"Haunting" -vs- "Apparition"

By popular opinion, it would seem that these two phrases could be used interchangeably. The truth is that - in the paranormal world - these two words have very specific meanings, and it is important to clarify the difference.

When referring to a "haunting", it does not just mean that a particular location is associated with paranormal activity. The type of activity associated with a "haunting" is often referred to as "residual activity". This can best be described as activity that is caught in a particular pattern and witnessing said activity is like watching a video on a continuous loop. It is believed to be caused by energy embedded in the surrounding natural materials, similar to burning information into a CD. Once the information is embedded, it will always replay - regardless of witnesses. Some people are much better at seeing this activity than others, just like some CD players work better than others. In both cases, some just don't work at all. If an event is charged with enough emotional energy, it can burn that image into the location. That is why most reports of hauntings have some incredibly tragic occurrence tied to them.

On the other hand, an "apparition" is a ghostly manifestation that appears to have the ability to communicate. This type of manifestation can be associated with a spirit that is still earth bound; perhaps not realizing it is deceased. This activity is often referred to as an "intelligent haunt". They may have a message to deliver, or unfinished business - or they may just be ticked off that you moved into THEIR house, uninvited. The term "crisis apparition", for example, is used to describe the sudden appearance of a loved one that you know to be a thousand miles away, only to find out that - at that exact moment - they passed away. It may be that they wanted to prepare you for the news, or to just say goodbye. In either case, they were trying to convey information.

You will see both the formal and informal terms used on this website, depending on the author of the text. We want to make the information as easy to interpret as we can, but still stay within the proper terminology.