Coming to the end of the ghost month, I think I’ll open the floor to people. If you don’t believe in ghosts then don’t feel obligated to answer or give a long comment about why they don’t exist. I’ve walked into that one before and it isn’t fun. This is all about fun.
Poltergeist
This could be the most famous type of ghost because of the movie. At least it’s a name that people recognize. So, what is a poltergeist in terms of folklore?
With the name originating in Germany, poltergeists are spirits found across the globe that caused physical disturbances. Their most common activities are making noises and moving stuff around. Sometimes they simply move an object when nobody is looking, but other times they will hurl it in anger. Other stories talk of them attacking people through mysterious bites or even tripping. Flickering lights, foul smells, and sudden fires are considered signs of a poltergeist even if they are not done consciously by the ghost. A person could see how these ghosts are the most physically interactive ones out there.
Now, a poltergeist isn’t tied to a dead person. They could be considered a spirit born from strong emotions of a living person. Many stories tie them to teenagers who are suffering from depression and/or anxiety. If this is the case, a poltergeist would be a manifestation of emotional turmoil. It could even be that the people who conjure them have some level of telekinesis or psychokinesis, but can’t consciously access these abilities. So, a poltergeist is created by the subconscious to unleash these powers. Of course, this is all theory.
Poltergeists have been tied to a lot of hoaxes as well. It seems fairly easy to rig things to move using finishing line, magnets, and/or shadows. Not sure how I feel about this because I know many ghost stories can be chalked up to hoaxes or misunderstandings. It would be why many people don’t believe in them, which I think the poltergeist perfectly encapsulates. There have been so many fakes that most would never believe such a thing exists. The possibility is denied, which means any evidence that it could be real simply points to another hoax. Not like a poltergeist is going to get offended and jump on the news to declare its existence.
This makes me wonder why people are so quick to say ghosts don’t exist. I have a few theories:
Odd question: Anybody think they’ve ever encountered or seen the aftermath of a poltergeist?
The picture above speaks for itself. Happy National Pumpkin Day whether you look the spice, pie, carvings, color, or the Great One. Enjoy.
I was trying to think of a catchier title, but that was really the highlight of the week. I can’t talk about the specifics, but I took a surprisingly bad hit to the stomach on Wednesday. It didn’t cause any bruising and nothing is broken. I even went to work on Thursday, but needed to take Friday off. The issue is that my abdomen hurts if I sit for too long and get up. It also starts to ache, feel bloated, and I get gassy about 30 minutes after I eat. So, it’s been tough doing much of anything. This means that day off was spent entirely on recovery and figuring out what my temporary limits are. Would have been nice to get writing done, but couldn’t focus.
Speaking of writing, I only made it through half of chapter 6 last weekend. I thought I could get the rest done, but I lost Wednesday and Thursday evenings to the injury and other appointments. So, Darwin & the Joy Path is not as far along as I thought, but that could change. I’m going to try to get one section done tonight before bed, which could open the door for me to get through the last section and chapter 7 next weekend. Again, I don’t think I’ll finish writing this book before 2026, but I would like to at least get halfway done, which means finishing chapter 9.
That isn’t to say I wasn’t totally unproductive. Got a bunch of posts typed up for January since I had some plans for that. Worked a bit on the ‘Phi Beta Files: Junior Year’ story outlines. It’s really tough juggling this one since I never have time at work to tinker like I had hoped. So, I have to read what I already set up and go through the biography notes to make sure I cover the bases. Each of the 6 books will have 10 short stories that cover the overall plot. This one has a recurring villain taking over the mercenary academy and Phi Beta figuring out a way to get rid of her. Keep in mind that this is a combo of fantasy, military academy, and college comedies like Animal House. Stories are getting more serious as the characters mature though. I say knowing the 5th book is the Spring Break adventures right before the really dark Senior Year. Look, I’m 45 and I doubt I’ll live long enough to write all of these, but I just want to get the ideas on paper. My son can figure them out if he succeeds in designing video games and wants to use what I leave behind.
I want to slide into something more positive, but I guess it wasn’t one of those weeks. Not that it was miserable, but a lot of stressful events occurred. Facing a rough situation that requires I work with someone else. That other person isn’t communicating with me and is making this more of a competition. So, the overall situation is getting tense and a third party is suffering for it. I’ve reached a point where I’m tired of being nice and the general door mat. This has resulted in me pushing back and the other person is digging in their heels or going full ‘no contact’. All of this comes with a deadline too. I know their favorite tactic is to run down the clock in the hopes of their ideas and desires being accepted in the final hour. Guess that’s easier for them than negotiating in good faith and finding a compromise.
Speaking of running down the clock, I remember why I didn’t get as much writing done as I had hoped. A friend invited me to watch the ‘NY Giants vs Denver Broncos’ game. It was the first time in a while that we were both free to get together. That’s more important than writing a chapter section. Course, it would have been nice for the Giants to NOT make NFL history in the worst way possible. Plus side, the pizza was good and we had a great assortment of Doritos.
This coming week has a bunch of appointments and ends on Halloween. I’ve got my son for the first half of the holiday and then he goes to his mom that evening. Good chance I can get writing done during the week too, which could give me a cushion next weekend for doing something else one afternoon. Going to have to see how my stomach is doing too because I have to be sure it’s nothing more severe than internal bruising. Fingers crossed on that one.
