When Pride Hansen, owner of Metaphysical Learning Center in Reno, approached me about teaching a spirit identification class for the ghost series I manage, I admit I’d never given much thought to the idea of diverse entities in the spirit world.

Here’s what I learned.

Angels

Years ago, I’d thought angels only existed in the Bible and not in modern times. But once I opened my mind to the possibility of a real spirit world, I was fortunate to experience an angel visitation that left me energized and humbled. Angels serve as spirit servants of God, but possess free will, which is why Satan is considered a fallen angel.

Elementals

These energies, governed by the archangels, are linked to nature’s elements of earth, air, fire or water. Usually invisible, gnomes, fairies, sprites and sylphs fall into this category. They live in trees, water, minerals, plants and more. It is said that fairies can be seen as bits of fleeting light.

Ghosts

The spirits of disembodied souls, ghosts are normally associated with a place or object the entity knew in life. It’s said that “white lady” specters suffered trauma in their lives and appear as pale, white ghosts. And, “intelligent ghosts” work to gain someone’s attention through using scents, moving objects and generating noises. Apparitions, transparent human forms, tend to wear clothing from the period when they were alive.

Poltergeists

German for noisy spirits, poltergeists commonly appear when a person living in that house goes through puberty or undergoes strong stressful situations. Usually playful, these entities tend to move objects, make noises and touch people.

Residual Hauntings

This energy acts like a recording of an actual event at the location it originally occurred.  I believe the footsteps on the central stairwell of the Goldfield Hotel and the miners tramping through the Miner’s Cabin in Gold Hill, Nevada are examples of residual activity.

Orbs

These spheres emit dense light and can move quickly in a determined fashion. Multiple photographs must be taken in rapid succession to track an orb’s movement to determine whether it is paranormal or merely a dust mote. For an orb story, see my post, Inside Moon.

Shadow People

This energy reveals itself as a black, shadowy mass taking a human form and is normally seen out of the corner of one’s eye. I’ve had the dubious honor of experiencing these in the middle of the night. Not fun!

Guardian Angels/Spirit Guides

Many believe this spirit is some kind of relation to you that crossed over before you were born. Their purpose is to look out for you and provide guidance.

Thought Forms

I heard about a hotel that made up a ghost story and told everyone about it. People then started experiencing the ghost, even those who hadn’t heard about it. Apparently, this entity had been created solely through the energies of thought.

Our Loved Ones

Of course the most common paranormal occurrences are the visitations of a dear one who’s crossed over. I’ve been touched or feel a certainty surrounded by intense love that a certain friend or relative is with me.

Thank you to Pride Hansen and co-instructor Paul Lindemuth, Nevada Paranormal Institute for teaching this fascinating class! Please chime in at the comment section to share the types of energies you’ve encountered.