Re the op, I think the idea of a 'haunted house' is possibly what generates so many ghost stories. Ever since I was young, for example, I've loved the whole subject.
Over the years, my 'idea' of what constitutes a haunted house has been challenged, frequently. Initially, 'it' was a big, old, drafty Victorian pile, with lot's of dark corners and creaking floorboards.
The reality is however, weird things can and do happen anywhere. Going back to what Gilly said earlier about events imprinting themselves on particular locations also makes a lot of sense to me. For example, a newly constructed block of flats could just as easily have residents experiencing 'paranormal' stuff as the those that had to live in the building that was there before. Of the cases I've looked at, this is what makes me lean towards the idea that if the consciousness goes on after death, it very much sees things as it remembers them.
In this instance, it sees it's own house, as it was at the time of death. It may occasionally become aware of the new building, but I think this has a lot to do with energy and how the incarnate may 'view' those who aren't dead. Perhaps they just become aware of the energy that comprises all of us? Maybe we look just like a ghostly apparition to them? Perhaps they have not comprehension of us whatsoever and are merely re-running on a loop like a film?
Who knows? It's a very interesting subject though. I was a bit of a non-believer too until I actually experienced stuff for myself that I simply could not explain away without broadening my horizons a little. I think you have to open to that kind of thing initially, or you may well just brush things off, as we all do, without really giving them much thought. Gilly posted some interesting stuff over in the 'Sphooooky Stories' thread though. That there is the kind of stuff you can't really brush off, I'd imagine!
