There are 7 basic types of haunting or Ghost: intelligent, residual, demonic, demonic possessed Intelligent human entity, poltergeist, shadow people, and elementals
The following is some information on seven basic categories and some information pertaining to each that can be considered “subcategories”
Not all hauntings can be easily categorized and we must be careful not to jump to conclusions in any case. In some cases, what appears to be the work of a human agent may actually be that of the spirits, and vice versa. There is also a multitude of exterior factors that do affect the circumstances that be. Solar flares, the earth's magnetic fields, storms, etc. all a play an important role when trying to discern the cause of and effect of paranormal or ghostly occurrences.
Intelligent Haunting
In this type of haunting, you are dealing with an "intelligent" presence that can communicate with you, and interact with you in a seemingly "intelligent" way. An intelligent ghost haunting is best described as a responsive usually human entity with whom you have interactive intelligent communication. This type entity is seemingly the personality of a person who once lived, and who is either "trapped" in our world or in between ours and another realm or has already moved onto the next plane and can now freely travel back and forth between our realm and theirs, and or presumably elsewhere. Intelligent ghosts are not "evil" or "dangerous" as some people would have you believe. "Intelligent"ghosts are simply human personalities, and if the spirit was a kind and caring person in life, the spirit will most likely be the same way in death. Likewise, angry and mean people will usually keep those same negative character traits as spirits. An intelligent haunting/ghost will likely seek to get the attention of living people. To get attention, the ghost may try turning things on and off, hiding objects, moving things, make noises, and other type of annoying or nuisance behavior.
The ghost/spirit may be looking for assistance to pass over or for assistance to accomplish a certain task, or may just be letting you know they are around with no other intent or need. Occasionally the human entity is stuck in a death state and does not know they are dead and is simply continuing with life as unusual. The ghost has somehow been trapped between two planes of existence and is unable to move on. However, more times than not thouh, the entities we comes across are able to move about freely, coming and going as they choose.
The key factor in an intelligent haunting is that the ghost can interact with you (communication—it responds and notices human beings). If the ghost does not notice you or other human beings, and cannot interact or communicate with you, it's not an intelligent haunting.
Demonic Possessed Human Entity - Intelligent
This type of entity is overlooked by most within the field. I recently added this to the list of Types of Entities in hope of better recognition of it within the field. My thoughts are that more talk about this, the more people will understand the importance of this type of entity being categorized.
Living humans can experience a negative demonic like oppression or possession. The demon or negative entity covenants the soul/energy/consciousness. This negative force does not possess the physical body, but can control it while it is still attached to the human's center conscious energy (soul) that makes that person who they are. If a living person is possessed, they can remain under the oppression or possession even when their bodies die. Furthermore a human entity (one without a body any longer) can come under attack from a demon or negative entity (even a possessed human entity) while on the other side and become oppressed or possessed even if they weren't while living.
These type of entities seem to have greater capabilities and strength to accomplish more than your ordinary intelligent human ghost. They are just as dangerous as a demon due to their possession and twisted mindset. They can easily move objects, hurt people and pets, and oppress and possess.
Residual Haunting
This type of phenomena is much more common than people think and I would even go as far as to say that it is the most common type of reported phenomena around. We have to remember not to confuse this type of phenomena with an"Intelligent" haunting because, while it is fascinating and unexplained, it may not be specifically related to ghosts.
The easiest way to explain this haunting is to compare it to an old film loop, meaning that it is a scene or image that is played over and over again through the years. Many of these locations, where these haunting take place, experience an event or a series of events, which imprints itself on the atmosphere of a place. Scientist believe that energy doesn’t cease to exist but only changes form. The energy may dissipate from one place to appear or exist in another, and/or in another form. It is accepted theory within the scientific community that this type of energy can suddenly discharge and play itself at various times. The events are not always visual either. They are often replayed as sounds and noises that have no explanation. The famous "phantom footsteps" reported in many haunted places are a perfect example of this.
Often the sounds and images recorded are related to traumatic events which took place at the location and caused some sort of disturbance, which we might call"psychic impression" to happen there. Trauma and emotions notoriously evoke and create higher than normal energy. This is the reason why so many battlefields have become famous for their hauntings over the years.
In other situations, the images have been created by events or actions that were repeated over and over again and cause an energy or psychic impression. Researchers have suggested that there exist so many haunted staircases because of the number of times people go up and down them and the amount of energy that is expended in doing so.
These locations act as giant storage batteries, saving up the impressions of sights and sounds from the past. Then, as the years go by, these impressions appear or are heard as they are emitted.
Sometimes, this type of residual activity can make itself known in similar ways to an "Intelligent"haunting, but the most important signs will be different. A spirit or an image in this case, will not interact with any of the living occupants of the location. The activity, and the sightings, will be random. There will be no missing items. While doors and windows may open and close by themselves, it will be because of energy expending itself and not because of spirit activity. Commonly reported in these cases are sounds of footsteps, walking and breathing and odd, usually repetitive sounds. Apparitions are commonly reported but they will not notice the living persons around them and will usually repeat the same actions over and over again.
Other Theories about Residual Type Haunting
This section UNDER Construction
Poltergeist-Like Activity
Poltergeists (noisy ghosts) have commonly been blamed for any violent or destructive activity in a haunting. In the past, researchers believed that all such activity at a haunted location was the work of the spirits, or an outside force, but today, most investigators don’t think so. While interactive spirits may be the culprits in some cases, many of cases have a force behind them that is much closer to home.
