Home » Mind & Soul » Ghosts » Ghost Theories

Ghost Theories

© Janice Oberding

Most ghost enthusiasts know the theories as to why a place is haunted and why a ghost may linger; Sudden unexpected death, violent death, unresolved conflict, denial and confusion as to what is happening. During a recent class one of students insisted that one had been missed. The other reason, she believed, is love gone wrong. Love after all is the strongest of all our emotions. At first it seemed that this would fit under the unresolved conflict category, but the more I thought about it the more I tend to agree.

How many famous hauntings are direct results of a soured love affair or a love triangle? There are probably hundreds. In Oregon there is the ghostly librarian who comitted suicide because of a runaway beau. Down the coast in Monterey California sightings of the jilted bride are still reported in the Seventeen Mile Drive area, decades after her death.

Then there is the ghostly Pearlin Jean who continued to haunt her faithless lover till the end of his days. Jean it seems, was a lovely young girl who made the mistake of falling for the wrong man. He promised her the world, but his promises were as empty as Al Capone's vault. This of course will also fit under the "Woman Scorned" category.

Love triangles have also been known to give rise to hauntings. Years ago a much older husband was killed by his wife and her lover. They didn't have much time to revel in their freedom. Within a month of his murder, the husband's specter began appearing before them, and demanding they confess to authorities. When his appearances finally drove the wife mad, her lover decided it was time to tell all. There's no word on whether or not the ghostly husband followed him to his prison cell.

There is a rumor that the first and only woman to hang in Nevada was sent to the gallows by the ghost of her victim. Worse, some say he was her first husband, a man she had neglected to divorce before taking the hand of husband number two. Unfortunately husband two was also found guilty of the murder and hanged by the side of his murderous spouse. Love is truly blind.

Suicide, it's said often leads to a restless ghost. But, if we look more closely we'll see that unrequited love is a reason for many suicides. Love can also keep a dearly departed love one from going on to the next plane. Consider the story of Emily, an aged widow who cried herself to sleep night after night. A year after his death, her husband's ghost appeared at the foot of the bed and pleaded with her to let him go. "I need to go on Emily." He begged. "But your tears are holding me here."

The copyright of the article Ghost Theories in Ghosts is owned by . Permission to republish Ghost Theories in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.