Correct me if I'm wrong, but light bounces off objects.
We cannot see actual objects, we just see the light that bounces off.
So, that means that since ghosts are only gas,
We wouldn't able to see them.
Now, then why can we see smoke? Tiny particles of burnt ash and material are in smoke, so there must be tiny particles of visible matter in ghosts.
These particles, couldn't travel through solids, neither should the main component of ghost matter actually...
So why is it that people think ghost can float through walls and objects, where as any matter at all wouldn't?

As I said, I may be wrong....
Just have think, tell me what you know.

I can't answer all your questions, but I've never heard of ghosts referred to as "gas".

Well now you have
But what other form would they have unless energy?

Hmm.. that's something I might need to ponder about

I've always heard of them referred to as "energy". Electromagnetic to be more precise. This is why "investigators" use EMF detectors. Unfortunately, the readings can be skewed by anything else electrical.

Of course, if I'm a bit off here, I'm sure someone will correct me.

After much pondering, I remembered you can't see energy... only its effects...
Silly me....

if a dead body is not at rest the spirit is not at rest so they run around the house scaring people and doing weird stuff

Whaaaa? NJC, I don't think that's what Replacement was asking about.

Replacement, like I said, I can't answer all your questions. I've never actually seen a ghost. I've never seen teddy bears fly across a room (unless there are kids around ). I've never photographed anything paranormal.

I'm sure at some point, someone more qualified will step in here and clarify some things for you.

i'm no expert, but i think its not that often ghosts are actualy seen, only wierd stuff like objects flieing are seen. ofcourse if they ARE seen, perhaps they can materialize their energy. though i would think they are electromagnetic like wanabe said, check this out for more info
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/searc...p?q=white+noise

Ghosts have different stages of development....

1. the spirit leaves the body and the spirit starts as they call it " baby "
2. The spirit then collects energy making it more capable of doing other stuff i.e. orbs are associated with this stage .
3. The spirit can then after learning this gather more energy anf throw things around, i.e. furniture/ objects
4. The spirit can now enter people/posess them, talk through mediums etc.
5. Final stage the ghost can now make it self visible to the human eye...

Addressing Replacement now, I'd say that we don't see ghosts by reflected light at all. And they are certainly not made of gas even though gas DOES reflect light. The ghost itself is the light source. It could be that the energy we discern in our brains is not really light at all but some other form of energy, a certain frequency of Spirit energy perhaps which can connect directly with sentive brains (brains sensitive to those frequencies). This may explain why at times some people can observe an apparition while others in the same group,say, see nothing. Ghosts are usually occupying a different time dimension and when they "walk through walls" this is only the way we see it. The point in the wall which they traverse, may, in another time scale (centuries ago for example), have included a doorway or other opening. Also consider that matter is not so dense as you might think.
Light can pass through some substances and water can too. Even the densest rocks are mostly empty space on the subatomic scale and cosmic rays are passing unobstructed through me and you and the whole planet even as you read this. We just don't know enough about the energies involved in the ghost phenomenon. Not yet at any rate. That is why we need more concerted research. Lonecat

If we are energy, there could well be residual energy left after death. The example would be that if you bought a new battery and put it in your flashlight and left it on all day, the diminished energy past the point of producing light, would be relative to death. But if you turn off the flashlight and return two days later to turn it on again, there will be light produced by the residual energy. The new battery would be full of energy like a youthful person but the same process of wear and tear would lessen the strength to the point of death.
The question is whether or not that residual energy would maintain the characteristics, intelligence and pesonality of the person in life. Perhaps the diminished energy would explain why a fhantom cannot materialize completely but perhaps have enough power to move an object.
At least it's one way to look at it, right?

I was wondering where you got this information? I have never heard it before and from my own personal experiences I find it to be false. Me (and my family) have had contact with spirits as soon as two hours after they died. We have seen an actual apparition two days after dealth, and there are some ghosts that have been around for hundreads of years and have never materialized. I do not think that all spirits go though that cycle and certainly not in that order. In fact, many people have questioned wether or not ghosts get weaker as time goes by.

I actually have seen this before (sorry, can't remember where ). Supposedly, they go through these stages, then start the stages all over again, so on and so forth. Every spirit has a different timeline. One spirit can accomplish these things in a matter of days, while another may take years (even lifetimes) to complete them. And every time the process is repeated, the length of time to perform each step can change as well. This is just one of the theories running around out there. The article I read was pretty interesting, though. It just seems to be a tad generic and "one-size-fits-all".

