in the surrounding area. These can be apparitions, EVP, or any other sight of intelligence or motivation behind the signs of a haunt. Generally speaking, you have to remember that most intelligent haunts are by entities that were at some point human and are now earthbound spirits, so they have emotions just like any other human; they can be angered or joyful, and can be easily affected by their surroundings. In other words, it's not a good idea to pick on a ghost because sometimes they hit back harder.
Lastly, there are Inhuman Haunts. There are two inhuman haunts: Demonic and Poltergeist.
Poltergeist. The word poltergeist is a German word and literally translated means "noisy ghost". For the most part a poltergeist is exactly that, an intelligent entity that communicates through various avenues of noise or the moving of objects (some also attribute asports to poltergeist activity). The down side of discovering you have a poltergeist us that they tend to be rather moody; not necessarily malevolent, but just easily irritated. The odds of one throwing knives at you like something out of a movie are extremely unlikely, but I have seen reports of people having chair pulled out from under them and other similar occurrences. Usually manifested due to children or teenagers and is enhanced by limestone and/or quartz deposits. Some people attribute poltergeist activity to Psychokinesis.
Demonic haunts. A lot of people see demonic and start thinking of Hell, Satan, and any number of other commercial identifications associated with the word. Truth is, these entities are rare and they are mean. These are hostile and resentful, non-human, entities often accompanied by several symptoms; most notable of which is the presence of sulfur or some kind of similarly ill-scented odor. Though little is actually known about the entities origin, it is rather obvious that they would be malevolent in nature, as most Demonic haunts are a direct attempt at possession, though not all are swift and direct about it. Interestingly, some Demonic entities have been known to mimic the signs of a poltergeist. Please note that these are extremely rare and if you believe you have a poltergeist, do not freak out about how we told you that you have a demon in your closet because the reality is that you probably don't.

Why am I (or my home) haunted?

There are a number of explanations for ghostly occurrences. Once you know what kind of haunt you are experiencing, it is fairly simple to identify possible reasons these occurrences are taking place. The best way to find out possible explanations for a haunt is to learn the history of not only your house and/or it's previous owners, but also the history of the land. Of course, there is always home remodeling, invocation, and other obvious ways to provoke an intelligent entity. A history of some form of burial grounds, suicide, psychotic episodes, war, murder, and other extreme circumstances are often found surrounding the areas of genuine haunts.

What are the odds that it's all in my head?

For every person that has a genuine experience with a ghost or some other kind of paranormal phenomena, there are two others out there lying. Unfortunately, such a statistic is taken a great toll on the credibility of various sightings and the possibility of phenomena in society today.
The best way to tell if you have anything paranormal going on is to approach it as skeptically as possible. There is nothing going on unless there is no other way to prove that it happened.There are a number of easy ways to debunk occurrences that people believe to be paranormal, but it can be anything from noisy pipes to a bad camera. Here I will give a few quick and easy ways to debunk some classic occurrences. Keep in mind that not all of these occurrences can or will be debunked and that's where the paranormal phenomena comes into play.

- - Some Basic Debunking - -

Sulfur Smell - There can be any number of explanations other than a demonic haunt for this occurrence, seek them out. In many houses the water smells, I've personally seen this a number of times. It resembles rotten eggs and is often attributed to a demonic haunt.

Drafts/Temperature Fluctuations - check for vents, windows, and other ways for air to enter or travel.
Voices / EVP's - be sure there are no outside influences such as pedestrians, etc.
Poltergeist activity (including Rapping/banging) - A lot of older places have noisy pipes that run through the walls and fluctuations in the temperature(s) of those pipes can cause noises similar to poltergeist activity. Keep in mind that drafts can move doors , shutter, etc. Another explanation for Poltergeist activity is Psychokinesis, which is self-induced.
Orbs - Orbs are often seen as some kind of apparition or spirit. I personally do not believe this. Orbs have also been attributed to the creation of crop circles and have been associated with other paranormal phenomena such as rods, but honestly I have to say that I do not know. I must say that orbs in still photography, digital or otherwise, have no impression on me because of the high tendency for it to simply be dust on a lens or some other kind of film or camera edit or glitch. More often then not, still photographs of orbs can easily be attributed dust in the air or on the actual camera lens.

What do I do if I am haunted?

If all else fails and you find yourself with a genuine haunting, the first thing I would recommend doing is relaxing. If it is a residual, benign, or non-malevolent entity you really have nothing to fear. If it is a malevolest entity, poltergiest, or even a demonic haunt, you still need to relax. These are entities that feed off of negative energy and fear. There are three steps I recommend doing in the case of the latter:
1. Take back your home or self - This is your home, your body, your space. Yours, not theirs. You have the right to tell them to go away and force them to, enforce and empower that right. Sometimes something as simple as asking it to leave will work.
2. Cleanse - If after trying to take back your space or home you are still faced with paranormal phenomena associated with the haunting, there are a number of ways you can cleanse your space. The easiest way is to burn Sage; there are a number of different options available though for various entities and belief systems. If you want more ideas, try Google.
3. Exorcism - An Exorcism, in my opinion at least, is just an glorified cleansing ritual. Popularized by the Roman Catholics, these ceremonies can have more of an impact for cleansing than other rituals because of the faith many people put in the Clergyman, High Priest, Shaman, etc.

Sources:
TAPS
TAPS Glossary
My personal knowledge from various research and investigation.