THERE IS NO GENERAL PATTERN TO A HAUNTING. SOME PHENOMENA HAPPENS PERIDICALLY AND SOME CONTINUALLY OVER DURATIONS OF A FEW DAYS TO A FEW CENTURIES. NOT EVERYONE WHO VISITS OR LIVES IN A REPUTEDLY HAUNTED LOCATION WILL EXPERIENCE PHENOMENA. HAUNTINGS CAN SOMETIMES BE BROUGHT TO AN END THROUGH EXORCISMS CONDUCTED BY CLERGY OR BY MEDIUMS WHO REPORTEDLY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THE GHOST OR SPIRIT BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HAUNTING. SOME HAUNTINGS END ON THEIR OWN OCCORD FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THOSE THAT SEEM TO BE " PSYCHIC RECORDINGS" OR IMPRESSIONS THAT CERTAIN PEOPLE CAN RECIEVE, DO NOT RESPOND TO EXORCISM. SUCH HAUNTINGS SEEM TO BE ENDLESS REENACTMENTS OF EVENTS.

IT IS ASSUMED THAT MOST HAUNTINGS INVILVE VISUAL APPARITIONS, OR GHOSTS OF THE DEAD. IN FACT, APPARITIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A MINORITY OF REPORTED CASES. MOST HAUNTINGS INVOLVE NOISES, SUCH AS FOOTSTEPS, RUSTLINGS, WHISPERINGS, ANIMAL SOUNDS AND HOWLINGS, THUMPS, TAPPINGS, RAPPINGS; SMELLS, ESPECIALLY OF FLOWERS, PERFUME, BURNED WOOD OR ROTTING FLESH. ALSO THE SENSATIONS OF COLD BREEZES, AND BEING TOUCHED BY AN INVISIBLE HAND. SOME HAUNTINGS FEATURE POLTERGEIST ACTIVITIES SUCH AS REARRANGED FURNATURE, STOPPED CLOCKS, SMASHED GLASS WARE AND MIRRORS, AND THE MOVEMENT OF OBJECTS.

PEOPLE OFTEN EXPERIENCE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AT A HAUNTED SITE, INCLUDING ANGER, FEAR, OR HATRED. THEY ALSO MAY SENCE A PRESENCE OF EVIL. OTHER HAUNTINGS SEEM TO INVOLVE FRIENDLY OR BENIGN GHOSTS.

SOME HAUNTINGS ALSO FEATURE PHANTOM ANIMALS, SUCH AS PET DOGS, CATS, AND HORSES, WHICH ARE SEEN, FELT, OR HEARD IN THEIR FAMILY SPOTS.

POLTERGEIST HAUNTINGS ARE CHARACTERIZED BY VIOLENT PHYSICAL DISTURBANCES SUCH AS FLYING AND LEVITATING OBJECTS, BANGING DOORS, ASSAULTS ON PEOPLE AND RAPPING AND THUMPING NOISES. THESE DISTURBANCES OFTEN SEEM TO BE CAUSED BY LIVING PERSONS; THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT SOME POLTERGEISTS MAY BE DISCARNATE SPIRITS.

LITTLE IS KNOWN HOW OR WHY HAUNTINGS OCCUR. THOUSANDS OF HAUNTINGS HAVE BEEN SYSTEMATICALLY INVESTIGATED SINCE THE LATE 19TH CENTURY. MANY EXPLANATIONS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, BUT THERE IS NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ONE MORE STRONGLY THAN ANOTHER.

AN EXPLANATION FOR AT LEAST SOME HAUNTINGS FAVORED BY MANY GHOST INVESTIGATORS IS THAT OF THE "PORTAL," AN OPENING TO THE OTHER DIMENSIONS THAT ALLOW SPIRITS TO ENTER THE PHYSICAL WORLD. BELIEF IN PORTALS IS ANCIENT AND UNIVERSAL. CERTAIN PLACES THAT ARE SACRED SERVE AS NATURAL PORTALS. WELLS HAVE OFTEN BEEN RECOGNIZED AS NATURAL ENTRYWAYS FOR SPIRITS. OTHER PORTALS CAN OPEN AT PLACES ASSOSIATED WITH DEATH, SUCH AS HOSPITALS, HOTELS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND THEATERS; AND LONELY PLACES SUCH AS LIGHTHOUSES. NUMEROUS REMEDIES TO END HAUNTINGS EXIST AROUND THE WORLD. SOME ARE SIMPLE, SUCH AS SWEEPING OUT THE SPIRITS WITH A BROOM. OTHERS ARE MORE ELABORATE, SUCH AS FORMAL RITES OF EXORCISM. SUCH MEASURES DONT ALWAYS SUCCEED.

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