Running Head: GHOSTS

Ghosts: A Review of Literature

Brisa G. Botello
University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

Many people around the world admit they have experienced, seen a ghost, or even
communicated with one. Other people talk about ghosts or make movies about ghosts to
entertain others, especially during the Halloween season. Others research and take the topic of
ghosts seriously and think of it as very interesting. Ghosts are a topic in which research varies
and some researchers cannot come to a same conclusion with other researchers about ghosts.
Some researchers say ghosts are very real and have different definitions of what ghosts are
capable of while others believe ghosts are not real and are all in what the mind wants to see,
while this is the case ghosts have not yet been scientifically proven to be real. The purpose of
this literature review will be to mention different definitions provided of how researchers have
defined the topic of ghosts, research done on ghosts, some experiences on ghosts, and reasons for
why people believe in ghosts.

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Ghosts: A Review of Literature

Ghosts are defined to be a dead person that is believed to appear to the living, and
according to some whom have experienced ghosts, ghosts can even haunt people. The definition
of ghosts may be very contradicting according to Radford, a live science contributor, because of
the fact that there is not one universally agreed-upon definition of what a ghost is
(livescience.com, 2014). There will be different definitions provided of how researchers have
defined the topic of ghosts, research done on ghosts, some experiences on ghosts, and reasons for
why people believe in ghosts. Throughout this research paper these three answers will be
answered about ghosts:
1.
2.
3.
4.

How are researchers defining the topic of ghosts?

What are researchers finding when researching ghosts?
What do people experience when experiencing ghosts?
Why do people believe in ghosts?

These questions will provide facts of what researchers are finding, defining, believing and
interpreting ghosts and will construct the purpose of this literature review.
How are researchers defining the topic of ghosts?
F. B. Welbourn is a scientists who did research at the Harvard University. According to
Welbourn, ghost means ancestral spirits. Welbourn states that Christians believe, The belief in
the objective character of spirit-possession is an ineradicable part of the thought-forms of the
New Testament (1962, p.46). This would be an explanation of why many Christians believe in
ghosts. Ghosts relate to the topic of paranoia which according to Welbourn, paranoia is the
belief that they are being persecuted by external forcas over which they have no control (1962,
p.47).
Welbourn believes the thought of ghosts is all in the head for example, when researching
and discovering a lady whom was suffering from neurosis producing organic symptoms. She

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believed these symptoms were being caused by ghosts, then set a trap to catch the ghosts which
made the women recover. When in reality the thought of the ghosts being trapped was what
cured her because she did not have to worry about the ghosts anymore (1962, p.47). This
example is explained by Welbourn as the concept of the unconscious is simply an assumption
for the sake of convenience (1962, p.48). Welbourn then states that science fiction has taken
the place of religious mythology to satisfy the starved emotions of men (1962, 49) this means
that ghosts are all really in the head because people want them to be there. Welbourn is a
scientist whom obviously believes in science not in the supernatural, because of this Welbourn
does not believe in ghosts.
The definition of ghosts varies across disciplines and what they believe. According to
Robert F. Campany his definition of ghosts is the existence and nature of ghosts, that is humans
beings being returned from the realm of the dead to that of the living (1991, 17). Campany
states that there are two types of ghosts such as Naturalistic and Moral ghosts. Naturalistic
is described to be ghosts pictured as one among many kinds of harmful natural forces in the
world. The appropriate response to them is to be on guard in order to protect oneself. Moral
ghosts on the other hand, ghosts are pictured as having a legitimate claim on living human
beings. The appropriate response to them is to acknowledge their claim, either by respecting it,
or by refuting it (1991, 20).
By the definitions and thoughts of Campany the assumption is that he believes in ghosts
which opposes Welbourns research in ghosts and hauntings. Campany states, Catholics with
their concept of Purgatory long established, tended to see such apparitions as real visits by the
souls of the dead to the living; the visit was for the purpose of making a claim on its recipient, a
claim for the fulfillment of which there existed regular cultic channels involving suffrages and

