Although ghosts and apparitions have been reported for thousands of
years, surprisingly little information is available with regard to
their nature or essence. Ghosts are elusive and unpredictable, and
the ways in which they manifest are surprisingly diverse.
Contrary to popular belief, most ghostly encounters are not
visual, but rather consist of noises, smells, sensations, voices,
cold spots, electrical disturbances such as lights switching off or
on, and displacement or movement of objects. Much of the available
data is anecdotal and is therefore prone to exaggeration,
embellishment, and sometimes outright deceit.
Perception
Although studies suggest that approximately 1 in 10 of us has the
ability to perceive ghosts, those of us who are actively looking
for them are apparently the least likely to have a ghostly
experience. Children seem more apt to experience manifestations,
suggesting that adults develop some kind of blocking mechanism as
they mature. Women seem more attuned than men, and it appears that
the higher your IQ, the less likely you are to experience ghostly
phenomena.
Animals also seem to be quite sensitive to this type of odd
phenomenon, and many very reliable reports of them avoiding certain
rooms, chasing unseen prey, or sitting contently as if being
stroked and petted have been recorded throughout history - another
indication that this type of phenomena is quite interactive.
Appearance
Many witnesses report ghostly apparitions in a variety of ways.
Some are seen as ethereal or almost mist-like, while others seem to
be very solid, with features as sharp as if they are actual people.
But other times, only the sound or even the smell of a ghost is
reported. Most apparitions do not appear to be conducive to
photography, though EVP recordings are occasionally successful.
Other apparitions however, appear fuzzy or misty, luminous and
wispy, loosely resembling the person they once were. Sometimes they
are only described as strange lights, rods, streaks blobs or
patches of light. Apparitions seem to materialize at will and
disappear just as quick, but some are known to just softly fade
away.
But whatever form they may be, they can still move through solid
objects or walk round them, be seen as reflection in mirrors, some
can call for the attention of the percipient, some are accompanied
by a certain smell or sound. Some just want to let the percipients
know that they are there by moving objects.
Feelings of "magnetism" are often reported, as are sensations
that the hair is "standing on end," a common occurrence around
fields of high electricity. Temperature fluctuations have become
the litmus test for detecting activity, as have vague feelings of
the area being "energized" by some unknown process.