It's almost like everything they know about them they learned from the movie "Ghost". I always thought that movie seemed pretty logical..

Okay, here we go.

They say ghost are electromagnetic.
The means they must have atoms with electrons, protons etc.
These particles cannot enter a solid object, unless heated to a point where it would simply melt into the wall.
Therefore supporting the 'Ghosts are their own light' theory.

Although, that theory is easily false, as light cannot display features.
Look at the sun, a lightbulb.
With all the light coming out, all you can see a glare.

I will look into this, but my initial thoughts are that energy is a little too simple for a complex thinking organism as a ghost.

More reasearching will be done

The only problem is that it's rather difficult to scientifically research a phenomena that hasn't been proven. One step further, how do you research what a ghost is if you don't have a test subject?

ghosts are only gas? wow, thats a first, and besides you can see smoke, you can see anything that reflects light, even the ghosts are transparent, a part of them seems to be materialized (ectoplasm?) and im just talking based on the things i see and pictures i saw here and there, so , im not sure if im wrong this is just my opinion

I'll dress up my sister in a sheet, she'll do


This whole board is based on opinions, so don't be scared to express them
And I think Gas would be pretty hard.... it would need a solid brain.
Ectoplasm... I'll look that up...
A ghostly matter, plasm implies that it's a liquid.... ecto = outside, exterior...
Their density must be lighter than nitrogen.....
I'll research what ectoplasm could be made out of...

fill me in with that too man

I've never heard the "gas" or "electromagnetic" theories either, but I'd just like to point out that your scientific logic is somewhat skewed.

You CAN see gasses (such as the green color of chlorine gas). You can't see AIR but you can see gasses.

Also, electromagnetic energy DOES pass through solid objects. That's why you can stick things to your refrigerator using magnets. Magnet gives off magnetic energy, passes THROUGH picture, sticks TO refrigerator.

The last thing that I'll say is that EVERYTHING we see is light. Our eyes contain lots of little receptors that interpret LIGHT. When you see a green leaf, it's the sun's light reflecting OFF that leaf into your eye. That's how you see things. So to say that "light cannot display features" is pretty.. well, no.. TOTALLY incorrect.

I'd love to see aquatus have at this thread.

Is ghost really a "physical" thing. or for once science shouldn't try to explain it as its a spiritual thing. Perhaps when Paranormal activities happen, its opening the 4th dimension, a gateway to the afterlife. Energy not gas. Perhaps the human brain (mind) was designed in the beginning to see acknowledge and see the afterlife. That its really not a physical matter, but the way our mind wants to see it. Sorta like hallucinating except its actually opening the gate to the afterlife.

But then this theory is shot to hell because how would we get evidence on film? or when more then one person sees the same thing.

I know I'm getting off in the deep end, but I like to go beyond the obvious as to why and how ghosts exist.

Hey man, I think it's cool that you think about it this way.

However, I think science can explain everything.



Everything that we can see, touch, feel, sence, etc is either composed of matter, or energy. All the interactions in our brain are electrochemical, containing energy, and chemicals.

.. I don't really know how to put it into words, but I think anything that EXISTS, can be explained by science. Maybe not by the science that we have TODAY, but by science in general. There are a lot of things out there (probably -- this is an assumption, or opinion) that have yet to be discovered. SOme of these things may be something like dimensional breaks that will allow us to travel back in time, or see alternate possibilities.

These things could also be forms of energy that we have yet to discover, or that we haven't yet invented the technology to measure. But all the same, if it exists, then there's got to be SOME WAY that science can measure it. *shrug*

Just my thought.

Got me sold. I was using the term science in a more crude way such as, imagination, light reflections, camera defects, drug related and so on. I guess science has a ton more meanings I never clued into

No offensese but these sort of proof ghosts and such are just like the Energize Bunny they go on and on and on. Interesting that someone would discribe a ghost looking like gas never heard of that one before.

Electromagnetic fields are not "made of atoms" but subatomic particles in an energy field. X-rays can produce an image. We can see the shape of x-ray sources in interstellar space via x-ray sensitive cameras. Read my first posting again. Lonecat

I am not sure how it works , but I do know that ghost or sprits or whatever one chooses to call them, is real.
I do know that if they dont walk through matter than they can disapear at the point of the matter.
I have seen this with my own eyes.
I am just as up in the air on how , or why .

