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For The Haunted

Stages of a Haunting

There are several types of hauntings. Please read through the stages to determine which type of paranormal activity you are having. This information can help us during our investigation.

Stage 1

Stage 1 usually revolves around your basic five senses. Cold (or hot) spots, strange noises, odd odors, hearing footsteps, unusual animal activity and the feeling of being watched are common at this time. The odds are very good most people will chalk these experiences up to their imagination and not recall them unless the cycle increases and moves forward. Referred to as a Senses Attack because in the early Cold spots,a poltergeist the activity mainly revolves around the human body's basic senses.

Cold spots Strange noises
Odd odors and smells
Hearing footsteps
Unusual animal activity (dogs/cats running from rooms, etc)
Feelings of being watched..

Stage 2

Much of the same activity as stage one may occur with an addition of one or many of the following: Whispers, laughs, giggles, moans or shrieking, moving shadows, breezes in closed areas, base apparitions appear as mist, fog or vapor, strong static electricity, marks on floors or walls that are not writings. You may still be writing this off as imagination at this point. This level is where the noises and smells begin to turn into something more direct. Everything is still at its basic level but turned up a few notches.

Whispers, Laughs or giggles
Moans or shrieking
Moving shadows
Breezes in closed areas
Visible clouds (base apparitions)
Strong static electricity
Marks on floors or walls (Not writings)

Stage 3

Most haunting fall into this category. Up to stage 2, you may have been able to pretend this is your imagination. At stage 3, you are going to have to admit you have a haunting. At this stage the poltergeist begins to make it's presence felt. The difference is, in the first two levels it could be said that it was the mind playing tricks. But now, it's hard not to notice something real is happening. This is the level that the classic haunting falls into.

Lights and other electrical appliances turning on/off
Unseen hands grabbing or touching people
Writings on walls or pattern markings
Doors that open/close or lock/unlock
Hearing voices or words clearly
Full apparitions or dark figures
Showing levels of communication with living people

Stage 4

Advanced poltergeist activity is now moving toward the danger level. It is picking up a clearer consciousness. Object disappear and reappear, move by themselves or appear to fly, furniture may shake or move, people may be shaken or moved, things may be broken for no reason (mirrors, dishes etc). At this stage is when levitation may occur. This is where an advanced poltergeist begins to gain momentum. Moving closer to the danger level and picking up a clearer consciousness.

Flying/moving objects
Objects disappearing and reappearing elsewhere
Shaking furniture
Pushing or shaking people
Windows, mirrors or other household objects breaking for no reason
Levitation

Stage 5

This is the stage when people might be able to be hurt by the tremendous energy being exerted by the poltergeist. Dangerous activities could be noted like; bites, scratches, objects animating, hair pulling, and heavy objects falling. The other events from the earlier stages may or may not have ceased. The people involved may be becoming sleep deprived and terrified. There is no set time frame for any of these stages and it will vary from one case to another. After this stage there is normally a dormant stage and then the cycle would repeat at its own pace, and this activity would no doubt be occur over again. There can be a lot of dangerous activity at this stage.

Biting, Slapping or punching
Animating objects
Use of household electrical systems
Hair pulled
Heavy objects falling

There are many who believe that there must be a "poltergeist agent" that feeds the spirit with its energy. This is frequently a Pre-teen child, male or female, but may also be a pregnant woman, menstruating female, a child-like adult or a mentally challenged person. The question remains is the person CAUSING this or are they merely a catalyst for this activity?

At this level the poltergeist is at its highest energy point and should be considered dangerous, not because it wants to hurt people, but because it has a great deal of energy and could end up hurting someone with it (either on purpose or by accident).

The time frame here, and for all stages listed, will vary depending on the poltergeist. It could end in days, months or years. After this stage, the poltergeist will usually go dormant and then begin this cycle over again.

These of course are still theories... and we are working as hard as we can to find all of the answers. That is why we do what we do!! If you feel you are experiencing anything listed above please, do not hesitate to contact us!

How Do I Know I Have A Ghost

This is an guide to help anybody who needs to know if there house is truly haunted, remember there is help available if you need it.

What to watch for - and what to do about it.

You hear heavy footsteps in the upstairs hallway when you know no one is up there. Doors slam unaccountably. Commonly used items disappear and reappear without cause. The kitchen light turns on by itself. There's the unmistakable scent of a strange perfume in the air.

These may be indications that your house is haunted. True hauntings are rare occurrences, and it may be difficult to determine whether or not any strange phenomena you are experiencing in your home might be due to a haunting. For one thing, no one really knows what a "real" haunting is - what causes it or why it starts.

The Signs of a Haunting

The first step is to determine, as best you can, whether or not you truly have a legitimate case of a haunting.

