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SpaceNext50Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space! ghost Table of Contents ghost Introduction Fast Facts Related Content Media Videos Images More More Articles On This Topic Contributors Article History ghost spirit Actions Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/ghost-spirit Give Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work! External Websites LiveScience - Are Ghosts Real? — Evidence Has Not Materialized World History Encyclopedia - Ghosts in the Ancient World Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. ghost - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) ghost - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/ghost-spirit Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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External Websites LiveScience - Are Ghosts Real? — Evidence Has Not Materialized World History Encyclopedia - Ghosts in the Ancient World Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. ghost - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11) ghost - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 1, 2022 Edit History Table of Contents ghost See all media Key People: Joseph Glanvill ...(Show more) Related Topics: occultism äppäräs bhut spirit ...(Show more) See all related content → Learn using chemistry about the natural mummification of adipocere mummies, the ectoplasm, and vampiresSee all videos for this article ghost, soul or spectre of a dead person, usually believed to inhabit the netherworld and to be capable of returning in some form to the world of the living. According to descriptions or depictions provided by believers, a ghost may appear as a living being or as a nebulous likeness of the deceased or, occasionally, in other forms. Belief in ghosts is based on the ancient notion that a human spirit is separable from the body and may maintain its existence after the body’s death. In many societies, funeral rituals are believed to prevent the ghost from haunting the living. Uncover the scientific explanation behind ghosts sighting and other supernatural apparitionsSee all videos for this article A place that is haunted is thought to be associated by the haunting spirit with some strong emotion of the past—remorse, fear, or the terror of a violent death. Individuals who are haunted are believed to be responsible for, or associated with, the ghost’s unhappy past experience (compare possession). The traditional visual manifestations of haunting include ghostly apparitions, the displacement of objects, or the appearance of strange lights; auditory signs include disembodied laughter and screams, footsteps, ringing bells, and the spontaneous emanation of sounds from musical instruments. Britannica Quiz Ghosts: Fact or Fiction? Eek, a ghost! Or is that a ghost bat? Or a word game? Test your knowledge of all kinds of ghosts with this true or false quiz. Tales of specific ghosts are still common in living folklore worldwide. The telling of elaborate grisly ghost stories, often in a setting enhanced by darkness or a thunderstorm, is a popular pastime in many groups, particularly among children. See also ghoul; kobold; poltergeist. This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.