I have no idea what "ghosts" are made of, but from personal experience they do vary in appearance. One apparition I saw appeared to be a solid, live person, until it faded and disappeared. Another I saw was see-through, barely visible. ??????
I still have a lot of questions myself.

Generally speaking, topics like this are full of speculation pretending to be fact. There are many ideas offered here that presume to dictate what the purpose, cause, and even, in one case, the growth cycle, of ghosts are. Ultimately, while the possibilities are endless and fun to discuss, It does need to be recognized that very few people are addressing what is actually known about ghosts, instead choosing to quote what the mysterious "they" claim to be fact.

We have no way of telling if ghosts are electromagnetic. To be perfectly frank, the only reason I can think of why this theory is still in existence is because it is one of the few energies that cannot be definitely be determined to not be present in a given scenario, as it is so common to nature that it can be detected at most places. There is nothing in the ghost lore to indicate that ghosts display any sort of electromagnetic properties; lights flickering and such would require an electromagnetic field so powerful that it would be detectable even without monitoring equipment, and electromagnetic energy cannot, directly, cause any sort of temperature fluctuations.

Similarly, while the idea of thinking of ghosts as being extra-dimensional creatures seems to make sense on the surface, we are again shackled in that there is no possible way, in the world of physics as we know them, that any object of any particular dimension can interact with a separate dimension without a catastrophic release of energy as the result. In order to put this more into perspective, on of the theories about the origin of all matter in the universe is that two dimensions did actually "touch", and the resulting release of energy created the universe that we live in. The unimaginable quantity of energy involved beggars the imagination, and makes the likelihood of ghosts being extra-dimensional quite unlikely.

If we are to find the origins of a given mystery, it behooves us to begin with what we known of the phenomena, as opposed to the various tales that have grown up around it (and there are very few unexplained mysteries that have not have an entire world of stories crop up and distort the original). If we understand that the vast majority of ghost sightings are usually seen from the corner of the eyes, as a brief glimpse of a figure that disappears as soon as one looks directly at it, then we have something to work with. We have a description that is repeatable and that can be measured, even though the data gleaned is not quite as much as we would like. In this case, there are a few possibilities. The first, and most obvious, is that the ghost in nothing more than errant data mistakenly processed by your mind as a figure at the edge of your visibility, disappearing because, when you look at it directly, the new data replaces the mistaken one. A second theory would be some sort of mental distress that would cause a hallucination of some types.

While these theories might explain the situation, it doesn't really bring us any closer to achieving our objective, to explain ghostly phenomena. If then, we assume that ghosts exist, then a possible theory might be this: The edge of the eyes record information at a faster rate than the center of the eye. You have doubtless noticed that, in the dark, you can see an object much better if you do not look at it directly. Perhaps you have looked into the night sky and noticed several star clusters that cannot be seen straight on, but pop into view when you look aside. It is simply a perculiarity of our eyeballs that allows for this effect. If we know this to be a fact, and we assume the existence of ghosts, then a conclusion might be drawn that ghost may be continuously present, but in a frequency, or wavelength, than can only be detected indirectly. In other words, in much the same way that certain insects can see ultraviolet light as naturally as we see the color spectrum, ghost may be able to be seen if we look at a different spectrum than the one we are accustomed to.

Pigments in the chlorine gas, in the particles.
Hmm...

Now, following your electro magnetic theory, wer should be able to put a fridge on one side of a wall, then put a magnet on the other side....
Wow, great point that one...

The last thing I'll say, is that I was saying that all we see is light too!
Learn to read....
And I'll even quote myself

ZOMG! LOLOLOL!

Hmm....
Now, look at the sun, it's a source of light. Can you see the large craters, the moving fluids?
No. This is because the whole object is giving off light, it has no shadow.
This is exactly why you cannot see the wire inside a lightbulb.


They do need electrons to have a charge.... meaning that they really should have atoms....


If you can read, you will see that I have a go at giving a statement, then backing it up, or tearing it down with evidence later.
Most of this IS based on opinion, and ideas.
I just add scientific info to back up some theories.

