The common public
opinion is that the term ghost is a perfectly acceptable general term for all
spirits. However there is far more depth
to this word. Based on cultural belief systems, there are thousands of different
ways to refer to spirit entities. Isolating to North America there are hundreds
of different types of spirit entities. Many of these types can still be quite
similar to classify. Therefore, for simplicity we will categorize them in much
more broad terms.
1. Vapors
and mists
2. Orbs
and lights
3. Vortices
4. Shadows
figures and dark entities
5. Apparitions
and Disembodied voices
6. Demons
and Non Human
A vapor or mist looks
like a floating cloud. It can be in any number of colors depending on the light
in which it is captured. The clouds can be seen anywhere, but they appear to be
found more commonly around sites of death. This is inclusive of but not limited
to graveyards, places of battle, cites of catastrophe etc. One theory is that
the mist is the soul of the dead in an initial form before it becomes something
else.
Orbs are generally not
captured by the human eye. Not to say they cannot be, but normally are not
easily seen, whereas lights are seen quite easily. It is the source of their
origins that is in question. They can be found pretty much anywhere in which a
spirit is. Just as the previous vapors and mists, orbs and lights are another
method of manifestation for a soul that has passed from this life.
Vortices are a strange
phenomenon. They tend to be noticed by way of cold spots, but so far have ever
only been reported in still pictures. They have thus been captured in older
buildings and homes. Potentially these are recognized as a method of
transporting spirit energy, and quite easily confused with a moving orb.
Shadow figures and dark
entities can look like large dark masses or even as humanoid shape. You would
see no clear definition to the spirit, only that of its outline. They are also hard to get a clear view of,
because they tend to be things you see just out of the corner of your eye, and
they seem to move quickly. These entities are seen both indoors and outdoors.
The spirit seems to have some tie to the living and so they are not always
isolated to a location. There is no evidence to support that just because they
are shadows that they are evil. They are often taken as evil, but nothing says
that this is always the truth.
Apparitions and
Disembodied voices are almost the holy grail of the ghost hunter. These spirits
are generally as clear as a person in front of you to see and hear. You will
clearly see the details of the entity including the period of their clothing,
wounds, expressions etc. They are
located anywhere in which the spirit has a connection. The sightings of
apparitions are quite rare as full manifestations are the most draining on the
spirits energy. Last but not least are the Demons and non humans. These are the
dark creatures that are more often than not equated with evil. Their most
common purpose is to cause harm to humanity and they are not generally
friendly. These creatures wish to destroy people and all that is around them
with the ultimate purpose of claiming the soul.
Some cultures have Demons that are not evil, it is just their title as
an entity or life form; however more commonly the Demon is associated with
evil, as are non human (not speaking of animals, but anything that was not life
as we know it).
This is a quick overview of classes of spirits. It is at a
glance, but classification is far more detailed than this condensed format. This information was sourced from many sights
and studies, such as ghoststudy.com and many others. Also I would like to send
another shout out to my friend Brian who you can follow on twitter
@theonewithcp for the idea of this blog. If you have any questions or comments,
tweet me @Vijayp1982 or comment below.
