If you grew up in Louisiana (like me), you will probably recognize this house. If you're not from Louisiana, this is a picture of the Myrtles Plantation. Myrtles is considered to be one of the most haunted places in America. A simple Google search will bring up all sorts of pictures of ghosts and light orbs that have been captured by various eyewitnesses and paranormal investigators. As a kid, I remember having visited this place at least two or three times (maybe more). I was very disappointed that I did not see any ghosts or strange phenomena on my visits...but the visits were during the day. Who knows? It may have been different if I went at night, or even spent the night there. So, from my own personal experience, I cannot testify as to whether it is really haunted or not. Google the pictures and judge for yourself. Oh, wait, I almost forgot to tell you the story behind the hauntings.
The Myrtles Plantation is in St. Francisville, which is just outside of Baton Rouge. Legend has it that Chloe, a slave on the plantation in the 19th century, became the mistress of Judge Clarke Woodruf, the plantation owner. As time went on, she began to fear that Woodruf's affection for her was waning. So, in an attempt to make herself took good again in his eyes, she mixed a little poison in a cake that she baked for his daughters birthday. Her goal was to get the children just sick enough so that she could nurse them back to health, thus being the heroine and assuring herself of her master's affection. Well, as you can imagine, things didn't go as planned. According to the legend, two children and their mother died, and Chloe was found out. Because of what she did, Chloe was hanged from a tree on the plantation.
According to eyewitnesses, Chloe is said to appear very frequently between two trees outside of the home. She is also credited with other paranormal activity that goes on inside the house; things like missing earrings and moving furniture. Historians question whether Chloe even existed, much less there being a story about poisoned children. Regardless of the historicity, there is still other paranormal phenomena that goes on in and around the plantation. In 1987 the owner at the time, Frank Meyers, claimed to have been awaken suddenly by an old black woman wearing a green turban and a long dress. She stood silently by the bed, holding a metal candlestick. Myers just pulled the covers over his head in hopes that she would go away. He let out a scream, and then slowly pulled the covers down. To his surprise, the woman had vanished. Other visitors have reported seeing the ghosts of children and hearing mysterious music coming from the grand piano. The piano plays by itself, then when someone enters the room, it stops, only to start again once they leave the room. Whether the Myrtles Plantation is really haunted is up for debate. However, if you want to see a list of places that are probably really haunted, click here.
When discussing hauntings, it is imperative that we distinguish between three types of phenomena. The first type of haunting is what is called an intelligent haunting. This is when a real apparition is present. In this type of haunting, the spirit is both aware of its surroundings and of the living. These spirits can also move things and answer questions when asked. Most intelligent hauntings are harmless, and the ghosts are usually just trying to get people's attention because they either have something to say or unfinished business that needs to be attended to- much like the case reported by Koch that I mentioned in my post on More Godly Ghosts. However, some can start off harmless just to draw the unsuspecting in, when really they might be malevolent spirits or demons. That is why it is always important to test the spirits.
The next, and most common type of haunting, is called a residual haunting. In fact, this is the main way in which the term "haunting" is used in modern research. A residual haunting is when trapped energy from a past event or person somehow leaves an imprint behind. This trapped energy has no awareness of its surrounding or of the living. These can be noises or visions of a spirit that replays over and over, much like a recording. This imprint is usually caused by an emotionally charged past event. Therefore, it is correct for us to distinguish between apparitions proper and hauntings. As noted above, the distinguishable difference is communication. If the entity is responsive and communicates, then it is an apparition; if not, it is haunting proper. Another way to distinguish the phenomena is to notice if it is repetitive. Often times hauntings are repetitive loops, and only consistent observation will reveal this. Another famous example of a haunting proper, or residual haunting is the soldiers that have been seen charging up the same hill at Gettysburg over and over. Both time and observation have concluded that this is a residual haunting. These types of phenomena are harmless, since the hauntings are oblivious to human witnesses. In fact, I think this phenomena will eventually be explained by science. Some have even evoked quantum mechanics as an explanation (more on this in another post).
The last type of haunting is the most dangerous. Poltergeist, which means "noisy spirit", is a phenomena that makes its presence known by causing a variety of disturbances. These disturbances are usually associated with things being moved around a room, sometimes in a very violent manner. In folklore, poltergeist are troublesome spirits who haunt people, not places. Among moving things, poltergeist phenomena also include scratching, biting, pinching, hitting, and tripping people. In modern parapsychology, the term has nothing to do with the supernatural. Usually, poltergeist are a form of psychokinesis phenomena that center around unstable youth going through puberty or people dealing with high levels of physical and emotional stress (more on this when we get to the psychic section). While I think most phenomena can fit this category, not all do. There are times where this could be a malevolent spirit or a demon spirit. Sometimes, it could be a mixture.
In the case of seemingly paranormal or supernatural phenomena that goes on in a place, it is important to first consider all natural causes. Not every "bump" or noise is a haunting, or ghost, or poltergeist activity. In the case of true paranormal phenomena, it is important to 1). Test the spirits, 2) Observe and see if there is any intelligence behind the disturbances. 3) Notice when the disturbances take place. Do they take place at the same time, and is the same reoccurring phenomena? 4) In the case of poltergeist activity, first consider a form of PK phenomena. Are you are anyone else in your household going through an emotionally difficult time? Do you have adolescences in the home that are going through an emotionally charged time? Next consider a supernatural source. It could be spiritual warfare, or did you are someone in your home do something to invite a spirit in?
Please take this simple word of advice from someone who has moved more times than I would care to admit: Upon every house you occupy, pray over it. Pray the blood of Jesus over it. Ask God to remove any negative imprint that was left behind from the previous owners. Pray that God would rebuke Satan and any other fallen angels that may have once had authority in that place. Rebuke every unclean spirit and demon that may have been invited in either intentionally or unintentionally. Pray God's presence would fill your home and be establish their as the sole ruler and authority. I speak from experience, that if anything is there, it will manifest itself. We had three days of intense spiritual warfare one time when we were praying over a house that we moved into. There were entities there that we both saw and felt, and who were not happy at all about Christians taking up residence in their territory. Also remember to pray over your children, since they too can become susceptible to attack. In fact, this is one of the schemes of the evil one. He will go after the weak and powerless and those who cannot protect themselves. We will cover this more when we talk on spiritual warfare at the end of this series.
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