In a poltergeist case (and in its counterpart) there can be a variety of phenomena taking place. There are reports of knocking and tapping noises, sounds with no visible cause, disturbance of stationary objects like household items and furniture, doors slamming, lights turning on and off, fires breaking out and much, much more.While in some cases, this activity can be connected to ghosts, in most cases it probably isn’t. It certainly remains paranormal though and because of this, it is also unexplained and very controversial.
The current theory behind this Poltergeist-like phenomena is that the activity is caused by a person in the household, known as the "human agent". The agent is usually an adolescent or teenage female. It is believed that she unconsciously manipulates physical objects in the house by psychokinesis (PK), the power to move things by energy generated in the brain. This kinetic type of energy remains unexplained, but even some mainstream scientists are starting to explore the idea that it does exist.
It is unknown why this energy seems to appear in females around the age of puberty, but documentation of its existence is starting to appear as more and more case studies have become public. It seems that when the activity begins to manifest, the girl is usually in the midst of some emotional or sexual turmoil. The presence of the energy is almost always an unconscious one and it is rare when any of the agents actually realize that they are the source of the destruction around them. They do not realize that they are the reason that objects in the home have become displaced and are usually of the impression that a ghost (or some sort of other supernatural entity) is present instead. The bursts of PK come and go and most poltergeist-like cases will peak early and then slowly fade away.
It should be noted that while most cases such as this manifest around young women, it is possible for puberty age boys (and even older adults) to show this same unknowing ability. As with the young women, the vast majority will have no idea that they are causing the activity and will be surprised to find there is even a possibility that strange things are happening because of them.
Demonic Haunting
Demon hauntings usually start in a subtle way. Behaviors are typically the same behaviors displayed by a poltergeist, but more extreme. It's common for one or several entities to exist in one location with a strong evil presence seemingly controlling the others and not allowing them to cross over.
It is believed that demons hate humans and think them very lowly and stupid. Demons should never be challenged. Most demonic entities like a challenge and are master of trickery and incredibly conniving; they may have you believing they are good spirits or may appear to have gone away, only to confront you again at the least expected and most vulnerable moment.
A demon is considered to be a powerful, supernatural being that is generally malevolent (wishing or appearing to wish evil to others) in character. The word demon comes from the Greek word daimon, which means a divine or semi-divine power that determined a person's fate.
Demons are evil, supernatural beings of intelligence, wit, and immense power. They have the power to invade our homes, attach themselves to objects, and inflict torture both mentally and emotionally by attacking or even possessing the human body.
Demons have the ability to morph into any shape they want. They can change from a human form to an inhuman form before your very eyes. They are neither male nor female, but will change to whatever meets their need at the time. Demons are commonly seen as black masses standing in doorways or in the corner of the room.
Shadow People
We still really don't know what all shadow people are, but they do need a category all their own. There are several different types or forms of shadow people, from Hatman to a plain ordinary human ghost who simply cannot manifest into full bodied apparition and seem to appear simply as shadow people.
At first, they appear only out of the corner of your eye, furtively darting out of view when you turn to look straight at them, but are now gone. Did you really see them? Shaking the image out of your head, you assume that it was some peculiar anomaly of your eyesight (which is possible), however the feeling still lingers. Occasionally, you see the shadow directly in front of you: face to face, blacker than black, darker than dark, like a void that has punched a hole into the fabric of night itself.
Sometimes it appears as the mere silhouette of a person, and it may lack any specific characteristics of gender. However, in no way does the description end there. There are “hatted” shadow beings, hooded shadows, cloaked ones, and solid or wispy, smoky types. Some are seen only from the waist up. Others clearly have legs that are seen fleeing from their observers. They dart into corners, through walls, into closets, or behind television sets, bushes, and buildings. Sometimes they simply fade into the dark recesses of the night. Lacking in the description is one common denominator unifying the many different types of shadow people that enter our world, except that they are “intensely dark.” But even then, there are exceptions.
The personalities and intentions of shadow people are just as varied. One can only hope that serious research into this paranormal genre will paint a clearer understanding of the nature and make-up of these dark mysterious shadows. In the meantime, although their existence isn’t in question, the nature of their being is.
The following is some information on seven basic categories and some information pertaining to each that can be considered “subcategories”
Not all hauntings can be easily categorized and we must be careful not to jump to conclusions in any case. In some cases, what appears to be the work of a human agent may actually be that of the spirits, and vice versa. There is also a multitude of exterior factors that do affect the circumstances that be. Solar flares, the earth's magnetic fields, storms, etc. all a play an important role when trying to discern the cause of and effect of paranormal or ghostly occurrences.
Intelligent Haunting
In this type of haunting, you are dealing with an "intelligent" presence that can communicate with you, and interact with you in a seemingly "intelligent" way. An intelligent ghost haunting is best described as a responsive usually human entity with whom you have interactive intelligent communication. This type entity is seemingly the personality of a person who once lived, and who is either "trapped" in our world or in between ours and another realm or has already moved onto the next plane and can now freely travel back and forth between our realm and theirs, and or presumably elsewhere. Intelligent ghosts are not "evil" or "dangerous" as some people would have you believe. "Intelligent"ghosts are simply human personalities, and if the spirit was a kind and caring person in life, the spirit will most likely be the same way in death. Likewise, angry and mean people will usually keep those same negative character traits as spirits. An intelligent haunting/ghost will likely seek to get the attention of living people. To get attention, the ghost may try turning things on and off, hiding objects, moving things, make noises, and other type of annoying or nuisance behavior.
