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| {{otheruses|Ghost (disambiguation)}} | |||
| {{Mergefrom|Wraith|date=January 2009}} | |||
| ] and his father's ghost" by ] (1780s drawing)]] | |||
| In ], ], ] and ], a '''ghost''' is the disembodied ] or ] of a ] person.<ref>http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/ghost Merriam Webster dictionary, retrieved December 24, 2007 </ref><ref name="parasych">http://www.parapsych.org/glossary_e_k.html#g Parapsychological Association, glossary of key words frequently used in parapsychology, Retrieved December 13 2006</ref> Popularly decribed as insubstantial and partly transparent, ghosts are reported to haunt particular ] that they were associated with in life or at time of death. A ] is a deceased person returning from the dead to haunt the living, either as a disembodied ghost or alternatively as an animated ("]") corpse. | |||
| A related concept is the '']'', literally a "rumbling ghost" said to manifest itself by moving and influencing objects.<ref>Daniel Cohen (1994) ''Encyclopedia of Ghosts''. London, Michael O' Mara Books: 137-56</ref> Phantom armies, ghost-animals, ] and ] have also been reported.<ref>Christina Hole (1950) ''Haunted England''. London, Batsford: 150-163</ref><ref>Daniel Cohen (1994) ''Encyclopedia of Ghosts''. London, Michael O' Mara Books: 8</ref> | |||
| Also related is the concept of a ], the visible ghost or spirit of a person yet alive, a notion widespread in ] cultures. ] is the purposeful summoning of the spirit of a dead person for the purposes of ]. | |||
| The word "ghost" may also refer to any spirit or ].<ref>http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/ghost Merriam Webster dictionary, retrieved December 24, 2007 "a disembodied soul"</ref><ref name="parasych">http://www.parapsych.org/glossary_e_k.html#g Parapsychological Association, glossary of key words frequently used in parapsychology, Retrieved December 13 2006</ref><ref name="thefrYo Mommaeedictionary">http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ghost Retrieved December 13 2006 "The spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats."</ref> | |||
| A poll conducted in 2003 showed that more than half of adults in the United States believe in ghosts and/or demons.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ghosts|publisher=Capstone Press|work=]|author=Michael Martin|year=2004|page=6}}</ref> | |||
| In literature, notable ghosts have appeared in works of ] in Classical Greece through ], ], ] and many others. Cinematic depictions have been diverse, and ranged from ] to ] and ], in comedy and childrens genres as well as horror. | |||
| ==Etymology== | |||
| {{see|spirit|soul|anima|genius}} | |||
| The English word '']'' continues ] ''gást'', hypothetical ] ''*gaisto-z''. It is common to ], but lacking in North and East Germanic (the equivalent word in ] is ''ahma'', ] has ''andi'' m., ''önd'' f.). | |||
| The pre-Germanic form would have been ''{{PIE|*ghoizdo-z}}'', apparently from a root denoting "fury, anger", cognate to ] ''hedas'' "anger", reflected in ] ''geisa'' "to rage". The Germanic word is recorded as masculine only, but likely continues a neuter ''s''-stem. The original meaning of the Germanic word would thus have been an animating principle of the ], in particular capable of excitation and fury (compare '']''). In ], "]", and the later ], was at the same time the ] and the "lord of fury" leading the ]. | |||
| Besides denoting the human spirit or soul, both of the living and the deceased, the Old English word is used as a synonym of Latin '']us'' also in the meaning of "breath, blast" from the earliest (9th century) attestations. It could also denote any good or evil spirit, i.e. angels and demons; the Anglo-Saxon gospel refers to the demonic possession of Matthew 12:43 as ''se unclæna gast''. Also from the Old English period, the word could denote the spirit of God, viz. the "]". | |||
| The now prevailing sense of "the soul of a deceased person, spoken of as appearing in a visible form" emerges in ] (14th century) only.<ref>]</ref> | |||
| The synonym '']'' is also a Germanic word, although it was introduced into ] only in the 19th century, apparently as a loan from ] ''spôk'', of uncertain etymology. | |||
| Alternate words in modern usage include ''spectre'' (from Latin '']''), the Scottish '']'' (of obscure origin), '']'' (via French ultimately from Greek '']a'', compare '']'') and ''apparition''. The term '']'' in ] translates Greek σκιά,<ref></ref> or Latin ''umbra''<ref></ref>, in reference to the notion of spirits in the ]. | |||