I fully agree with Aquatus1 and enjoyed reading your screed Aquatus. However,I don't really think contributors are trying to lay down any law on the nature of ghosts with the possible exception of those "stages of the ghost!" and that was posted only in case anybody might be interested, I seem to remember. Let's be fair and admit, as I have more than once on this subect we JUST DON'T KNOW ENOUGH. However, if there is no spectulation on observed data and effects no real theory can be built up. I think all these speculative postings are interesting and useful. The real fly in the ointment is the fact that "ghosts" or whatever you want to call them, do exist. We all know that, else why are continuing with this Forum? We have to admit that they may for ever remain beyond our ken. Personally I am eagerly awaiting my next encounter with the unknown. I want more data. Lol Lonecat

I agree, we don't know enough

1- Ghosts are not made from gas. The "material" they are made from is called ectoplasm- though nobody is actually sure what ectoplasm is made from. Even if ghosts were made from a gas, light would still be able to bounce off particles... think neon gas, halogen gas, etc. Of course, the visibility of a ghost may not rely on light bouncing off them.

Our brains work on a sort of electrical charge, correct. The impulses are what is responsible for the though and perception processes we go through. While it's true that ours hold the physical image we see, it is the electricity flowing through our brains that are processessing that information.

Many believe- and this is some evidence to back this up in the form of magnetscopic increases during phenomena, that most apparitions are imprinted on the magnetic field of an area. If this is true, it would be like a video tape recording... or a three dimensional hologram. This may be part of the answer- but there is still the question of why some see the apparition, and others don't.

That's where our brains come in. If the magnetic field is involved (it's just another type of energy after all not too far removed from the bio-chemical electricity that courses through our own brain and nervous system, is it not possible that this field interacts with the nerve impulses in our brains. The magnetic vibration of the environment triggers the nerve ending in our brains. This send a message reading "Image- Misty humanoid shape" to the image processing centres of the brain. The magnetically created image is then processed and view without the need for there to physically be a "body" there to view.

Just a theory- but I think one of the more plausible ones for why we see ghosts.

SO stewy, you know that they're not made from gas?
You know they exist?

Please use better phrases like "I think" and "I don't think"
Because if ghosts are proven real, and made from gas, then you're going to look silly

So ectoplasm.... Solid, liquid, gas or 'energy'?

If you look closely, you'll notice that I used a couple of phrases to make it clear that it's a theory: "Many believe", and the "It's a theory"...

And do you have absolute proof that it's an implausible- or incorrect theory?

I believe they exist having had my own experience- however, I don't believe that they use gas to hold a coherent shape to manipulate the environment. If anything, I would imagine that (once again in line with the theory that they're connected to the electromagnetic field of an area), they have some mechanism for ultilizing energy to affect physical objects.

If they are a gas, then please explain the physics behind how they retain a cohesive shape in rough weather conditions- as many are reported outside in storms, etc.?

I have honestly never heard ghosts reffered to as gas. Ghosts are not considered "natural". Gas is either natural or man-made. And ghosts are definately not man-made. It's believed that ghosts are made from ectoplasm because it is an ethereal substance.

Sanidia, I'm just adding on your thought. I have also thought of Categories and levels of ghosts. The thing is, mine does not end #5. Mine goes a little past that which :
6. next level is ghosts that have grown, evolved and manifested to be more than just "a" ghost, but now a force, a greater mass of energy. Maybe, then they don't have to be attched or indentified as a ghost because they can see more and be more. They can see all, like guardian angels and such. Maybe they, in the final stage of paradise, they can be energy that is of something greater.






Steweys theory is not at all silly, but it makes perfect sense, and i think motivating, because it gave me a theory in addition to this topic:
So, if you see something, would it be your eyes that sees things, which is possible due to misfires in your brain. But, interesting part is..." do we see with our eyes, or with our brains?" Since our brain is what sends signals, so that we respond to what we are seeing as it filters out background images. It is possible to see things that are not really there. Also, I consider Infared light as a type of energy, it's there but we can't see it, though it is complex enough to send information and commands our electric components specifically. Maybe this is why ghosts and orbs (which I now become skeptic of) are not seen with the naked eyes, but through the use of cameras, recorders, video recorders, etc... and also that intense lights such as black lights help aid in the visible manifestation of apparitions.



It is silly to consider gas as a molecular material that makes a apparition.

NME- Thank you.

The brain is vital to perception. We are actually flooded with more sensory information than we can truly handle at this point in our evolution. The brain "edits" out what it doesn't quite understand, and what it doesn't see as important at that time... ditto for sound, smell, touch, and taste.

