Monday, October 15, 2012

Ghosts!!!

There are shows centering around them, people claiming to speak with them, and pictures of them lurking in old hallways. A ghost is an apparition of a dead person that is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as a nebulous image. (dictionary.com)

Belief in ghosts can be traced back to ancient cultures who worshiped their ancestors.  It is generally accepted that malignant spirits were not in the same category as the benign ancestor spirits.  Today, we actively seek out ghosts, searching for irrefutable proof of their existence.

As you can guess, there are many factors that determine how ghosts are perceived, including but not limited to:  religion, country of origin, age, and various cultural factors.

Here are some interesting facts (I use this loosely) about ghosts that I found on the internet:

  • Ghosts want to be noticed (They are quite photogenic)
  • They appear to be in a constant state of confusion, possibly believing they are dreaming
  • They often are unaware of their deaths
  • Animal ghosts have been spotted
  • Ghosts can appear as mist or vapors
  • Hauntings occur more in pubescent children due to the increased energy these children emit.
  • If a ghost is scaring you, you can ask it to leave and it will
  • The room will usually get cold when a ghost enters it
  • Children will see ghosts as imaginary friends (I had three imaginary friends when I was younger.  We enjoyed playing Go Fish! and talking.  Am I saying they were ghosts?  No.  I have no proof of that and I enjoy sleeping.)
  • Ghosts are drawn to human laughter
  • Ghosts like to walk up and down the stairs at night (Keeping fit and all)
  • Ghosts can read your thoughts (How scary is that?)
  • Didn't find this on the internet, but I read a short story that implied ghosts cannot cross over large bodies of water.  Like a river, lake or ocean.
For more cool facts:

My two "ghost" stories:

  1. When I was younger, (around 13-15)  I was sleeping in my bed when I awoke and it felt as if some one were holding me down.  Freaked me out!  I finally was able to move and I ran from the room.  (Scary as crap!!!)  Now, firstly, I'd just awoken from REM sleep which, usually places the person in a state of "paralysis" to keep you from acting out your dreams.  If you wake too early, then you aren't "released" from that state.  It is explainable, but no less scary at the time.
  2. We live in an old house.  The front door was unlocked, and my uncle asked me to leave them unlocked so he could get into the house.  I accidentally fell asleep and woke up when he was pounding on the front door.  When he asked me why I locked it, I said that I didn't.  (Creepy!)  Our old house is one that our great grandparents lived in so we are assuming it was just family looking out for family!
Do you have any ghostly tales to share?

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