Post by founder on Apr 24, 2007 0:08:14 GMT -5
During research a well-known ghost hunter, came to the conclusion that a GHOST had no life force of its own and was simply an emotional energy playing the same scene over and over until it gradually disappeared. It did not act in real time, as did a spirit. According to that premise, a ghost is formed if a person performs an act long enough when they are alive, then that act is recorded by time itself. There is no interaction with the living. This is the most commonly accepted definition of GHOST within the paranormal community. Although the ghostly recording diminishes over time, it is hypothesized that it can be re-charged like a battery.
The word SPIRIT to the true parapsychologist, is the actual living essence or soul of a person who has remained after the physical body has died. There is real-time interaction with the living. Interaction is defined as the process of acting with another.
The words ghost and spirit are used by the public interchangeably with the definition of a haunting of any kind. To the true parapsychology student, the two words contain different meanings and connotations. To the public, they are interchangeable and this makes investigation and interpretation difficult for the researcher.
It is said that spirits remain Earthbound for 3 reasons. 1) An unfilled promise 2) Unfilled business, or 3) An unrealization of their own death.
There is the possibility that the third accepted definition of ghost(those that don't realize their own death) was misapplied to the recurring apparitions. Perhaps these spirits do realize they are dead and know the exact instant where the crossroads of their life turned which caused their death. Perhaps they wish to relive that time and change their destiny or at least understand it. Interaction with a ghost only occurs when their space and time are invaded by the living (Dorothy Townshend). These spirits have made their choice to avoid contact with the living and remain in their own time. It is the living who have made the choice to intrude into their existence.
Every case I have been able to thoroughly examine of a ghost, by definition, leads me to believe that those ghosts, who have not interacted with people, have not had a proper investigation. And we can do that only by intruding into their time or space.
There is the possibility of many other reasons spirits are mistaken for ghosts, such as: 4) To Change Events- they stay because they are attempting to understand a certain event that either changed their lives or caused their death; 5) Peace or Penance-they found peace during a certain situation when they were alive and wish to keep the events close at hand during their own time, or they may feel they have to pay for a wrong the committed during life (Abe Lincoln haunting of the White House); 6) Understanding-spirits may be trapped on the earthbound plane for reasons neither they nor we can understand, 7) Choice-spirits may have the freedom to choose where their energy exists 8) Spirits may be held Earthbound by the living because of grief by the living; 9) spirits may be waiting for Reincarnation; 10) spirits may return to the Earth plane to become teachers and guides; 11) spirits may have fought and died with others and do not wish to break that comradeship-in-arms; 12) spirits may have been malevolent when they were alive and remain to torture living souls for mere pleasure.
These are but a few of the reasons spirits are around us. I am sure the readers of this article will discover more. Just because spirits may not wish to communicate with us, that does not give us the arrogant right to say they are nothing but a memory.
We can look at almost any historical ghost as defined by the classical terms and find some interaction between the ghost and the living. In my research I have found no case of a true ghost within the classical definition. In our modern era, most prior recorded ghost investigations are limited to World Wide Web. Normally these web sites do not include attention to the historical depth of that particular ghost study. Usually a quick historical anecdote is published rather than a compilation of the complete investigation, which subsequently reveals a spirit rather than a ghost.
I believe that every ghost we study is actually a spirit capable of intelligent interaction. Whether or not they choose to interact is up to them.
By: nitewing
The word SPIRIT to the true parapsychologist, is the actual living essence or soul of a person who has remained after the physical body has died. There is real-time interaction with the living. Interaction is defined as the process of acting with another.
The words ghost and spirit are used by the public interchangeably with the definition of a haunting of any kind. To the true parapsychology student, the two words contain different meanings and connotations. To the public, they are interchangeable and this makes investigation and interpretation difficult for the researcher.
It is said that spirits remain Earthbound for 3 reasons. 1) An unfilled promise 2) Unfilled business, or 3) An unrealization of their own death.
There is the possibility that the third accepted definition of ghost(those that don't realize their own death) was misapplied to the recurring apparitions. Perhaps these spirits do realize they are dead and know the exact instant where the crossroads of their life turned which caused their death. Perhaps they wish to relive that time and change their destiny or at least understand it. Interaction with a ghost only occurs when their space and time are invaded by the living (Dorothy Townshend). These spirits have made their choice to avoid contact with the living and remain in their own time. It is the living who have made the choice to intrude into their existence.
Every case I have been able to thoroughly examine of a ghost, by definition, leads me to believe that those ghosts, who have not interacted with people, have not had a proper investigation. And we can do that only by intruding into their time or space.
There is the possibility of many other reasons spirits are mistaken for ghosts, such as: 4) To Change Events- they stay because they are attempting to understand a certain event that either changed their lives or caused their death; 5) Peace or Penance-they found peace during a certain situation when they were alive and wish to keep the events close at hand during their own time, or they may feel they have to pay for a wrong the committed during life (Abe Lincoln haunting of the White House); 6) Understanding-spirits may be trapped on the earthbound plane for reasons neither they nor we can understand, 7) Choice-spirits may have the freedom to choose where their energy exists 8) Spirits may be held Earthbound by the living because of grief by the living; 9) spirits may be waiting for Reincarnation; 10) spirits may return to the Earth plane to become teachers and guides; 11) spirits may have fought and died with others and do not wish to break that comradeship-in-arms; 12) spirits may have been malevolent when they were alive and remain to torture living souls for mere pleasure.
These are but a few of the reasons spirits are around us. I am sure the readers of this article will discover more. Just because spirits may not wish to communicate with us, that does not give us the arrogant right to say they are nothing but a memory.
We can look at almost any historical ghost as defined by the classical terms and find some interaction between the ghost and the living. In my research I have found no case of a true ghost within the classical definition. In our modern era, most prior recorded ghost investigations are limited to World Wide Web. Normally these web sites do not include attention to the historical depth of that particular ghost study. Usually a quick historical anecdote is published rather than a compilation of the complete investigation, which subsequently reveals a spirit rather than a ghost.
I believe that every ghost we study is actually a spirit capable of intelligent interaction. Whether or not they choose to interact is up to them.
By: nitewing
