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Ghosts are described as many different things.  Depending upon religious and cultural beliefs, ghosts can be seen as the ancestors of loved ones watching over us or they can be seen as evil entities that are here to torment those still living. 

They are seen by some as souls that have yet to receive a body or souls that have left bodies and are waiting for new ones.  They can be considered spirits that do not know that they have passed or spirits that have passed and want to stay on the earthly plane because of unfinished business from their previous life.

The technical definition of the term “ghost” is the spirit of a dead person, believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats.  There are several different types of ghosts or “haunting.”

Residual, in which the spirit does not realize that they have passed on, continue to perform daily tasks or repeat traumatic/ meaningful experiences over and over.   Intelligent hauntings are the opposite, where in the spirit reacts with its surroundings and those around them.  They can attempt to manifest themselves or move objects.  They can even attempt to speak with you.

Other types of ghosts or haunting include poltergeists and possessions.  Poltergeists are a very rare occurrence.  They are associated with random objects being moved or very loud sounds produced by unseen forces. In essence, they are trying to draw attention to themselves.  They are always centered around a specific individual, usually a child or adolescent.

A possession involves the invasion of the human “host” by a spirit or demonic entity and can influence or entirely control the personality of that person.  During a possession, the boundaries of psychology and religion become unclear.  It is very hard to distinguish between a genuine possession and a problem with that person’s mental status.  Do not be quick to judge, but do not be too quick to assume it is a possession either.  In the case of a possession, contact a paranormal group or religious leader immediately.

Ectoplasm is something that is usually associated with ghosts or spirits.  It is the usually seen in photographs as an immaterial or ethereal substance, especially the presence of a spirit or ghost.  When you picture this, think “mist” or “wispy fabric.” In spiritualism, it can be associated with the substance that supposedly is emitted from the body of a medium during a trance.  Strangely, however, in the last fifty years, there has been no evidence recorded of this phenomenon. 

We can also see “shadow figures” or “black masses” as spirits try to manifest themselves.  Common theory is that for a spirit to show itself or interact, it must draw energy from its surroundings.  It has been thought that when batteries that are fully charged drain completely, when lamps or other electrical objects start to flicker, that this is when the spirit is trying to interact.  By drawing energy, it gives itself mass, there by creating something visible to the human eye.

E.M.F. Detectors or electromagnetic field detectors are tools that are used to calculate and discover when this is occurring.  With the rising or changing of the electromagnetic fields, it is thought that this tool can “predict” when there is a spirit attempting to manifest.  

E.V.P.’s or Electronic Voice Phenomenon is yet another way a spirit can interact with its surroundings.  This occurs when a disembodied voice or sound is “imprinted” on an audio recording device.  It is usually something that is not heard by the human ear at the time of the recording.

There are many different opinions about ghosts.  That is one thing that you must keep in mind.  There is a possibility, when doing research, that you will get varied descriptions of what ghosts are and the reasons that they are among us.  The best advice is to trust what your instincts tell you.  Do not take one person's word on it.  Do your own research and discover for yourself the vast expanse of knowledge that is available to you.