One of the most misunderstood facts about the spirit world is the belief that ghosts and spirits are the same thing. While this may seem insignificant, it is helpful to know if you are on the receiving end of a visit from one or the other.
Characteristics of Spirit Contact
Because spirits have accepted their fate and have willingly moved to the other side, they are able to peer into our lives and visit us as often as they wish. When a spirit chooses to contact the living it is to offer comfort, ease anxiety, relay a message or let family members know that they are watching them. Spirit contact always comes in goodness and love and should be embraced and cherished.
Spirits want us to know who they are and will appear in a form which makes them easy to recognize. To validate their identify, a spirit may invoke a scent or sound which can be immediately associated with a deceased loved one. When spirits are "heard," it is usually through some type of symbolism which can be connected to a person who has passed. For example, you may hear a song on the radio that your grandfather enjoyed listening to or repeatedly hear or see a phrase your grandmother was known to say.
Spirits are able to view our world exactly as it exists and can move freely from one place to another. This means they can travel between their dimension and ours and to other places on earth, making it possible for you to sense your grandmother's presence in your house or while you are vacationing hundreds of miles from home.
Characteristics of Ghostly Contact
Researchers believe that there are two qualities shared by ghosts. They are the fact that they don't realize they're dead or are unwilling to accept that they are dead. Unlike spirits, who have accepted their fate, ghosts exist in a time warp with their soul caught between the realms of the living and the dead.
Ghosts "see" things as they were when their body died and believe that the living are intruding into their world. While a ghost cannot hurt you, some may be unfriendly, aggressive or even malicious towards people they feel are disrupting their environment. Most are not concerned about validating their identity and are unlikely to offer any type of comfort.
Ghosts typically make their presence known in ways that display their frustration. Examples would be slamming doors, causing loud footsteps or "speaking" in a human-like voice. Because ghosts are more earthbound than spirits, they remain attached to a particular location and rarely wander far from it. They are also unwilling to bi-locate and cannot travel freely between dimensions.
The easiest way to understand the differences between ghosts and spirits is to remember that a spirit visit always comes in goodness and love, while ghosts tend to express themselves in a mischievous, angry or aggressive manner.
Readers who enjoyed this article may also be interested in reading Kamis - The Ancient Japanese Belief of Spirits Among the Living.
Sources:
- Deonna Kelli Saved, Paranormal Obsesion: America's Fascination With Ghosts & Hauntings, Spooks & Spirits, Llewellyn Publications, September 2011.
- Alexandra Leclere, Seeing the Dead, Talking With Spirits, Destiny Books, October 2005.
- Rosemary Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Checkmark Books, September 2000.
Danielle McGinnis - Danielle McGinnis is the mother of a college freshman and full-time freelance writer.