The ghost/spirit may be looking for assistance to pass over or for assistance to accomplish a certain task, or may just be letting you know they are around with no other intent or need. Occasionally the human entity is stuck in a death state and does not know they are dead and is simply continuing with life as unusual. The ghost has somehow been trapped between two planes of existence and is unable to move on. However, more times than not thouh, the entities we comes across are able to move about freely, coming and going as they choose.
The key factor in an intelligent haunting is that the ghost can interact with you (communication—it responds and notices human beings). If the ghost does not notice you or other human beings, and cannot interact or communicate with you, it's not an intelligent haunting.
Demonic Possessed Human Entity - Intelligent
This type of entity is overlooked by most within the field. I recently added this to the list of Types of Entities in hope of better recognition of it within the field. My thoughts are that more talk about this, the more people will understand the importance of this type of entity being categorized.
Living humans can experience a negative demonic like oppression or possession. The demon or negative entity covenants the soul/energy/consciousness. This negative force does not possess the physical body, but can control it while it is still attached to the human's center conscious energy (soul) that makes that person who they are. If a living person is possessed, they can remain under the oppression or possession even when their bodies die. Furthermore a human entity (one without a body any longer) can come under attack from a demon or negative entity (even a possessed human entity) while on the other side and become oppressed or possessed even if they weren't while living.
These type of entities seem to have greater capabilities and strength to accomplish more than your ordinary intelligent human ghost. They are just as dangerous as a demon due to their possession and twisted mindset. They can easily move objects, hurt people and pets, and oppress and possess.
Residual Haunting
This type of phenomena is much more common than people think and I would even go as far as to say that it is the most common type of reported phenomena around. We have to remember not to confuse this type of phenomena with an"Intelligent" haunting because, while it is fascinating and unexplained, it may not be specifically related to ghosts.
The easiest way to explain this haunting is to compare it to an old film loop, meaning that it is a scene or image that is played over and over again through the years. Many of these locations, where these haunting take place, experience an event or a series of events, which imprints itself on the atmosphere of a place. Scientist believe that energy doesn’t cease to exist but only changes form. The energy may dissipate from one place to appear or exist in another, and/or in another form. It is accepted theory within the scientific community that this type of energy can suddenly discharge and play itself at various times. The events are not always visual either. They are often replayed as sounds and noises that have no explanation. The famous "phantom footsteps" reported in many haunted places are a perfect example of this.
Often the sounds and images recorded are related to traumatic events which took place at the location and caused some sort of disturbance, which we might call"psychic impression" to happen there. Trauma and emotions notoriously evoke and create higher than normal energy. This is the reason why so many battlefields have become famous for their hauntings over the years.
In other situations, the images have been created by events or actions that were repeated over and over again and cause an energy or psychic impression. Researchers have suggested that there exist so many haunted staircases because of the number of times people go up and down them and the amount of energy that is expended in doing so.
These locations act as giant storage batteries, saving up the impressions of sights and sounds from the past. Then, as the years go by, these impressions appear or are heard as they are emitted.
Sometimes, this type of residual activity can make itself known in similar ways to an "Intelligent"haunting, but the most important signs will be different. A spirit or an image in this case, will not interact with any of the living occupants of the location. The activity, and the sightings, will be random. There will be no missing items. While doors and windows may open and close by themselves, it will be because of energy expending itself and not because of spirit activity. Commonly reported in these cases are sounds of footsteps, walking and breathing and odd, usually repetitive sounds. Apparitions are commonly reported but they will not notice the living persons around them and will usually repeat the same actions over and over again.
Other Theories about Residual Type Haunting
This section UNDER Construction
Poltergeist-Like Activity
Poltergeists (noisy ghosts) have commonly been blamed for any violent or destructive activity in a haunting. In the past, researchers believed that all such activity at a haunted location was the work of the spirits, or an outside force, but today, most investigators don’t think so. While interactive spirits may be the culprits in some cases, many of cases have a force behind them that is much closer to home.
In a poltergeist case (and in its counterpart) there can be a variety of phenomena taking place. There are reports of knocking and tapping noises, sounds with no visible cause, disturbance of stationary objects like household items and furniture, doors slamming, lights turning on and off, fires breaking out and much, much more.While in some cases, this activity can be connected to ghosts, in most cases it probably isn’t. It certainly remains paranormal though and because of this, it is also unexplained and very controversial.
The current theory behind this Poltergeist-like phenomena is that the activity is caused by a person in the household, known as the "human agent". The agent is usually an adolescent or teenage female. It is believed that she unconsciously manipulates physical objects in the house by psychokinesis (PK), the power to move things by energy generated in the brain. This kinetic type of energy remains unexplained, but even some mainstream scientists are starting to explore the idea that it does exist.
It is unknown why this energy seems to appear in females around the age of puberty, but documentation of its existence is starting to appear as more and more case studies have become public. It seems that when the activity begins to manifest, the girl is usually in the midst of some emotional or sexual turmoil. The presence of the energy is almost always an unconscious one and it is rare when any of the agents actually realize that they are the source of the destruction around them. They do not realize that they are the reason that objects in the home have become displaced and are usually of the impression that a ghost (or some sort of other supernatural entity) is present instead. The bursts of PK come and go and most poltergeist-like cases will peak early and then slowly fade away.
