Residual Energy And Haunts by Mark Hunnemann - Part 1
Residual Energy And Haunts by Mark Hunnemann - Part 2
Residual Energy And Haunts by Mark Hunnemann - Part 3
Distinguishing between intelligent and residual haunts strikes at the heart of the matter because that is the primary debate: the paranormal community assumes the existence of non-intelligent hauntings while I deny them. Everything revolves around this crucial issue, including the temporal and eternal welfare of the homeowner. Why eternal? Because if it is demonic, then the intensification of their presence and influence will cause the affections of the homeowners to be turned away from their only source of salvation and deliverance: Jesus. All of the other horrible effects of demonic oppression pale in significance with this because one’s relation to Jesus will determine where they spend eternity: heaven or hell. Where will you be in 100 years? 1,000 years? 1 million years from now? You will either be in eternal and unspeakable joy, or in eternal and unspeakable torment. Perhaps now you understand why I’m so passionate and relentless in demolishing this notion, which is accelerating people’s damnation.
Has anyone ever given you the ‘cold shoulder’? Ever gotten/given the silent treatment, for hours or even days? I’ve known siblings who would not speak for years. I ask this question at the outset to set the stage for determining intelligence based on meaningful encounters or communication. Typically, the investigators only spend a few hours at a location, and during that time they are put in the position of deciding whether the apparition/activity is intelligent or not intelligent; do they ever consider it may be intelligent but they are being given the ‘cold-shoulder?’ I don’t think so.
Frankly, it disturbs me that something so significant (especially for the homeowner) is decided in such a quick, subjective, capricious, contradictory, non-systematic, and non-uniform fashion. Indeed, for many they assume it is residual unless proven otherwise. Thus, this ‘tacit dimension’ will cause them to see what they are inclined to see. There are no agreed upon guidelines for determining the distinction between intelligent or non-intelligent hauntings. The problem is exacerbated when oftentimes the same location allegedly has both residual and intelligent activity. So, how does one distinguish between the two? How do you distinguish between intelligent footsteps/bangs and non-intelligent footsteps/bangs? And both intelligent and non-intelligent haunts are said, at times, to have exactly the same activity…exactly the same way of looking, smelling or sounding. Exactly the same. The criterion differs from one person to the next as to how to decide and when. What should be the main ‘give away’, because it differs from one individual to the next?
1.The most common test to determine the distinction is done via EVP or its equivalent. If there is an intelligent reply then it’s obviously intelligent, but if there seems to be no attempt to reply or interact in an intelligible fashion, then it is usually automatically assumed to be residual in nature. But the tests are anything but uniform in nature. How many EVP’s do you need to make that huge decision? If the voice is hard to understand, how do you classify that? What has to happen, or not happen, in order to make the massively significant decision that the haunt is not intelligent, and thus poses no problem to the client? Is it one EVP that goes unanswered or answered in odd way? Or two? Three? How many… and at what point is it clearly residual? This is a huge problem for investigators because we forget how differently each person perceives the same data (per Polanyi), and how complex humans can be (dead or alive, for arguments sake)
And is it really wise, or scientific, or biblical to believe/trust voices caught via EVP, especially given the reality of the demonic? If spirits don’t comply on first request with flashlight test, are they deemed non-intelligent? What if they are in the other room? Giving you the cold shoulder? (assuming ghosts for arguments sake)
2. Moving vs stationary cold spots? Cold spots that do not move are said to be residual but those that move are intelligent. Showing the subjectivity of this process, some attach great significance to this distinction, and others not so much. May I ask a question: Can you stand still? Does that mean you are non-intelligent while you remain stationary? Seriously, humans or demons can both stand still. That is a silly test. Assuming ghosts for arguments sake, suppose they are sitting in a chair reading a book? Or combing their hair? Or a demon staring at you with utter contempt and hatred.
3. For some, phantom footsteps or knockings are always/usually considered residual. For others, they assume the opposite, and for still others they are up in the air. Which is it?
If an event is seen in the same place regularly, then it’s considered residual—as if demons can’t create patterns, or humans be creatures of habit as when alive? Or perhaps some earthbound spirits tend to be OCD, due to the trauma or unfinished business?
Consider this scenario: investigator A asks “what did you do?” Two minutes pass and he asks “who are you?” Five minutes later he gets an enigmatic reply, “ac energy.” He scratches his head and assumes it is non-intelligent. However, later that day, his researcher comes along and tells them that Tesla had once lived there for a brief period. Tesla was the brilliant inventor of ac energy. That one bit of information immediately changed his analysis from non-intelligent to very intelligent. It all changed in the blink of an eye based on one bit of information that they could have easily overlooked, or never discovered in the records.
My point is, that you would have to be omniscient (all knowing) to rule out the possibility that the reply was intelligent, given all the possible variables involved (that’s assuming ghost theory, again) One would have to know everything about everyone who was ever even remotely associated with the house, to make the informed comment that the EVP was not meaningful in any way. How do you know the comment is absurd or non-intelligible, when the dumbest sounding reply may have profound significance for someone else who once lived there? I grew up in a family with ten children and the nicknames we gave each other would sound utterly absurd to an outsider if heard in an EVP, but I would recognize them immediately.
