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Ghost Imagery Throughout History


esoteric_toad

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I was wondering if anyone has noticed that throughout history the art and imagery of 'ghosts' has changed. Ghosts went from full bodied apparitions to nothing more than orbs, whispy fogs, completely invisible and at best blurry shadows*.

Seems odd, why would that be? Similar transitions have happened with how "aliens" have been portrayed and cherubs as well. 

Just a curious observation.

 

*yes I realize there are exceptions but IN GENERAL there has been a change

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Full-body apparitions have always been around and still are, but now we have cameras with infrared, capable of detecting hotspots and coldspots. (orbs, shadows, masses, etc)

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7 hours ago, esoteric_toad said:

I was wondering if anyone has noticed that throughout history the art and imagery of 'ghosts' has changed. Ghosts went from full bodied apparitions to nothing more than orbs, whispy fogs, completely invisible and at best blurry shadows*.

 

I doubt there is any change. There have probably always been all types would be my position. It’s just we have more exposure to places to share everything with others would probably be the only change.

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10 hours ago, esoteric_toad said:

Seems odd, why would that be? Similar transitions have happened with how "aliens" have been portrayed and cherubs as well. 

I had explained in other threads how the Greys came into existence. In the19th Century they were what evolved humans were hypothesized as looking like in various illustrations. Then various Theosophists portrayed them  as a form of "advanced spirit". They became ingrained in the human psyche and became one of the various nightmare creatures that haunt our dreams. Grey abductions are just exaggerated stress induced sleep paralysis-nightmare events. Whitley Strieber can be credited with really "putting it out there" with these boogies.  In Vodou they are called "Snails".  But many Priests call them "Mind Monkeys".

Now, do to the web and Creepypasta, the "Hat Man" is the newest "Mind Monkey".

 

Edited by Piney
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27 minutes ago, Impedancer said:

I like the early photos of supposed ectoplasm they always crack me up. :-)

 

I call it "The Art of Barfing Cheesecloth". 

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1 hour ago, Piney said:

Now, do to the web and Creepypasta, the "Hat Man" is the newest "Mind Monkey".

Going to have to disagree with you there Piney,I've seen Hat Man on two different occasions,one with another witness.It is a real entity.To me its asks the question are any just stress induced imaginary figures.

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11 minutes ago, openozy said:

Going to have to disagree with you there Piney,I've seen Hat Man on two different occasions,one with another witness.It is a real entity.To me its asks the question are any just stress induced imaginary figures.

Shared experiences can still be subconsciously induced Thought Forms. You do have some talent. I give you that. Are you sure you didn't "plant the seed"? 

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Just now, Piney said:

Shared experiences can still be subconsciously induced Thought Forms. You do have some talent. I give you that. Are you sure you didn't "plant the seed"? 

The time it was witnessed the Hat man walked passed me down my hall within inches and passed my girlfriend in the laundry.She came out panicked asking who the big guy was.The first time I saw it was in a reflection looking down at me.It was the same,big guy about 6feet four with trenchcoat and old gangster type hat.Way before the internet here.I thought he was a ghost of my great grandfather who was an SP bookie,until I read about Hat Man years later and it fit.

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12 minutes ago, openozy said:

The time it was witnessed the Hat man walked passed me down my hall within inches and passed my girlfriend in the laundry.She came out panicked asking who the big guy was.The first time I saw it was in a reflection looking down at me.It was the same,big guy about 6feet four with trenchcoat and old gangster type hat.Way before the internet here.I thought he was a ghost of my great grandfather who was an SP bookie,until I read about Hat Man years later and it fit.

The witness was your girlfriend which makes me more than certain it was your own Thought Form.

I've been trying to pin down the actual first appearance of the Hat Man. It was sometime in the 90s.  Is this when it happened? 

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24 minutes ago, Piney said:

Shared experiences can still be subconsciously induced Thought Forms. You do have some talent. I give you that. Are you sure you didn't "plant the seed"? 

When i woke up this morning i saw a blonde gorgeous woman standing next to the window in my bed room and i got happy cause it's not often that happens then she dissolved and i  immediately  thought it was a ghost. This was most likely only a hallucination. People can experience hallucinations as they're falling asleep (hypnagogic) or as they wake up ( hypnopompic) the mind is a terrible thing to taste. Though i wouldn't mind if the woman would have been real :-) 

Edited by Impedancer
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1 minute ago, Piney said:

The witness was your girlfriend which makes me more than certain it was your own Thought Form.

