What Exactly Is A Ghost?

It's a question that comes up quite frequently in paranormal circles. Fortunately there isn't any one definitive answer. Ask a dozen people the question and you'll most likely get a dozen very different answers. That's because there are many types of hauntings and ghosts.

Some ghost aficionados insist that a ghost is nothing more than the pitiful apparition of a dead party who may, or may not, realize that death has overtaken him/her. Until realization strikes, the ghost is doomed to spend time on the earthly plane, repeating the last moments of its life over and over ad nauseam. Don't bother trying to communicate with this ghost, it is unable to interact with the living in any way. Doubtful it even realizes we exist.

There are a few ghost experts who believe that a ghost is only able to haunt a place for a short while before it fades into oblivion. I admit that this one troubled me at first. But the more I thought about it, the more this seemed logical. There are cases of a ghost being reported in an area for a number of years then vanishing away never to be seen or heard from again. The only question that bothers me about this theory is how are the ancient ghosts of Merrie Old England explained. Why haven't they vanished after centuries?

Then there is the one time ghost. This is the apparition of a dearly departed relative or friend who appears, often at the foot of the bed, to warn of some impending disaster. Once the warning has been issued the ghost dissolves into thin air, never to be seen again. This ghost appears most lifelike and surprisingly, is very common.

The ghost of good fortune is very similar. This spirit appears before someone to point the way toward buried treasure or a secret cache. Once the goods have been discovered the ghost departs. The chores on earth are done and it's time to move on.

Vengeance is a strong motive for a ghost to continue to hang around after the final curtain. The vengeful ghost is angry at some treachery done him. Perhaps this ghost is the victim of foul play so he continues to haunt a specific locale in hopes of letting the world in on his killer's identity. A few years ago a very famous murder case was solved in just this way. Some people believe that the vengeful ghost is the only true ghost there is.

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