It should be noted that while most cases such as this manifest around young women, it is possible for puberty age boys (and even older adults) to show this same unknowing ability. As with the young women, the vast majority will have no idea that they are causing the activity and will be surprised to find there is even a possibility that strange things are happening because of them.
Demonic Haunting
Demon hauntings usually start in a subtle way. Behaviors are typically the same behaviors displayed by a poltergeist, but more extreme. It's common for one or several entities to exist in one location with a strong evil presence seemingly controlling the others and not allowing them to cross over.
It is believed that demons hate humans and think them very lowly and stupid. Demons should never be challenged. Most demonic entities like a challenge and are master of trickery and incredibly conniving; they may have you believing they are good spirits or may appear to have gone away, only to confront you again at the least expected and most vulnerable moment.
A demon is considered to be a powerful, supernatural being that is generally malevolent (wishing or appearing to wish evil to others) in character. The word demon comes from the Greek word daimon, which means a divine or semi-divine power that determined a person's fate.
Demons are evil, supernatural beings of intelligence, wit, and immense power. They have the power to invade our homes, attach themselves to objects, and inflict torture both mentally and emotionally by attacking or even possessing the human body.
Demons have the ability to morph into any shape they want. They can change from a human form to an inhuman form before your very eyes. They are neither male nor female, but will change to whatever meets their need at the time. Demons are commonly seen as black masses standing in doorways or in the corner of the room.
Shadow People
We still really don't know what all shadow people are, but they do need a category all their own. There are several different types or forms of shadow people, from Hatman to a plain ordinary human ghost who simply cannot manifest into full bodied apparition and seem to appear simply as shadow people.
At first, they appear only out of the corner of your eye, furtively darting out of view when you turn to look straight at them, but are now gone. Did you really see them? Shaking the image out of your head, you assume that it was some peculiar anomaly of your eyesight (which is possible), however the feeling still lingers. Occasionally, you see the shadow directly in front of you: face to face, blacker than black, darker than dark, like a void that has punched a hole into the fabric of night itself.
Sometimes it appears as the mere silhouette of a person, and it may lack any specific characteristics of gender. However, in no way does the description end there. There are “hatted” shadow beings, hooded shadows, cloaked ones, and solid or wispy, smoky types. Some are seen only from the waist up. Others clearly have legs that are seen fleeing from their observers. They dart into corners, through walls, into closets, or behind television sets, bushes, and buildings. Sometimes they simply fade into the dark recesses of the night. Lacking in the description is one common denominator unifying the many different types of shadow people that enter our world, except that they are “intensely dark.” But even then, there are exceptions.
The personalities and intentions of shadow people are just as varied. One can only hope that serious research into this paranormal genre will paint a clearer understanding of the nature and make-up of these dark mysterious shadows. In the meantime, although their existence isn’t in question, the nature of their being is.
I personally have no opinion as to the legitamacy of the claims people have that involve elementals, but they are an important part of our culture so I am providing information regarding them here below
Elementals
Fairies - Elves - Gnomes - Nymph - Wee Folks - Jinn
Fairies were thought to originate within Celtic mythology, however, a case has been made of ancient there being Greek and Mesopotamian cultural roots that our idea of fairies grew from
Known Origins: English, Germanic, Celtic Mythology & Folklore
Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Their origins are less clear in the folklore, being variously dead, or some form of demon, or a species completely independent of humans or angels
Fairies are equally known as mischievous and tricksters that take or move things for fun
Other cultural names for Fairies:
Elves – Germanic (earth)
Nymph /Satyrs – Greek Mythology
Gnomes/goblins (earth) & Mermaids (water)
Known also as the “Wee Folks”
Elves – Germanic (earth)
Nymph /Satyrs – Greek Mythology
Gnomes/goblins (earth) & Mermaids (water)
Known also as the “Wee Folks”
The Five Basic Types of Jinn
Islamic belief divides sentient beings into three categories. In order of creation, they are: the angels (malayka), the hidden ones (jinn), and humankind (nas or banu adam). Angels are made out of light, jinn out of fire, men out of earth (sometimes translated as mud or clay). Angels are considered neither male nor female and have no free will. Jinn, like humans, are gendered, and have free will. This is why, in Islamic thought elieves Satan is a jinn, not an angel; it would be impossible for an angel to disobey the will of God. Jinn may be benevolent, evil, or neutral, but are generally regarded as less trustworthy and more prone to trickery than people, even if they are benign. In addition to the types of jinn mentioned here, there are many lesser varieties of jinn that appear in local legends that vary from place to place. For example, in Egypt, there are thought to be female jinn who inhabit the canals and tributaries of the Nile and lure men to their deaths, much like sirens, but they don’t appear elsewhere in the Arab world.
Types of Jinn
MARID (pronounced MAA–rid)
Large and imposing, the marid are considered the most powerful tribe of jinn. They are the classic genies of folklore, often portrayed as barrelchested men with booming voices.
Originally sea-spirits, they are often associated with water, and thought to take sanctuary in the open ocean. While marid are very powerful, they are not technically minded and therefore unlikely to infect your hard drive. However, there is at least one known case of a marid being imprisoned in a flash drive and doing quite a lot of damage to the operating system, attempting to free itself. Please be aware when opening any unfamiliar attachments and if any of your computer’s peripherals exhibit a telltale blue-gray cast, please disconnect from your machine and take them to a qualified technician.
