A Ghost Taxonomy

Are ghosts real? What are ghosts? These are all common questions, in addition to the ever-popular one, which I wrote about separately, of How do you get rid of them?

Ghosts are as real as many other energies throughout the planet that transcend identifying and understanding when we are using only three dimensional, five senses-based instrumentation. It is very hard to understand ideas and existences that are not physically based, as we are. In my mind, individuals either believe there is no existence beyond physical reality (thus negating many religious or spiritual views), or there is a nonphysical reality. If someone believes there are real energies that cannot be physically measured, then that person cannot really pick and choose which ones to believe in. What I mean is that it would kind of strange for me to believe in a reality containing angels but not ghosts, or believe in evil spirits, but not in the good spirits.  Does all that make sense?

If you are one who is open to a nonphysical existence, then keep reading.  Ghost hunters usually narrow the category of ghosts into three main types of these energies: Residual, Poltergeist and Intelligent.

Residual ghosts are just shadows of physical events that were seared into the filmstrip of time by either repetitiveness or by high emotions. For instance, footsteps on stairs, trains across the prairie and the clank of miners’ tools are not active ghosts. These just happened so often or by so many that we are picking up a residual haunting.

Poltergeists are usually associated with living persons’ energies. Some believe that people who are energetically powerful but confused (such as teenagers) are the source of poltergeist activity.

The last category is intelligent ghosts. In other words, the type of non-visible energy associated with a unique personality or intelligence.  These types of ghosts are usually dead people who are clinging to their physically-oriented selves as much as they can, such the ghosts in the movie Ghost.  Of these, a good portion do not actually know you are there and so do not really cause problems other than perhaps spooking you.

There are though the ghosts that are interactive and know you are there. These folks act much like they did when they were alive. The nice ones are nice; the mean ones are mean. These are the ghosts that get all the press despite being in the minority. Sometimes they focus on their past physical selves because of addictions or unfinished business. Sometimes they are afraid to release and “meet their maker” because their earthly self believed that if bad, one gets sent to Hell and so they stay here. These types can also be quietly dormant and then get stirred up by some new event in the building such as remodeling or a new resident.

There is sometimes confusion over whether a dead person around us is a ghost or just a guiding spirit. The way to tell is with the energy itself. Does the person know she or he is dead? Are they trying to cling to their physical selves or not? If they know they are dead and are around just to support and help, then they are not ghosts.

Author Margaret Ruth is one of Utah’s most popular psychics. Go to Margaret’s Podcast for this week and next to hear more about ghosts at http://mrshow.audioscrubber.com/. Contact Psychic Margaret Ruth on her Facebook page, email mr@margaretruth.com or call 801-575-7103. You can also get details on private readings, Margaret’s classes and blog at www.margaretruth.com. Margaret Ruth has been on radio, television, published in newspapers and magazines and major websites. She is the author of Superconscious Connections: The Simple Psychic Truths of Perfectly Satisfying Relationships (Oct. 2010).