What are "ghosts"? by John York
A ghost can be described as a disembodied spirit. A person or personality without a physical body. This is a view that our culture has passed on for generations. But really, no one can tell us with absolute certainty what these "ghosts" are as there is no concrete evidence to support any theory put forth thus far...
However, people are experiencing paranormal phenomena and like many things, unless you encounter it for yourself, it can be easily dismissed as our experiences (or lack there of) shape our beliefs.
If one believes, no explanation is necessary. If one does not believe, no explanation is possible...
Because there has not been any true advances in paranormal research in over a century, the same basic "theories" still apply.
The term "ghost" can encompass all things related to the idea that the spirit can and does exist after the body dies and more importantly, has been witnessed all over the world.
A ghost can be the image of a past event or person that replays itself over and over. A "residual" haunting is the common term for this phenomena. There is no intelligence to this and is not considered to be the "spirit".
A ghost can also be "intelligent" and could be considered the "soul" or "spirit". These entities are aware of us and their surroundings, and can make their presence known...
Some believe that ghosts are the spirits of people trapped here on earth because they may not realize they are dead or have unfinished business to take care of and even being confused at the transition of death.
There are many belief systems that seem to agree that life does continue after the body ceases to exist and that the spirit, soul, or ghost is an energy form of the physical body that transitions after death.