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masses for the dead (1991, 34). Campany believes that sceptics maintain that ghosts do not
really exist, and traditionalists maintain that the living are under no moral or cultic obligation to
reverse and nourish souls with whom they are not kin (1991, 34).
People think and define ghosts different because of their experiences and research in this
discourse. Benjamin Radford, a Live Science Contributor, believes spirits survive death to live
in another realm (livescience.com, 2014). When contrasting the definitions of ghosts defined
by these three writers, there is a connection in each definition, yet the definitions are not
completely the same. Whether ghosts are real, evil or do not exist at all, is up to the people.
According to Radford and his definition of ghosts, Millions of people are interested in ghosts,
and a 2005 Gallup poll found that about 18 percent of Americans believe in ghosts
(livescience.com, 2014). Radford believes that any unexplained light or noise might be
evidence of ghosts (livescience.com, 2014). This thought of something as small as a light
change can be ghosts, could be very controversy to people who do not believe in ghosts.
Radford states that, Most people believe in ghosts because of personal experience; they have
seen or sensed some unexplained experience. Ghosts according to Radford, are the idea that the
dead remains with one in a spirit, and beloved of others whom have died are looking out for
them (livescience.com, 2014).
People who may have admitted to seeing a ghosts may experience the activity as
heartwarming or pleasurable, while others might fear it. Radford then argues the controversy
that ghosts do not exist. Radford explains the fact that ghost hunters use creative methods to
detect the spirits presences, yet none of the equipment they use has ever shown to actually detect
ghosts (livescience.com, 2014). Radford then applies science with the theory of ghosts and
what happens to people when they die rather than the theory of becoming ghosts: After a person

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dies, the energy in his or her body goes where all organisms energy goes after death, into the
environment (livescience.com, 2014). Radford defined his own definition of ghosts and looked
at both arguments of why people may believe in them, and ghosts are not scientifically proven to
be real.
Concluding with these three researchers, it is obvious that the definition of ghosts will
vary across disciplines. It all comes down to the person defining ghosts and what their belief
in ghosts is. The theory of ghosts has been going on since years before this, and by the looks of
it, it seems as if the research of ghosts will be ongoing. Maybe in time once we have more
technology and resources then we might be able to prove that ghosts are real, but until then we
will be constructing off of theories, myths, and research.
What are researchers finding when researching ghosts?
The Spiritual Science Research Foundation is a foundation of researchers whom research
spiritual science. According to the Spiritual Science Research Foundations website, the way
ghosts form is When a person dies his subtle body (consisting of the subconscious mind,
intellect, ego and soul, i.e. minus the physical body) continues to exist and moves on to the other
regions of the universe (Spiritualresearchfoundation.org, 1985). This Spiritual Research
Foundation mentions ghosts are subtle-bodies, they do not exist in Heaven, they have unfulfilled
desires, and they derive please out of tormenting humans and other subtle-bodies. The Spiritual
Research Foundation states, When people die ones course in the after-life is decided by
depending on how one lived their lives, the attitude of duality with God, the type of deeds done
during ones life-time, the type of spiritual practice one undertakes during their lifetime, ones
destiny, type of death, and type of funeral (Spiritualresearchfoundation.org, 1985). These

