Ghosts, hauntings & poltergeists

GHOSTS: Disembodied soul; esp the soul of a dead person haunting the living. Collins Dictionary
Other associated ghost words: apparition, larva, phantom, shadow, soul, spectre, spirit, spook, visitant.

Traditionally ghosts are considered to be the spirits of dead people that for some reason or another to be trapped between this plane of existence and the next or impressions of events , often as a result of some tragedy or trauma. Many ghost hunters and psychics believe that such earth-bound spirits don't know they are dead. Veteran ghost hunter Hans Holzer says, \"A ghost is a human being who has passed out of the physical body, usually in a traumatic state and is not aware usually of his true condition. We are all spirits encased in a physical body. At the time of passing, our spirit body continues into the next dimension. A ghost, on the other hand, due to trauma, is stuck in our physical world and needs to be released to go on.\"

Ghosts exist in a kind of limbo in which they haunt the scenes of their deaths or locations that were pleasant to them in life. Departed spirits are considered to have to remain here until they can resolve or complete their mission. Humanly considered, if we had unresolved issues or unfinished business we would want to stay until those issues or business concerns were taken care of my us. Very often, these types of ghosts are able to interact with the living. They are, on some level, aware of the living and react to being seen on the occasions that they materialize. Some psychics claim to be able to communicate with them. And when they do, they often try to help these spirits to understand that they are dead and to move on to the next stage of their existence.

Some hauntings aren't the work of actual ghosts and spirits left behind, but of an emotional imprint. These tend to be the ones that resemble a recording played over and over, never changing, just getting fainter over time. Very interesting to witness.
It's kind of like walking into a home and feeling that there was a fight there earlier, even though everyone has left the building. Just on a larger scale.
I lived in a very old cabin for a while where the old man who used to live there had passed and his spirit moved on, but had such a repetitive routine for so long, the house remembered it afterwards, to the point of the stairs having footsteps thump down them and the door unlocking itself, opening and closing at the same time every morning.

Those would be called residual hauntings.

Ghosts have always been of my interest and also think should of the interest of the Jedi community. I'm glad to see this topic posted here.

Suppossing that ghosts can interact with the physical world without a physical presence, how it is normaly depicted in media and folklore tales, this would be the premise to all Jedi Force-based abilities.

I couldn`t agree more ObiOne. It should be interest to the Jedi, especially in the light of our code \"There is no Death; There is the Force\". These phenomenon are tangiable aspects of the Force, and a confiration of the afore mentioned quote. I say this because I firmly believe in what is described as Ghosts, Hauntings and Poltergeists. I am so sure of this because I experienced an at the time very unnerving sayonce, in fact twice. The second being stronger than the first.

A group of students, including myself, in London used a ougieboard. With great success. The glass moved, questions to the very personal in nature were answered, the glass flew off the table perpendicular to the table only to smash into the wall, the room went ice cold `till you could see your own breath, the room was isolated from all noises outside since according to the greater numbers of other students and staff all telephones simultaneously rang at the same hour (but no one in the room heard this) and considered this to be either a joke or technical failure.

I don't think I would be that bold to try the oujie.

Although I believe in the Force in a spiritual sense, in case of a haunting, I'll directly go the scientific way.

Put different kind of sensors, but not the common Audio/Video camera, instead I'll try magnetic and electrical field sensor, pressure sensor, IR temperature camera, etc...

I was doing a writing course in '99/'00. One of the campuses I visited was formally a mental asylum. It was on top of a steep hill (those who know a little bit about psychiatry will know why) and the buildings were incredibly beautiful.

On the first day ever there I looked for the classroom I needed to be in and I got lost.

I ended up in a hallway and I felt a strong presence around me. I was alone. There were lights on in rooms nearby but what I felt wasn't a living person.

That`s interesting Red Pill, how did you and what did you feel what you experienced? On my experience I felt a coldness and saw my breath. I heard and saw the glass move. I saw letters being spelt out letter for letter. I felt a pressing feeling, almost claustraphobic. I saw the reactions on the faces and heard the tremor in the voices of my fellow students. What made you think it was not a living person? Why I ask is to understand how people perceive and comprehend such things.

The whole incident was very brief- a matter of seconds, so I don't know many details. I got out of there in a hurry and didn't think much about what happened until later.

I remember a coldness and a claustophobic feeling (I've only just realised that I've experienced these things at least one other time since). I can't remember if anything strange happened with the lights/ phones etc .

Maybe I just felt a wind, but what I felt seemed different at the time. Like there was 'somebody' there.

Earlier this year I was walking towards a friend's flat. I realised later there was a full moon- I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

Anyway, I was walking down my friend's narrow street and felt as if it was closing in on me and at the same time felt a presence- again I was alone.

I've been debating posting in this topic for a while now, mostly because my thoughts on these subject might seem a bit odd at first. Then again seeing as I'm here on this site, they might not.

I have always felt that the answer to all of these questions has been less huge than we've always assumed, and more and more recently I've begun to think of it in a way I've never quite heard anyone do before.

I've developed a theory that sounds very similar to the star wars ideaology. The theory that there are, invisible to our veiw, tiny, concious life-forms in everything. I use the term \"energy\" to describe it to my friends but here I might as well say the obvious. The Force. This has caused me to also accept the beleif that not only is the Force in everything around us, but because of this, all matter must be intelligent in some way.

Moving on the ghost part. I beleive, that if you accept the above statements, it is not too far of a step to understanding ghosts. They are (depending on the type of haunting) marks, gatherings, or precenses in the Force.

Residual hauntings could be called a mark in the Force. Something that happened that was either so frequent, or so important that it left a \"scar\" in the Force of that location that is noticable to those who accept it as a possibility.

Polterguests could be explained by trying the theory of \"gathered\" energy, or Force. Have you ever walked up to two people who were arguing and felt the energy they were giving off? It is a negative one normally. Or walked into a room where something bad has happened and been stricken by the feeling of greif? Obviously, mankind is constantly giving off energy, as we are made up of it. (This explains why keeping a possitive mind will often times aide you in negative situations). Perhaps the feelings and energies we give off affect and mark the Force.

The last thing I have experience with is in something called Spirit Guides. All my life I have felt a presence near me, following me. Not a negative presence, just a presence. In the more recent years I have even become so comfortable with it that I have begun to have conversations with it. These are interesting moments because it is unlike when I just \"talk to myself\" because the answers and responses that I get back in my head seem to be from some place I had not known I was thinking. As if another entity had said them, or placed them in my mind. I have lately assumed that this must be a \"collection\" of the Force that has gathered to me because I am open to accepting it as reality.

Just thoughts. I'd love to hear other opinions on it