Real Ghosts
Welcome to the Haunted Hovel real ghosts section, this
area will cover all of the commonly asked questions on ghosts, including
what they actually are, if they're dangerous and if they're even real.
If you can't find what your looking for then please send us a message in the contact form stating what you'd like to see and we'll make it a priority to cover it for you!
What is a Ghost?
Well, the dictionary definition of the word is as follows:
1)
The soul of a dead person, a disembodied spirit imagined, usually as a
vague, shadowy or evanescent form, as wandering among or haunting living
persons.
2) The principle of life; soul; spirit.
3) A spiritual being
What
we believe real ghosts are here at Haunted Hovel are merely just people
who have passed on, but not quite reached where they are going. A good
way to think of it is this; Every person on earth has a soul, this soul
is what makes you who you are, it is your personality, your thoughts.
But in order for your soul to exist on earth it has to be physical,
after all, we are living in a physical dimension where things can be
touched and held and appear solid. So your soul is in a human body,
which is physical, when the body dies the soul cannot exist here without
being in something physical, so it journeys to the next plane of
existence, however, sometimes the soul doesn't complete the journey,
maybe it doesn't want to move on because it feels it hasn't done all it
wants to here or maybe it doesn't realize it can't exist here anymore or
maybe it doesn't know how to move on.
This is when a soul becomes trapped and flickers between the physical and non-physical realms, which is exactly when people claim to see them, here at Haunted Hovel we believe this is when people see them, when they flicker closer to physicality than the other side.
Are there Real Ghosts?
If you've come to a site about ghosts asking if there's such a thing as real ghosts or not then I think you know we are going to say yes. But what do you think? How would you explain the picture on the right? Camera malfunction? Dust? Lighting? Or the soul of a dead human? Here at Haunted Hovel we advise you to stay skeptical, but don't be to closed minded. The reason for this is if you're half-and-half then if and when you experience something at least you'll know for sure instead of dismissing it as something normal.
Also there have been many reports of people experiencing the same thing in haunted locations, such as hearing, feeling, seeing or smelling the same thing. People who don't know each other! How would you explain that? I'm sure there's many possible answers but for now please be open to the possibility that what people experience is true. Maybe something will happen to you one day to change your mind!
Are they Dangerous?
The question are they dangerous has got to be the number one reason for fear of any kind of spirit, believing you're in danger from something you cant always see, that could be anywhere is quite a scary thought. However, here at Haunted Hovel we believe that they are not dangerous and that there is nothing to fear physically from them. People often fear the unknown - and that's the problem for many people - fearing things that we don't understand.
But, there have been a large number of reports of people being touched by real ghosts, including people claiming to be pushed or scratched by them, these reports are very rare though, some of the more common reports for physical contact are things such as the feeling of a hand being placed on someones shoulder, or the feeling of someone gently brushing past. Whether you wish to believe such reports is up to you, but our opinion is that they are not dangerous. A spirit will be more concerned with the reason it is still here then going out of its way to cause harm, if they are even capable of causing harm that is.
There is nothing to fear from the presence of the dead apart from what we don't understand, but considering they are such a difficult subject to study, that leaves quite a lot!
Do real ghosts have life span's?
Well, by lifespan, we're talking about how long they can exist here for. Obviously there isn't a straight forward answer to this, because they have different strengths and purposes of being here. Say for example real ghosts will be here because they were confused for a little while about how to move on, if someone saw a projection of this spirit and it moved on shortly afterward, the existence span of this ghost would of only been short. Many mediums believe that spirits have no sense of time whatsoever, does this mean they constantly exist in the time they choose to? or does it mean they see things age and change around them? Unfortunately we're yet to fully understand...
I'm sure you would of heard a tale about ancient Indian burial grounds? Well these are the oldest ghost stories that come from a reliable source and aren't shrouded in legend. Indians existed as far back as 20000-30000 years ago and people still claim to see the spirit apparitions of Indians. This is the only example that holds any weight to it. Maybe they have existed for longer and will continue to do so for thousands of years, maybe eternity. Is it merely coincidence that many spiritual mediums claim to have an ancient Indian as a spirit guide?
Why would a ghost exist here?