I've been trying to pin down the actual first appearance of the Hat Man. It was sometime in the 90s.  Is this when it happened? 

The first one was in 89 the second in 99.

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3 minutes ago, Impedancer said:

When i woke up this morning i saw a blonde gorgeous girl standing next to the window in my bed room and i got happy cause it's not often that happens then she dissolved and i  immediately  thought it was a ghost. This was most likely only a hallucination. People can experience hallucinations as they're falling asleep (hypnagogic) or as they wake up ( hypnopompic)

I know this.

It also happens when you've been awake for 3 days guarding a jackass everybody wants to kill. :yes:

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4 minutes ago, Impedancer said:

When i woke up this morning i saw a blonde gorgeous girl standing next to the window in my bed room and i got happy cause it's not often that happens then she dissolved and i  immediately  thought it was a ghost. This was most likely only a hallucination. People can experience hallucinations as they're falling asleep (hypnagogic) or as they wake up ( hypnopompic)

I can understand that,I was wide awake both times with this.

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4 minutes ago, openozy said:

The first one was in 89 the second in 99.

Papa Legba, a Vodou Orisha entered popular culture about that time. He always wears a top hat. 

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Just now, openozy said:

I can understand that,I was wide awake both times with this.

So was i or i felt like i was wide awake :-) damn woman to dissolve like that :-) 

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1 minute ago, Piney said:

Papa Legba, a Vodou Orisha entered popular culture about that time. He always wears a top hat. 

This entity had an old gangter hat,just looked it up, a "Trilby"

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2 minutes ago, Piney said:

Papa Legba, a Vodou Orisha entered popular culture about that time. He always wears a top hat. 

Baron Samedi ?

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56 minutes ago, openozy said:

I can understand that,I was wide awake both times with this.

One of my problems is traditional Indigenous Peoples don't see him. Nor do non-Westernized Asians. It's a Western concept which leads me to believe it's a Thought Form created from the Western group psyche. 

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16 minutes ago, Piney said:

One of my problems is traditional Indigenous Peoples don't see him. Nor do non-Westernized Asians. It's a Western concept which leads me to believe it's a Thought Form created from the Western group psyche. 

It is an explaination except I knew nothing about it until recently as have only had internet access for 4 years and I've never studied anything about paranormal stuff.It could be some western spiritual entity only needed in those societies,it didn't have a menacing feel to it,both times were at the beginning of destructive relationships for me which makes me think it could be trying to warn of something,why I originally thought it was a relative's spirit.

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3 minutes ago, openozy said:

It is an explaination except I knew nothing about it until recently as have only had internet access for 4 years and I've never studied anything about paranormal stuff.It could be some western spiritual entity only needed in those societies,it didn't have a menacing feel to it,both times were at the beginning of destructive relationships for me which makes me think it could be trying to warn of something,why I originally thought it was a relative's spirit.

Your "Guardian Spirit" is a independent Thought Form created by your subconscious. Maybe you created one that looks like your granddad? Your more than capable. 

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3 minutes ago, Piney said:

Your "Guardian Spirit" is a independent Thought Form created by your subconscious. Maybe you created one that looks like your granddad? Your more than capable. 

That's possible except it was seen by my girlfriend before I mentioned it.

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4 minutes ago, openozy said:

That's possible except it was seen by my girlfriend before I mentioned it.

Independent. Like a Tulpa. :yes:

Like I said your more than capable. 

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2 minutes ago, Piney said:

Independent. Like a Tulpa. :yes:

Like I said your more than capable. 

That is paranormal to me in itself,but I'm not convinced either way tbh.Since I've been reading up lately,I can understand about the thought forms possibility in some of my experiences,others really don't explain things.I respect your knowledge on these subjects though and your explainations without being demeaning.

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1 minute ago, openozy said:

That is paranormal to me in itself,but I'm not convinced either way tbh.Since I've been reading up lately,I can understand about the thought forms possibility in some of my experiences,others really don't explain things.I respect your knowledge on these subjects though and your explainations without being demeaning.

I see some of your insights and think it's a shame you didn't have a couple of Spirit Worker grandparents to coach you along. You'd make a excellent Shaman if you were caught at the right age. 

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