can a place have spirits/ghosts 'living' in it...but not in a way that they want to or ever try to communicate in anyway..they are just there..?

would this be considered a residual haunt?

I know there is an old woman and a small little girl in my parents' house and a very tall man in period clothing. The old lady and little girl don't look like they are from the same time as the tall man. I've only seen any of them one time...so I can't really judge whether they are always doing the same thing at the same time...and I don't live at my parents' house.

What makes me think that the old lady and the little girl are not residual is that when I saw them the old lady was standing in the doorway to the front bathroom and the little girl was in the bathroom standing in front of where the mirror was brushing her har (the mirror was actually not at her height though).....but maybe since the mirror wasn't at her height could signal that it is residual.

The man in period clothing (some sort of soldier's uniform) appeared to be reaching out from the dining room. It was at night, everyone else was asleep...I had insomnia (this was a few years ago when i was living at home for a summer) and I went to go smoke on the front porch, but when I walked into the dining area it appeared to be all smoky or foggy...I flipped out because I thought I had gone nuts or was ill...I went back into the kitchen (you go through the kitchen into the dining area) and stood in the doorway and could still see the foginess and the tall man reached out..and I turned and left. while I was in the dining area still I was VERY disoriented and it was actully hard finding my way out of this small area...felt almost like puking. it felt somewhat breezy.

Both instances happened very momentarily and each 'spirit' or whatever you'd like to call them were like imprints ...there and gone, just like that.


I know this must sound ridiculous, especially to those who don't believe in spirits....but I do, so I'd like to hear any opinions from any side of belief-but I am most interested in hearing from those with experience with spirits, possibly similar to my own.

I don't generally start posts of this nature...in fact I haven't been on this board for several months! Either way...I've had many experiences with things like this..but this one I've always been most curious about.

Thanks in advance.

Those are pretty cool accounts. Its difficult to say whether they are residual, grounded or visiting spirits. The fact you only saw them once, doesnt mean they are not there all the time, or even visit periodically, its hard to tell. I think its great that you got that kind of experience to share. Do you still visit that house, or have any activity in your place? JN

This is normal in resd. however you would normaly see them on the same day at the same time in the same place one or the other.. if they make no contact then their not really a spirit.. so fear not.. however this brings up another point.. by you seeing them that means your a freak like me... (just kidding about the freak thing) I have seen many things like this... your not going crazy i promise.. you are very receptive to the other side... this is a gift you can either decide not to use .. or research how to handle it... and use it for good. I waited thirty years to really let myself come to terms with it.. so take your time.. good luck and let me know if you need anything...

The thing about residual haunting that many people don’t understand is there is really no ghost or spirit present. It is just an imprint of energy left on the environment somehow, and everyone once in a while for reasons unknown it starts to play over again. Another thing people get confused with is that it doesn’t have to spark on the day that the person died, yes it usually is associated with a tragic event but again for reasons unknown it can basically start to play at any given time. Also residuals are not always visual either, the classic phantom footsteps, breathing or conversations between two phantom people can all be attributes of a residual haunting. For instance I know of a man who caught an EVP in a castle of two people speaking early Latin and all of a sudden the drawbridge comes down, the drawbridge has been out of the castle for over 300 years, it is really remarkable.

but to answer your question I do think this was residual, being that there was no type contact or any acknowledgement that they knew you were present.

I visit this house very frequently..my parents still live there.

This sort of thing has been going on for awhile...since I was probably about 4 or 5..that I can remember anyway. It is pretty confusing at times..and most thigns have never really made me feel like I was crazy...except for the fog thing in the dining area, that made my pulse sky-rocket..I didn't know if I was having some sort of seizure or if I had fainted and was dreaming...and when i realized it was all real, back in the kitchen, it made my heart pump all the more quickly.

thank you for your comfort and I don't mind too much being called a freak.

that is really awesome- the experience someone had with hearing early latin and a drawbridge that was out. impressive!

I hate to add details after the fact, but I didn't mention that I didn't notice the old lady, when I first walked into the bathroom, but just one step into the bathroom I turned around because ..I don't know, it was as if I had noticed her but I hadn't and when the realization caught up to me about what I had seen, I turned around and saw her. Her mouth was moving, but I really have no idea if it was her saying something to me or the little girl brushing her hair behind me whom I still hadn't seen until I turned and continuued on into the bathroom....probably the latter because like you said, I think this is residual as well...merely because the mirror wasn't right in front of the little girl.

As for the tall man..he really did seem to want to put his hand on my shoulder.

I wish I knew more history of the house. All I know is that it was built during the Victorian era. My parents' neighbors told me that an old lady who grew her own roses lived there, but I don't think that she died there..so that doesn't much help.

In the upstairs portion, which used to be an attic long before my parents' moved in....always gave me the most unwelcomnig feeling to the point I just couldn't stay up there for any period of time. I don't know if this means anything-but the cats are a-l-w-a-y-s up there!! I can't even stand going up there during the day time though. The same night all of this occured, after the tall man-I went outside to go get my brother's dog who I had let out earlier and I couldn't even drag him inside !

Can there be a residual *imprint* and a spirit? The spirit, even with the feelings of being unwelcome that I have gotten, never seems to really do much...I think he may just be intimidating.

I haven't lived in the house for several years and my parents are fairly disbelieving in these matters-BUT they give what I say I have experienced more credit since I am their daughter...despite that-whenever they tell me of hearing things fall and clank in the middle of the night they will always blame it on the cats and go about their day.

thanks for the responses.

"...I went back into the kitchen (you go through the kitchen into the dining area) and stood in the doorway and could still see the foginess and the tall man reached out..and I turned and left."

looking back- I wish, oh how i wish, that I hadn't turned and left.

going to be moving into a pretty old house myself in the same neighborhood in the next few weeks....kind of hoping there might be something there, but who knows...I don't want to psych myself into thinking there's something when there's nothing

so we'll see

I dont see why you couldnt have both.