Residual haunting
Encyclopedia
In the terminology of ghost hunting
, residual hauntings, also known as restligeists (German loan word from restlich meaning "residual" and geist meaning "ghost"), are repeated playbacks of auditory, visual, olfactory, and other sensory phenomena that are attributed to a traumatic event, life-altering event, or a routine event of a person or place, like an echo
or a replay of a videotape
of past events. Ghost hunters and related paranormal television
programs say that a residual haunting, unlike an intelligent haunting
, does not directly involve a spiritual entity aware of the living world and interacting with or responding to it.
One of the first to promulgate the hypothesis of residual haunting was Thomas Charles Lethbridge
in books such as Ghost and Ghoul, written in 1961. The subject was explored in Peter Sasdy
's 1972 television play The Stone Tape
, written by Nigel Kneale
. The explanation offered in the play is that light waves are recorded in the walls of a building when they interact with brain waves associated with fear, and the recorded images are reproduced when triggered by brain waves from a fearful observer. The popularity of the programme has led to residual haunting becoming known colloquially as the "Stone Tape
theory."
Ghost hunting
Ghost Hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts.Typically, a ghost hunting team will attempt to collect evidence claimed to be supportive of paranormal activity...
, residual hauntings, also known as restligeists (German loan word from restlich meaning "residual" and geist meaning "ghost"), are repeated playbacks of auditory, visual, olfactory, and other sensory phenomena that are attributed to a traumatic event, life-altering event, or a routine event of a person or place, like an echo
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
or a replay of a videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
of past events. Ghost hunters and related paranormal television
Paranormal television
Paranormal television is a genre of popular reality television programming. Its scope comprises purportedly factual investigations of paranormal phenomena, rather than fictional representations found in such shows as The Ghosts of Motley Hall and Ghostbusters, or cartoon/children's series such as...
programs say that a residual haunting, unlike an intelligent haunting
Intelligent haunting
In the terminology of ghost hunting, an intelligent haunting differs from a residual haunting, being a haunting in which a spiritual entity is aware of the living world and interacts with or responds to it...
, does not directly involve a spiritual entity aware of the living world and interacting with or responding to it.
One of the first to promulgate the hypothesis of residual haunting was Thomas Charles Lethbridge
Thomas Charles Lethbridge
Thomas Charles Lethbridge was a British explorer, archaeologist and parapsychologist. According to the historian Ronald Hutton, Lethbridge's "status as a scholar never really rose above that of an unusually lively local antiquary" for he had a "contempt for professionalism in all fields" and...
in books such as Ghost and Ghoul, written in 1961. The subject was explored in Peter Sasdy
Peter Sasdy
Peter Sasdy is a British film and TV director.As well as numerous TV credits, notably the Nigel Kneale-scripted The Stone Tape , he directed several horror films for Hammer, including Taste the Blood of Dracula , Countess Dracula and Hands of the Ripper...
's 1972 television play The Stone Tape
The Stone Tape
The Stone Tape is a television play directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Michael Bates and Iain Cuthbertson. It was broadcast on BBC Two as a Christmas ghost story in 1972...
, written by Nigel Kneale
Nigel Kneale
Nigel Kneale was a British screenwriter from the Isle of Man. Active in television, film, radio drama and prose fiction, he wrote professionally for over fifty years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and was twice nominated for the British Film Award for Best Screenplay...
. The explanation offered in the play is that light waves are recorded in the walls of a building when they interact with brain waves associated with fear, and the recorded images are reproduced when triggered by brain waves from a fearful observer. The popularity of the programme has led to residual haunting becoming known colloquially as the "Stone Tape
Stone Tape
The Stone Tape theory is a paranormal hypothesis that was proposed in the 1970s as a possible explanation for ghosts. It speculates that inanimate materials can absorb some form of energy from living beings; the hypothesis speculates that this "recording" happens especially during moments of high...
theory."