| The term '']'' is a German word which in English has come to stand for an invisible entity which moves objects. | |||
| ==Typology== | |||
| ===Anthropological context=== | |||
| {{see|Animism|Ancestor worship|Origin of religion|Anthropology of religion}} | |||
| A notion of the ], ] or ], usually involving entities like ghosts, ]s or ], is a ] shared by all human cultures.<ref> ] (1991) ''Human Universals''. Philadelphia, ] ().</ref> In pre-literate ]s, these beliefs are often summarized under ] and ].<ref name="EncyOccult">Some people believe the ghost or ] never leaves ] until there is no-one left to remember the one who died. Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by ], ISBN 0-8103-5487-X</ref> | |||
| In many cultures malignant, restless ghosts are distinguished from the more benign spirits which are the subject of ].<ref>Richard Cavendish (1994) ''The World of Ghosts and the Supernatural''. Waymark Publications, Basingstoke: 5</ref> | |||
| Ancestor worship typically involves rites intended to prevent ], vengeful spirits of the dead, imagined as starving and envious of the living. Strategies for preventing revenants may either include ], i.e. the provision of the dead with food and drink in order to pacify them, or the magical banishment of the deceased, preventing them from returning by force. Ritual feeding of the dead is performed in traditions like the Chinese ] or the Western ]. Magical banishment of the dead is present in many of the world's ]s. The bodies found in many ] (]) had been ritually bound before burial,<ref>e.g. in graves of the ] </ref> and the custom of binding the dead persists, for example, in rural ].<ref>"In the immediate aftermath of a death, the deceased is removed from the bed he died in and placed on the prepared floor, called a ‘comfort bed.’ His jaw is bound up and his feet tied together (usually at the big toes)." </ref> | |||
| Nineteenth-century ] ] stated in his classic work, '']'', that souls were seen as the creature within that animated the body.<ref name="GoldenBough">"If a man lives and moves, it can only be because he has a little man or animal inside, who moves him. The animal inside the animal, the man inside the man, is the soul. And as the activity of an animal or man is explained by the presence of the soul, so the repose of sleep or death is explained by its absence; sleep or trance being the temporary, death being the permanent absence of the soul... " , ], accessed January 16, 2007</ref> | |||
| ===Ghosts and the afterlife=== | |||
| {{see|Soul|Psyche|Underworld|Hungry ghost|Psychopomp}} | |||
| {{see|Ghost Festival|All Souls' Day|Day of the Dead}} | |||
| Although the human soul was sometimes symbolically or literally depicted in ancient cultures as a bird or other animal, it was widely held that the soul was an exact reproduction of the body in every feature, even down to clothing the person wore. This is depicted in artwork from various ancient cultures, including such works as the '']'', which shows deceased people in the afterlife appearing much as they did before death, including the style of dress. | |||
| ===Common attributes=== | |||
| Another widespread belief concerning ghosts is that they were composed of a misty, airy, or subtle material. ] speculate that this may also stem from early beliefs that ghosts were the person within the person, most noticeable in ancient cultures as a person's breath, which upon exhaling in colder climates appears visibly as a white mist.<ref name="EncyOccult">Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by J. Gordon Melton Gale Research, ISBN 0-8103-5487-X</ref> This belief may have also fostered the metaphorical meaning of "breath" in certain languages, such as the ] '']'' and the ] '']'', which by ] became extended to mean the soul. In the ], ] is depicted as animating ] with a breath. | |||
| In many traditional accounts, ghosts were often thought to be deceased people looking for ], or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life. The appearance of a ghost has often been regarded as an omen or portent of death. Seeing one's own ghostly double or ] is a related omen of death.<ref>Christina Hole (1950) ''Haunted England'': 13-27</ref> | |||
| A ] were reported to appear in many rural areas, and supposed to have died tragically or suffered trauma in life. White Lady legends are found around the world. Common to many of them is the theme of losing or being betrayed by a husband or fiancé. They are often associated with an individual family line, as a harbinger of death. When one of these ghosts is seen it indicates that someone in the family is going to die, similar to a ]. | |||