Not all hauntings are alike, and they may exhibit a variety of phenomena. Some hauntings feature a single phenomenon - such as a particular door slamming shut that occurs repeatedly - while others consist of many different phenomena, ranging from odd noises to full-blown apparitions.

Here's a partial list of phenomena that might indicate that your house is haunted:

1: Does your home have cold spots...areas where there is no evidence of a draft, but you can feel one anyway? Oftentimes, spiritual activity is accompanied by cold wisps of air and chilling puffs against your skin. They can be a barely-noticeable occurrence, or very strong. Goosebumps can result. Pay attention, these can be very tell-tale.

2: If you hear ghostly footsteps, wait until the phenomenon has stopped (or until daylight, if you're more comfortable) and try to duplicate the sound by walking wherever the footsteps came from. Was it really footsteps, or the house settling or shifting as the temperature dropped at dusk?

3: Do your dogs or cats tend to avoid or obsess about a particular location in your home? Animals are extremely sensitive to paranormal occurrences and "vibes". They will often stare at a particular spot for no specific reason, growl at thin air, flee from nothing and bark at something you can't see. Sooth the animal and get it to calm down. Take notice of when and where these things happen and see what other signs might be going on. Pay heed to your pets. They're innocently psychic.

4: Do you find that friends or family mention feeling a particular way in your home or specific location in the home? Are they spooked at times? Do they talk about nighttime occurrences or feelings they have? Those who don't live full time in the house will often feel more spirit energy than those living there. We can grow "immune" to the feelings in our own house. Pay attention to what visitors say.

5: Very common scents that are not usual to your surroundings can indicate some spirit activity. The sense of smell is extremely strong in relation to memory for human beings. We can smell a particular aroma and be taken instantly back to a strong memory we've stored that is connected to that smell. Perfumes, flower scents, earthy scents and cooking smells are some of the scents detected in relation to ghostly activity.

6: You can try meditation, open yourself to the experience of feeling the atmosphere of your own home. Clear your thoughts and breathe deeply, drawing in the ambiance around your house and filtering it through your senses. Does it feel charged with energy? Does it feel as though you're not alone? Does it feel like there are emotions there that don't belong to your or other inhabitants? These things all can indicate presences of spirit people and ghostly visitors.

7: If you have children, do they seem to have developed a imaginary friend. This is common we know with all children, but sometimes a spirit can attach itself to a child and draw on there energy. Spirits are especially attracted to children as there souls are pure and are very easily manipulated. Children will believe anything.

It is not uncommon for a child's behavior to change dramatically. Signs of this maybe:

Constant Fatigue, this occurs by the spirit drawing on the child's energy.

Increase in aggression

Lack of concentration, this may be their performance at school.

An increase in nightmares.

I relise this just sounds like a normal child.

The best way to tell though is by listening to your child's conversations with so called imaginary friend.

Your child may use particular words or phrases or have knowledge of an event, that they could not possibly know.

Ask your child questions about who he/she may be talking to.

Is this person a boy or girl?

How old is he/she?

Where are he/she from?

What do you talk about? etc!

8: Do you see or hear doors slam shut by themselves.

This is very common and can be miss interpreted for a haunting. Check the surrounding area for any drafts. Put your hand around cracks in doors and windows and try to feel for any drafts that may come through them. You must eliminate any natural causes.

9: If an object seems to move by itself, check the floor or surface with a carpenter's level. You can pick up a cheap one for under $2, and it'll fit in your purse or pocket. If the object is lightweight, check for drafts, too.

10: If windows open themselves, check the hardware. Make certain they're really closed. Try the window to see if the counterweight isn't right, and the window opens too easily.

11: If windows close themselves, try propping them with a piece of pipe or other solid object. Ghosts pop those props out, gravity usually doesn't.

Poltergeist phenomena is its own animal, so to speak. First, try to repeat the incident yourself, using natural means that could have occurred the first time. (A dish can fall off a shelf if the shelf is shaky. A dish cannot fly across the room and smash on the wall unless someone threw it, or rigged it.

Keep a log of any strange events. This will serve two purposes. It can be helpful in finding natural explanations for events that are time related. It is even more helpful if you do decide there is something more in your home and have investigators assist you. They will be able to see patterns and other useful information that will make their initial job easier.

Once you cannot find any explanations for the events you are experiencing, you are ready to get some help. I recommend you contact T.O.P.S to come in and check out your home with our equipment to see if we can detect any spirit activity. Contact us first just to discuss your case and make sure you feel comfortable. Psychics can also be used but we recommend using them in conjunction with the other detection equipment. If a psychic feels a spirit in a particular room and the other investigators get positive readings on the equipment and photos in the same room, that validates the psychics impressions and will make you feel more confident in the abilities of the investigators and psychic.

Remember, don't panic! There is rarely any reason for concern if you do have a spirit. Take it slow and step by step and you'll find the situation easier to deal with.