What are ghosts and spirits?

The two words “ghosts” and “spirits” have been used inter-changeably for hundreds of years.
Ghost is from the Anglo-Saxon gast, while spirit is from the Latin spiritus. As language developed,
the word ghost came to being used in describing the appearing of a recognizable person appearing
after their death; while a spirit came to be understood as the manifestation of an unknown person.
Ghost hunters on the other hand, will look at ghosts and spirits differently. In the ghost hunting
community, ghosts would be disembodied people who are “stuck” in this physical world, typically due
to trauma or unfinished business here on earth. They have not moved on into the light after the
death of their physical body, and are still attached to people, things or events that occurred in the
past. The key word with this is past, as the past seems to hold them here, instead of looking to the
future which would cause them to move beyond their prior physical life. For whatever reason, they
cannot let go of the earthly realm, and either need direction or are looking for assistance in
delivering a message or fixing a situation. This ghostly activity is known as an intelligent haunting.
Furthermore, it should be mentioned that some ghosts are non-intelligent, meaning they are only
residual energy of a prior event and not interactive. A ghostly action, such as walking down a hall
will occur over and over, whether someone is present or not. This type of ghost manifestation also
known as an unintelligent haunting will not interact with the physical world. In contrast, a spirit, to
most ghost hunters, represents someone who has moved beyond death, into the light, having had
their life review and now understands they are spirit. Issues of their former physical existence have
been worked through or are being worked through, and peace, love and joy are being
experienced. Often, all of us are watched over by spirits on the other side, who want to comfort us,
guide us and observe our lives. These spirits typically are loved ones, family, and friends – some
are known as spirit guides and angels.

How to tell if you have a ghost.

The following are some descriptions of ghostly activity, and thus are common phenomena found in
hauntings. It is important to not be afraid and understand that a ghost is a person who is most likely
wanting to be recognized for assistance. The following phenomena are not all-inclusive:

1) Cold spots. The manifestation of a ghost requires energy, and thus the area could be cold from
the ghost using the energy of a specific location.
2) Electrical disturbances, such as flickering lights and radios turning off and on.
3) Movement of physical objects, such as doors.
4) Items missing or moved.
5) Water turning off and on.
6) Goosebumps, chills, the feeling that you are being watched, or touched.
7) Sounds, such as foot steps, music, voices, whispers, rapping, banging, something being
dropped, etc.
8) Shadows moving about a room or in the corner of one’s eye.
9) Odd behavior from a pet. Animals are very in tune with spirits around them.
10) Unexplained or known fragrances of the deceased.
11) Levitating objects.
12) Mists, or vapors that appear.

What does a ghost look like?

Ghosts can and do manifest physically in various forms. It is not understood why the forms vary,
but perhaps it is due to the condition of the soul of the entity. Ghosts appear as:

1) Mists, Vapors, Ectoplasm - This form appears as smoke or fog, and is believed to be the
manifestation of spirit.
2) Shadow People - Known as “dark shadows” or “black ectoplasm,” these ghosts will often be seen
moving about. It is possible that the darkness represents a condition of the soul not yet
understood, such as immaturity, lack of understanding or knowledge.
3) Apparition - This is the full-bodied, non-vaporous appearance of a disembodied person’s spirit,
and is very rare. Typically described as “see-through.”

Ghosts can manifest anywhere. They may appear more at night, because they most likely cannot
manifest around a lot of people. It is surmised that the energy it takes to manifest in the physical
realm, may be depleted when a ghost is around a crowd of people. Although ghosts may appear
during day or night, the night could provide a time when less people are active, and may afford a
time when all types of ghosts could appear more readily. Others believe that intelligent ghosts only
manifest around people, either through use of their energy, or to communicate with this world. A
ghost is a subtle energy in most cases, but can vary in intensity.

What to do with a ghost.

If one has a ghost, then the obvious question is, “What do I do with the ghost?” Maybe a better
question should be, “How can I help a ghost?” Finding common ground and comfort in the fact that
a ghost is only a disembodied human being, seek to speak with the ghost. Most ghosts are lost,
and looking for simple direction. Follow your instincts and try and understand if there is any left
over, unfinished business that may help the ghost move on. Ask the ghost person openly, how can
I help? Be not afraid to tell the ghost that you know they are there, that you recognize this and that
they should understand that their physical body has died. Let them know this. Tell the ghost, that
there is nothing to fear, and that they should move towards and into the light, where peace, love,
joy, friends and loved ones await. Often times, a ghost doesn’t understand that they have passed
on. Sometimes a simple conversation will free the troubled soul, and bring peace to the situation.
Ghosts often will take simple instruction, such as, “Stop banging the pans at night.” Many times the
ghost just wants someone to know that they are there, but if a ghost is troublesome, remember you
are in control. If a ghost will not head to the light, then demand the troubled spirit leave. This is
your place, and you don’t have to accept visitors.

Some ghosts are just looking to be recognized, until someone hears their story. Other ghosts are in
dire need to deliver a message to a loved one. It is not uncommon for relatives of the deceased to
receive a phone call from the other side of the grave, with a parting, “I love you.” The voice is
typically immediately recognized by the loved one, and the message is usually short but clear.
When phone records are checked, in most cases there is simply no record of the call at all. These
are known as, “phantom phone calls.” Ghosts, though disembodied, are not without means. An
intelligent ghost will get your attention if need be, whether through sounds, sight, smell or even
touch.