EFFRIT
(pronounced eff–FREET)
Intelligent and cunning, the effrit are thought to live in complex societies similar to those of humans. They are said to prefer caves and under ground dwellings. Though ostensibly demonic, they are portrayed as changeable in nature, and capable of becoming pious and good. In the Quran, King Solomon is said to have had power over a tribe of effrit, who performed various tasks for him.
Effrit are the greatest risk for phishing scams and online privacy violations, as they are natural schemers and also understand human personality and social interaction the best. It is thought that quite a few effrit amuse themselves sending Facebook messages to attractive potential mates using the profiles of call center employees and programmers in India, the Middle East, and the Philippines, who are bewildered by the response. More seriously, however, some effrit have the capability of writing code themselves, and it is thought that the Conficker worm, which infected some fifty million computers worldwide, may have been written by a group combining effrit and human members. Effrit are not to be taken lightly, but they can only be guarded against by the standard information safety protocols used with human threats—be wary of unverified interlocutors and executable content, and if your system slows or behaves oddly, conduct a thorough scan or contact your IT professional.
GHOUL
(Arabic pronunciation uses a guttural gg sound somewhere
between an English G and a French R)
This tribe of jinn has traveled north and west to become a common English- language term for “undead monster.” This is pretty close to its original Arabic connotation; ghouls are thought to be zombie-like jinn who haunt graveyards and prey on human flesh. They are strictly demonic and incapable of goodness. Often portrayed as nocturnal. Given their limited intelligence, ghouls are low risk in the information technology world—but you really don’t want to run into one in a dark alley.
SILA
Talented shape-shifters who are more tolerant of human society than other tribes of jinn, sila are most often portrayed as female. Thought to be extremely intelligent, sila are nonetheless the most rarely seen of all the types of jinn, and appear only sporadically in folklore. There is speculation that the term sila might be related to seelie, a Middle English word for “a good faerie.” (This would make sense, as sila does not appear to correspond to an Arabic root pattern.) Sila are extremely rare, both on- and off-line, and while they are intelligent and comfortable crossing back and forth between realms seen and unseen/human and jinn, by their nature they do not usually set out to harm or trick humans. Sila are, however, fond of meddling in an attempt to help. That Livejournal community member who intervened when you got overinvolved with that troll in the George R.R. Martin community?
VETALA
The original vampires, vetala are semi-malevolent spirits from ancient Indian folklore. They can possess human corpses and prevent them from decaying, and in so doing trick human beings into believing the vetala is an ordinary person. However, vetala can also change shape at will. They are thought to be natural psychics, able to foretell the future and gain insight into the past, as well as read the thoughts of others. The most famous vetala appears in “The Vampire and King Vikram,” a set of stories from the Baital Pachisi. Vetala are quite rare, and while they are certainly intelligent enough to threaten your computer, their superior mental and psychic abilities make technology somewhat irrelevant to their needs. To the extent you are likely to encounter a vetala online, it is likely posing brain-twisting rhetorical questions that keep you on a messageboard well past your bedtime.
Always remember that the unseen can take on disproportionate power —which goes for genies and online demagogues in equal measure. If your blood pressure rises, step away from the computer and make a cup of tea. Vetala are also extremely fond of Words With Friends—they are excellent players and lots of fun to engage with, even if their superior skill may prove frustrating.
Islamic belief divides sentient beings into three categories. In order of creation, they are: the angels (malayka), the hidden ones (jinn), and humankind (nas or banu adam). Angels are made out of light, jinn out of fire, men out of earth (sometimes translated as mud or clay). Angels are considered neither male nor female and have no free will. Jinn, like humans, are gendered, and have free will. This is why, in Islamic thought elieves Satan is a jinn, not an angel; it would be impossible for an angel to disobey the will of God. Jinn may be benevolent, evil, or neutral, but are generally regarded as less trustworthy and more prone to trickery than people, even if they are benign. In addition to the types of jinn mentioned here, there are many lesser varieties of jinn that appear in local legends that vary from place to place. For example, in Egypt, there are thought to be female jinn who inhabit the canals and tributaries of the Nile and lure men to their deaths, much like sirens, but they don’t appear elsewhere in the Arab world.
Types of Jinn
MARID (pronounced MAA–rid)
Large and imposing, the marid are considered the most powerful tribe of jinn. They are the classic genies of folklore, often portrayed as barrelchested men with booming voices.
Originally sea-spirits, they are often associated with water, and thought to take sanctuary in the open ocean. While marid are very powerful, they are not technically minded and therefore unlikely to infect your hard drive. However, there is at least one known case of a marid being imprisoned in a flash drive and doing quite a lot of damage to the operating system, attempting to free itself. Please be aware when opening any unfamiliar attachments and if any of your computer’s peripherals exhibit a telltale blue-gray cast, please disconnect from your machine and take them to a qualified technician.
EFFRIT
(pronounced eff–FREET)
Intelligent and cunning, the effrit are thought to live in complex societies similar to those of humans. They are said to prefer caves and under ground dwellings. Though ostensibly demonic, they are portrayed as changeable in nature, and capable of becoming pious and good. In the Quran, King Solomon is said to have had power over a tribe of effrit, who performed various tasks for him.