1. Yeah sorry about that, by the time I noticed, it was too late -_-

2. See? You have me there, gasses can't hold their form. Good reasoning

So, we have solid, liquid, energy.

Energy...... doesn't quite work I don't think, ghost are a little too complex for energy... in my opinion anyway.


Electromagnetic energy.... hmmm, now you have me thinking

I think Infrared is a type of energy. Energy comes in many different forms, many yet undefined. I dont know how a ghost could be too complex to be made out of energy, since everything has some sort of energy in it.

Well, it'd need something to generate the energy...
A chemical reaction, electricity, batteries...

We're really clutching at straws eh... -_-

Not necessarily. There has to be an logical process for ghosts that falls within the laws of physics.

Whether it's through the manipulation of electromagnetic energy, or gravity (ie- lessening or increase it... though I'm not too sure of the mechanics of how it would be accomplished), manipulating the wave lenghts of light, and sound (all energy has a wavelength after all), or possibly a combination of all of them- there is an answer.

As long as people continue to think about it logically, and with an open mind, the truth will always be found.

The only ghost I ever saw was made from too much peperoni pizza before bed coupled with days of sleep deprivation.

Well, as far as this thread goes, I'm trying to keep it all logical...

Maybe the matter (ectoplasm) of which ghosts are made of, is less dense than the typical air.
This could allow floating, but, the ghost would rise to the ceiling, or to a place where air is a lot denser... so it will probably be ruled out.
It's an interesting thought though.

I'm glad you are... a lot of people wouldn't.

Don't forget the brain's part in perception, and how it works to let us see.

If people would spend some time learning about how the brain processes things, we might understand more to why we see what we do. Like it has been said, the brain is working at lower mode, but it is capable of handling billions of bit of data processing per second. I'm wondering what bits of Data it filters out. Basically, our eyes see more than our brain does and we don't realize that. We believe it more logical to believe in ghost... funny huh?

Another thing also to consider before the Brain filtering system is that there are filters within complexity of our visual system, before the images reach the brain.

Well, it's possible that we are capable of seeing higher and lower ranges of lights like dogs can cats... but since our life styles don't require us to, it filters it out- as with higher and lower end sounds.

Maybe we're capable of sensing the magnetic field like birds and dolphins do (they use it for navigating)... but once again, there is no real requirement to. Maybe apparitions are some of this filtered stuff slipping past the net.

Until we understand more about the brain, how it process information, and filters it, we won't learn more about how it actually interacts with the environment around us.

Mmmm, good point...

If heaters are on, that could have the ghosts in a separated layer from the cold air, and the warm air... it would have to be a very selective temperature though.....
This is probably wrong..... but right now I'm juust thinking about warm air.... it's freezing here >_<

Hmmm, I was looking up some stuff, and ectoplasm doesn't have to actually be lighter than air.
What if ectoplasm was a case, a liquid case, just like a bubble.
Water is denser than air, but is the casing for warm air that you blow into it.
It rises.
Now, what if ectoplasm, was just a case?
A very interesting thing to remember here, is that 'Ecto-' means 'Outer'

I found that interesting, and that could help a little bit...

I'm usually wary of refering to ectoplasma... since most people will automatically think "Slimer".

Ectoplasma can take many forms, goop, mist, etc- put is mostly discounted as a reality, since it usually used as a means by mediums (mostly around the beginning of the "Spiritualism" movement to give credence to their abilities, and nothing more.

When I refer to it, I mean it to represent the energy that comprises the apparition. If it was a gas, it would still have to react to the laws of physics. If it was denser than air, it would sink, less dense, it would float, equal density, it would hover... however... one thing all gases can not escape- dispersal via breeze, and the movement of it's own molecules. There would need to a manipulation of gravity (a type of force field) to help it keep a cohesive shape.

There would have to be a variety of gases too, since there are many reports of full colour apparitions- if it was a single gas, all reports would be of a uniform colour and opacity... since there are also reports of transparent ghosts, and apparitions that seem remarkably "solid".

Ecto - Outside, Outer.
Plasm - An electrically neutral, highly ionized gas composed of ions, electrons, and neutral particles. It is a phase of matter distinct from solids, liquids, and normal gases.
Matter - Physics. Something that has mass and exists as a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.

I'm guessing that then it might not be able to be classified as energy...
Energy - Physics. The capacity of a physical system to do work.


SO now can guess that Ghosts are not solids, liquids, normal gasses.
They're probably plasma
That's always a good step forward.