Ghosts, Spirits and the Afterlife

[Diana]

GHOSTS. SPIRITS. SPOOKS. PURGATORY. AFTERLIFE. Almost every culture has some sort of theory or belief about spirits. This can be tied to time old traditions, religion, a need to explain the unexplainable. They can be real or imagined.

For this exercise you are going to detail out GHOSTS or SPIRITS in your location.


HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:

• Do ghosts or spirits exist?
• WHY do they exist?
• Where are these spirits SUPPOSED to be? Heaven? An afterlife? Rebirth? Gone forever?
• Can people see them?
• Are they tangible? Can they touch things?
• Can they possess people?
• Can they come back to life?
• Can they be destroyed or send away?
• How would you prevent or protect yourself from them?
• What are some MYTHS about them that people believe that are NOT true?
• Are they a common thing?
• How do people react when you tell them you've seen a ghost?

If you think of other things to add in your descriptions of spirits, make sure to add them in!

 

[redblood]

• Do ghosts or spirits exist?
  Yes
• WHY do they exist?
  A spirit is usually trapped in the world if they died a sudden death which made them unable to realize that they actually died. Then there are those whom are unable to move on because they don't think they are finished with their life. They have something that needs to be done. These are usually angry spirits that seeks revenge, but are sometimes spirits that just needs to get something said before they leave.
  A ghost can only exist if they are unable to realize that they are dead or if their feelings are so strong that the other side can't pull them to where they belong. That's why even if you have something undone it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll become a ghost.
• Where are these spirits SUPPOSED to be? Heaven? An afterlife? Rebirth? Gone forever?
  They should go to an afterlife of emptiness where they would wait for their spirit to be reborn into a new body. The new body can be either human or non human. Until the day of rebirth they are unable to feel or think, they just are in a nothingness. After they are reborn, all the memories of the past life will be gone.
• Can people see them?
  Some people can see them as clearly as they see another living human, most people can sense their presence, and the rest are unaware of their existence at all. Those who have few memories from their past lives are more likely to possess the power of seeing ghosts. But even though they do remember certain things it doesn't mean that they know that it is from their past lives.
• Are they tangible? Can they touch things?
  Spirits that doesn't know they are dead are usually able to touch things though it usually doesn't move as much as they think it does. Usually if they think they are bringing a cup of coffee to their mouth they are actually just moving it some cm on the table.
  
  Those who know they are dead can't fool themselves into believing that they are moving stuff. Instead they learn to move things around. Aggressive ghosts usually move things more easily.
• Can they possess people?
  No
• Can they come back to life?
  Only after having entered the other side and waiting for their turn to be reborn.
• Can they be destroyed or send away?
  A soul can never be destroyed, but it can be forcefully sent away to the other side. This doesn't work on those who doesn't know they are dead, they first have to be convinced that they actually died or else they can't enter the other side.
• How would you prevent or protect yourself from them?
  There is no way to protect yourself against spirits if you weren't born with the powers to see them. If you would be lucky to have been born with that power then you can use the ghosts powers against them and force them away.
• What are some MYTHS about them that people believe that are NOT true?
  Some spirits are good and stays behind just to look after their families. (It is very rare for a ghost with good intentions to be able to stay behind. While angry spirits easily are left in this world because of their hate, a loving spirit must have a really strong will to be able to actually stay. It usually just works if they know that someone wants to kill their family and that's why they have to protect them. But just the thought of protecting your family without knowing if there is anything to protect them from won't do.)
  
  A ghost can't kill a human. (A ghost can kill a human, usually by making them trip in stairs so they break their neck. They usually can't interact too much with the human world but they can still be dangerous.)
  
  Most ghosts are at the graveyard or the place they died at. (Most ghosts are actually at the place they are most attached to, or around the person they seek revenge at or the person they need to tell something to.)
• Are they a common thing?
  People that doesn't know they have died are not too uncommon. Usually they realize eventually that they aren't alive, and they slowly get their memories back and moves on on their own.
  
  Ghosts that wants revenge are usually people that has been brutally murdered and are not very common since it takes a lot of hate and rage to not get pulled to the other world.
  Ghosts that needs to give a message are the least common ones. Usually their feelings aren't strong enough to keep them in this world.
• How do people react when you tell them you've seen a ghost?
  Most people would laugh at you and think you had read too many horror books. But there are people that believes in them, both those who can't see them and those who can. In bigger cities you are more likely to be laughed at while in smaller towns you might actually be believed in.