Effrit are the greatest risk for phishing scams and online privacy violations, as they are natural schemers and also understand human personality and social interaction the best. It is thought that quite a few effrit amuse themselves sending Facebook messages to attractive potential mates using the profiles of call center employees and programmers in India, the Middle East, and the Philippines, who are bewildered by the response. More seriously, however, some effrit have the capability of writing code themselves, and it is thought that the Conficker worm, which infected some fifty million computers worldwide, may have been written by a group combining effrit and human members. Effrit are not to be taken lightly, but they can only be guarded against by the standard information safety protocols used with human threats—be wary of unverified interlocutors and executable content, and if your system slows or behaves oddly, conduct a thorough scan or contact your IT professional.
GHOUL
(Arabic pronunciation uses a guttural gg sound somewhere
between an English G and a French R)
This tribe of jinn has traveled north and west to become a common English- language term for “undead monster.” This is pretty close to its original Arabic connotation; ghouls are thought to be zombie-like jinn who haunt graveyards and prey on human flesh. They are strictly demonic and incapable of goodness. Often portrayed as nocturnal. Given their limited intelligence, ghouls are low risk in the information technology world—but you really don’t want to run into one in a dark alley.
SILA
Talented shape-shifters who are more tolerant of human society than other tribes of jinn, sila are most often portrayed as female. Thought to be extremely intelligent, sila are nonetheless the most rarely seen of all the types of jinn, and appear only sporadically in folklore. There is speculation that the term sila might be related to seelie, a Middle English word for “a good faerie.” (This would make sense, as sila does not appear to correspond to an Arabic root pattern.) Sila are extremely rare, both on- and off-line, and while they are intelligent and comfortable crossing back and forth between realms seen and unseen/human and jinn, by their nature they do not usually set out to harm or trick humans. Sila are, however, fond of meddling in an attempt to help. That Livejournal community member who intervened when you got overinvolved with that troll in the George R.R. Martin community?
VETALA
The original vampires, vetala are semi-malevolent spirits from ancient Indian folklore. They can possess human corpses and prevent them from decaying, and in so doing trick human beings into believing the vetala is an ordinary person. However, vetala can also change shape at will. They are thought to be natural psychics, able to foretell the future and gain insight into the past, as well as read the thoughts of others. The most famous vetala appears in “The Vampire and King Vikram,” a set of stories from the Baital Pachisi. Vetala are quite rare, and while they are certainly intelligent enough to threaten your computer, their superior mental and psychic abilities make technology somewhat irrelevant to their needs. To the extent you are likely to encounter a vetala online, it is likely posing brain-twisting rhetorical questions that keep you on a messageboard well past your bedtime.
Always remember that the unseen can take on disproportionate power —which goes for genies and online demagogues in equal measure. If your blood pressure rises, step away from the computer and make a cup of tea. Vetala are also extremely fond of Words With Friends—they are excellent players and lots of fun to engage with, even if their superior skill may prove frustrating.
Types of Manifestations
Full Body Manifestations or Apparitions
Full body manifestations are a rare occurrence. These are images of a recognizable human (or, sometimes, an animal) in which the subject appears either partially or fully formed or can be somewhat transparent (at least in part.) In some cases, the figure is clear enough to be readily identifiable by the deceased's friends or family if they were present at the time of the manifestation. Full body manifestations are a valuable piece of evidence if captured on film.
Full body manifestations usually appear quite on photos or in person (a human like you or I visually see the apparition with our own eyes) Many apparitions have been sighted with one’s own eyes and look as real as any living person. Some have been known to hold conversations with people and even interact, but then will suddenly disappear. It has also been reported that certain odors have been smelled prior, during and after the sighting of an apparition. Apparitions are not limited to people, there has also apparitions seen of animals, cars, ships, trains, carriages, etc.. Simply put, an apparition is something that we see, that may be transparent, that appears and may suddenly disappears in front of our eyes or walks through solid objects like a door or a wall.
Ectoplasm, vapor, ghostly mist
A Cloudy vaporous mist it is associated and referred to as a mist or fog, and it usually displays a swirl effect within a vaporous cloud. It normally appears several feet off the ground and can linger or travel quickly at will. Ecto has been caught on both video & all types of cameras. Vapors/clouds/mists are believed by many to be the soul or spirit of those that have passed on from this life. It has been speculated that the spirit will transform to this vaporous state before appearing as a full-bodied apparition. It's important to note however, that there are many other causes for this a occurrence too. A camera can inadvertently create this effect artificially in cold weather by a person exhaling to close to the lens when taking the picture. The exhaled breath looks similar to ectoplasm but without the swirls. There are other various things and anomalies that are explainable that could inadvertently cause vaporous appearing clouds or mist too.
Orbs, spears, globules, balls of light, globes
Orbs are the most photographed anomalies captured on film by paranormal investigators. They most often show up as transparent or translucent balls of light hovering above the ground. It used to be considered a prize photo if the photographed orb/s would show up on film with an inner substance and a spot(nucleus or brain) within the substance. We are finding out now however, that some digital cameras will produce false orbs with these characteristics and they can no longer be counted as authentic. An impressive feature is when they are captured on film with a lingering trail. or the pattern or direction of the orb is varies and changes flight pattern. Some experts say that 85% of photographed orbs are created inadvertently by circumstances and weather conditions and other external factors at the time of the flash. I, and many others in the field, now discount “orb” evidence all together. The only point upon which scientist and many paranormal investigators agree upon now is that an orb is energy that is a condensed form (ball) of energy. It may be paranormal in it’s nature and it’s origins and actions may not be explainable, but nonetheless it has not been proven in any way that it is a ghost or spirit.
