Imaginary Friends

I’m sure many of us, have had, an imaginary friend at one point in our lives. But for those of us who enjoy considering a range of paranormal possibilities – imaginary friends can be thought of in many different ways. Are they an invention of our active childhood imaginations? Or spirits trying to communicate with us (namely, children)? Or are they demons meant to lead us astray as children? Or who only knows what else? Is the existence of an imaginary friend a indication of an overactive imagination? Or is it possible… in some way… that said “friend” exists in some other reality or dimension? I think the simplest explanation is that imaginary friends are a normal way for children to practice using their imagination and expand their social skills when not around others. But what about when your imaginary friend from childhood ends up following you into adulthood? Normally other adults might consider this to be a sign of madness. But when the person is aware of the differences between fantasy and reality and yet they still mentally interact with the fantastical: is that insane or maybe just a coping mechanism? As a child you were comfortable with said “friend” and so this comforting past time will follow you into adulthood. Imagine yourself in a happy place … whenever your stressed, you close your eyes and go to your “happy place” to calm down. Obviously this happy place of yours  involves fantasy. I would consider this to be a good example of an imaginary friend/world as a coping mechanism. But I guess my main question is: Do you believe that it’s possible for our “imaginary friends” to actually exist in another dimension or reality? ~Tracy

I have a theory concerning a residual haunts. I think that some of these entities are actually what has been called "Thought Forms." I think that some of the most famous ghosts around the nation that have been commonly referred to as residual haunting are what I suspect to be "Thought Form" spirits. I believe these spirits were actually created by the living, and were created by some sort of emotional disturbance such as a suicide, war, even a natural death and grew through the emotional energy of people around them, which in turn provided an ongoing source of emotional energy for this spirit to thrive. I also believe that these "Thought Form" spirits can be created by us over time just by believing that someone we possibly could have lost is still with us. I think that sometimes people want to believe this so much that it actually happens, thus creating a "Thought Form"spirit. This by no means is a bad thing. It just goes to show you how strong our emotional energy can be. There are even stories of Monks who would create these "Thought Forms" to actually do chores for them. Maybe I should try and create one to mow my yard. Just kidding. I guess my next challenge is going to be, to see, when I investigate a residual case, if I can actually determine if this spirit is one of these forms. My search continues. ~ Tracy

Shadow Figure or Shadow Person.

 What are they?  

 During an investigation, have you ever caught a glimpse of some type of dark figure out of the corner of your eye?  This could be what is called a "shadow figure" or person.  Some say that these figures are spirits or ghost of people who have died, but have not yet crossed over.  Others say that they are just lost souls that remain wandering the earth.  Still others say that they are evil and demons, and then there are the skeptics that say it's just a figment of our imagination.  Maybe they are from another dimension coming to take a peek at what we humans are doing. With all the ghost hunter TV shows, horror movies, and stories of ghosts, spirits and the like, it's hard to say if they are real or not.  I myself have even caught a glimpse of a dark figure that stood behind me, only to have it disappear just as fast.  So, was the dark figure a shadow person or just a figment of my imagination?  I don't know for sure.   

As a Paranormal Investigator, I often wonder what a shadow person could possibly want and why they watch us.  I think they are trying to re-establish a time when they were alive or maybe they don't know their gone and I often feel like I am invading their space.   Reports of shadow people sightings regularly come from all around the globe.  Despite the fact that these sightings date as far back as ancient times, there is not much known about this phenomena.   The following information I think we know about this phenomena, even though it has not been proven. 

  

Few people report being able to view shadow people straight on.  Usually they are seen in one's peripheral vision.  However, there have been a few reports of people having these shadowy figures walk directly in front of them and interact with them.  There have been many different reports as to their size.  Everything from very small, to larger than a person.  One report that remains a standard is that they have no visible facial features.  Some photographs show shadow people that appear to be clothed in a hooded robe or coat, and in others, they do not appear to be wearing anything. 

 

 The Characteristics of Shadow People:

The general consensus is that they are mean in nature.  Shadow people sightings are regularly coupled with a feeling of fear and uneasiness.  Additionally, some people have reported feeling extreme anger, agitation, and upset.  Because of the negative associations, many believe that they might be demonic in nature.  None of these characteristics have actually been proven.  I personally think that if you are having these kind of feelings then it is because of the actual feeling you got by either the surprise of seeing a shadow person or because it scared you.  I personally don't think that they are evil or demonic in nature at all.  I think they just have such an emotional attachment to the area that they can't move on.  

