Haunting
Haunting, to be fully appreciated as a concept, must first be better understood through its connotation. Various dictionaries ascribe to the term "haunting" the following similar meanings:
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"Having a deeply disquieting or disturbing effect."
"Continually recurring to the mind."
"Beautiful, but in a sad way and often in a way which cannot be forgotten."
"To appear in a place repeatedly."
"Continually recurring to the mind; unforgettable."
"Frequenting; visiting often; troubling with frequent visits."
"Evoking strong emotion, especially a sense of sadness, that persists for a long time."
From the published definitions of the word "haunting," a conclusion can be drawn as to what the term represents in the human mind. "Haunting" is a recurring event in a certain place that evokes an emotional effect.
Hauntings, as supernatural occurrences, most often associate themselves with physical structures, such as buildings, caves, lakes, forests, trees, etc. As the term suggests, a haunting is a recurring appearance or activity attributed to a supernatural entity, such as a spirit, ghost, demon, or poltergeist.
Haunted buildings are often seen as being inhabited by spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents, patients, prisoners, or were in some way affiliated with the property. Supernatural activity inside haunted buildings is often attributed to violent or tragic events in the building's past such as murder, accidental death, or suicide.
This association of hauntings of buildings with tragic events of the past carries over to hauntings associated with other types of physical locations, like lakes, caves, and forests. Past tragic events are usually cited as stimuli for supernatural activities.
