What Do Ghosts Look Like?

In popular culture, ghosts are portrayed to us, in a myriad of different ways. We often have images of a floating ball of cartoon matter, a glowing person in Victorian clothing, or Patrick Swayze. However, the truth of the matter, is that none of us know what a Ghost looks like, unless we’ve seen it ourselves.

However, for those that have reported witnessing ghosts or paranormal entities, there are a few commonalities that stand out. These ghostly archetypes will now be reviewed, with details, and possible thoughts about their origins.

Probably one of the more common sightings reported is known as the ‘orb’. These ghastly balls of white light usually manifest only on film, though sometimes are potent enough to be seen with the naked eye. They are never reported to be particularly malevolent, and manifest commonly in cemeteries. However, one of the more confusing aspects of these types of sightings, is the fact that common dust or light artifacts can be bent in such a manner as to create an orb. As a result, most sightings are dismissed.

Another common sighting, is the simple shadow. Said to be a shadow, yet given form, and its own will, these objects can take the form of a man, or can simply be an inexplicable decrease or increase in ambient light. However, much like the orbs, there are quite a few natural, and thus not paranormal, explanations for shadow apparitions. As a result, they get about as much respect as the orbs do.

Whenever a paranormal activity happens, without an actual manifestation, it becomes known as a poltergeist. For example, if a door opens by itself, or a light mysterious turns on. Any number of happenings can be classified as such. Poltergeists are probably some of the more credible reports in the community, simply because without the evident paranormal explanation, you still have a happening which is quite paranormal. Even hoaxing these happenings would require some amount of skill.

The last type of ghostly visage is just that, a full or partial body apparition. In this, the ghost appears as it did in life, with all the accoutrement of its time and place. Depending upon the clarity of the evidence, and how it was collected, determines how it is generally received by the public. Often, first-hand accounts are dismissed, while video-graphic evidence is held in high regard, even if it can be hoaxed reliably.

These are some of the more common types of ghost sightings. However, it is important to remember that the list is not exhaustive, and that most investigators put a lot of credit into psychic sensors as well. Good luck ghost hunting!

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