Ghosts can't hurt you, huh?!

[Glowingsun]

i keep hearing that ghosts can't hurt you. However I also even moreso, here of accounts where people have been hung, slapped, choked, scratched and hit with objects thrown at them by the invisible. So when someone says that a ghost can't hurt you, I just think that those people are lulling themselves into a false sense of security to make themselves feel less scared of the unknown.
Nobody really believes me on this occurance one day, so I rarily tell it, but I have kept an on going memory of it.
So this has to do with one of the ghosts that me and friend let in via the ouiji. I was doing my daily chore of loading the dishwasher and my friend was over for one of many sleep overs. Were alone in the house and I was downstairs, she was upstairs waiting for me to be done my "slave duties". All of a sudden I hear her just tearing down the stairs and running full speed and stopping dead into the kitchen. About a few milliseconds later, my new school scissors flew past her, just missing her head pointy part first and land on the kitchen table. This was the most dramatic and violent thing those ghosts did inthat house. We were so scared to be in there that I quickly finished up the dishes and we rode our bikes to the mall to just be somewhere to get our minds off of it and to find some sense in it all. I have no clue how to explain what had happened in a more logical term.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

I have only heard of one instance of a ghost killing a person. That is actually part of the story of the Bell Cave Witch of Tennessee. Yet that is also atributed to be a poltergeist and not a ghost.

Actually with regards to ghost; Spectre's and Apparations, I have never heard of anyone being killed or attacked. Most instances the ghost is not even aware of the persons presence or only appears for a moment then is gone but the person seeing it knowns the person has passed over.

Now poltergiest that is a whole different story. They throw stuff at you, they may physically harm or injure you. Heck they may even pick you up and toss you like a rag doll. They are renounded for moving things around and making a pest of themselves. Interestingly they are also most renouned for occuring in spots where there are pre-teen girls living.

The ghost associated with the Bell Family was also associated with his daughter initially then troubled him until he died. Descendents of his say the witch is still there and causes havock for the family. Yet the daughter went on to marry and was never bothered again.

[Glowingsun]

Now poltergiest that is a whole different story. They throw stuff at you, they may physically harm or injure you. Heck they may even pick you up and toss you like a rag doll. They are renounded for moving things around and making a pest of themselves. Interestingly they are also most renouned for occuring in spots where there are pre-teen girls living.

But poltergeists are associated with telekenetisis. And it occurs with pregnant women and preteen boys. Any person experiences a shock load of hormone fluctuations and/or high amounts of stress. Stress and hormones was one of my suspicions too, however I did see apparitions and so did my friend and my mom in that house.


Actually with regards to ghost; Spectre's and Apparations, I have never heard of anyone being killed or attacked. Most instances the ghost is not even aware of the persons presence or only appears for a moment then is gone but the person seeing it knowns the person has passed over.
Spirits that are unaware of their current surroundings are called residue ghosts or residue hauntings. It's basically energy that keeps repeating itself as most of you already know. Some ghosts may not know they are dead and are probably just as scared, angered and confused as to why no one can see them and why strange people move onto their property. But the ghosts are still very well aware of their surroundings.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

But poltergeists are associated with telekenetisis. And it occurs with pregnant women and preteen boys.

Granted but most I have heard of or have read about usually were in association with pre-teen girls. Part of the notion was that a telekenetic ability was manafest in the unstable emotional period.

Though I'll admit I have not heard of pregnant woman being associated with poltergeist.



however I did see apparitions and so did my friend and my mom in that house.



Still could be poltergeist activity. I have read of a few accounts of visible manifestations that went along with it. Even the notion of the Bell Cave Witch mentions shadowy figures, though not mentioned to frequently.



Spirits that are unaware of their current surroundings are called residue ghosts or residue hauntings.


I've always known then as Echo ghosts. Simply echos of something that was once present. I find many battle field ghost fall into that category.



But the ghosts are still very well aware of their surroundings.


I agree to a degree. But I think the awareness extends to the surroundings as they new them in life, not necessarily what is occuring in the here and now. Sort of the reason you may see a ghost go through a wall or such only to find that in it's life time there was a door in that location.l

Those that are aware of the here and now fall into a sub category to me. Usually possess a connection to the place that is so strong they dominate the area and continue to do so even after death. There was a hotel in Florida that was renouned for that, seems the ghost or spectre of a killer haunted the place and was of such force that it was aware of the people in the place yet also held the spirits of other ghost as hostage and refused to allow them to cross over.

Then there are also the "Sexual" encounters that are recorded with ghost that take an attraction to thier guest. Strange thats one that is only recorded with female ghost to my knowledge and usually in Britian or the British Isles.

[Russ]

I never bought into this pusedo-scientific stuff to explain the paranormal and supernatural.

"GASP! He used the P and S words! QUICK SOME LECTURE HIM ON HOW THERE INACCURATE!."

The old tales are full of encounters with hostile ghost even stories of people dieing at there hands. Seems like there is still a trend to try and make everything be safe, nurturing and no need to worry at all as the Goddess will protect us from ever ill spirit *gag*!