4. Maybe the ‘ghosts’ were irritated and spoke sarcastically (this is often said to be the case in intelligent haunts), just to irritate the investigator? Again, the cold shoulder treatment. Maybe they are shy and don’t like talking to strangers; there is said to be an alleged continuity of personality after death between the living person and their ghost. So, how would you factor in shyness, emotional states, or even mental health issues? Perhaps they are not even in the room with you? Even assuming the truth of non-intelligent haunt for arguments sake, on their own principles, there are numerous reasons why intelligent spirits may come across as non-intelligent….thus creating insuperable problems for distinguishing. Maybe their energy level was low? Is that not the rationale behind the EMF pump—to give the spirits more energy to manifest or speak more clearly?
Many investigators consciously or unconsciously assume that most paranormal activity is residual unless proven otherwise…and that can color ones perception of the data or perceived phenomena, and cause them to make a hasty or inaccurate conclusion. One well-known demonologist based their claim for ‘residuality’ merely on the presence of an orb. To him, an orb was automatically assumed to be evidence of residual energy, but many other investigators see orbs as one form intelligent spirits can take. Which is it?
Why can’t an orb be seen as one form in which a demon manifests? But the point is the lack of uniformity of tests for residuality and different opinions regarding what constitutes intelligence.
This is clearly a problem for the paranormal community because one man’s intelligence is another man’s non-intelligence. Might the investigators come to a different conclusion if they called in a godly Christian demonologist who confronted all this alleged energy? I’ve done that on numerous occasions and they always made their intelligence and evil known; sometimes surprising the homeowners because they always seemed to be non-intelligent in their presence. They will conform to our expectations, but since I know that they are intelligent they have never tried to act stupid around me. They will do other things…
5. Appeal to Experience—"I’ve been doing this for 30 years, and I have developed the ability to sense when an energy is intelligent or not.” This is one field where longevity does not equal wisdom. The longer you are disobeying God by communicating with demons, then the more your years actually work against you. Sadly your mind will become darkened, and your ability to distinguish between good and evil will actually diminish with time; your reasoning ability will be adversely affected. How can you expect to distinguish between intelligent and non-intelligent energy when there is no such thing as residual energy? It is naïve to pit your innate abilities against the evil one—because he can make you feel or sense anything, including a demon that feels like non-intelligent residual energy. He can make a room feel happy, peaceful and even holy.
Please do not call what you do the Holy Spirit’s gift of discernment either. For two reasons: by contemptuously ignoring the Almighty’s warnings (Deut. 18:10-14), you have diminished your spiritual authority in discernment. Second, the biblical gift of discernment was given to detect the presence of the demonic; not residual energy or ghosts. 1 John 4:1-5 deals with discerning an either/or. There are teachers who are either: energized by the Holy Spirit, or teachers energized by unholy spirits. That is the test; not testing for earthbound spirits or non-intelligent energy.
For many, they come to the conclusion based on a sixth sense or ‘discernment’ or by their resident sensitive/empath/psychic/medium (again condemned by God, Deut. 18; Lev.19-20)—it feels or appears non-intelligent to them (‘spirit guide’ tells them). But this is all subjective and Satan can cause an environment to feel peaceful and even holy, or an energy to feel non-intelligent. If he can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), then appearing/feeling as a non-interactive spirit/energy would be a snap. Both are deceptions. But that is how many folks make their assessment of residual energy….by its feel. Or perhaps a medium tells them so. But the bible condemns the activity of mediums in the strongest terms by calling this activity an abomination in His holy eyes. Demons are the masters of the psychic airwaves after all, not psychics or mediums. Psychic and mediumistic activity breaks God’s heart because He knows how much it will bring harm to these dear people. Christians have no business employing either psychics or mediums, and it will expose all to demonic oppression.
And in this connection, it is worth noting that in the Great Commission, we are not told to deliver people from residual energy haunts. The apostles healed, preached, did miracles, exorcisms, and all sorts of things, but not this. If residual energy haunts are as common as we are told, then it would have been a huge oversight on Jesus’ part to not mention it. The Greek word for ‘energy’ is used often in New Testament and often has similar meaning to ours, without the modern, quantum aspects to it. The point is that the bible says of itself that the Word of God is sufficient for all situations we face; 2 Tim. 3:16-17. And if residual haunts are as common as we are told, then the Word of God is being implied as being insufficient.
Many investigators naively assume that the presence of the demonic will always be associated with sulfur smells, Satanic rituals, or violent reactions to ‘holy objects”; or that their body will have a negative reaction to demonic presence. That is Hollywood. The truth is that demons often appear and feel happy and holy…or non-intelligent. And your body may feel nothing, or non-intelligence.
6. Demonic Collusion:
Regarding distinguishing between intelligent and non-intelligent haunts, it is vital to note the demonic strategy of collusion. Here is a definition of the term: ‘secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, in order to deceive others.’