Realized I haven’t been posting what I’m watching on TV, but I haven’t been streaming anything exciting. Right now, it’s an anime ‘My Dress-Up Darling’, which is probably considered a YA Rom-Com or slice of life. I’m struggling to find anything that’s really grabbing me though. I keep looking at hour-long shows, but I typically don’t have the time to watch even one episode on weekdays. This puts ‘Reacher’ and ‘Black Sails’ on the backburner until maybe holiday/winter/spring break. Pretty sure I don’t have many anime fans who read and reply here, which is where I tend to find shows that can match my school year schedule.
Goals of the week:
Google Image Search
Another one that is self-explanatory, which makes one wonder if the people who hunt ghosts aren’t that original. Anyway, this can be broken down into two categories:
Ghost of Deceased Animals
It’s the spirit of an animal that died such as a beloved pet or one that suffered a horrible demise. Both require strong emotions to create the ghost. It’s usually the first category though because of the love people have for the deceased pet. This brings up an interesting question of if the animal’s emotions are what made it stay or the ones still held by the human who is having trouble letting go. If it’s the latter, one could say that these are healing spirits that stick around in the hopes of helping their former owners recover from the loss.
Spectral Creatures
Hellhounds, black dogs, ghost cats, phantom horses, and harbingers would all fall into this category. These aren’t animals that had a life prior to death. Some of them came from Hell while others simply exist with no backstory. In olden times, cultures saw these creatures as bad omens and warnings, so the harbinger title could be used for most in this category.
I think the possible existence of ghost animals also brings up an interesting philosophical question. If an animal can become a ghost, does that mean it has a soul with clear emotions? We already know that animals feel things, but most people tend to think it’s on a lesser level than humans. Yet, we can see that human and animal ghosts don’t act differently. Both can interact with the physical world at times, take clear forms, and be created from strong emotions. Any of the ghosts that don’t take on a clearly defined form could even be an animal. For example, nothing says a ghost orb in a forest couldn’t have been created by a deer being killed by a hunter.
So, what do other people think about ghost animals?
Yahoo Image Search (Nadesco)
(Pretty sure people will disagree with me on this one. Guess it kind of fits Halloween since some call this situation a horror show.)
We work until our bodies break
Our minds withered and misused
All to stay within our means
And avoid the bitter cold
We toil for days away from home
Draining energy and dreams
Hoping to reach two days
Where we rush to finish chores
Our world is aimed to keep us broken
With pills to mask the fraying edges
And fear to drive our bodies on
Never letting us see that all is wrong
True rest comes with a taste of guilt
Many know not what to do
Time without work is a foreign treat
That vanishes before we savor it
We claim the crown of greatest beast
The chosen of the land
Yet very few can reach their peak
In our land of greed and fear
Ectoplasm from Ghostbusters
Now, this isn’t a type of ghost, but it is connected to them. We think of ectoplasm as ooze left behind when a ghost interacts with the physical world. It’s almost like mucus with it being clear or white-hued. Yet, there is a more supernatural version that has been around longer than the phrase ‘He slimed me.’
Ectoplasm, which is usually proven to be a hoax, is a substance that comes out of a medium when they are in a trance. Instead of a slime, it is more of a fabric that comes out of the person. The ectoplasm covers the targeted ghost who is then forced to interact with people, usually by answering questions. People have seen hands, feet, and faces within this ‘mysterious’ substance. Typically, they start off clear and gradually darken as they take on a physical form.
Most stories have ectoplasm with no smell, but there are several that do. It is rarely pleasant with either being burning ozone or a mildew stench. The latter I can see since that’s almost like a rotting smell. Other reported aromas are sweet ones like cotton candy or marshmallows as well as citrus. I couldn’t find any explanation for that last one, so I’m going to assume that ectoplasm can only be found in places that export oranges.
I find this interesting only because I grew up thinking slime left by a ghost made perfect sense. That is until you think about it and the idea of a spiritual being leaving behind a physical substance was less likely. Still, there is a part of me that would hope such a thing exists. Why? I like the idea that spirits of the dead can still interact with the physical world and leave a mark on it. Nothing world-changing, but a sign to show they are still around in some fashion.
We’re going to look at two similar ghosts. Both of them don’t have a humanoid form and are known for being composed of light.
Funnel Ghost (Google Image Search)
The above is a Funnel Ghost, which is seen as a swirling funnel of light. One can describe them as a spectral tornado, but small and non-destructive. People typically find cold spots when encountering this type of ghost. They are found inside old buildings and tend to come up in pictures even if they are aren’t seen in person. One theory is that they are double-exposures or something on the lens, which makes sense. Still, we’re here to talk about ghosts.
A more supernatural theory is that a Funnel Ghost is simply a spirit that is checking in on a person or location. They don’t need to take a more human form because they aren’t staying long. Given that they aren’t usually seen with the naked eye, it could be that they have no interest in most of the living.
Ghost Orb (Google Imager Search)
Not much to say about this one because it’s exactly as it sounds. This is a spectral orb that a person will see before it disappears. Sometimes it’s gone almost as soon as it is seen and other times it hangs around. Ghost orbs are considered by some to be the simplest form of supernatural projection.
Now, there is a theory that these spirits serve a purpose. At least, they do when they aren’t staying in one place. They are guides who lead people either to a place of safety or an area where they are needed. They might even be guardians that take a little too much of a step into our world instead of staying out of sight. Ghost orbs don’t interact with anything though. In fact, they tend to pass through solid objects if they are moving.
Legends of Windemere 