A ghost may be one of several things. No one can be certain to what a ghost is exactly but there are many theories behind ghosts. The most common one, and the theory most people stand behind is that a ghost is the spirit of someone once living that has died and for some reason has chosen not to move on to wherever the dead go. The spirit remains on Earth often times haunting a place that is or once was significant to it. The spirit may also haunt its final resting place or place of death. Another theory often times applied to the term ghost is not that of an actual figure but an apparition or projected image. The image is transported into the mind using psychokinesis. This theory is highly unlikely, as many peope have reported feeling and touching ghosts. Another idea of what a ghost really is deals with the living. A ghost may be a thought or idea that a person on their deathbed conjures (conciously or subconciously) to comfort those around them. This is also unlikely because there have been documented cases of ghosts haunting the same area for centuries. Another possible explanation given to that of ghosts is psychometry. This is a psychic gift to some people, who may not even know they have it. It revolves around the idea of residual haunting or sensing of a ghost or event years after its take place. (This may occur without the person actually knowing what had happened beforehand.) Ghosts could actually be the images or sounds of events that have happened years before.
Why are ghosts here?
There are many possible reasons ghosts are here. They may feel obligated not to leave those they care about because they need them too much or they may not want to leave Earth for personal reasons. Those would all be assuming ghosts are the spirits of the dead. If they are not, for example they would simply be images projected through psychometry then the above theories would be false. A ghost would not truly be here. It would be almost like a flashback which never occured.
What can I do if I see ghosts?
Be calm. The most important thing to do is not be afraid. Fear is simply a feeling of apprehension about something you are unfamiliar with. So become familiar with ghosts. Read up on them, talk to other people who experience them and find out what they do. The most important thing to realize is that you are not alone out there. Plenty of people experience visitations and you should not be alarmed.
What are some good books to read?
Twilight Visitors, Dave Oester and Sharon Gill.
Psuedoscience and the Paranormal, Terence Hines.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Ghosts and Hauntings, Tom Ogden.
The Haunting of America, Jean Anderson.
Encyclopedia of the Unexplained, Jenny Randles and Peter Hough.
