Question submitted via Formspring:
“What are ghosts? Are they here for revenge, created by improper burial or unfinished business or do they even exist at all?”

We talked about this question on a recent episode of Rise UP with B. Dave Walters, along with:
Angels and Spirit Guides! Whether or not ghosts are real, how to deal with things that upset you, how to stop running from love, how to stop picking jerks, how to forgive, and much more!

When we talked recently about whether or not everyone has a Guardian Angel, I mentioned that there are many different kinds of ‘spirits’ that exist. Some of which once lived on Earth as people, or even animals; others never did and never will have a physical life as we know it. And yet, they are still very much ‘real’.

To answer your particular question, different types of ghosts have different types of motivation. For instance, some ghosts are human beings who died with unfinished business of some sort; maybe they died violently, or with tremendous regrets. These types of restless spirits are what most horror movies that are ‘based on a true story’ all about.

Another theory is that during periods of high energy, events can be recorded on an area, just like you record a video of something. So maybe a huge party or a violent battle might replay in a way that people can witness, but there is no consciousness or intelligence behind it. Poltergeists, on the other hand, usually occur in environments with prepubescent children; some researchers believe the phenomena is actually the children’s uncontrolled psychic abilities starting to manifest.

So, as there are different types of haunting, there are different motivations for the spirit in question; and unfortunately, they are usually negative. It is very common to hear platitudes like ‘they can’t hurt you if you don’t believe in them’, but that’s not necessarily true. For particularly negative spirits, fear makes them stronger, so if you aren’t afraid at all, chances are they can only manifest very small effects, like going bump in the night. Of course, if fear is their power, courage is the counter; so if you are rooted in positive energy, you should be safe from most anything you come across. Fear is their gateway; if you have no fear, they have no room to enter.

In the end, ghosts shouldn’t really be feared, so much as pitied. For whatever reason, something is stopping them from finding rest and peaceful passage into the next world. If you ever find yourself in a haunted environment, pray or meditate to bring as much positive energy as you can into the space, and invite the presence of God or the angels into the place to show the spirit the way home.

You may just save them from an eternity of restlessness, and if you think about it, is there any better gift you can give than that?

You are great, and I love you!
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B. Dave Walters Writer, Life Coach, and Talk Radio Host

Find out more about me: http://about.me/BDaveWalters

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Jesus and Buddha — Interfaith dialog

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Love One Another — A group for the coolest Spiritual people on the Internet!