Ghost Basics

Everyone has an opinion on what they think ghosts are, that is if they believe they exist or not. Over my whole life I have heard that people who see ghosts are crazy, well now that would have to mean that a large portion of the world’s population is crazy and for some reason I just don’t think that is a possibility. Scientifically speaking of course ghosts will never be proven to be real because as I have heard over and over through the scientific community that if you cannot re-create something then it is not real. To all this I would have to say, wait till you experience it yourself then get back to me. I decided to put together this brief tutorial if you will on ghost basics in the hopes that it might help someone to understand what they or someone they know may be experiencing or just for those who are curious.

What is a ghost?

Depending on who you talk to you may get several different answers, it is widely believed that ghosts are the spirits of the deceased and not necessarily just humans who have passed either as there have been reports of animal apparitions being seen. It is widely believed that the reason that a ghost can manifest itself is because it can pull the energy from its surroundings to make itself seen or heard. The description of a ghost may be widely different from person to person, some will say it was whitish and wispy, some may say it looked like a regular person and some may even say that it was just a shadowy figure. Seeing an apparition is not the only way that ghosts have been observed as there is also sound, smell, and touch. Ghosts are generally believed to be solitary beings although there have been voices caught that seem to be intelligent and talking to each other. The deliberate attempt to contact a ghost is called necromancy or as it is more popularly called, a séance. It is generally believed that to rid your home of a ghost you can ask it to leave and if this does not work performing a house blessing usually does.

What is a demon?

Demons are generally thought to be presences that have never been human. Today the word demon makes people think of all the dark things that are heard about ghosts or spirits but originally a demon was thought to be a wise guardian spirit. In today’s ghost hunting terms though a demon is considered most often to be an unclean spirit, something to be wary of as they are known for their trickery and general “badness.” In some cultures it is believed that a demon is a fallen angel or an evil angel that may have been cast out of Heaven and made to roam the Earth endlessly. In some cultures it is common practice to call upon a demon as they are thought to be able to be controlled and bent to the summoners will. Demons appear to be prevalent in all cultures and societies throughout the world, they do not belong exclusively to one religion. Demons are much harder to rid yourself of as they could be hundreds of years old, in order to rid yourself of demonic possession an exorcism must be performed and there is such a thing as a house exorcism to rid your home of a demon.

What is a poltergeist?

A poltergeist is a much talked about subject and is indeed subjective to those who experience it or can sense such things. The first theory that comes along is that a poltergeist is not a ghost at all, but the repressed emotions of those in the household manifesting themselves outwardly. Quite often this activity is attributed to teenage girls, as emotions are thought to play a huge part in poltergeist activity. Theory two would be that a poltergeist is a noisy spirit, in German that is the definition of poltergeist. Most importantly in this case a poltergeist is believed to haunt a person and not a place and rapping on walls, things moving and general chaos abounds when a poltergeist is involved. It is thought that salt sprinkled around the infected area may banish the poltergeist, if not a house blessing may be called for.