| Legends of ]s have existed since the 18th century; most notable of these is the '']''. This theme has been used in literature in '']'' by Coleridge. | |||
| ===Locale=== | |||
| ]]] | |||
| {{seealso|Haunted house}} | |||
| A place where ghosts are reported is described as ], and often seen as being inhabited by ]s of deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property. Supernatural activity inside homes is said to be mainly associated with ] or ] events in the building's past such as murder, accidental death, or ] — sometimes in the recent or ancient past. Amongst many cultures and ]s it is believed that the essence of a being such as the ']' continues to exist. Some philosophical and religious views argue that the 'spirits' of those who have died have not 'passed over' and are trapped inside the property where their memories and energy are strong. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| ===Antiquity=== | |||
| {{see|Shade (mythology)}} | |||
| Ghost stories date back to ancient times, and can be found in many different cultures. The Chinese philosopher, ] (470-391 BC), is quoted as having said: | |||
| <blockquote>"The way to find out whether anything exists or not is to depend on the ] of the ears and eyes of the multitude. If some have heard it or some have seen it then we have to say it exists. If no one has heard it and no one has seen it then we have to say it does not exist. So, then, why not go to some village or some district and inquire? If from antiquity to the present, and since the beginning of man, there are men who have seen the bodies of ghosts and spirits and heard their voices, how can we say that they do not ]? If none have heard them and none have seen them, then how can we say they do? But those who deny the existence of the spirits say: "Many in the world have heard and seen something of ghosts and spirits. Since they vary in testimony, who are to be accepted as really having heard and seen them?" Mo Tzu said: As we are to rely on what many have jointly seen and what many have jointly heard, the case of Tu Po is to be accepted."<ref>http://www.cic.sfu.ca/nacc/articles/legalmohist/mozi_mei/wadegiles/momei_31wg1.html ''The Ethical and Political Works of Motse '' Book VIII, Chapter XXXI "On Ghosts (III) Electronic republication of the translation by W. P. Mei (London: Probsthain, 1929) Retrieved December 19, 2006</ref> | |||
| (note: King Hsuan (827-783 BC) executed his minister, Tu Po, on false charges even after being warned that Tu Po's ghost would seek revenge. Three years later, according to historical chronicles, Tu Po's ghost shot and killed Hsuan with a bow and arrow before an assembly of feudal lords.) | |||
| </blockquote> | |||
| Many other ] religious traditions also subscribe to the concept of ghosts. The Hindu ] has detailed information about ghosts.<ref name="VedicCosmology">, accessed February 27, 2007</ref> | |||
| The ] ] and the ] contain few references to ghosts, associating spiritism with forbidden occult activities cf. ] 18:11. The most notable reference is in the First ] (I Samuel 28:7-19 KJV), in which a disguised ] has the ] summon the spirit of ]. In the ], ] has to persuade the ] that he is not a ghost following the ], ] 24. In a similar vein, Jesus' followers at first believe him to be a ghost when they see him ]. | |||
| A celebrated account of a haunted house, from the ancient classical world, is given by ] (] (50 AD).<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.siu.edu/news/ghosts.html |title=Classical ghost stories |accessdate=2007-09-19 |last=Jaehnig |first=K.C. |date=1999-03-11 |publisher= Southern Illinois University }}</ref> Pliny describes, in a letter to a friend, how ] (c. 74 BC – 7 AD), a ] ], decided to rent a large house in ], to investigate widespread rumors that it was haunted. Athenodoros staked out at the house that night, and, sure enough, a disheveled, aged spectre, bound at feet and hands with rattling chains, eventually appeared. The spirit then beckoned for Athenodoros to follow him; Athenodoros complied, but the ghost soon vanished. The philosopher marked the spot where the old man had disappeared, and, on the next day, advised the magistrates to dig there. The man's shackled bones were reportedly uncovered three years later. After a proper burial, the hauntings ceased.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.bartleby.com/9/4/1083.html |title=LXXXIII. To Sura |accessdate=2007-09-19 |first=Pliny the Younger |work=bartleby.com }}</ref> | |||
