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INFORMATION > Paranormal Faqs The term "paranormal" encompasses many subjects. This list will grow based on the questions we receive or the knowledge we gather during our investigations. Ghosts and activity referred to as a haunting have been recorded in the earliest written records of humankind. While there are many definitions of ghosts, no one has ever succeeded in gathering sufficient proof of what a ghost actually might be. Researchers do have some theories regarding the phenomena of ghosts. We hope to explore these theories and add our findings. We hope that the following information will be helpful to both other ghost investigators and the general public.  What are ghosts?  Have ghosts been scientifically proven to exist?  If there is no proof of ghosts, why do you conduct this research?  Why do skeptics claim that ghost sightings and activity associated with so-called    ghosts and hauntings are easily explained or mistaken predections?  Are there different types of ghosts?  What is a haunting?  What is RSPK?   What are ghosts? There is no single agreed upon answer to this question. The general consensus is that ghosts are the spirits of deceased human beings, a remainder of consciousness or spirit that may remain earthbound or in the physical plane for a number of different reasons. Have ghosts been scientifically proven to exist? We are not aware of any documented scientific studies that suggest ghosts have been proven as a scientific fact. If there is no proof of ghosts, why do you conduct research based on their possible existence? While there is no conclusive scientific proof that ghosts exist, there is certainly a huge body of anecdotal evidence that they exist. Even if ghostly phenomena cannot be defined and cataloged using the scientific method, they have been recorded throughout history. There are also documented cases that have provided enough evidence to support the current theories of the existence of ghosts. But why study something that cannot be proven factual? Simply because current understanding or equipment and the level of technology we have available to use does not provide reliable scientific validation of ghosts does not mean that the phenomena or existence of ghosts will not be verified in the future. The number of occurrences connected with ghostly phenomena that cannot be explained by natural causes is sufficient reason to pursue study in this field. Skeptics claim that ghost sightings and activity associated with so-called ghosts and hauntings are easily explained or mistaken predections. Is there an answer to this? Yes, a great deal of the evidence presented may not be sufficient to dissuade skeptics from their believe that ghosts simply do not exist. This has been the result of inadequate and poor research methodology. However, some evidence gathered by well-educated individuals as well as trained observers has proven extremely difficult to rebuke based on both factual accounts and evidence. Are there different types of ghosts? While researchers might each have a different definition, they do tend to agree that there is a noticeable difference in certain types of ghosts and ghostly manifestations. Further in this section, we will cover many of the theories and classifications of ghostly phenomena. What is a haunting? A haunting might best be referred to as a lingering or continuing period of paranormal activity associated with a specific location, a specific individual or both. What is RSPK? RSPK is a theory often found in connection with cases of poltergeist activity. Poltergeist is a German term for noisy ghost. Parapsychologists theorize that latent psychic abilities can have an effect, psycho-kinesis on material objects. This roughly translates into what is popularly called mind over matter, but in such instances those individuals who are causing the physical disturbance are not aware of being the cause of the disturbance, nor can they control it.   ©2003 by the Washington State Ghost Society | All Rights Reserved