 

Most believe that they are not.  This is because their actions differ greatly.  Many ghosts freely make themselves known when possible, while shadow people hang around in the corners and seem to wish not to be seen at all.  This is quite clear due not only to the sighting reports, but also the photographs they are captured in.  Most ghost sightings are connected with either an image of a person, or at the very least, the feeling that the spirit trying to make contact was once human in appearance.  This isn't at all what people say about shadow people.  This could simply be the human opinion that is based on the alarming appearance Shadow People project.  It is natural for people to view a dark figure as something that is not ghostly, especially since the bulk of ghost sighting reports are linked to white, glowing figures?

 I simply do not know.  While they are certainly here for some reason or another, apparently, they do not want or can, make these reasons known or clear to us. As a Paranormal Investigator I will leave all my options open when it comes to shadow people.  I do think that I would classify these shadow people as ghost and spirits. I don't think that every shadow captured in a picture or video is a shadow person.  I will leave it up to the ghost or spirit. I think when they decide to let us know the answers, they will tell us, but until then I will continue on in my search for the truth. ~ Tracy

"EVP" 

 Just Listen  

 Electronic voice phenomena (EVP) are electronically generated noises that resemble speech, but are not the result of intentional voice recordings or renderings.           

  Audio recorders have been taken on paranormal investigations and ghost hunts for years and have frequently recorded odd sounds. Most haunting involve some sort of unusual sounds, sometimes including whispering or voices.  These voices are usually  not heard at the time of the recording but only appear later during play back. It is, therefore, assumed by many people that the sounds must be paranormal in nature. Some people think that EVP voices are caused by 'spirits'. Some people believe that any sound or noise on caught their recorder is a spirit.  Since many people assume that 'spirits' are the same as ghosts (even though some investigations of a haunting generally fail to produce evidence supporting any such link), it probably explains why they seek EVP in haunted houses.  The seeking of EVP-type recordings on Paranormal investigations is different from traditional EVP research (also known as ITC or Instrumental Tran communication). ITC researchers generally maintain that the voices can be recorded anywhere at any time and use high levels of background noise(like the white noise of a radio not tuned in) so they generally will look for these evp anywhere at any time. Paranormal investigators, usually seek out evp when they are conducting some type of investigation for someone. They will usually find a quiet location during there investigation for recordings (though they may address questions out loud to any ghosts/spirit who might be present) to exclude the possibility of any natural voices. Even though these researchers and investigators conduct the evp sessions differently, they both are seeking the same thing.           

  When conducting an evp session I have to keep in mind that we are used to seeing and hearing at the same time, and when the lights go out during an investigation and we lose our sense of sight our sense of hearing gets increased. When our hearing gets increased, I think it becomes very easy to misinterpret noises and not realize their source. I think that if we are primed to hear something special, like a voice from a spirit, it is all too easy for the expectation to be fulfilled even when there are, in fact, natural causes (like another investigators voice) for it. I have to be aware of not only the other investigators but any natural noises and sounds that might be taking place. It is difficult for me to remember all the possible natural sources of sounds that where present during the investigation. One way that helps me with this problem is to prior to the start of the investigation is to conduct a quick run through of the place or area with a video camera and record any of the natural sounds. Some of these sounds would be like the air conditioner turning on and off, any leaking faucets or pipes. Having a video camera running during the investigation can also help with the location of a noise.

 Here is something else to consider during an evp session.

 I read this on the web and thought that it might be something worth sharing for you to think about. 

 Imagine you are at a noisy party with loud music and everyone talking. You're not paying any attention to the hubbub which is too difficult to listen to anyway. Then you hear your name mentioned. You look up and see it is someone you know on the far side of the room talking about you. The fact that you can suddenly hear your name among all the noise shows that hearing is something that happens not in your ear but in your brain. Your brain filtered out your name from the noise because it was relevant to you. This is the Cocktail Party Effect. It is significant here because people quickly get used to background sounds (even in noisy factories) so that they don't hear them any more - because the sound is not relevant.   

 The same can happen on paranormal investigations. Just because we don't remember hearing a weird sound during an investigation, we shouldn't be surprised that an audio recorder picked it up. A sound recorder is a neutral instrument that records everything within its capabilities without discrimination. It never gets used to background noises, like squeaky chairs and creaking floorboards. In addition, the recorder may actually be more sensitive to quiet sounds than the investigator. Many microphones are strongly directional so that they pick up sounds from one particular direction preferentially (more strongly than humans) while ignoring others. So a sound recorder may pick stuff we didn't hear and could also miss things we heard. In neither case does it mean the sound was necessarily paranormal, it is just that recorders work differently to human hearing.

 Another interesting point arises from the Cocktail Party Effect. Different people will get used to background noises at different rates. That means that some people may hear a sound whereas others don’t (because only some are already not hearing such noises)! Needless to say, if this happens many people will claim that the sound must be paranormal as only some people heard it. This sort of thing is frequently reported on investigations. I am not saying that these are the facts, I am just saying that this could be a possibility.