An Glowing it sounds like you ran afoul of a hostile spirit of some sorts. Maybe a ticked off Kobold, Elf, Feary or other spirit of some sort.

[Philosophia]

Ghosts can harm but it's not a common occurrence. It really depends on what they were like when they were living.

I do kinda believe in some of the theories surrounding ghosts (whether they are pseudo-scientific or not), especially when it concerns energy since that corresponds most to what I believe in.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

The old tales are full of encounters with hostile ghost even stories of people dieing at there hands.


Perhaps you could tell us some of those stories and where they occured. I am familiar with storybook ghost or encounters and the deadly results. However, like I said I have heard nor read of any "Ghostly" encounter that resulted in death based upon actual documented hauntings.

Outside of poltergeist incidents none of moving objects or items being tossed or thrown. Even when haunted due to desire for justice by the deceased no death of the murder, only the physcial appration of the person killed.

Not to say that threats have not been recorded from disenbodied voices. That is not to say that those creature's that are not seen as human or humanly manifestations could not cause harm.

[Infinite Grey]

Sure ghosts as a metaphoric for intense memories can hurt you - tormenting you emotional until you possibly hurt yourself or others.

[gregoirewitch]

I believe that spirits can hurt us. I had one in my house that was horribly emotionally and psychologically draining. When I walked into that room(in a very good mood, mind you), all I wanted to do was cry and curl up into a ball. I felt completely drained of all energy. It wasn't just the room or any kind of residual energy from something before, there was something really nasty in there. No one else would go in there. It was so strong I had to enlist help from my good friend, SwordsFlameSong, to help me get rid of it. She did an amazing job.

[Ivy Artemisia]

I've had plenty of physical interactions with ghosts. From mystery scratches (unknown entity), to being poked in the side, ponytail being pulled, an unseen hand rubbing my body (I knew who this ghosty was). I know the difference between polterguest activity (lots and LOTS of that when I was a pre/teen- and still now, when I get emotional or pissed), and spirit activity.

So, yeah- one could be hurt by a ghost- It happened to me, so I have to believe it. Prior to my experiences, though, I didn't believe that it was possible. To be killed? I'm assuming that would take a LOT of energy.

[Russ]

Perhaps you could tell us some of those stories and where they occured.

I'll see what I can't do man. The Wild Hunt springs to mind for starters.

Odin leading the spirits of the dead, that is ghosts, on a wild ride that was (and still is) cause for terror among many.

[Owd Scrat]

That is a terrifying story Glowingsun! :hairraise

Gave me chills just reading it! And yes, I have no doubt that ghosts/spirits/entities can hurt you or cause harm.

I am very sensitive to things of that nature and have had many experiences. Some beings are violent, enraged....evil. One house in particular years ago was a hellish nightmare, I rarely share the events publicly. It was extremely traumatizing....

I'd love to hear more of what happened in that house to you..if you'd care to share....a PM or the like. :uhhuhuh:

[MonSno_LeeDra]

Odin leading the spirits of the dead, that is ghosts, on a wild ride


I am familiar with the story of the Wild Hunt with Odin leading a pack of specteral dogs. Some stories I have read make reference to what happens to those caught on the road by the dogs but I have not heard of anything about being caused by ghost.

I know that the huntsman is also associated with a wild hunt procession that may harress or scare people they encounter. But that one to I have not heard of any Ghost causing harm though once again the specteral dogs may do damage.

Sort of similar to some stories of Hecate and her dogs leading the dead to Hades.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

I've had plenty of physical interactions with ghosts. From mystery scratches (unknown entity), to being poked in the side, ponytail being pulled, an unseen hand rubbing my body (I knew who this ghosty was)

The hand touching seems to be a physical manifestation that occurs between known individuals frequently from what I understand.

I've encountered spirits of the deceased that were related to me that spoke in the physical but never been touched. To be honest I think that one would un-nerve me.


. I know the difference between polterguest activity (lots and LOTS of that when I was a pre/teen- and still now, when I get emotional or pissed), and spirit activity.

So, yeah- one could be hurt by a ghost- It happened to me, so I have to believe it. Prior to my experiences, though, I didn't believe that it was possible. To be killed? I'm assuming that would take a LOT of energy.

I've always wondered if the one confirmed death, ie Bell Cave was the actual ghost or entity that killed or the person experiencing it simply killed themselves from fear? Though some say it was from guilt, that seems to be the slant taken in the movie of that name.

I'm curious do you suppose it could have been an entity as opposed to being the ghost of a human spirit? It seem's that there are a number of "entities" that are initialy though to be ghost or spectres, etc that feed upon the feat generated during the encounter.

I've seen a number of reference to Entities that are identified as "Ghost" but the actual entity when questioned or spoken to state they never were of human origin. If that be the case I wonder how many "Physical" ghost were actually one of those type entities?

[Caitlin.ann]

I would seriously question anyone who has said that they were harmed by a ghost and in fact most incidents seem to occur when people are RUNNING AWAY from (perceived) paranormal activity. I have heard of select accounts of objects being thrown and of scratches but you must consider the source when deciding how credible an incident is.

And you must also know what you are talking about.


