Q5.4 What are some different categories of manifestations?
Ghostly visitations fall into several distinct categories. Here
are a few of the most common.
- Crisis Apparitions -- These ghosts appear most often to their
loved ones at a moment of great crisis or death. Typically, the
ghosts appear only once to a special loved one who may be many
miles away at the time of the accident.
- Doppelgangers -- Doppelgangers are ghostly doubles of living
people. Often the doppelganger is not visible to the person himself,
and will simply follow the person around. In some cases a
person will come upon his own doppelganger who is typically engaged
in some future activity. Doppelgangers are traditionally considered
omens of bad luck or even death.
- Repeated Actions -- Many apparitions are always viewed repeating
the same motions or scenes. Many classic hauntings fall into this
category. An example of this type of haunting is The Brown Lady of
Raynham Hall, who was always seen moving down a hallway with a lantern
in her hand. Usually these ghosts pay little or no attention
to the observer.
- Poltergeists -- Poltergeists are the only spirits who leave immediate
physical traces. Poltergeists are best known for throwing
things about and producing rapping sounds and other noises. In
fact, the word "poltergeist" means "noisy ghost" in German. Poltergeists
often occur where there are children on the brink of
puberty, and often interact with people.
- Ghostly Sounds and Lights -- Sometimes a haunting will consist entirely
of the sound of footsteps or ghostly music. There are also
many legends of ghost lights, which are often said to be caused by
someone's ghostly lantern or by a spectral motorcycle or train.
- Possessed Objects -- Sometimes inanimate objects are said to be
cursed or possessed. A very famous example of a supposed cursed
object is the Hope Diamond. Sometimes a particular piece of furniture
will refuse to stay in place, even moving in front of the
owner's eyes.
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This page (http://www.ghosts.org/faq/5-4.html) last updated April 13, 2005.
