There is much confusion among ghost researchers concerning a residual haunting. Residuals are (by definition) always precisely the same. If not, it is not a recording. The question, then, is: if it isn’t a residual, what is it? There are a number of possibilities:

• The recording “only plays” in the witnesses brain. The slight variations are the result of differences in individual perception. This suggests that residuals are processes of “suggestion”, and the perceptual mapping of the parameters of that visual image;
• The residual is a result of environmental stimulus that produces similar (not precisely the same) results. The cause could be a low frequency magnetic field (with a specific “signature”), and a particular localized stimuli (such as wind, light reflection, or sound wave patterns). The exact position of each witness is important. If they are the same, then environmental stimuli on that particular physical space is the precipitating factor;
• The residual is really an interactive entity who does not respond because of c.s.i. (cultural and social-identifying) factors. This prevents communication between different “status” entities (investigators/ghosts) with different social roles. The result is “silence” (“ghostspeak”).

There are a number of interesting lines of inquiry regarding residual hauntings:

·         Do ghosts really follow the original physical layouts of the structures in which they are said to manifest? ;

·         If an “interactive” ghost is seen to walk through a wall, does it follow the old room layout, or a modified one? ;

·         If the rooms have not be structurally modified (but are functionally different), does this affect the “recordings?

·         Has a comparative study been done of “true residuals” (exact recordings) and interactive entity pathways? What types conform more to the original structure layout? What significance does this have for residual recordings and interactive entity distinctions? ; finally,

·         Does the use of global positional tracking indicate a possible residual haunting re-occurring along the same identical coordinates throughout the haunt network at a location? This should occur each and every time a “residual” is observed or recorded.

The C.A.S.P.E.R. Research Center is currently conducting field experiments to test the differences between “true” residuals and other types of anomalous sensory phenomena. A report on this research should be forthcoming on the website in the coming months.