| One of the first persons to express disbelief in ghosts was ] in the 2nd century AD. In his tale "The Doubter" (circa 150 AD) he relates how ] "the learned man from ] in ]" lived in a tomb outside the city gates in order to prove that cemeteries were not haunted by the spirits of the departed. Lucian relates how he persisted in his disbelief despite practical jokes perpetrated by "some young men of Abdera" who dressed up in shrouds with skull masks in order to give him a fright.<ref>"The Doubter" by Lucian in Roger Lancelyn Green (1970) ''Thirteen Uncanny Tales''. London, Dent: 14-21</ref> | |||
| ===Middle Ages=== | |||
| From the medieval period an apparition of a ghost is recorded from 1211, at the time of the ]<ref>Mark Gregory Pegg (2008) ''A Most Holy War''. Oxford University Press, New York: 3-5, 116-117. ISBN 978-0-19-517131-0</ref>. ], Marshal of ], wrote that the image of Guilhem, a boy recently murdered in the forest, appeared in his cousin's home in ], near ]. This series of "visits" lasted all of the summer. Through his cousin, who spoke for him, the boy allegedly held conversations with anyone who wished, until the local priest requested to speak to the boy directly, leading to an extended disquisition on theology. The boy narrated the trauma of death and the unhappiness of his fellow souls in ], and reported that God was most pleased with the ongoing Crusade against the ] heretics, launched three years earlier. The time of the Albigensian Crusade in southern France was marked by intense and prolonged warfare, this constant bloodshed and dislocation of populations being the context for these reported visits by the murdered boy. | |||
| ===Renaissance to Romanticism=== | |||
| ] and ] evoking a spirit]] | |||
| ] took a revived interest in the ], including ]. The ] '']'' (1868) recounts the story of a ghost returning to beg a woman to free him from his promise to marry her, as he obviously cannot being dead; her refusal would mean his damnation. This reflects a popular British belief that the dead would haunt their lovers if they took up with a new love without some formal release.<ref>], ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 2, p 227, Dover Publications, New York 1965</ref> '']'' expresses a belief even more widespread, found in various locations over Europe: ghosts can stem from the excessive grief of the living, whose mourning interferes with the dead's peaceful rest.<ref>Francis James Child, ''The English and Scottish Popular Ballads'', v 2, p 234, Dover Publications, New York 1965</ref> In many folktales from around the world, the hero arranges for the burial of a dead man. Soon after, he gains a companion who aids him and, in the end, the hero's companion reveals that he is in fact the ].<ref name="encybrit">{{Cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037771/grateful-dead#23476.hook|title=Grateful dead|accessdate=2007-12-14|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|year=2007|work=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> Instances of this include the Italian ] '']'' and the Swedish '']''. | |||
| ===Modern period=== | |||
| In 1848, the Fox sisters of Hydesfield in New York State, claimed to have communication with the disembodied spirits of the dead and launched the ] movement, which claimed many adherents in the nineteenth century.<ref>John Fairley and Simon Welfare (1985) ''Arthur C Clarke's World of Strange Powers'': 251</ref> The claims of spiritualists and others as to the reality of ghosts were investigated by the ], founded in London in 1882. The Society set up a Committee on Haunted Houses and a Literary Committee which looked at the literature on the subject.<ref>John Fairley and Simon Welfare (1985) ''Arthur C Clarke's World of Strange Powers'': 251</ref> Apparitions of the recently deceased, at the moment of their death, to their friends and relations, were very commonly reported.<ref>John Fairley and Simon Welfare (1985) ''Arthur C Clarke's World of Strange Powers'': 132-5</ref><ref>Christina Hole (1950) ''Haunted England'': 13-27</ref> One celebrated example was the strange appearance of ] ], walking through the drawing room of his family home in ], ], looking straight ahead, without exchanging a word to anyone, in front of several guests at a party being given by his wife on 22 June 1893 whilst he was supposed to be in a ship of the Mediterranean Squadron, manoeuvering of the coast of Syria. Subsequently it was reported that he had gone down with his ship, the ], that very same night, after it had collided with the ] following an unexplained and bizarre order to turn the ship in the direction of the other vessel.