The essence of demonic collusion is the secret cooperation between Satan and demons to deceive us into thinking they are either ghosts or non-intelligent. Focusing on the second, there is a militaristic hierarchy amongst demons and much strategizing. (Eph. 6) Satan is a brilliant military strategist, and he will devise elaborate ruses to persuade folks that his army is merely looping energy, in order to retain their foul presence in our homes. He will do all he can to make sure the pertinent historical data is ‘discovered’ by the researcher, and that his occupying forces convince you of their non-intelligence.
Satan is a keen observer of human beliefs and behavior. The supreme opportunist, he will adapt his (and his army of demons) strategy to suit his desires, and investigators assumptions/expectations. If this is true, then don’t you think that demons are intelligent enough to act non-intelligently in order to deceive us as to their true identity? Deception is their specialty after all. I’m convinced that demons know how wed investigators are to this concept, and this is a perfect ploy to dissuade any attempts to banish them. Why send out the ‘cavalry’ to cleanse a home when it is merely an interactive museum of non-intelligent energy from long ago? If I was Satan (no comment) I certainly would jump all over this notion like white on rice and use it to extend the kingdom of darkness. Demons will act dumb all day if that will allow them to not be banished and extend their reach of darkness.
How many times at a reveal has the team leader told a homeowner that they have nothing to worry about because it is just energy looping? (Satan is laughing)Meanwhile this ‘energy’ is causing heaviness, sickness, relational distress and even attacking people, and worst of all, turning people’s affections away from Jesus. Folks have this mistaken notion that demonic haunts are always overtly hostile, but in reality, many of their worst infestations are seemingly happy in nature. Demons/unclean spirits/fallen angels (biblically synonymous) are happy to ‘sit in the corner’ and act like spiritual radioactivity, eating away at the families entire well-being, especially spiritually. They are the supreme opportunistic hunters; adapting their strategies to catch prey based on what they know to be our assumptions regarding residual energy.
As the supreme opportunist and hunter of souls, the devil goes with the flow of developments in the paranormal/parapsychology fields (since they are doing things which are an abomination to God). If a group is investigating a house situated near a civil war battlefield, then he knows that having his demons appear as repetitive civil war soldiers will seemingly validate the investigators claims for why this residual haunting is occurring; and reinforcing 2 of his most successful deceptions-intelligent human haunts and residual haunts. The demons were there when the battle occurred and know how to mimic specific people, whom the homeowners may have photos of. (same with home investigations as well) We have changed our language—we are calling pure evil, residual energy.
One of the clearest examples of demonic collusion on TV is The Dead Files and the uncanny way that Steve D happens to find exactly the same evidence that Amy is experiencing in her ‘visions’. Countless times their findings have reinforced each other in ways that can only be explained in terms of demonic collusion; unclean spirits are secretly working together to ensure that this TV program further deceives people.
Demonic collusion is the main key to understanding the problems with attempting to distinguish between intelligence and non-intelligence. We are not intelligent enough to do battle with Satan in our own power.
If you wish to come to terms with the biggest problem with trying to distinguish between intelligence and non-intelligence, then you must understand demonic collusion, or you will be left in the dust. At the heart of the seeming non-intelligence of the activity of a home is a very intelligent, very intentional, secret cooperation amongst demons to deceive the homeowners and investigators that they are not who they really are. And based on what’s happening now, their collusive efforts are very successful. They are collusively milking this dreadful notion for all its worth in deceiving people into letting them stay.
In numerous cases I’ve had, the folks were certain that it was residual in nature, but in every case it turned out to be demonic when confronted in the name of Jesus. It is amazing how many alleged non-intelligent haunts suddenly became very intelligent and evil when confronted in the name of Jesus. It grieves me how many dear people have been given a severely deformed, inaccurate diagnosis of the problem, and thus the remedy was also deformed and misguided.
Intensified demonic activity can and does accelerate people’s damnation, and the investigators who put them in harms way will themselves be held accountable. It is also instructive how many investigators develop a very intelligent, evil attachment from a place that was supposed to be only residual energy. That should not happen if its only energy, but it happens often. Very often, and is tragic. This points to the demonic.
In closing, Ockham’s razor states that the simplest explanation that explains the phenomena is most likely the correct one. Simple symmetry to it. To state that all true paranormal phenomena, as well as all alleged residual energy haunts are demonic in nature is the simplest explanation; and easily and comprehensively explains all the phenomena—and it does so without violating any of God’s absolute scientific laws …..or relying on man’s subjectivity….or postulating abstruse theories. And it fits the biblical view of the reality of fallen angels operating in the realm of ideas, who are super-intelligent and pure evil, master deceivers. It only seems laughably simplistic sounding if you are already oppressed by evil. In 2 Cor 10 we see that demonic strongholds are not just action oriented—folks being scratched, but the realm of ideas and beliefs are a vital diabolical target area. And the notion of residual energy/haunt is a demonic stronghold which needs to be pulled down.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
