5 Paranormal Theories That Could Explain Everything
What if the strange things we brush off as ghost stories… actually have scientific explanations? Or worse - what if they don’t?
Whether you’re a die-hard sceptic, a ghost-hunting girly, or just a late-night overthinker with trust issues and a haunted mirror, these five theories might just rewire the way you look at the paranormal. Some lean scientific. Some spiritual. All of them? Creepy in a “wait… what if?” kind of way.
The Stone Tape Theory: Hauntings as Residual Recordings
The premise:
What if some ghosts aren’t conscious spirits… but emotional recordings trapped in the environment?
Where it comes from:
This theory gained traction in the 1970s, inspired by the 1972 BBC drama “The Stone Tape".” But similar ideas existed long before. The belief is that certain materials - especially stone - can “absorb” intense emotional energy during traumatic events. That energy may then “replay” under the right conditions.
How it supposedly works:
Think of it light analogue tape: traumatic or emotional moments leave an energetic imprint on the environment. Later, electromagnetic shifts (like changes in humidity or atmospheric pressure) can “trigger” the playback, causing witnesses to see or head ghostly events.
Scientific interest:
There’s no confirmed mechanism for how stone could record information this way. Still, researchers have drawn parallels to piezoelectric effects - where crystals produce electric charges under pressure - and magnetic fields interacting with quartz, which is common in many buildings.
Creepy case study:
Some believe Borley Rectory, once dubbed the most haunted house in England, was a classic Stone Tape site, with multiple ghostly sightings that constantly repeated, as if on a loop. But no real interaction. Just replays.
So what if…
… the ghosts you’re seeing don’t know you’re there? And they can’t interact. Because they’re just echoes.
Infrasound: The Sound You Can’t Hear But Definitely Feel
The premise:
Low-frequency sound - below 20 Hz - can trigger fear responses, panic, and even hallucinations. It’s basically the universe gaslighting you.
The science:
Infrasound is very real and measurable. Elephants use it to communicate across long distances. Natural events, such as earthquakes, thunder, ocean waves, or even wind passing through specific structures, can generate infrasound. You can’t hear it, but your body can respond with everything from anxiety and nausea to visual disturbances.
The ghost link:
In 1998, researcher Vic Tandy was working late in a supposedly haunted lab when he felt a creeping sense of dread - and saw a shadowy figure. It turns out that a fan was emitting a 19Hz frequency - the exact resonance of the human eyeball. The “ghost” was a trick of sound waves vibrating his vision.
Places it might show up:
Old buildings with large, empty spaces
Underground tunnels and catacombs
Areas with lots of wind, pipes, or large-scale machinery
“Cursed” objects near low-frequency electronics
So what if…
… your haunting isn’t a ghost. It’s your body reacting to the air itself.
Tulpa Theory: When Belief Becomes Reality
The premise:
A tulpa is a being or entity created entirely from thought, brought into existence through intense mental focus, belief, or imagination. Spooky manifestation, but make it metaphysical.
Origins:
The concept comes from Tibetan Buddhism, where monks were said to create tulpas through deep meditation. These were thought to be independent entities - not hallucinations, but actual beings with consciousness, existing outside the mind of the creator.
The western twist:
In the modern era (and especially on the internet), the tulpa concept took a darker turn. Creepy pasta legends, such as Slenderman, gained so much shared belief and energy online that some claim these fictional beings have started to appear in real life.
Psychology or paranormal?
Some argue that tulpas are psychological constructs, similar to dissociative identity states or externalised imagination. Others believe they cross into something more: a collective psychic manifestation made real by belief.
Famous examples:
Philip the ghost - a paranormal experiment in 1972 where a group of researchers “created” a fictional ghost through group belief… and then seemingly made contact with him.
Slenderman stabbings - two girls in Wisconsin claimed they acted under the influence of the fictional creature, convinced he was real.
So what if…
… we’re haunted by things we created ourselves - with stories, fears, and viral posts?
Quantum Hauntings: Bleed-Throughs From Parallel Realities
The premise:
Ghosts aren’t the dead - they’re people alive in another timeline, bleeding through into ours.
The science(ish):
Quantum physics tells us our universe may not be the only one. The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics suggests that an infinite number of realities exist, each slightly different from our own. Some believe the “paranormal” could be moments where two realities overlap, creating glitches.
How this fits hauntings:
That Victorian woman walking through your hallway might not be a ghost. She might just be in her own house… in a universe where it’s still 1885. You’re the intruder.
Creepy implications:
Ghosts aren’t dead - they’re living people
We might also be the ghosts in someone else’s universe
Some paranormal encounters might be mutual - both sides seeing flashes of the other
Real-ish reports:
People often describe ghosts who appear solid, confused, or unaware of being dead. These aren’t your classic “unfinished business” spirits - they act more like people caught mid-step.
So what if…
… hauntings are just cosmic misfires - and we’re all accidentally spying on each other through the veil?
Shadow People: Visitors From Another Dimension?
The premise:
You see a dark figure out of the corner of your eye. It moves. You turn - it’s gone. Welcome to the world of shadow people.
What are they?
Reports of shadow people span cultures and centuries. They’re often described as tall, featureless black figures - sometimes with red eyes, sometimes with hats (yes, the infamous Hat Man). They’re usually silent, neutral, and vanish quickly.
The theories
Sleep paralysis? Maybe many shadow encounters happen when people are semi-conscious.
Tulpa manifestations? Possibly.
Demonic entities? That’s the traditional spooky take.
Interdimensional beings? Increasingly popular in the age of portals, glitches, and multiverse theories.
The interdimensional angle:
Some believe these figures aren’t spirits - they’re entities from another realm, slipping through into ours for reasons we can’t understand. They don’t interact. They watch. And sometimes… they linger.
Creepy consistency:
People around the world, with no apparent connection to each other, report nearly identical experiences with shadow figures. No cultural influence. No shared backstory. Just pure, unsettling synchronicity.
So what if…
… we’re not alone in this dimension - and they’re watching us the way we watch ghost shows?
Final Thoughts: Maybe It’s Not Ghosts. Maybe It’s Reality.
The creepiest thing about these theories? None of them require ghosts to be dead people.
Some are based on physics. Some on belief. Some on weird little vibes our bodies pick up when science hasn’t got caught up yet. But every one of them makes space for the paranormal to exist… just not in the way we expect.
So next time you feel something behind you…
Just remember - it might not be “just your imagination.”
It might be your eyeball resonating at 19 Hz
… or someone from another timeline taking a wrong turn through your living room.
Are any of these theories plausible to you? Which ones freaks you out the most?
Let’s get weird in the comments
Beth 🖤