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In common culture, a ghost is usually defined as the apparition of a deceased person
who is experienced in association with the person's former habitats.
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A ghost may or may not “appear” in the complete physical form of the
deceased person, but is more commonly associated with strange temperature fluctuations,
cold spots, mists, shadows and part-apparitions such as faces and parts of the human
torso.
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In modern investigations, the term “apparition” is used in replacement
of the traditional term ghost, largely to imply a more scientific approach. However,
in popular culture, the term ghost is still most commonly used.
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Origin of word (Etymology) |
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The term “ghost” meaning a “disembodied soul” especially
of a deceased person originated from the late 14th Century German word “Geist
“ meaning "spirit, ghost". However, Geist also had an earlier meaning
similar to the 12th Century Old English word “gast” which meant “to
frighten”, both originating from primitive pre 6th Century BCE Gaelic ghois-
"to be excited, frightened".
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Thus, the concept of a ghost literally began with the presumption of something both
fearful and frightening. In contrast, the generic spiritual meaning came much later
in the evolution of the concept.
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The original association of fear and fright concerning the witnessing of the spirits
of dead people is understandable and deeply engrained in virtually all Western and
Eastern cultures.
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The long history of ghosts
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The concept and legends of ghosts, of disembodied spirits of the dead have existed
as part of the history of virtually every culture on planet Earth from the very
beginning.
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Many of the great leaders of ancient cultures have at least one ghost story associated
with their reign. So too the great literary and cultural figures of history both
during their own lives and subsequently intervening as ghosts in the lives of others.
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In spite of the common cultural heritage of ghosts in virtually every culture for
thousands of years, less than one in three people alive today actually believe in
ghosts. In contrast, a majority believe in angels.
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Possibly, the underlying fear associated with the word and the concept has something
to do with the literal meaning of the word and the tradition of ghosts being bad
omens.
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One heaven definition of Ghost
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According to the constitution of One Heaven, a ghost is:
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A ghost is a departed human person, who either
through failing to recognize their own state, or remaining in a state of extreme
emotional turmoil fail to properly release themselves from their geographic and
temporal proximity to land, buildings, property and occasionally living people.
In this sense, ghosts are always seen as departed human spirits trapped between
two planes of existence.
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Under the constitution of One Heaven, the concept of “visiting spirits”
can never be equated to ghosts as a ghost, by definition, is a spirit that is unable
to travel between the two primary planes of existence.
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In a further clear contrast to more modern New Age beliefs considering all ghosts
able to be unwillingly trapped, the constitution of One Heaven makes no assumption
on the willingness or unwillingness of departed humans to remain in a ghost state.
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Indeed, in many of the cases most closely associated with negative ghostly phenomena,
it is highly likely that the ghost or ghosts consciously choose to stay in such
a state and have no intention of “moving on”.
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While the inherent nature of being human means no person can ever be “forced”
to believe or not to believe, a set of formal procedures are outlined to rally spiritual
assistance in rare cases where genuine hauntings of ghosts occur with spirits unwilling
to release themselves from certain land, buildings, property or people.
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About > Spirits > Ghosts