 

[Anyu]

Do ghosts or spirits exist?
Ghosts do exist but you may not be able to see them too well, depending on the circumstances of their death. Ghosts are life essence weakly held together by their will -- a result of the strength of their emotions. If the individual "ghost" is too weak or if a more powerful "Gathering" consumes it, they will join and the "Gathering" becomes bigger and thus more powerful. "Gatherings" are a body of life essences big enough to become a single, somewhat sentient being (a spirit -- no longer a human per se since it combines all the ghosts' consciousness). "Gatherings" (or spirits) can be overall bad or overall good, meaning they can be monsters or they can be like spirit guides. Also, angry ghosts are easier to notice than benevolent ghosts since they are mostly violent and deadly (they make themselves known). You rarely see a good ghost but you can definitely see a good spirit.

WHY do they exist?
The bad ghosts exist because they died a violent death or died extremely unhappy and their life essence floats around the Earth until enough are collected in one place. Once enough is collected, the life essence transforms into a vile spirit bent on revenge on humanity.

Good ghosts exist simply because of a strong desire to do more for humankind even after death. They are very altruistic and die hoping they will be of service one last time.

There are SOME unique cases when it comes to ghosts. The examples include (but are not limited to) vengeful mothers and protective mothers. Vengeful mothers, due to strong emotions, will never appear as a jumble of life essence. Rather, they will either take the body of the closest living creature (possession, usually of a predator or big-enough animal, possible only through a combination of extremely focused will through maternal instinct and strength derived from powerful feelings) and make it its mission to kill the baby's killer in this form or take revenge through haunting and torturing the killer using her own physical appearance. Protective mothers (dead but child alive) will take on a guise of a creature and watch over the child over the creature's lifetime.

Where are these spirits SUPPOSED to be? Heaven? An afterlife? Rebirth? Gone forever?
They are supposed to reincarnate after dissipating into the afterlife but good spirits can bless someone who needs life essence (sickly, dying), after which they will dissipate. Bad spirits, however, will try to kill every human they see (consuming their soul) and they will grow from the life essence consumed, refusing to dissipate into the afterlife. Humans or creatures can destroy the bad spirits and force them to start anew in the afterlife by scattering their life essence.

Can people see them?
Yes. Mere life essence (like from a badly scattered, weak ghost) will be seen as golden, floating dust BUT a Gathering will take a form of a monster or a good spirit.


Are they tangible? Can they touch things?
As Dust (weak ghosts), not really. As a Gathering, in a way, yes. With enough force they can hurt, but still not touch (think of how wind can cut you due to force and particles in the air).

Can they possess people?
Yes, but it's really hard to. The spirits may risk dissipation if they don't have enough strength or the will.

Can they come back to life?
No, unless they reincarnate (lose previous life's consciousness).

Can they be destroyed or send away?
Yes they can (explained in next question).

How would you prevent or protect yourself from them?
Take a bright source of light (like a flashlight, not fire) and flash the bad spirit until it scatters. It's harder the bigger they are. You could also charm the spirit and convince it to dissipate or just talk them to it if they're willing to listen. You can protect yourself by carrying some kind of container filled with water. Spirits are afraid of getting trapped in water.

What are some MYTHS about them that people believe that are NOT true?
One myth is that all the creatures they possess are bad (many people are deathly afraid of animals because of stories involving them killing people -- but not all creatures will go out of their way to do such things so it is very likely they were possessed.) Another myth is that a mere apparition will curse you and you will die in three days. The unlucky person will be isolated for three days as the others do not want to be jinxed (In actuality, for one to die, their soul must be "touched," but they can also be physically wounded to death, and you will die immediately -- NOT in three days. Also, you will very likely be weak, not dead, depending on strength of bad spirit.)

Are they a common thing?
Very common in forest areas since trees help keep life essence in place to gather.

How do people react when you tell them you've seen a ghost?
They will lock you away for three days, and if you survive, they look at you strange because according to their misguided beliefs you are supposed to die. Also, your survival indicates to them that you are allied with the bad spirits, so you may carry that stigma with you.