Ghosts

Ghosts are known throughout the world and have been seen by many. In fact, 1 in 3 Americans claim to have seen a ghost at some point in their lives. They are commonly thought to be the spirits of the dead, come back to haunt a certain location for unknown reasons. It is also acknowledged that there are different types of ghosts though sometimes it can be tricky working out what sort of Ghost you have on your hands.

#### **1. GHOST SIGNS**

Signs that you have a ghost on your hand are pretty commonplace and can be easily explained away, in most cases, as fear, creaky old houses, paranoia, or the effect of paradolia. Paradolia is the mind tricking you into seeing a face in a cloud or hearing a whispered word on the wind. This effect is further compounded by expectations - if someone circles an area of a picture and asks "Do you see a face there?" you will almost certainly see a face there. The effect works with the use of subtitles over garbled noise, too - you will, if reading, "hear" those exact words. In this way, mist becomes a ghostly shape, the effect of light on a lense becomes a small child, and the wind blowing through an old house becomes footsteps and voices. This can lead to most ghostly encounters being dismissed, but not all of them. Here are signs that you are dealing with a ghost:

* Cold Spots (Spectral energy will make your skin tingle and contract, making your hairs stand on end and making you shiver)
* EMF (electromagnetic frequency, though this can be scrambled by any electronic device)
* Whispering Voices
* EVP (electric voice phenomenon - see: Paradolia)
* Strange pale lights/shapes (easier to see at night or in the dark)
* Emotional turmoil (ghosts can affect the passions of the living in small ways)
* Objects Being moved. (Telekenetic/poltergeist activity)
* The use of seance (ouija boards, table knocking, mediums - see: Magick)

#### **2. DEALING WITH GHOSTS:**

Ghosts are largely harmless, especially pale spirits, orbs, and echoes. However, they can, just be existing, cause great distress and sleepless nights to those they haunt, giving them sleepless nights, emotional trauma, depression, suicidal tendencies, and maybe even infecting them with Ghost Sickness. So Ghosts, even the weaker and more benign ones, must be dealt with. Each Ghost has their weaknesses and ways of being dismissed, so it is best to find out what Type of ghost you are dealing with - performing a burial rite for a Lady in Red would do nothing, just as burning the bones of a black mass will do very little. So first you have to find out various details about the ghost in particular:

* Are they benign (white) or malevolent (black)?
* Are they strong (hued) or weak (pale)?
* Can they possess the living (or the dead)?
* Can they move objects?
* How long ago did they die?
* How did they die?
* Do they have any unresolved business?
* Were they buried correctly?
* Were they Cremated?
* What was their name?

#### **3. GHOST TYPES:**

Here are the basic classifications of Ghosts: (and ghostly events)

* Orbs (floating balls of light)
* Pale Spirits (Grey Ladies, White Women)
* Echoes (ghosts stuck in a recorded loop)
* Vengeful Spirits
* Wraiths (strong, active, passionate spirits)
* Shades (black figures, black-eyed-children)
* Black Spectres (Dark object filled with rage and angst)
* Poltergeists (and poltergeist activity)
* Possession (of the living and the dead)
* Black Massing (Black Beast, Black Dogs)
* Ghost Ships
* Ghostly Animals
* Haunted Objects
* Haunted Locations