Ghost Viewpoints

We probably all know parapsychological or metaphysical viewpoints on ghosts and spirits, as well as our personal ones, but what about beliefs in other cultures, such as the Native Americans? Or the Australian Aborigines?

The Western mindset usually synonymizes "ghosts" and "spirits", with no real distinction between the two. In Native American culture, however, there is a clear difference between them. Whereas spirits are held in high regard, being ancestral souls, ghosts are viewed very negatively. They believe that "spirit" is all around us, within each living thing, and they call upon the ancestral spirits to help guide them and for knowledge and insight.

When a person dies, their spirit continues on, traveling into the next life where it will carry on with the journey. There are also a number of helpful or familial spirits, who have chosen to stay earthbound, sometimes becoming "spirit guides", to offer guidance. Ghosts, on the other hand, are viewed as twisted spirits with corrupted personalities, who are responsible for causing sickness and disease, contaminating food and drink, and subverting positivity and all that is good.

In comparison, the Australian Aboriginal religion hold that humans have multiple souls. One is an "egoic soul", a self-created, independent state accompanying the body and shaping a person's personality and identity. Another comes from "The Dreaming" or divinity (or both), capable of entering the body to impart knowledge and insight. Ancestral spirits (spirits of ancestors) usually fall under the latter.

At death, these two types follow different paths, fates and trajectories. The "egoic soul" initially becomes a dangerous ghost, not straying far from the deceased's body and property, but instead jealously guards them. Eventually it will pass into nonexistence, either dissolving into nothingness or by traveling to a distant place inconsequential to the living. At that moment, the deceased's property is abandoned or destroyed and no one can rent or live in the property. Ancestral souls are eternal; they return to specific locations or to sites where they are summoned through rituals, or they are returned to the environment, abiding as one with nature and humans, to wherever they are needed.

In fact, these two viewpoints are mirrored in many cultures throughout the world, both ancient and modern, including Asian, Mediterranean and pre-Columbian American, and even in Celtic folklore.

Electronic Voice Phenomena

Electronic Voice Phenomena (or EVP) is where human-sounding voices from an unknown source are recorded onto electronic media, usually audiotapes. At the time of the recording no voice is actually heard, but only during playback is something heard. Sometimes noise filtering and amplification is required to hear the voices.

EVP quality varies. Some EVP is clearer than others, some are difficult to determine and are open to interpretation as to what they are saying. They vary in gender, age, tone and emotion. EVPs are usually single-word phrases or short sentences, but sometimes play back as grunts, groans, growling and other vocal sounds, and in various languages. Sometimes EVPs are mechanical-sounding; sometimes they sound naturally spoken.

Researchers categorize EVPs into three distinctive classes:

• Class A: Very clear, easily understood, with distinct formations of words. Class A EVPs are also usually the loudest.
• Class B: Unclear or indistinct, with word formations often difficult to understand, and certain syllables are distorted or very unclear. This class is the commonest type of EVP and tend to be softer than Class A EVPs.
• Class C: Distorted, indistinct and barely audible (often as whispers), and very difficult to understand word formations.

Many EVPs are simply recordings of anomalous voices, but sometimes the voices seem to respond directly to questions asked by the researcher. And, once again, the response is not heard until afterwards, when the audiotape is played back.


There are many theories on what EVPs actually are, but no one knows for certain, so it remains something of a mystery. Some of those theories are:

• They are the voices of spirits, i.e. people who have died but still remain earthbound. Many researchers visit cemeteries for EVP recordings (often with great success). In this context, it is usually referred to as ITC (or Instrumental Transcommunication).
• They are researchers' own thoughts recorded onto the magnetic tape, in the same way it is thought that the energies from "residual hauntings" are recorded in certain areas.
• They are ordinary background noises, random sounds or voices picked up from radio, cell phones and other electronic sources. The brain will naturally search for patterns it can recognize, especially visual and auditory, reforming them into something it can identify with.

Other theories are:

• They are beings from another dimension, one of the many planes of existence, or alternative universes. They are able to utilize this method to communicate.
• They are the voices of angels or demons, but this theory is primarily influenced by religious conviction.
• They are hoaxed, created by audio rendering software and recorded onto audiotape.

Nowadays, with modern sound analyzing software, it is possible to isolate "white noise", background sounds, and "normal" voices to distinguish anomalous sounds and voices. It is also possible to identify each sound wave individually.

Celebrity Paranormal Encounters

With the tragic and globally impacting death of Michael Jackson dominating the news headlines, I wonder if he will return (as a "ghost") to his familiar and favorite places, the places he loved, like his Neverland ranch. I wonder how long it will be before psychics claim to "talk" to the iconic pop star from beyond the grave. Conspiracy theories have already inevitably surfaced regarding Michael Jackson's death and I will admit that there are too many discrepancies in journalistic reports, but I digress.

Many celebrities have had their share of paranormal encounters.

Michael Jackson

The Thriller singer claims that he was able to communicate with pianist Lee Liberace, who died in 1987 and whom Jackson considers as his guardian angel. Jackson had his own secret room, with a moving wall and mirrors, where he would frequently talk to Liberarce. Jackson would often feel the pianist's presence very close to him, hear his voice, and communicate to him about a plethora of different things.

Hugh Grant

British Four Weddings and A Funeral star, Hugh Grant, attests that his Los Angelese apartment is haunted. He often hears the wailing and screaming of a tormented spirit through the night, whom he has speculated is the ghost of actress Bette Davis who died in 1989.

Russell Crowe

The Sun newspaper relates how Gladiator star, Russell Crowe, knew of his grandfather's death. A kookaburra (an Australian kingfisher) suddenly flew into his window and looked him directly in the eye. He called his mother, who confirmed that his grandfather had died and later, on the day of his death, she too had seen a kookaburra. Crowe firmly believes that the bird was his grandfather's spirit a-visiting.

Nicolas Cage

Actor Nicolas Cage knowingly bought a haunted house, the Lalaurie Mansion in New Orleans' French Quarter, reputedly the most severely haunted house in New Orleans. Cage says he is aware of the mansion's checkered past and its ghostly residents, but has yet to sleep overnight in it. Paranormal groups have requested to investigate the house, but he has refused on the basis that he does not want any of the "residents" to become exploited.

Paranormal News Central

Paul McCartney

Former Beatles singer, Paul McCartney, claims that John Lennon's playful ghost made an appearance during the recording of the 1995 song Free As A Bird. He says, "There were a lot of strange goings-on in the studio - noises that shouldn't have been there and equipment doing all manner of weird things. There was just an overall feeling that John was around."

Paranormal News Central