In folklore, mythology and religion, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person. Ghosts are often depicted as being able to interact with the living world, and are sometimes seen as being able to cause harm or bestow good fortune. I mange kulturer menes spøgelser at være i stand til at kommunikere med de levende gennem medier eller andre overnaturlige midler.
Der er mange forskellige overbevisninger om spøgelsers og ånders natur. Some people believe that ghosts are the spirits of people who have not yet been able to move on to the afterlife, while others believe that they are the spirits of people who have chosen to remain on Earth. Still others believe that ghosts are the spirits of people who have been cursed or who have died in a violent or traumatic way.
Are ghosts and spirits just people who never completely died?
Der er ingen videnskabelig bevis for at støtte eksistensen af spøgelser eller ånder. However, many people believe that they have had personal experiences with the supernatural. These experiences can range from seeing or hearing a ghost to feeling a ghostly presence.
Nogle forskere har antydet, at spøgelser og spiritus kan være reelle, men at de findes i en anden dimension eller virkelighed end den, vi bor. Dette ville forklare, hvorfor de ikke er synlige for alle, og hvorfor de undertiden kan interagere med den levende verden på mystiske måder.
I sidste ende er spørgsmålet om, hvorvidt spøgelser og ånder findes eller ej, et spørgsmål om tro. Der er ingen videnskabelig bevis for at bevise deres eksistens, men der er heller ingen videnskabelig bevis for at modbevise det.