Apparition - a spectral image of a person that materializes even though a physical bidy is not present.

Poltergeist - a non-human spirit entity which literally means "noisy ghost" but is usually more malicious and destructive than ghosts of dead human beings. Traditional poltergeists activities are thumping and banging, levitating or the moving of objects, stone throwing and starting fires. It is thought that poltergeist activity in some instances may be brought on subconsciously by an adolescent agent or females under the age of 25.
Link (http://www.louisvilleghs.com/LGHS_MASTER/SUB/glossary.html)

Also you must know your definition of "ghost". Some consider "ghost" to refer to an imprint of psychic energy on a place which replays a scene over and over again like a broken record. And often times "entity" is used to refer to intelligent hauntings.

There are few people whose word I will usually "take for it". What you consider worthy of belief is up to you alone of course but I'd consider very carefully where you're getting your information. There are all too many sites on the web filled with misinformation and unbelievable stories which are passed around as fact. For me one of the best ways to tell if a site is legit is what they pass as "paranormal evidence" which is usually not paranormal at all.

[Clair de la Lune]

Any thoughts on "Ghost Hunters"?

[Caitlin.ann]

Taps or paranormal investigating groups in general?

[Fluoxetine]

Any thoughts on "Ghost Hunters"?

Yes. Cancel their series and bankrupt them. IMO.

If I place a hole in a wall large enough for a ball to go through and I take some steps back, chances are I will not hit it. Good shots are excellent. But if I tip out a large box and hope by chance one ball will enter that hole then I will find a ball in the hole.

This is also true of poltergeist phenomena. Most are out to cause bangs, make noise and do things which will draw attention to itself. These are all the balls from the box. But once in a while you will get one that will cause personal damage. This is the one ball through the hole. It is rare but the most documented that will involve people getting hurt. We don't hear of the poltergeist that tidies up or folds laundry, just the bad ones and that in itself makes people think that they are all out to be vengeful spirits wanting to cause harm to us as we are alive and they despise us for that.

Poltergeist are the attention seeking. It is rare to get hit as it's very rare to come across one that has caused a person physical harm. Maybe they just feel alone and ant something to do.

[Lunacie]

i keep hearing that ghosts can't hurt you. However I also even moreso, here of accounts where people have been hung, slapped, choked, scratched and hit with objects thrown at them by the invisible. So when someone says that a ghost can't hurt you, I just think that those people are lulling themselves into a false sense of security to make themselves feel less scared of the unknown.
Nobody really believes me on this occurance one day, so I rarily tell it, but I have kept an on going memory of it.
So this has to do with one of the ghosts that me and friend let in via the ouiji. I was doing my daily chore of loading the dishwasher and my friend was over for one of many sleep overs. Were alone in the house and I was downstairs, she was upstairs waiting for me to be done my "slave duties". All of a sudden I hear her just tearing down the stairs and running full speed and stopping dead into the kitchen. About a few milliseconds later, my new school scissors flew past her, just missing her head pointy part first and land on the kitchen table. This was the most dramatic and violent thing those ghosts did inthat house. We were so scared to be in there that I quickly finished up the dishes and we rode our bikes to the mall to just be somewhere to get our minds off of it and to find some sense in it all. I have no clue how to explain what had happened in a more logical term.

Somehow I doubt the ghosts of dead people are waiting around for someone to open a portal through the ouija board. There are certainly other types of spirits or entities that will take advantage in those cases. And most people who play with ouija boards don't set up any protections to keep those spirits from coming through and playing havoc. Just dumb.

I believe it's pretty rare for the ghosts of a dead person to actively harm a living person. Poltergeist activity doesn't even cause harm in most cases - it's just that things are being thrown around and sometimes people are in the way.

[bellamandu]

just because everyone keeps making it a point to squeeze the difference between a poltergeist and a ghost, so we can be more clear, what is everyone's definition of the difference between a poltergeist and a ghost?

there is a local abandoned hospital here that has a "poltergeist" so to speak. its become part of the local lore. most accounts dont go into the story but it usually ends up being a bunch of teens going in on a dare and then coming out horrified and/or hurt. i even experienced that myself when i was younger.

the impression i got from it is that along with all the other spirits inside the building, there is one in particular who is rather pissed off for whatever reason. he will chase you around the building and throw stuff everywhere if you find him, which you usually do.

its so bad that people have tried to tear it down, several times, to use the land for whatever else, people have purchased it to use the building, etc etc. everyone on record has either stopped construction/destruction within the first week or so.

[Lunacie]

My personal definitions:

ghost - energy from a once-living person (intelligent or residual)

poltergeist - energy from a living person (often a teen - not consciously directed)

spirit entity - non human energy

[Fluoxetine]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=poltergeist

n. A ghost that manifests itself by noises, rappings, and the creation of disorder.

[German : poltern, to make noises (from Middle High German boldern) + Geist, ghost (from Middle High German, from Old High German).]

Basically it is a noisy ghost. The attribute of poltergeist hauntings comes from the media. We all want something that will scare us so when Spielberg did Poltergeist it was something that seemed bad. As I said before, it is rare but you do get some hurting you at times.

Reference

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poltergeist