Characteristics of ghosts
Ghosts can be classified according to several different characteristics, relating to their appearance patterns, level of awareness and personality.
Appearance characteristics
- Cyclic ghosts – these ghosts cause phenomena to occur at regular times, for example at the same time each day, on the same day each week, on the same day each month etc.
- Intermittent ghosts – these ghosts don’t have any identifiable routine or pattern to the times at which they cause phenomena. For example, phenomena may occur three times in one day, and then not occur again for several months.
- Anniversary ghosts – these ghosts cause phenomena only or mainly on days which were important or significant to them during their lives, for example on the day they were executed.
- Reactive ghosts – these ghosts do not generally cause phenomena unless specific actions are taken by living people. For example, if building work is occurring, a ghost may cause phenomena until the building work has been completed. A real life example of a reactive ghost is the ghost which haunts Higher Farm in Somerset. The building is home to a skull belonging to the ghost which haunts it. If the skull is removed from the building, the ghost becomes active and phenomena will only cease once the skull has been returned.
- Circulative ghosts – these ghosts haunt several locations, rather than the usual single location. A famous example of a circulative ghost is that of Anne Boleyn. She is known to haunt eight different locations, including the Tower of London, where she was executed in 1536.
Awareness characteristics
- Conscious ghosts – conscious ghosts are those which appear to interact with living people, for example by responding to questions asked via Ouija boards or by knocking on hard surfaces, or even by ‘touching’ people, for example by tapping them on the shoulder.
- Oblivious ghosts – oblivious ghosts are those which appear to be unaware of living people and the current environment. Oblivious ghosts will not generally interact with the living, and often ignore any attempts at communication.
Personality characteristics
- Benevolent/benign ghosts – these ghosts do not generally bring any harm to those to witness them, and may actually try to ‘help’ the witness in some way.
- Malevolent ghosts – these ghosts often try to affect people in negative ways, for example by strangling, scratching or pushing them. Witnesses generally don’t come to any real harm, but experiences can be extremely distressing at the time.