All over the world, people from all walks of life believe that the spirits of the deceased can return to the living world. Spanish nations celebrate Dia de Los Muertos every fall to welcome the souls of the dead back to the world for a brief and joyful visit with friends and loved ones. The existence of otherworldly beings in the ancient castles of Ireland is commonly accepted by those living there. In my own country of the United States, people throughout history have told stories of frightening encounters with ghostly figures, and even now at least a hundred different locations are considered by residents to be 'haunted.'

Encounters:

Ghost encounters vary in their details from case to case. Although many people report actually seeing a full-body apparition (a ghostly or shadowy figure of definitely human shape), this is not always the case. More commonly, people report strange occurrences in their homes, such as hearing strange noises, or having sensations of being touched or grabbed by some unseen entity. Some also report simply unusual occurrences in a location, such as lights turning on and off at strange times, doors and windows opening and closing, or objects moving without any obvious cause.

Alternate Theories:

In the latter few cases, the people in question have chosen to explain these occurrences with their belief that a ghost is causing them. However, this may not be the case at all. Regardless of whether ghosts and spirits actually exist, there is no evidence to prove they are responsible for mysterious moving objects or electrical disturbances.

Psychic Phenomena:

Some believe that the human mind is capable of influencing its environment. If this is the case, then many cases of inexplicably moving objects, doors and windows, lights, etc. which are commonly blamed on otherworldly spirits haunting a location, those events might actually be caused by the inhabitants living there. Those who believe in psychic phenomena allege that some stressful situations can cause people to trigger telekinetic reactions in things around them without even realizing it. They may believe such reactions to be the work of ghosts because they are unaware of their own mental abilities.

To learn more about the theories on psychics and psychic phenomena, visit the Wikipedia pages on Psychics and Parapsychology.

'Scientific' Explanations

Skeptics make a habit of saying that ghost sightings almost always have a scientific or logical explanation. Many times, their beliefs are confirmed. Some common events in the home, such as misplaced objects or open doors, may have perfectly mundane explanations, but if the inhabitants are believers in the paranormal, they may be more likely to equate these events with ghostly activity. Frequently, minor paranormal events can be explained by normal events. Air pressure changes or the expanding and shrinking of wooden beams in a home can cause doors to slam or floorboards to make creaking noises. Lights from a passing car outside can reflecte through an open window at night and create strange light patterns that could be interpreted as ghosts. There are many other possibilities, so anyone who thinks they might have ghosts in their home should consider all possible explanations before jumping to conclusions.

The 'Fear Cage' Effect

This term was coined by the cast of the television program Ghost Hunters. It refers to the possibility of paranormal experiences being explained by faulty electrical wiring or similar sources of electromagnetic fields. Electricity creates an electromagnetic field wherever it goes. While this is usually not noticeable (most electronic devices and wiring have sufficient insulation), older homes may have poor or eroded insulation on the electrical wiring in their homes. This is especially likely in basements, where exposed wires frequently criss-cross the ceiling and walls, enclosing the entire area in an electromagnetic field.

Although there is no obvious health risk from being exposed to electromagnetism, a strong electromagnetic field can sometimes affect the functions of the human brain. People who stay in the presence of the field too long may experience a variety of symptoms. Most just become dizzy or nauseas and are overcome with a feeling of unease, but some people are more sensitive to these fields than others. Some experience intense feelings of paranoia and even visual and auditor hallucinations. Hence the term 'fear cage.' The electrical wiring creates a physical cage in which people experience these symptoms.

It has also been suggested that geomagnetic fields (created for example by lunar or solar activity, or the tectonics of the earth's crust) can cause similar effects. This may help to explain why people more frequently report supernatural experiences at night and during full moons.

Ghost hunting, or paranormal investigation, is the act of searching for ghosts and attempting to communicate with them and/or capture evidence of them on video, in photographs, or on audio recordings. The most famous group of paranormal investigators in the United States is The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), made famous by their television series Ghost Hunters.

(I'll be writing another hub on the specifics of contemporary paranormal investigation in the future, but I'm currently running short on time. Look here in a few days for the link to the new hub)