Sentient or Residual Energy: A Recording in Time

O Death, rock me asleep, bring me to quiet rest, let pass my weary guiltless ghost out of my careful breast.
                                                                                                                                               ~ Anne Boleyn

In the field of paranormal studies, there are many theories of what creates a haunting. Many investigators adopt a theory with which they are most comfortable and, hopefully, expand and improve their theory through research and field work. (Warning: If a paranormal investigator speaks in terms of fact instead of theory, smile politely and excuse yourself quickly! There is nothing proven in this field.)

A theory I find most fascinating is the theory of residual and sentient energy. Everything generates some form of energy, - electromagnetic, AC magnetic, AC electric, and radio - including humans. If you place a Trifield meter near most any object, it will register traces of energy.

A great party game is to scan partygoers with a trifield meter to see who is the most “energetic!” (Ok, maybe that’s just a party in my limited social circles.)

Basic knowledge of electrical currents teaches us that energy can fluctuate depending on the source and input/output relationship. A lamp requires less energy than a clothes drier; therefore, the outlet wattage is adjusted accordingly. (Yawn – Try to stay with me. It gets more interesting.)

Humans generate energy in the same manner, but not always at the same levels. Need to run a marathon? Fuel your body to generate long-term, slow-release energy. Living a more sedate life? Reduce your fuel intake and monitor life from the porch swing. But what if you suffer a sudden shock? Where does that burst of energy your body generates go?

The theory of residual hauntings claims that a sudden burst of energy imprints or is absorbed into various natural elements, especially quartz and magnetite, but also wood, gypsum, limestone, and many other elements found in nature and building construction material. This is all based on the 1970s paranormal hypothesis the Stone Tape Theory.

If you apply this scientific theory to paranormal research, then scenes of extreme trauma or shock are prime locations for residual hauntings. Battlefields are a common location for residual hauntings. For some investigators, the residual theory also encompasses the belief that emotional outburst of the living can imprint on the environment.

Unlike a sentient haunting that interacts with the living and is intelligent, the residual theory does not require the releasing of a soul’s energy. Residual hauntings are incapable of interaction with the living because it is a recording and not an intelligent source. In order to experience the residual haunting, you must place yourself in the exact location that the original energy occurred; therefore, (this part is crucial to understanding this theory, so shake yourself awake,) a battlefield residual haunting is not necessarily recorded on the environment by the dead, instead it may be recorded by those who suffered the intense emotions of witnessing the deaths.
A living person must stand in the exact spot of someone who witnessed a traumatic scene in order to visually replay the scene. (Spoiler: Again, this is theoretical. Others have their versions of “residual” hauntings.)

Near the corner of Church St. and Market St. in Leesburg, Virginia, directly across from the county clerk’s office, sits an elegant mid-1700s, two-story brick house. A colonial portico leads to the center front door and is flanked by two 9-over-6 windows on each side. Google “Market St., Leesburg, VA” for a street scene of the building.

As you walk in the front door, there is a parlor to the left. Remain in the foyer looking into the parlor and you may catch a glimpse of a distraught mother dressed in Revolutionary period attire. She sits in a rocker in the corner near the street-side window, sobbing inconsolably. If you move from your spot in the foyer, the apparition will disappear. Step back to the entrance and she reappears.

By applying the residual energy theory, you are viewing the scene the same as someone in history experienced it when they too walked in the front door, stood in the foyer and saw for the first time a woman sitting in the corner sobbing inconsolably. Perhaps it is the father who walked in the door and instantly knew by his wife’s distress that his son has perished in battle. Perhaps it is a child who learns of a parent’s passing.

It is theorized that repetitious activity will also generate a residual haunting. Stairs creaking at the same time each day, doors that swing open at precisely 5:14pm, the sound of a long-gone pet pitter-pattering across a kitchen floor for their morning meal are all examples of residual hauntings. The small releases of energy used to execute the most monotonous, daily actions imprint and accumulate over a period of time to create a recording that replays itself long after the action has discontinued. Makes you rethink your habitual daily activities. Hmmm?

An instance of a residual haunting that is most likely a habitual act is at the McCabe-Patterson Tavern on Loudoun Street also in Leesburg, Virginia. Originally built as a tavern for clientele as distinguished as John Adams, George Washington, marquis de Lafayette, and Henry Clay, the structure eventually evolved into a boarding house and then a funeral home in the late 1800s. It is currently used as offices for numerous businesses.

During one of its many business venues, a harried maid went about her early morning duties, including lugging an oversized basket filled with linens and buckets of water. In the wee hours of the morning, she most likely paused at the base of the stairs before climbing the three flights to strip the beds of overnight guests and replace them with fresh linens or to bring fresh water and empty bedpans.

Two modern-day occupants have witnessed the young maid going about her duties completely unaware of the modern world outside her doorsteps. An employee was unlocking the door at a very early hour to get a jump start on the day’s events. She was startled to see a young girl in period costume sitting quietly on the bench at the bottom of the stairs. With a sigh, the girl lifted a heavy basket and trudged up the staircase, never acknowledging that someone had entered the front door.

Another employee of a business that was leasing office space in the McCabe-Patterson Tavern worked late and decided to nap on the couch in his office. He awoke in the very early morning hours, got up to go to the bathroom and nearly walked into the same maiden as she lugged full buckets up the staircase. If he had not pressed against the landing wall, she would have passed right through him.

Like a recording, residual hauntings will fade over time. The more frequently it is played, the more quickly it will fade. A house that has been sealed for a number of years may have stronger residual energy because the “recording” has not been repeatedly viewed. Or so the theory says!