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researchers include Most subtle-bodies in the Nether region (away from God) are highly likely
to become ghosts, all subtle-bodies in Hell are ghosts (Spiritualresearchfoundation.org, 1985).
According to the Spiritual Research Foundation ghosts pursue to gain pleasure from
troubling others, try to satisfy their desires or cravings, seek revenge, and want to torment
seekers of God (Spiritualresearchfoundation.org,1985). These researches mention, ghosts enjoy
troubling others, they possess living people with their desires/cravings with their own making
them fulfill their desires through them, ghosts may seek revenge to a human body because of a
serious harm they caused, and ghosts torment seekers of God so as to create obstacles in their
spiritual practice or to stop it completely. This Research Foundation found that ghosts exist in
the Nether region, the Hell region, and inhabit the earth region affecting or possessing human
beings. As the research foundation states, ghosts in the Nether region have the least spiritual
power, and ghosts in the Hell region are more powerful and evil
(Spiritualresearchfoundation.org, 1985).
The movement of ghosts may vary, according to the Spiritual Research Foundation,
ghosts can move vast physical distances on the Earth region in a matter of seconds, can move
very easily between the Earth and the subtle-regions in a few seconds, yet they cannot visit
regions that are more subtle such as Heaven (Spiritualresearchfoundation.org,1985). Ghosts
may exist in multiple places on Earth as this Spiritual Research Foundation found that ghosts
can create a centre, where they store their black energy, for themselves in living and non-living
objects, they generally create a centre for themselves in people, trees, houses, electrical
equipment, etc. (Spiritualresearchfoundation.org,1985).
According to the Spiritual Research Foundation, Ghosts are most likely to be found near
human beings, animals, vegetation, haunted objects, haunted place, haunted house, vehicle,

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roads, police stations, jails, hospitals, cemeteries and crematoriums. The Spiritual Research
Foundation mentions ghosts exist around human beings to satisfy their desires, seek revenge, or
to derive pleasure out of tormenting them, ghost exist around animals when they want to trouble
mankind through controlling the animals, vegetation whose frequencies are similar to those of
ghosts are favored, haunted object when people after death continue to be attached mentally to
objects that they used to like when they lived on Earth, subtle-bodies may haunt a vehicle or
place or house and torment any trespassers. Ghost may haunt roads if they were in any fatal road
accident, in police stations where inmates have succumbed to police torture to haunt the cells,
hospitals were people die after struggling for life, or cemeteries where peoples funerals are
inadequately done, according the Spiritual Research Foundations website research
(Spiritualresearchfoundation.org, 1985).
There are many people whom are believers of ghosts as circle graph (Figure 1) below
shows, there was a questionnaire survey, done by the author, researching how many students
believe in ghosts. Out of the seventeen students fourteen believed in ghosts, which was more
than half of the students that participated in this survey. Out of the students whom participated in
this survey about 83% of them believed in ghosts which is a high percentage based on the
seventeen students whom had participated.

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Figure 1. This chart illustrates the amount of people who
believe in ghosts.

Do you believe in ghosts?

3

Yes.

No.

14

There are many theories which researchers have mentioned. These theories all come
down to the people and their beliefs.
What do people experience when experiencing ghosts?
The experience of ghosts depends on the ghosts, for there are different type of
ghosts such as demons, common ghosts, goblins, spirit, witch, etc, according to the Spiritual

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Research Foundations website (Spiritualresearchfoundation.org, 1985). According to Spiritual

Research Foundation article When people repeatedly experience various forms of inexplicable
distress, around a place, person or object, it is very likely that the place, person or object is
affected or possessed by a ghost, feelings of distress include apprehension, a presence, feeling
like ones entire energy is being sucked out of, or repeated mishaps happening in a certain place
with no apparent reason (Where Do Ghosts Exist? 1985).
According to Sean Fosters website one may be experiencing a haunting of ghost when
ones doors are being closed by themselves, seeing lights turn on or off by themselves, or even
windows or doors being locked/unlocked by themselves (ghoststory.com, 2014). People may
experience sudden whispers or cries when being haunted by ghosts, according to Fosters.
Fosters states people may experience hearing known voices from people they have known, yet
their alone in the certain area. According to Fosters when being haunted by a ghost one may
experience Cold or hot spots which are one of the most common haunting symptom,
unexplained smells (ghoststory.com, 2014).
One of the most disturbing types of ghost haunting one can experience according to
Foster is physical assault for one can experience hard shoves, scratches, slap, etc. People may
experience physical illness with no relief from medication which may be caused when people
shift to places that are haunted experiencing fatigue, sleep disturbances, stress without relief until
leaving the haunted area, according to Foster. As fosters mentions, Frequent nightmares keep
on increasing, sleep walking, sleep disturbances, Objects missing and found in unexpected
places (ghoststory.com, 2014). People may even experience more from a haunting ghost that
were not mentioned, and may be more disturbing or terrifying. According to Foster, there are six
types of haunting activity from a ghost such as Residual haunting, interactive or intelligent