<ref>Christina Hole (1950) ''Haunted England'': 21-22</ref> Such ] have received serious study by ] with various explanations given to account for them, including ], as well as the traditional view that they represent disembodied spirits.<ref>Richard Cavendish (1994) ''The World of Ghosts and the Supernatural''. Waymark Publications, Basingstoke: 35</ref><ref name="fontana1">{{cite book | last = Fontana | first = David | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Is There an Afterlife: A Comprehensive Review of the Evidence | publisher = O Books | year= 2005 | location = Hants, UK | pages = | url = | doi = | isbn = 1903816904 }}</ref> | |||
| Summoning or exorcising the shades of the departed is an item of belief and religious practice for ] and practitioners of ]. According to a poll conducted in 2005 by the ] about 32% of Americans "believe in the existence of ghosts".<ref name=gallup> {{cite web|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_29/ai_n15400020 |title=Gallup poll shows that Americans' belief in the paranormal persists |accessdate=2007-09-19 |last=Musella |first=David park |date=Sept-October 2005 |publisher=] }}</ref> | |||
| ==By culture== | |||
| ===Asia=== | |||
| ] depiction of a ghost.]] | |||
| {{nihongo|]|]}} are figures in ], analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two ], ] (''yū''), meaning "faint" or "dim" and ] (''rei''), meaning "soul" or "spirit." Like their Western counterparts, they are thought to be ]s kept from a peaceful ]. See also ], ]. | |||
| ] is central to ]. Other than the ] and ] festivals, descendants should pay tributes to ancestors during the ''Zhongyuanjie'', more commonly known as the ]. Traditionally, other than the tombstones or urn-covers, descendants are expected to install altar (神台) in their homes to which they would pay homage regularly in the day, with joss sticks and tea. The ancestors, parents or grandparents, are worshiped or venerated as if they are still living. See also ], ], ], ]. | |||
| ] are a recurrent motives both in ] and in modern day Bengali literature as well, references to ghosts may be often found. It is believed that the spirits of those who cannot find peace in the afterlife or die unnatural deaths remain on Earth. The common word for ghosts in Bengali is ''bhut'' ( ভূত). | |||
| In Central and Northern Asia, ] ]s play a central role. | |||
| ===Near East and Mediterranean=== | |||
| The ] (]) from its ]ern templates (compare Hebrew ] and Babylonian ]), depicts the spirits of the deceased as "]" languishing underground. They can be visited by heroes venturing a ], or they can be conjured as apparitions by ]s or ]s. The Christian ] is a direct continuation of these underworlds. The Greek ] involved the ] of selected individuals after their death. | |||
| ] was a Near Eastern goddess associated with the underworld. Her name may continue a ] notion, cognate to Welsh ''{{lang|cy|]}}'' (Irish ''{{lang|snd|Find-abair}}'', from ] ''{{lang|ine|*windo-seibaro-}}'' "white ghost". | |||
| ===Pre-Columbian Americas=== | |||
| In ], the ] were the spirits of human women who died in childbirth. They haunted crossroads at night, stealing children and causing sicknesses, especially seizures and madness, and seducing men to sexual misbehavior. | |||
| ===European folklore and modern Western culture=== | |||
| {{see|Revenant (folklore)|Necromancy|Samhain|Helloween|All Souls' Day}} | |||
| {{see|Ghosts of the American Civil War|Shadow people}} | |||
| ]" by ]]] | |||
| Belief in ghosts in ] is characterized by the recurring fear of "returning" or '']'' deceased which may harm the living. This includes the Scandinavian '']'', the Romanian '']'', the Serbian '']'', the Greek '']'', etc. | |||
| ] is particularly notable for its numerous ]. | |||
| Popular folklore has always been dismissed as ] by the educated elite, but of course belief in the ] and an ] remained near universal until the emergence of ] in the 18th century "]". 19th century ] resurrected "belief in ghosts" as the object of systematic inquiry and popular opinion in Western culture remains divided.<ref>Paul Chambers (2006) ''The Cock Lane Ghost''. London, Sutton: 61-2</ref> | |||
| 19th century ] has exerted a lasting influence on the Western perception of ghosts. ]s together with ] explanations like ] and ] appeared to give a quality of ] to apparitions. Such approaches to the "]" have become a familiar topos in Western ]. ], founded in ] in ], was an early "]" organization.<ref name=underwood1>Underwood, Peter (1978) "Dictionary of the Supernatural", Harrap Ltd., ISBN 0245527842, Page 144</ref> Famous members of the club have included ], ], ] and ].<ref name=underwood1/> | |||
