That Time My Daughter and I Saw a Ghost

[Mystic Wanderer]

Thank you for that story @"Snarl". 

Residual energy is picked up quite often with those ghost hunting groups. But how do you tell the difference between residual energy and a 'live spirit'? 

This article helps to know the difference.

Residual energy is unchanging, non-interacting, and simply present energy in the space, which can be released and removed often with little work - such as with a smudging and an opening of the windows to get some air circulation in the space to break up the stagnancy.

I don't know that I've ever encountered residual energy. I may have, but it seems my contacts have always been intelligent spirits who communicated with me one way or another.
Some would flash the lights or make noises, knock on walls, or some would speak to me inside my mind; some would touch me, and one malevolent spirit grabbed my ankles and dragged me out of the bottom of my bed.  

Here's an exercise to know if what you are encountering is a real "ghost", or just residual energy.

Next time you sense the presence of something, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and move in and out of the space - as though you are stepping in and out of a hula hoop placed on the floor.

In the circle, do you feel it?
Out of the circle, do you feel it?

Back in and out of the space a few times to see if what you sense is stationary. If you stop feeling it, that’s a sign it’s moved. 
From there, walk around to see if you can find the source of what you felt before. If it’s a Spirit, simply ask it to reappear somewhere. When it does, try to see if it will respond to you. Ask it to do something or otherwise respond to your behavior.
Then, see what happens.

If it’s an intelligent spirit and wants to communicate with you, it will respond.
If it’s a residual energy, it will remain unchanged and non-reactive.

Source