Humans have been able to conquer and find answers to most of the mysteries of the world, but death remains unconquered. Although there have been many theories told about life after death, nothing has been clearly evident. The speculations over ghosts have been raving for a long time, but concrete evidence has not been found. According to believers, there are different types of ghosts, such as traditional apparitions, crisis apparitions, doppelganger's, and anniversary ghosts.

Traditional apparitions

These are ghosts that interact with human beings. This can be for good or for bad. These ghosts are said to hide objects, frighten people, throw objects or plea for help. These ghosts are said to be present because of unfinished work. This can be due to their death in untoward circumstances, and they generally seek human help to resolve the issue and progress into a different realm. These spirits are said to be “intelligent” yet haunting, as they appear to be aware of the people around them and their surroundings.

Crisis apparitions

These are ghosts who appear to inform someone about danger. They are solid or transparent by nature. Anniversary ghosts appear on the anniversary of their death caused by some tragic event. These ghosts are commonly found in haunted houses or castles, and often relate to legends of tragedies from centuries past.

Messenger ghosts

Like banshees, appear to family members to herald the death of another family member. Poltergeists are noisy spirits who produce sounds like ""psychic explosions"" from a teenage boy or girl.

Speculations are believed to be the soul or spirit of humans who have passed on from this life. These are orb-shaped and have been seen by many. Some say these spirits have a separate life form and are undetectable to the human eye because of their finer tissue.

Cumulative Energy Haunting

This is more common than residual haunting. Ever walked into a room where two people just had a bad fight and the moment you walked in you knew that something just happened? This is called Cumulative Energy haunting. Any location that has been inhabited or visited regularly will collect energies from all those who have visited it over time. Homes, apartments, hospitals, malls, will all absorb this energy. This is what gives a location its ambiance or personality. Most of the time this "energy" will go unnoticed. Some people will sense a slight mood that seems natural or the "energy" is very distinct and demanding.

Portal Haunting

A portal is a "doorway" where a ghost or a spirit can move from our world to another. This is one of the most controversial topics in the field of the paranormal. This is the least understood type of haunting. Most ghost hunters consider this quite a way out-there idea. However, this could be why some locations are haunted when there are no reasons for it to be haunted.

Ghost Lights

These are when a luminous ball of light appears in remote locations. They will sometimes react to noise and other type of lights and will appear in the same location on a regular basis. Most of the lights have been explained naturally as "earth lights" that appear near earthquake faults, water sources, swamps, and railroad tracks.

Resident Ghosts

These are ghosts who were prior occupants of a dwelling. They hang around for many different reasons such as a feeling of safety in their home and they don't want to leave that feeling behind.

Ancestral Ghosts

These are relatives who watch over the surviving family members. They can also be distant relatives who you have never met in life.

Protector Ghosts

These are good ghosts who protect people from malevolent spirits.

Ghosts of the Murdered

Spirits of murdered people who stay behind wanting justice. They can also linger because they may not know they are dead.

Temple Ghosts

These are ghosts that are found in churches, cemeteries, mosoleum's, temples and other places of worship and remembrance.

Transient or Wanderers

These are ghosts that roam and don't have a specific location they inhabit. They stop in at different places to just see who is there and check things out. They can be standing at the foot of your bed one time and you never see them again.

Anniversary Ghosts

These ghosts appear on the anniversary of the date they died. They also can be residual hauntings that are images that repeat themselves over and over on the same date.

WHAT MAKES A GHOST?

Much study and research has been done to determine why someone becomes a ghost and the prevailing theory is that when death is sudden and traumatic, it is more likely to result in a haunting. .

Though some ghosts may stay here simply because they want to, most ghosts are caused by one of the following situations:

Murder -- especially those that remain unsolved. Sometimes the ghost will not move on until the murder is solved.

Accidents -- Sudden death from accidents such as car wrecks, drowning's, falls and fires. Haunting's are far more prevalent from accidental deaths than those caused naturally.

Suicide -- The pain and torment that a suicide victim feels will often cause them to remain here in ghostly form.

Broken hearts -- Much like suicide, the pain and torment felt by someone who dies while mourning a lost love or a family member may cause them to remain earthbound.

Desecration of a grave -- While these spirits may have initially passed on, they will often return if vandalism, tombstone theft or other desecration of the grave occurs.

Greed -- Sometimes humans carry a preoccupation with land or money which can create haunting's, when the ghost is unable to let go of its earthly possessions.

Lack of a proper burial -- If the spirit believes he or she did not receive what they believe is a proper burial, they may remain.