Popular culture as well as historical culture have both placed more of a spin on this term than the dictionary definition lends itself to. In todays world, believers and skeptics alike both think of ghostly apparitions and poltergiests at the thought of a haunting, just with different points of view.
The thing that we wonder is this: with the recent popularity of shows like "Ghost Hunters", "Ghost hunters International", "Most Haunted", "A Haunting", "Scariest Places On Earth", and "Paranormal State", just to name a few, What does society label as a haunting?
In actuality, a Haunting is the routine occurrence of events that defy explanation. These events can center around a specific person, a place, or even an object, and can involve any number of happenings such as voices or other sounds, moving objects, strange sightings, or even just strange or "creepy" feelings.
So what is it that causes these things?
You can use the links above, or follow the menu on the "What is a Haunting?" tab to learn more about each one.
Possibly more important than what a haunting is, is how that activity effects us as people, and once again, these reactions are as different and numerous as the people who have them, ranging from all out fear, to a comical skepticism and from excitment and wonder, to a mystical awe. Jeremiah, lead investigator and founder of LPI, for instance, has a deep seated faith. His faith dictates to him that there is nothing for him to fear whether seen or unseen, but especially the unseen. This belief, combined with a deep desire for understanding, is what enables him to walk into an allegedly haunted building without fear of what may be inside. For many people, on the other hand, the general fear associated with the paranormal is caused by a lack of understanding. That, as we see it, is LPI's main purpose. To help people understand allegedly paranormal activity by debunking, education, and if needed, spiriutal counseling. Once the lack of understanding, and sometimes unwillingness to understand is overcome, then the fear will generally follow suit. Then and only then, can we all learn as we should.
As you read through the following pages, please remember this: The descriptions these pages contain are not comprehensive or definitive by any standard. They are simply a brief overview of the theories that LPI will tend to subscribe to at this point in time. This field of paranormal research is ever growing and ever changing as any area of scientific study should be. These theories will grow and evolve, or may, with the discovery of new evidence, be discarded all together.
If you have any comments or questions about any of these theories, please feel free to visit our forum where you can discuss these topics freely.