The most common form of an orb in photos and videos are due to the way digital cameras and digital video equipment work. Since the replacement of film photography and video with digital has become of common use, there has been a 10 fold increase in the "capturing" of orbs. I think this fact alone speaks volumes about how digital cameras function and the orb type anomalies people are now seeing. Maybe not all, but a significant amount of what users claim as orbs are really just camera error or the settings on it not right for the circumstances under which the photo was taken. Many various type of light "anomalies" are mistaken as ghost orbs (the spirit/energy of deceased humans).
Other common commonly sighted orbs that have real causes, but are often misidentified are: moisture in the air you breathe (that isn't visible to the eye), or dust or insects.
Besides orbs there are other light anomalies that do have some reasonable explanations that are geological and/or are meteorological in nature.
Ball lightning: is a rare event that wasn't even officially recognized by the scientific community until fairly recently. Although it is now considered a real event by the scientific community, not much has been done yet in the way of studying it, but I'm sure more will be forthcoming. Ball lightning is sometimes referred to as a plasma ball. Ball lightning doesn't actually have to be shaped like a ball. In fact many times it is not. It can range in size from small to very large 8-10 feet in circumference. It can be white, diffused white light, or colored red, bluish, green like.This process is a combination may be the result of of incandescence and luminescence (excitation of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere) and/or fluorescence in which methane gasses are released from the ground. Another related cause that can occur is when the geological makeup of the ground has magnetically charged minerals in it or formed in it that have also been known to discharge, causing balls of light similar to earthquake lights. What causes the discharge was not known.
Earthquake Lights: Light phenomenon like this has just recently been recognized by the scientific community. For many years, sightings of earthquake lights were dismissed by the serious geology community. Earthquake lights occur at earthquake fault lines, and before, during or after an earthquake has occurred. These lights are caused by gases being released from the ground and interacting with atmosphere in an electrical static way. The lights can take many different shapes, forms, and colors.Common forms of earthquake lights include bluish flames that appear to come out of the ground at ankle height; orbs of light called ball lightning (see above) that float in the air for tens of seconds or even minutes; and quick flashes of bright light that resemble regular lightning strikes, except they come out of the ground instead of the sky and can stretch up to 650 feet (200 meters). various theories have been proposed for how earthquake lights form, including the disruption of the Earth's magnetic field by tectonic stress and the so-called piezoelectric effect, in which quartz-bearing rocks produce voltages when compressed in a certain way. Now reports state that what causes earthquake lights appears to be an entirely different electrical process. When nature stresses certain rocks, electric charges are activated, as if you switched on a battery in the Earth's crust. The types of rocks that are particularly given to the phenomenon are basalts and gabbros, which have tiny defects in their crystals. When a seismic wave hits, electrical charges in the rocks may be released.The charges can combine and form a kind of plasma-like state, which can travel at very high velocities and burst out at the surface to make electric discharges in the air. Those discharges are what make the colorful light shows.
Another cause of mysterious lights often seen in forested areas are one caused by decaying organic matter. Small eye sized lights can also sometimes setoff by insects nipping at this matter which will then cause a glow of light for a bit. These lights are red, green, white, or red. Furthermore fungus react this same way and can also become illuminated. This process is called bioluminescence and chemoluminescence
Below are some examples of what the processes in science are called:
Thunder Lightning: This a relative of Ball lightning and only occurs in the atmosphere in the sky and caused by electrostatic charges that may relate to atmospheric lightning. At any given time above above our atmosphere and out of our sight in the Earth's stratosphere, there can be around 2000 lightning storms/strikes occurring. We just don't see them and are occurring regardless to what our atmospheric weather is. This process is a combination of incandescence and luminescence (excitation of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere)
Full body manifestations are a rare occurrence. These are images of a recognizable human (or, sometimes, an animal) in which the subject appears either partially or fully formed or can be somewhat transparent (at least in part.) In some cases, the figure is clear enough to be readily identifiable by the deceased's friends or family if they were present at the time of the manifestation. Full body manifestations are a valuable piece of evidence if captured on film.
Full body manifestations usually appear quite on photos or in person (a human like you or I visually see the apparition with our own eyes) Many apparitions have been sighted with one’s own eyes and look as real as any living person. Some have been known to hold conversations with people and even interact, but then will suddenly disappear. It has also been reported that certain odors have been smelled prior, during and after the sighting of an apparition. Apparitions are not limited to people, there has also apparitions seen of animals, cars, ships, trains, carriages, etc.. Simply put, an apparition is something that we see, that may be transparent, that appears and may suddenly disappears in front of our eyes or walks through solid objects like a door or a wall.
Ectoplasm, vapor, ghostly mist
A Cloudy vaporous mist it is associated and referred to as a mist or fog, and it usually displays a swirl effect within a vaporous cloud. It normally appears several feet off the ground and can linger or travel quickly at will. Ecto has been caught on both video & all types of cameras. Vapors/clouds/mists are believed by many to be the soul or spirit of those that have passed on from this life. It has been speculated that the spirit will transform to this vaporous state before appearing as a full-bodied apparition. It's important to note however, that there are many other causes for this a occurrence too. A camera can inadvertently create this effect artificially in cold weather by a person exhaling to close to the lens when taking the picture. The exhaled breath looks similar to ectoplasm but without the swirls. There are other various things and anomalies that are explainable that could inadvertently cause vaporous appearing clouds or mist too.
