Ghosts and Hauntings 101: A Procedural Manual for the Investigation of the Paranormal

The Subject at Hand
What is a Spirit Entity?

     Now what I am about to say here might offend some. It is not my intention
to do that. Please note that I have, unlike many in the field, deliberately
neglected to mention anything at all about the use of religious ceremonies or
rituals for protection from entities except in its historical context. For the
record, I happen to be a practicing Ro Roman Catholic and take my beliefs very
seriously.
     Still, while my beliefs are strong, they have no place in the scientific
investigation of the paranormal. I have the highest respect for anyone's
religious beliefs, and were it not for the persistence by some of insisting theirs
is the sole truth regarding the field of paranormal research, I would have no
quarrel with anyone on a personal level.
     Writers will attempt to merge the investigation of the paranormal or
paranormal theory with their own personal belief systems. This is natural and
quite common for all those who have experienced such activity. It is an
attempt to place something that is observable but beyond the accepted bounds
of the normal within an understandable framework or context.
     Spirit entities are common to all cultures and societies; and spirit entities,
like the living, subscribed to all known religions, or none at all, while on the
physical plane. It seems to make no difference whatever in their nature as a
spirit entity. With the exception of two manifestations, one of which is
probably residual in nature, I have never encountered a spirit entity that was
in any way "damned" or being punished. That is out of a total of slightly more
than 2,000 cases I have either researched or personally investigated since
1987.
     Here in Russia, where nearly half of those cases have occurred, one
encounters a very diverse mixture of religions and cultural backgrounds and a
considerable number of atheists and agnostics. There is no notable difference
between the manifestation of any of these, nor is there any sure-fire way of
telling what one believed in life unless one just happens to discover it in
research.
     Be Because of this, paranormal investigation should be done in a completely
“religion-neutral” mode. If one feels comfortable with using some religious
item as a form of protection then by all means do so; but essentially, the
protection is in the mind of the user. Re Religious medals and artifacts carried by
individual investigators for personal protection work because the investigator
believes that they will work, not because they have any actual effect on the
spirit entity. They are simply a means of focusing positive energy around the
investigator, which is in itself a strong protection. Any symbol that has
meaning to the investigator is a strong as any other, be it crucifix, rosary,
pentacle, Egyptian ankh or Bu Buddhist prayer wheel.
     Our soul or spirit is a form of energy. Under the Law of Conservation of
Energy, "energy can neither be created nor destroyed." It simply changes
form. Therefore, the energy field that makes up us is freed from the physical
body at the point of our death, but it still constitutes us. It can take any shape,
but it can, and often does, chose to manifest in the same form it had in life, in
varing degrees from invisible to absolutely solid. The choice is up to the entity,
and on how much energy he or she—it, in some cases—chooses to expend
for the manifestation.
     To illustrate how this energy field is a part of us and is really our
consciousness, consider this. An amputee, in almost all cases, still senses the
presence of the limb that has been amputated. They can feel it, even though
the limb itself no longer is a part of them. This is possible because the energy
field that makes up their Self still includes the missing limb.Once a physical body dies, that energy field remains.
     There is another way in which we do not change, which is from a psychological and sociological standpoint. There are all sorts of people— good, bad and indifferent. The vast majority of us are neither good not bad, simply average. This will not somehow change when we become a spirit entity. A person's saintly, beloved grandmother will not transform into Attilla the Hun at the instant of physical death, and a serial killer will not become loving and saintly. While change and growth continue on the spirit plane, they are a natural progression of what we are on the physical plane. A person's basic
character, what makes them uniquely an individual, does not change.All major religions—those that believe in an afterlife—hold that it is a physical, real place. Therefore, it should not surprise when a spirit entity manifests, whether wholly or partially, and leaves the smell of perfume, tobacco or alcohol in some form behind, or the strong scent of some sort of food. No Nor should it be surprising when a spirit entity manifests visibly doing something, such as smoking or some other physical act, that is seemingly inconsistent with what we have been led to believe is the way things are
supposed to be.
     Another thing I have noticed, through personal experience and through the investigation of multiple cases is this, even in the cases of guardian spirit entities: simply because an entity is benevolent, protective or hostile to a certain individual does not mean that they are the same toward all people.Spirit entities, as noted, are no different once they have entered the spirit plane than they were in life. They have likes and dislikes. Some individuals they will like, some they will dislike and most they will simply be indifferent to unless they are given reason to be otherwise. Keep in mind that spirit entities also interact with other spirit entities on the spirit plane unless—and this is a
very rare case—they are somehow trapped on the physical plane or do not chose to leave it. It does happen, however, and accounts for most hauntings. Crossing to the spirit plane is a voluntary, willful act. It does not happen automatically. It is something the entity must actively choose to do. This crossing is two-way, and spirit entities can move, more or less freely, back and forth if they are sufficiently strong, or if a portal that facilitates their passage exists.
     A large number of repetitive hauntings that are not constant or regular can
be explained in this way. They are simply cases of a spirit entity returning, from time to time, to visit home or some particular person or place that is meaningful to them for some reason—and don't rule out revenge or annoyance value as "meaningful reasons" for a return. Don't think for minute that some people who carry grudges will not
continue to carry one for generations. There is one particular rather prominent Southern family that is still plagued, after more than 110 years, by the grudge-carrying spirit of another very prominent person who despised a member of that family who was his contemporary in the physical plane. This grudge also extended to another rather prominent Southern family and continued until the last direct descendent of that family died some twenty years ago.
     A spirit entity, if suitably motivated, even if not fully manifested, can do a
lot to make life miserable, just as they can do a lot that is beneficial and
helpful.
     There are many reasons for a spirit entity chooses to remain on or
regularly visit the physical plane. The most common are:

