Reality, or Hallucination

Over the past seven years, I have investigated locations that are haunted. Subsequently we end up finding people that are haunted. Although the haunt is from an entirely different reason. The First most commonly reported cases of paranormal occurrences have to do with "Sleep Disorders". A Mental Phenomenon occurs at our threshold of consciousness that is a natural bodily process as we sleep, called REM atonia that results in a paralytic paralysis that prevents us from acting out in our dreams. In some instances, caught in between a sleeping and wakening state. You are aware of the paralysis, which usually passes in a few minutes as you return to full wakefulness in some cases can include visual hallucinations, or strange sensations, such as feeling a distinct foreign presence in the room, seeing shadows, or hearing footsteps. Typically, episodes would occur from a nocturnal awakening, and could happen at any time of the night. Initially, symptoms would occur at random, from weekly, to a month or two apart for the preceding month, events can increase to several times a night. People often report encountering apparition-like entities or other worldly beings including monsters popularly known as "waking dreams" or "night terrors, and has been proposed as an explanation for reports of paranormal activity.

Anxiety Disorders are common psychiatric disorders that effect about 14% of Americans characterized by excessive and abnormal fear based on real or imagined events.

Common Symptoms: (sleep paralysis)

Last night when I was sleeping, I thought I was having a dream, but now I am not so sure, it felt so real. It was as if I was above myself. Lying on my bed I felt as if my wrists and ankles were being held down, something very heavy was on top of me. I tried to move and I tried to yell but I could not. Then, just as I woke up, it was gone and I felt very strange and could hardly breathe. I stayed awake for hours thinking about what it could be.

Sleep terrors: (night terrors)

Sleep terrors are the most disruptive arousal disorder since it may involve loud screams and panic; in extreme cases, it may result in bodily harm or property damage by running about or hitting walls. Unfortunately, all attempts to console the individual are futile and may prolong or intensify the victim’s confused state. Usually the victim experiences amnesia after the event but it may not be complete amnesia. Up to 3% of adults suffer from sleep terrors, and exhibited behavior of this parasomnia can range from mild to the extremely violent.

Fantasy prone personalities are the cause of the third most reported type of paranormal activity. A fantasy prone person spend a large portion of his or her time fantasizing, have vividly intense fantasies, have paranormal experiences, and often confuse or mix their fantasies with their real memories.

Pseudologia fantastica

In psychiatry, also called mythomania, compulsive lying or pathological lying, is a behavior of habitual or compulsive lying. Pathological lying has been defined as "falsification entirely disproportionate to any discernible end in view. The individual may be aware they are lying, or may believe they are telling the truth, being unaware that they are relating fantasies.

Exposure to toxins

Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and initially a non-irritating toxic gas. Because it is very difficult for people to detect, (CO2) can kill you before you are aware it is in your home, and is often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea, and fatigue. Carbon monoxide poisoning can become life threatening in a matter of hours. Testing for Carbon monoxide is critical with the onset of these symptoms.

Long-term exposure to high electromagnetic fields - EMF can cause serious health concerns. Devices that produce high levels of EMF will continue to emit EMFs even when turned off. Household wiring is another source of high EMF exposure; you should hire a qualified electrician to investigate and repair the cause. Symptoms from high EMF exposure are similar to Carbon monoxide poisoning, and can include biological stress, anxiety and depression.

Your mind dictates your reality. There is a thin line between a dream, and the world you surrounded yourself in…

Perception and Reality

What most paranormal teams do not take into account that the biggest cause of Ghost sightings are due to emotional trauma such as a recent bereavement, mourning the death of a loved one or the most common, mental illness? There are unsuspected dangers when it comes to the human mind that best served by a medical professional. Our memories during times of grief or illness are at their strongest. A simple act can trigger memories that can take you to a time when you envision what you expect to see, even if what you are envisioning is no longer there. Then other times it is a matter of assuming or mistaken what seen. It is normal for your brain to fabricate a mental representation for a substituted reality. How our brain deals with processes sensory input, comprises how we perceives the world around us, and a lot of the time that perception is wrong. We see the world around us as stable, even though our sensory input is incomplete, and rapidly changing. People suffering from Schizophrenia have symptoms ranging from distorted thoughts, feelings of paranoia and hallucinations. They are usually withdrawn or easily agitated, and account for the second most commonly reported cases of paranormal occurrences. Medications can also cause similar symptoms as Schizophrenia make sure the individual that is experiencing unexplained phenomenon consults with a health care professional. 

Prescription medications can cause hallucinations, either as a common side effect, which can cause people to believe they are seeing or hearing something that is not there. When encountering someone that is experiencing side effects to have them consult with their doctor to check for health problems. As paranormal researchers, you should never take the place of a health care professional. Suggesting a course of treatment can aggravate possibly yet unknown health problems not only risking the health of the client as well as opening you up for civil and criminal recourse. Even providing an aspirin to someone can be interpreted in a court of law as practicing medicine without a license. 

Visual hallucinations while sitting in the dark

In the dark, the human mind begins to lose its grip, causing test subjects to experience visual and aural hallucinations. A Study done by psychologist Peter Suedfeld from the University College London said when a group of people is placed in a dark, quiet room, many start hallucinating after just a few minutes. The participants who were not prone to hallucinations started hallucinating after 15 minutes. What we saw for sensory deprivation hallucinations is that when there is no information coming in (the brain), the brain produces an alternate reality of what is supposed to be there, some experiences were reported to be unpleasant. Same thing happens when you take hallucinogenic drugs.