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haunting, poltergeist haunting, demonic activity, shadow haunting or shadow people, and
doppelganger haunting (ghoststory.com, 2014).
Why do people believe in ghosts?
The answers to why people in ghosts may vary, the most common reasons why people
believe in ghosts is mentioned by Tanya Lewis on her website. Lewis mentions that Part of the
reason many of us believe in ghosts simply comes down to the way our brains work. The human
mind seeks patterns to make sense of ambiguous information. Lewis explains, People believe
who believe in ghosts are often in situations where they are expecting to see them, in other
words, if you are looking for something you are more likely to find it (businessinsider.com,
2015). Lewis assumption is that people believe in ghosts because of one owns experience of a
ghost when the experience is all really in the mind.
Another common reason for why people may believe in ghosts mentioned by Lewis is
ghosts may be related to a belief in the afterlife, a tenet of most major religions, believing in the
supernatural also has its roots in our desire to have control over our world (businessinsider.com,
2015). Many people are said to believe in ghosts by Lewis because some seek the thrill of it,
people buy into these scary stories because of legend-tripping (people do this because they know
they are not in any real danger (businessinsider.com, 2015).
In James Leubas book ,The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods,
The belief in ghosts arose from dreams, memory-images exteriorized metamorphoses in nature,
reflections and echoes and the like (pg.612, 1918). As Leubas states This belief in ghosts had
its origin in the phenomena of perception, memory and childlike investigation (pg.612, 1918).
Based on these sources the belief in ghost varies and there may be reasons that were not
mentioned, yet these are some common facts of why people believe in ghosts.

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Conclusion

Overall, this literature review explained that the definition of ghosts varies as well as the
research done on ghosts, some experiences on ghosts, and reasons for why people believe in
ghosts. Whether people believe in ghosts or not, ghosts will be continued to be research and one
of these days may be scientifically proven to be true. Many of these facts mentioned throughout
the paper may contradict each other, yet they all have the same goal on figuring out whether
ghosts are real or not. Throughout these references we were able to analyze some important facts
on ghosts and of what researchers on ghosts believe.

References
Welbourn, F. (1962). The Importance of Ghosts. Transition, (6/7), 46-50. doi:1. Retrieved from
http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/2934792 doi:1
Campany, R. (1991). Ghosts Matter: The Culture of Ghosts in Six Dynasties Zhiguai. Chinese
Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR), 13, 15-34. doi:1. Retrieved from http://0www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/495051 doi:1
(1985) Ghosts: What are Ghosts and How does a Person Become One? | SSRF English. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 26, 2016, from http://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/spiritualresearch/ghosts/what-are-ghosts/
Radford, B. (2014, October 21). Human Nature: Are Ghosts Real? Science Says No-o-o-o.
Retrieved October 26, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/26697-are-ghostsreal.html
(1985) Ghosts: Where Do Ghosts (Demons, Devils, Negative Energies, etc.) Exist? SSRF
English. Retrieved October 27, 2016 from

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http://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/spiritual-research/ghosts/where-do-ghostsexist/
Fosters, S. (2014, April 10).Ghost Stories: The Signs, Symptoms and Types of a Real Haunting.
Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://ghostsstory.com/blog/567/the-signs-symptomsand-types-of-haunting-activity
Lewis, T. (2015, October 23). There's a fascinating psychological reason behind your belief in
ghosts. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/why-dopeople-believe-in-ghosts-2015-10
Leuba J. H. (1918). The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, 15(22), 612613. doi:1. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu/stable/2940446 doi:1