CLASSIFICATION OF ENTITIES
Christopher Valli
Every nation of the world has its own stories of ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural beings. They have such names as demons, angels, fairies, gnomes, genies, oni, golems, and hundreds of others. It is hard to deny the possibility of their existence when all the cultures of the world contain similar stories.
Through research, I have simplified the different types into four separate classes that have been known to interact with people. These are the different types that a paranormal researcher may have experiences with or hear anecdotal evidence of.
The first class is the human spirit. These are the ones most commonly encountered by paranormal researchers. These are the disembodied spirits of humans, and because of this will often inhabit areas where other (living) people may be. They are sometimes actively looking for a way of making some type of communication with the living world. Sometimes this can be “get out of my house” or a cry for help. Since they were once human they often get frustrated that humans in their environment will ignore them.
There are two basic types of human “haunts.” The first is the intelligent haunt. These are the spirits that can and do interact with the living. This can be seen in such examples as an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) or an electromagnetic field anomaly or cold spot that actively moves in response to the movements of the field researcher. These are the types that will give the best evidence of a haunt for they often want to be acknowledged.
The second type of human haunt is the residual haunt. The residual is not able to respond like the intelligent haunt and is more like a spiritual echo through time. These can be caused by a very traumatic death where the soul itself, in a sense, breaks. A residual haunt can sometimes be classified prior to a field investigation. Listen for stories of a sound or sighting that occurs in the same place or time on a regular basis regardless of the changes in the location.
Elementals are the second class of spirit. These are the fairies, gnomes, leprechauns, and other nature spirits of ancient lore. Elementals are not and never were human; they are beings entirely of the ethereal. They are very reclusive; they do not feel the desire to interact with humans like human souls. The elementals are the spirits who guard over the plants and animals and the elements like air, water, et cetera.
Occasionally the elementals will interact with humans, but not like the human souls do. The average nature spirit has the mentality of a young child and will often play tricks and in general irritate humans. For example, they may poke someone walking down a hall just to make them jump. Remember these acts are not done maliciously, the spirit is simply playing. Due to their small size, it is very hard to pinpoint an elemental with any type of equipment. They may also appear as a small point of light to the naked eye (about the size of a coin). Be nice to them, and maybe they will show themselves to you.
Angels are the third class of spirit. I use the Christian word for these spirits because it is the word most easily understood in English. These are the “beings of light” that exist in all religions in the world. In most, they are pictured with a humanoid body and large birdlike wings. They often appear as or surrounded by a bright light and will only appear for a short time.
These spirits are the beings that work between Heaven and Earth. According to legend, they are the messengers between the two worlds. Angels also work as guardians over people. They are believed to be behind some miracles, such as a child surviving a horrible car crash.
For the paranormal investigator, you will probably never encounter an angel during an investigation. However, it is important to know about all types of spirits. Someone may come and share an experience with an investigator of an encounter with an angel and it is important to be informed.
Demons are the fourth and most dangerous of the classes of spirits. They are both the fallen angels and the beings made of pure negative energy of the universe. It is important that all paranormal investigators understand the existence of these spirits, because it is possible that they may encounter one during an investigation. If not handled properly, a person could be hurt, or even worse, have a demon follow him home.
I suggest that all paranormal investigation groups whether serious or as a hobby should have at least one demonologist associated with them. They do not have to be a full time member and participate in every investigation. However, if the history of a site has many violent incidences and/or visions of a large shadowy form, they should be contacted.
There are many warning signs of a demon. They often create such a negative aura in a location that even a non-sensitive will feel nervous or off. A human’s gut instinct of self-preservation can do wonders, trust it. They may also give off a horrible smell, the stench of hell that cannot easily be described but is unforgettable by those who experience it. Imagine all the bad smells you’ve experienced all rolled into one toxic odor.
If some type of communication is established with the demon, it should be halted. However, remember that they may tell you they are a human spirit, especially the spirit of a child to lower your guard. Demons lie. A lot. Remember also, usually only one demon inhabits a location. They may say more are present to lower your confidence.
They may also affect the people in the house. Demons sometimes have the ability to alter a person’s perception of reality in order to frighten them. In a haunted house, walls do not really bleed or rooms do not fill with insects, demons cast these images into a person's head to scare them away.
Occasionally families living in a house occupied by a demon will have minor to severe health problems. Whether the sickness is caused intentionally by the demon or simply a side effect of the negative energy is undecided, but the family should consider some type of help from the spirit.
One of the most severe attacks by demons is physical assault. Demons have demonstrated the ability to move objects around from books to tables. They have even been known to hurl objects at humans, especially those trying to free the house of the entity. On some occasions, the demons have caused laceration and burn marks on their victim.
The most serious intent of a demon is possession, where a demon enters the body of its victim. This happens in stages. The first is infestation. During this stage, the demon chooses a target for their attack. This can be triggered by a novice delving into the occult, playing with a Ouija board, depression, or many other situations. The demon will actively seek out a target they believe they can be broken and used. The second stage is that of oppression. During this stage, the victim will be tormented by the demon through many different means. This is done in an attempt to weaken the human’s psyche and will. Cuts and burn marks will often appear on the victim during this stage. The final stage is the possession itself, where the demon will enter the body of the victim and lead it down a destructive path possibly ending in death.
Demonic possession is a topic discussed for many centuries. During the more modern age, many psychologists have dismissed the idea. However, in recent events, some psychologists are becoming much more open-minded. Approximately one in thirty serious psychological abnormalities are unexplained by any psychological or physiological means and some psychologists wonder if this is related to demonic activity.
If you believe a location or individual is haunted by a demon the residents should be quietly and calmly informed and they should be referred to the clergy or an exorcist. Remember that a demon is never something you should confront yourself.
