A ghost is the alleged spirit of a dead person. Ghosts are often depicted as haunting places, especially houses where murders have occurred. Why some murder victims would stick around for eternity to haunt a place, while others seem to evaporate is one of the great mysteries of existence better left to literary types to ponder.
Most philosophers consider the concept of ghosts to be on par with that of fairies .
These are the ghosts who like to cause disturbances by doing such naughty things as throwing furniture or pots and pans around. Most nations have a love of ghost stories, but the English seem to be especially fond of their ghosts. See related entries on astral projection , dualism , haunted houses , mind , and near-death experiences . Schick, Theodore, and Lewis Vaughn. How to Think About Weird Things 2nd ed.