 Almost any simple noise, like white noise, can sound like speech if the person listening to it is in 'speech mode'. The more voice-like features in the noise (such as frequencies and rhythm), the more people will interpret it as words. Also, if the spectrum envelope of the sound (the overall frequency range) is restricted to that typical of a human voice, the illusion of speech is increased. Research has shown that people still understand speech even when it has been frequency shifted. Noise with these sort of characteristics is called 'formant noise' and it can sound like real speech. It can be good enough to trip the brain into 'speech mode'.

 So after all that do I think that EVP paranormal? 

 The existence of formant noise does not mean that EVP are paranormal. However, it does mean that precautions need to be observed when recording, processing and listening to EVP to avoid formant noise.

 For instance: Recording EVP

 •           use a good sound recorder in high quality mode - some EVP recordings have a restricted frequency range due to equipment limitations or using low quality or economy modes

 •           put the recorder down and don't touch it or anything in contact with it during recordings - to avoid accidental mechanical noises

 •           avoid file compressing sound files - compression and use of loss formats can alter noise 

 •           use two different model recorders together - to avoid internal noise or susceptibilities peculiar to a particular model of recorder Processing EVP 

•           don't edit or process EVP sound files - noise reduction software accentuates frequency peaks making apparent formants, if present, more prominent and reducing frequency range affects the spectrum envelope Listening to EVP 

 •           get a third party to judge recordings without telling them it contains apparent voices 

 •           play only 'answers' to judges from 'question and answer' sessions* to avoid suggestion effects   There are three classes of EVPs:

 Class A 

 Very clear Easy to understand

 Class B 

 Clear that the voice “doesn't belong” Less understandable than Class A but can be managed with amplification or editing software to clear off the background noise (NOTE: do NOT tamper with the voice and post that as evidence.  You can post the original recording and then post the “cleaned” recording listed with exactly what you did so someone else can replicate it) 

 Class C

 Potential voice Words undecipherable  

 I do believe that sometimes the spirits/ghost that we try to communicate with do so by our recorders. I believe that they have left use messages on them. Our jobs as paranormal investigators is to shift through the noises and sounds that we hear and record and find them. We should take an unbiased, logical, scientific, and professional approach when reviewing our audio data. While at the same time we attempt to discover the truth behind the event, in order to provide closure for all those affected; living or dead. ~Tracy

What are ghosts? I'll give you the answer straight out: No one knows for certain.

There are, however, many theories to explain the thousands of experiences that people around the world have had. I think ghosts and spirits  are a common part of the so called  human experience. It also  appears to be several types of ghosts or hauntings, and more than one theory might be needed to explain them all. The traditional view of a ghost is that it is the spirit of a dead person that for some reason is "stuck" between this world and the next, often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. I believe that some of these earth-bound spirits don't know they are dead, and others know they are dead but remain because they are attached to someone or something, or some place. These ghost/spirits are what I believe to be an "intelligent haunt." These ghosts exist in a kind of limbo state in which they haunt the scenes of their deaths or locations that were pleasant to them in life. I think that often, these types of ghosts are able to interact with the living,  and on occasions they can even materialize. I know as an investigator I try to communicate with them, with hope of a response. If we get a response though do we know what to do with it.

  On the other hand some ghosts appear to be mere recordings on the environment in which they once existed. A soldier is seen on repeated occasions staring out a window where he once stood watch. A child's laughter is heard in a hallway where the child once played. There are even cases of ghost trains that can still be heard and sometimes seen, even though they are long gone. These types of ghosts, I think, do not interact with or seem to be aware of the living as much as intelligent ghost. Their appearance and actions seem to be always the same, to me it's  like a spirit-level recording - residual energies - that replay over and over again. One of my theories concerning a residual haunt is that these entities are actually what has been called a "thought form." I think that some of the most famous ghosts are commonly referred to as residual hauntings and are suspected to be thought form ghost. These ghost were created by some sort of emotional disturbance such as a suicide, war, even a natural death and grew through the energy of people believing in and adding their thought energy which in turn provides an ongoing source of power for this ghost. In this occasion is there a way to find out if this ghost is a thought form? I think one way of finding out is to do some research. While researching the location and you find out that nothing has been documented to support the claims but the story of this ghost has been passed down through generations then you may have a thought form entity. As an Paranormal Investigator these are the things I try to conclude.

 

  Are there such things as ghosts? The phenomena of ghosts and hauntings are very real experiences. It is their true cause and nature that is the ongoing mystery. These are just my thoughts and ideas ~Tracy.

Thought Forms

I would like to know what you think about Thought Forms

I have read about this phenomena and I can see that there is a lot of similarities between a thought form and  residual haunt. I think this is possibly an explanation for somethings that could be occurring. I would like to know if anybody else has also thought this.