The most common explanation for this is that they have unfinished business. For example, the wife of a soldier who didn't return from war died with a broken heart. After death she lingers around their home and refused to move on until her husband comes home, which of course he never will. There are many theories like this which are possibly explanations for why a ghost would stay.
Another explanation is that the ghost doesn't know how to move on. The spirit of another person should be thought of as just a normal person (who just happens to be dead), maybe they got confused or just refused to move on because they were scared. Mediums often say, that when a person is close to death, the spirits of their family & friends enter our physical realm to guide them and to greet them. So what would happen for example, if the dying person was estranged from his or her family and friends? Perhaps they just like it here on the physical plain as a spirit?
Overall there are many, many reasons why a ghost could be here, and the answer as to when they will move on depends on each individual spirit, if they are even capable of moving on of course!
Can a ghost be gender specific?
A lot of people would think that a ghost can be male or female, but technically this isn't true. Although a spirit may appear in the form of a man or a woman, this is only an image of what the spirit remembers itself to be during life. The apparition of a human, whether man or woman, is only a projection, a picture if you will. But as the spirit doesn't actually have a physical body it cannot be technically classed as a sex.
However, the mind of the spirit may hold male or female characteristics and influence their behavior after they die. Whether a person believes that its a persons mind that makes them a certain gender or their physical body is the decision on the reader! Another interesting point - if you believe in reincarnation - Can we reincarnate as male or female, or are we created spiritually as a certain gender..?
Whats the difference between a ghost and a spirit?
Well the common belief is they are the same thing but this is not the case, a ghost is thought to be the disembodied soul of a deceased person who hasn't been able to successfully cross over. They become trapped here for many different reasons. They very often attach themselves to locations, objects and sometimes people, but this often depends on the circumstance of their death.
A Spirit is a person who has passed away and made it successfully to the other side. They shouldn't be mistaken for a ghost, because unlike a ghost, they are not trapped here and can return to visit us whenever they wish.
Types of Haunting
Residual Haunting
The most prevalent type of haunting, by far, is referred to as a residual haunting. In this type of haunting the ghostly energy goes through a cycle of actions over and over again. It's like a video clip that repeats itself in a loop.
Sometimes this plays out at a specific time as though it were following a schedule. Most commonly the scene played out will be that of a tragic event, such as a death. This type of haunting is more like a psychic impression of energy than an actual haunting by a presence or entity. Many true stories seem to describe this type of occurrence.
Visitation
If real ghosts are in visitation (just visiting the place they loved from the spirit world) the spirit, or ghost, demonstrates intelligence and an awareness of its surroundings. These spirits have been known to communicate with humans and to interact with their environment. In this type of haunting it is common for objects to be moved. There have been reports of a ghost making noises, such as rapping or banging on walls, slamming doors, or making footsteps. They have been known to move things around, or even to hide objects. They may even turn light switches on and off. These real ghosts will often manifest the personality of someone who has died.
A Grounded Spirit
A grounded spirit is a spirit person who cannot - or refuses to - move on to the next world. Perhaps they're confused, angry, have unfinished business or feel the place they're haunting is their property? This kind of spirit will manifest in very much the same was as a spirit in visitation, but due to the circumstances they left this world in (violent death, murder, suicide) they may be angry and violent, manifesting in poltergeist activity or making people feel physically sick and disorientated.
Just a thought
What is it that people find so fascinating about real ghosts? Well for me its the thought that death isn't quite the end. Its the idea that there might just be something else after our bodies are gone. Being able to exist without the world that we know around us is a fascinating thought.
But because there is no proof, or proof that people don't choose to accept as such leaves the fear that maybe this is all there is. How would you feel if you knew for sure that the only experience you would have to exist is right here, right now, in this world that surrounds us. One thing that confuses me about people i talk to about ghosts is when they say they don't believe in them, which is find, after all we're all entitled to our own opinions and thoughts, but if they truly believe they don't exist and when we're gone, we're gone full stop, then why do they choose to live their lives as they do.
Of course this doesn't apply to everyone, I'm referring to the people that go through life just existing, nothing more, not living their lives doing what they want to do, just watching the days go by. If i knew that after my body expires and is no more then that was it, i would be out there every day living life to the fullest. Such people will never be convinced that there's something else, but if your still here reading this then congratulations. You may just be one of the few people who have that little bit extra bit of life within you!