Orbs, spears, globules, balls of light, globes
Orbs are the most photographed anomalies captured on film by paranormal investigators. They most often show up as transparent or translucent balls of light hovering above the ground. It used to be considered a prize photo if the photographed orb/s would show up on film with an inner substance and a spot(nucleus or brain) within the substance. We are finding out now however, that some digital cameras will produce false orbs with these characteristics and they can no longer be counted as authentic. An impressive feature is when they are captured on film with a lingering trail. or the pattern or direction of the orb is varies and changes flight pattern. Some experts say that 85% of photographed orbs are created inadvertently by circumstances and weather conditions and other external factors at the time of the flash. I, and many others in the field, now discount “orb” evidence all together. The only point upon which scientist and many paranormal investigators agree upon now is that an orb is energy that is a condensed form (ball) of energy. It may be paranormal in it’s nature and it’s origins and actions may not be explainable, but nonetheless it has not been proven in any way that it is a ghost or spirit.
The most common form of an orb in photos and videos are due to the way digital cameras and digital video equipment work. Since the replacement of film photography and video with digital has become of common use, there has been a 10 fold increase in the "capturing" of orbs. I think this fact alone speaks volumes about how digital cameras function and the orb type anomalies people are now seeing. Maybe not all, but a significant amount of what users claim as orbs are really just camera error or the settings on it not right for the circumstances under which the photo was taken. Many various type of light "anomalies" are mistaken as ghost orbs (the spirit/energy of deceased humans).
Other common commonly sighted orbs that have real causes, but are often misidentified are: moisture in the air you breathe (that isn't visible to the eye), or dust or insects.
Besides orbs there are other light anomalies that do have some reasonable explanations that are geological and/or are meteorological in nature.
Ball lightning: is a rare event that wasn't even officially recognized by the scientific community until fairly recently. Although it is now considered a real event by the scientific community, not much has been done yet in the way of studying it, but I'm sure more will be forthcoming. Ball lightning is sometimes referred to as a plasma ball. Ball lightning doesn't actually have to be shaped like a ball. In fact many times it is not. It can range in size from small to very large 8-10 feet in circumference. It can be white, diffused white light, or colored red, bluish, green like.This process is a combination may be the result of of incandescence and luminescence (excitation of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere) and/or fluorescence in which methane gasses are released from the ground. Another related cause that can occur is when the geological makeup of the ground has magnetically charged minerals in it or formed in it that have also been known to discharge, causing balls of light similar to earthquake lights. What causes the discharge was not known.
Earthquake Lights: Light phenomenon like this has just recently been recognized by the scientific community. For many years, sightings of earthquake lights were dismissed by the serious geology community. Earthquake lights occur at earthquake fault lines, and before, during or after an earthquake has occurred. These lights are caused by gases being released from the ground and interacting with atmosphere in an electrical static way. The lights can take many different shapes, forms, and colors.Common forms of earthquake lights include bluish flames that appear to come out of the ground at ankle height; orbs of light called ball lightning (see above) that float in the air for tens of seconds or even minutes; and quick flashes of bright light that resemble regular lightning strikes, except they come out of the ground instead of the sky and can stretch up to 650 feet (200 meters). various theories have been proposed for how earthquake lights form, including the disruption of the Earth's magnetic field by tectonic stress and the so-called piezoelectric effect, in which quartz-bearing rocks produce voltages when compressed in a certain way. Now reports state that what causes earthquake lights appears to be an entirely different electrical process. When nature stresses certain rocks, electric charges are activated, as if you switched on a battery in the Earth's crust. The types of rocks that are particularly given to the phenomenon are basalts and gabbros, which have tiny defects in their crystals. When a seismic wave hits, electrical charges in the rocks may be released.The charges can combine and form a kind of plasma-like state, which can travel at very high velocities and burst out at the surface to make electric discharges in the air. Those discharges are what make the colorful light shows.
Another cause of mysterious lights often seen in forested areas are one caused by decaying organic matter. Small eye sized lights can also sometimes setoff by insects nipping at this matter which will then cause a glow of light for a bit. These lights are red, green, white, or red. Furthermore fungus react this same way and can also become illuminated. This process is called bioluminescence and chemoluminescence
Below are some examples of what the processes in science are called:
- Bioluminescence: made by living creatures such as fireflies, glow-worms, and many marine creatures.
- Chemoluminescence: made by a chemical reaction. Glow sticks work this way.
- Electroluminescence: made by passing electricity through something like a gas.
- Photoluminescence: made by shining light at "luminous" (phosphorescent) paints.
- Röntgenoluminescence: made by shining X-rays at things. (The curious name comes from Wilhelm Röntgen (1845–1923), the discoverer of X-rays.)
- Sonoluminescence: made by passing energetic sound waves through liquids.
- Thermoluminescence: made when photons are emitted from hot materials.
- Triboluminescence: made by rubbing, scratching, or physically deforming crystals.
Thunder Lightning: This a relative of Ball lightning and only occurs in the atmosphere in the sky and caused by electrostatic charges that may relate to atmospheric lightning. At any given time above above our atmosphere and out of our sight in the Earth's stratosphere, there can be around 2000 lightning storms/strikes occurring. We just don't see them and are occurring regardless to what our atmospheric weather is. This process is a combination of incandescence and luminescence (excitation of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere)