The Brown Lady, a famous apparition.

For the most part, if you saw a ghost, it would be unlike anything you have ever seen. You probably could identify it pretty easily, based on what you have heard ghosts described as in the past. That is, if it is the cookie cutter type ghost you are used to seeing. Some ghosts have different qualities that could make them appear to be more subtle. So for the harder ones to identify, this list could prove useful.

Incorporeal – Bodiless, spiritual, immaterial

Ghosts will rarely, if ever take a fully physical form. they may leave behind physical evidence such as ectoplasm or damage to their environment, but they are most often described as being in incorporeal form, or a form that has no physical body.

Spirits of the Dead

Another major characteristic of a ghost is that is must be a spirit of someone who has deceased. Demons and other evil spirits they have never held a mortal form aren’t classified as ghosts.

Trauma or Regret

Ghosts usually come back for one of two reasons, either there was serious trauma in their life that may have lead to their death, or there was a serious regret that they live all of eternity trying to correct. Perhaps they had a chance to change the path they were going down that lead to their death. They repeat the scenario over and over again trying to fix it, instead of moving on into the afterlife.

Ghost Neutrality

Ghosts aren’t inherently good or bad. It entirely depends on the ghost. Many ghosts wander aimlessly with no intention of ever interacting with a living creature. Other seek out to maliciously harm the living, perhaps because of jealousy or because of the way they were treated when they were living.

Hauntings

Ghosts either haunt people or places. The person they haunt could be a loved one, a person that wronged them in some way or for other reasons. Maybe they see a person that is living a life they did, and the ghost is trying to help them.

Ghosts that haunt places are more famous. They seem to be affixed to areas for some reason or another. They died there, they have an artifact of theirs there, or perhaps they really like their childhood home.

Ability to Move On

All ghosts have something that is holding them back from the afterlife. Some of them may have more complex issues than others, but if there was a way to solve their plight, ideally they would be able to continue on to the other side. But if the reason they are held back never gets resolved, they might never make it to the other side. Instead they will spend the millenia fighting their own personal internal struggles.

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Ectoplasms

Most ghosts have been described as metaphysical, having no connection with the real world. They can make a breeze or other metaphysical activities, yet they have no real affect on the world.

Anniversary Ghosts

Anniversary ghosts are those that appear on a certain day or period of time because of a significant event. Usually the time period would be related to their death; but not always.

Astral Vampire

The astral vampire, from occult lore, is the spirit of a living vampire or other evil entity. They can also be created by witches or sorcerers who are strong enough to project themselves out of their own bodies to attack people at great distances.

Hantu Laut

The Hantu Laut is from Malaysian lore and when directly translated it means “sea spirits.” These spirits of the sea were considered cannibalistic and was known to attack men at sea, particularly as fisherman and sailors.