Hauntings and Residual Energy – What’s the Difference Between Them?

By Kelti Goudie

Okay, so I’m sure there are all sorts of people out there that like to read up about ghosts and other paranormal activity that has reportedly taken place in a location nearby, it’s something we’re all compelled to learn about, right?  The truth is, most of us have experienced a paranormal experience and probably haven’t totally realized what it is.  We’re all familiar with those scary moments creeping through old houses or hearing those strange spooky noises at night that are far too close to our bedrooms to be entirely comfortable.  The fact is, there’s a difference between a haunting and residual energy.  Both of these are important paranormal events to learn about before you go calling out, “Hello?  Give me a sign you’re here!”

Residual energy is when you walk into a location where emotionally charged events have happened in the past.  It’s a recording of the event playing back. For example, when you are in a haunted house or barn, you notice certain sounds or smells that happen at the same time every day.  It’s like any other recording playing on a loop; it cycles over and over again.  There is some research that says certain people can cause these recordings to occur, which is why some people will go into a haunted house and hear something otherworldly one night, while a different person can go in the next night, and hear nothing.  The people that trigger the recording to start usually tend to be those who have experienced something similar and can relate to the haunting recording in some way.  Though no one knows how these recordings are created, or how they stay with the location, they also relate to an emotionally charged event.  Don’t worry, though, if you’re recognizing these signs in your home or workplace, these are not ghosts that are trying to kill you, they are sharing their story!

A haunting refers to energy from past souls that have lived in a place that is still present there.  When you enter the location and feel a significant shift in the energy/mood around you, this is a sign that one of those spirits is lurking nearby with a history of its own.

Such an experience happened to me when I was travelling over the summer and found myself at an abandoned old four story house with some friends.  It was probably a tourist attraction at some point, but had long since shut down.  As soon as I got within ten feet of this massive house, I got instantly terrified and very skittish.  Not wanting to look like an idiot, I wandered around the external courtyards and oohed at the overgrown cobblestone, but I felt a deep and penetrating fury coming from the main floor of the house.

As I got nearer to it, it got stronger, and I hung quite a ways back, trying to understand what was going on.  I was grateful to find that we couldn’t get into the house, but the aura inside fluctuated from anger to fear to pleading as we looped around and headed back to our cars.  I got inside mine and had to sit there for a while, shaking as I felt the grip of the spirit release me.  To this day, I remember the feeling of having emotions that weren’t entirely my own.  Though I knew I was in no danger, I read up on the house and discovered that – surprise, surprise – a young child had been murdered and it was rumoured his spirit still lingered around, looking for someone to save him.

Though you may think that this experience scared me away from paranormal sightings and readings, it really just intrigued me to learn more about how intense moments like those can exist.  Thus, here we are!