| ==In modern culture and fiction== | |||
| ] by ] of the ] as depicted in ]' '']'']] | |||
| Ghosts are prominent in the popular cultures of various nations. The ] is ubiquitous across all cultures from oral ] to works of literature. The 5th century BC play '']'' contains the ghost of ], one of the first ghosts to appear in a work of fiction. | |||
| ]s about haunted houses have long appeared in literature. Haunting is used as a ] in ] or ] or, more lately, paranormal-based fiction. Roman-era authors ], ] and ] wrote stories about haunted houses, as did the '']'' (such as the tale of "]"),<ref>{{citation|title=The Arabian Nights and Orientalism: Perspectives from East & West|last=Yuriko Yamanaka|first=Tetsuo Nishio|publisher=]|year=2006|isbn=1850437688|page=83}}</ref> | |||
| ===Literature=== | |||
| Perhaps the most recognizable ghost in ] is the ] in the play ''The Tragical History of ].'' In ''Hamlet'', it is the ghost who demands that ] investigate his "murder most foul" and seek revenge upon his usurping uncle, ]. In the play '']'', ] returns as a ghost to the dismay of the title character. | |||
| One of the key early appearances by ghosts a gothic tale was '']'' by Horace Walpole in 1764.<ref name=BFI>{{cite book|title=BFI Companion to Horror|editor=Newman, Kim|publisher=Cassell|location=London|date=1996|pages=135|isbn=0-304-33213-X}}</ref> Possibly the next most famous apparitions are the ghosts of '']'', where the ghosts of his former colleague ], ], ] and ] help ] see the error of his ways. | |||
| ]'s comedy '']'' has been adapted for film and television on several occasions. Henry James's '']'' has also appeared in a number of adaptations, notably the film '']'' and ]'s ] '']''. ]'s play '']'', later made into a ], places a more humorous slant on the phenomenon of haunting of individuals and specific locations. | |||
| ]'s short story "]" (1820), based on an earlier German folktale, features a ]. It has been adapted for film and television many times, most notably in ], a successful 1999 feature film.<ref name="sleepyhollow"> at ], accessed 29 January, 2009</ref> | |||
| It is not just fictional stories that are popular in literature, but also true ghost stories in such as the ] series, which focus heavily on haunted ]s, ] ghosts and resless spirits, these involve people who have encountered ghosts and the supernatural.<ref> True Ghost and Mystery Stories.</ref> | |||
| ===Film and television=== | |||
| {{main|List of ghost films}} | |||
| Films including or centering on ghosts are common, and span a variety of genres; the works of Shakespeare, Dickens and Wilde have all been made into cinematic versions. Novel-length tales have been difficult to adapt to cinema, although that of '']'' to '']'' in 1963 is an exception.<ref name=BFI/> | |||
| ] | |||
| Sentimental depictions have been more popular on cinema than horror, and include the 1947 film '']'', which was later adapted to television with a successful 1968-70 ].<ref name=BFI/> A common theme in romance or drama is the ghost as a benign guide or messenger, often with unfinished business, such as 1989's '']'', the 1990 film '']'', the 1993 comedy '']'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE3DE1339F93BA3575BC0A965958260|title=FILM; When It Comes to the Hereafter, Romance and Sentiment Rule|last=Chanko|first=Kenneth M.|date=August 8, 1993|work=The New York Times|accessdate=2009-01-29}}</ref> and the 2003 thriller '']''. | |||
| Genuine horror films include 1944's '']'', 1945's '']'', 1980's '']'', and 1988s '']''.<ref name=BFI/> ] of the ] series is a notable modern ghost.<ref name=BFI/> | |||
| Asian cinema has been adept at producing horror films about ghosts, such as the 1998 Japanese film '']'' (remade in America as '']'' in 2002), and the Pang brothers' 2002 film '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E1D61330F93BA35755C0A9659C8B63|title=Why Asian Ghost Stories Are the Best |last=Rafferty|first=Terence|date=June 8, 2003|work=The New York Times|accessdate=2009-01-29}}</ref> | |||
| Ghosts can also be found in various television programs. | |||
| Ghosts have been popular in children's media such as ], created in the 1930s and appearing in comics, animated cartoons and a eventually 1995 feature film, his cousin ] and ]. | |||
| Popularised in such films as the 1983 comedy '']'', the ] theme has been utilised in ] particularly '']'' and '']'', but also '']'', and '']''. It is also represented in children's television by such programmes as '']''. | |||