— A sense of duty or responsibility. For example, someone who has done
a particular job for many years may not accept that another can do it as well
as they did. Someone who was responsible for a particular individual, group
or for some assigned task may find it impossible to move on until they feel the
job is done.[1]
— They simply do not know, or will not accept the fact that they are dead.
This is most common with people who die very suddenly or unexpectedly, and
the haunting is usually restricted to the place of death and places most
commonly frequented by that person while alive. A good example of this is the
reports of Abraham Lincoln having been seen at Ford's Theatre and the White
House. [2}
— A sense of nostalgia or longing for a certain place. This is self-
explanatory, and not a regular occurrence, except possibly on days or times
significant to the entity. While on this subject, it should be noted that unless an
individual died at a very young age it is seldom that a spirit will manifest at the
same age at which he or she left the physical plane. Most will take on the
appearance of an apparent age at which they were most comfortable and felt
most "alive." Likewise, I have only heard of one case in which a spirit entity
manifested with a physical disability suffered while in the physical plane. [3]
— The need to relay or give some kind of message or warning. A good
example of this would be a murder victim attempting to tell where his or her
body was hidden. [4]
— Love. Also self-explanatory. There are numerous cases of spirit entities
remaining earthbound or returning regularly until they are joined by a loved
one who was left behind. [5]

1. See “Footprints in the Snow: Tales of Haunted Russia/ “The Old Soviet Man” and The
“Evil That Men Do” and “Horatio at the Bridge”
2. See “Footprints in the Snow: Tales of Haunted Russia/ “In a Class by Herself”
3. See “Footprints in the Snow: Tales of Haunted Russia/ “The Face in the Window”
4. See “Footprints in the Snow: Tales of Haunted Russia/ “The Lady by the Lamp Post”
5. See “Footprints in the Snow: Tales of Haunted Russia/ “Our Little Hero”, “The
Little Girl in the Garden” and “I’ll Wait for You”

     Because our “soul” is a form of energy the energy field that makes up "us" is freed from the physical body at the point of our physical death. It still constitutes "us". It can take any shape, but it can, and often does chose to manifest itself in the same form that it had in life, and is capable of manifestation in various degrees from invisible to absolutely solid. The difference is up to the entity, and on how much energy he or she (it in some cases) chooses to expend for the manifestation. Once a physical body dies, that energy field remains. It is what makes up our body in other planes. Because it is energy, most of us tend to manifest ourselves in a physical appearance that we were most comfortable in, or if we want to be seen by someone, a form at which they would either remember us or be most comfortable with. Often, when minimal energy expenditure is desired, instead of drawing energy from the environment around them to materialize fully, an entity could manifest as an orb or some other simple energy mass. These energy masses are often invisible to the eye, but can be detected on film or on a digital display.
     Because the spirit entity is a form of energy, they can be detected by using an Electromagnetic Field Meter, which guages the intensity of the electromagnetic field in a given area. It is also possible to use a simple compass and watch for fluctuations in the settings, as an strong electromagnetic field will effect how the needle points and whether or not it is stable or erratic. The nature of an entity as energy also explains "hot spots" and "cold spots" that are often associated with the presence of an entity. A sensitive digital thermometor is also a good tool to have, as sometimes these temperature differences are very slight. It is the nature of the spirit entity as energy that also explains any electronic phenomenon such as televisions and radios coming on and going off without any apparent reason and lights going on and off. A strong spirit entity, even if not materialized, can overload an electric light and cause it to literally burn out.
     Spirit entities, in their energy form can do exactly the same things in the astral plane that a physical person can do in this plane. When completely materialized, a spirit entity can be indistinguishable from a living person in this plane. This is rare, but it does happen. The only differences and distinctions would be seen in electronic readings.
     This can also be noticed by anyone who can practice controlled Out of Body Experiences (OBEs). It is possible, although very difficult and requiring a great deal of energy expenditure, to fully materialize as a physical, or very near physical entity, while the actual physical body is elsewhere and to do anything that the physical body can do. This is extremely rare. Less than 2%of those who can actually induce and control an OBE can do this, but it is possible.
     That is just like the old question "can spirit entities eat and drink"? Yes, they can as well as anything else that they care to do. It's very rare. but it is possible if the entity is strong enough and is willing to expend the energy for that substantial a manifestation.

author: Dr. J.Lee Choron