| ==Paranormal and pseudoscientific explanation attempts== | |||
| {{main|Apparitional experience}} | |||
| {{Cleanup-section|date=February 2009}} | |||
| Some researchers, such as ] (], ]), have speculated that changes in ] fields (created, e.g., by tectonic stresses in the Earth's crust or solar activity) could stimulate the brain's temporal lobes and produce many of the experiences associated with hauntings. This theory has been tested in various ways. Some scientists have examined the relationship between the time of onset of unusual phenomena in allegedly haunted locations and any sudden increases in ]. Others have investigated whether the location of alleged hauntings is associated with certain types of magnetic activity. Finally, a third strand of work has involved laboratory studies in which stimulation of the temporal lobe with ] magnetic fields has elicited subjective experiences that strongly parallel phenomena associated with hauntings. All of this work is controversial; it has attracted a large amount of debate and disagreement.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.richardwiseman.com/research/ghosts.html |title=Research of Professor Richard Wiseman |accessdate=2007-09-25 |last=Wiseman |first=Richard |date=0 |publisher=] }}</ref> | |||
| ] is thought to be another cause of supposed sightings. ] lower than 20 ] are called ] and are normally inaudible, but scientists Richard Lord and ] have concluded that infrasound can cause humans to experience bizarre feelings in a room, such as anxiety, extreme sorrow, a feeling of being watched, or even the chills.<ref name=sound> {{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/09/08/1062901994082.html?oneclick=true |title=Sounds like terror in the air |accessdate=2007-09-19 |date=2003-09-09 |work=Reuters |publisher=smh.com.au }}</ref> | |||
| ], which can cause changes in perception of the visual and auditory systems,<ref name="pmid11410684">{{cite journal|author=Choi IS|title=Carbon monoxide poisoning: systemic manifestations and complications|journal=J. Korean Med. Sci.|volume=16|issue=3|pages=253–61|year=2001|pmid=11410684|doi=|issn=}}</ref> was recognized as a possible explanation for ]s as early as 1921. | |||
| Skeptics say that, to date, there is no credible scientific evidence that any location is inhabited by spirits of the dead.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/2000-09/i-files.html |title=Haunted Inns Tales of Spectral Guests |accessdate=2007-09-19 |last=Nickell |first=Joe |date=Sept-Oct 2000 |publisher=] }}</ref> | |||
| Critics of "eyewitness ghost sightings" suggest that limitations of human perception and ordinary physical explanations can account for such sightings; for example, air pressure changes in a home causing doors to slam, or lights from a passing car are reflected through a window at night.<ref name=visit> {{cite web|url=http://www.csicop.org/sb/2001-06/visit.html |title=The Visit |accessdate=2007-09-19 |last=Weinstein |first=Larry |date=June 2001 |publisher=] }}</ref> ], an innate tendency to recognize patterns in random perceptions, is what some skeptics believe causes people to believe that they have seen ghosts.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://skepdic.com/pareidol.html |title=pareidolia |accessdate=2007-09-19 |last=Carroll |first=Robert Todd |date=June 2001 |work=skepdic.com }}</ref> Reports of ghosts "seen out of the corner of the eye" may be accounted for by the sensitivity of human ]. According to skeptical investigator ]: | |||
| <blockquote>...peripheral vision is very sensitive and can easily mislead, especially late at night, when the brain is tired and more likely to misinterpret sights and sounds.<ref name="visit"/></blockquote> | |||
| Nickell also states that a person's belief that a location is haunted may cause them to interpret mundane events as confirmations of a haunting: | |||
| <blockquote>Once the idea of a ghost appears in a household . . . no longer is an object merely mislaid. . . . There gets to be a dynamic in a place where the idea that it's haunted takes on a life of its own. One-of-a-kind quirks that could never be repeated all become further evidence of the haunting.<ref name="visit"/></blockquote> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| {{commons|Category:Ghosts|Ghosts}} | |||
| {{Wiktionary|ghost}} | |||
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| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
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Revision as of 02:02, 18 February 2009
they are real