Types of Ghosts

Acheri – Indian

This is usually a female child who it is believed brings pain and illness especially to children

She lives on top of mountains and hills and at night travels to the valleys. When she casts her shadow over the sleeping they become her victim

Amulets of red thread worn around the neck is thought to protect against her

Ankou – Celtic

The name means “King of the Dead”

The Ankou collects the souls of those who have died

It is believed they are the spirit of the last person to die in the area the previous year

They are depicted as being tall, haggard with long white hair or as a skeleton with head that rotates enabling them to see everything

They travel on a cart with two other ghosts who walk along side. They knock on the door of those who are about to die

Anniversary ghost

This is where a ghost appears on the anniversary of some event –usually his or her own death

Autoscopy

 This is where a double of a person is seen at the same time, in different locations. It includes, doppelgangers, wraiths, bi-location, and the fetch.

Apparitions

This ghosts appear to people they have emotional ties to in order to comfort them or pass on news

Apport
This is said to be an object that appears as though out of thin air

The word `apport` comes from the French word `apporter` meaning to bring.

Arrival cases
Appearance of a person before their physical arrival.

Asport
The opposite of Apport.
This is where an object in this world will disappear into thin air

Automatic writing
These are messages written by someone who is being guided by spirit

Automatism
Muscular or limb movement that is guided by spirit. It can include any creative activity such as dancing, writing, drawing, speaking etc.
 

Ball Lightening

Balls of moving light

Bhut (bhuta) - Indian
This is an evil ghost who is usually a man and died by execution, suicide or by accident

They are depicted as looking as though they are alive but having no shadow and making nasal noises

They fear burning turmeric and as they cannot rest on earth can be avoided by lying down

Bilocation
The appearance of a person in two places at the same time. The double will not speak and will behave oddly and the person will not be aware of it happening

Churel – Indian

They are the ghosts are poor women who died in childbirth.

They are depicted as beautiful women who try to lure men. They have backwards facing feet and no mouths
 
 

Collective Apparitions
This is when more than one person sees a ghost at the same time and place as each other

Corpse candles
Other names: fetch candles, fetch lights

These are candle light flames –each one represents a person who will die.

They travel to places where someone is about to die

Corpse lights
These are similar to corpse candles but are shapeless and can be white, red or blue.

Crisis apparitions

These are images of the living that turn up when they is a crisis although the person is many miles away

Doppelganger

This is when a person appears in two places at the same time –both having the personality of the real person

If a person meets their own doppelganger then both will die

Doppelganger is from the German for Double Walker

Ectoplasm

During séances this is what oozed from mediums. In modern terminology it can also refer to a mist 

Electronic voice phenomenon
Other names: EVP

This is a form of spirit communication in which inaudible spirit voices are recorded directly onto tape.
Class C recordings are faint, whispery voices that can barely be heard and are sometimes indecipherable.
Class B recordings are louder, clearer voices and can sometimes be heard without headphones.
Class A recordings are very clear, can be heard and easily made out straight away from a distance and can be copied on to other tapes with just as much clarity.

Exorcism
This is where spirits, ghosts and other entities are banished from a place or person

Ghost Lights

Other Names: Ignis Fatuus, Will O’ Wisp. Jack O Lanterns

They are white or blue lights that glow in the darkness

Scientists have suggested they are swamp gas, electricity, magnetism or phosphorescent material

The Latin name Ignis Fatuus means Foolish Fire as its foolish to follow them as they are though to be sinners condemned to the earth forever who lure people to their death

Ghost sickness
This is a ghost who causes illness or death as it seeks a soul to take with it so that they are not lonely

Grateful Dead
These are believed to be ghosts who return to reward the living for good deeds.

Grey Ladies
Despite the name grey ladies can be seen wearing grey white, black or brown clothes.
Grey Ladies are normally female who have suffered a violent death as a result of love.
These spirits usually haunt a place because of their wish to be reunited with a loved one.

The majority of these are sighted in England

Haunting

A ghost that appears in the same place over many years

Kami

This is a spirit of a family member that remains among the family and community.

Materialisation
The appearance of a spirit

Orbs, spears, globules, balls of light, globes, plasmoids

These are balls of translucent white light that hover above the ground.

Phantom Animals

Ghost of animals often dogs, cats and horses

Phone Calls

These are where the spirit of the deceased calls a loved one. Normally these take place within 24hours of death although some have been reported years after the caller has died.

Poltergeist

This is a disruptive ghost or psychokinesis caused by a living individual.

Poltergeist activity normally starts and stops abruptly often lasting only a few weeks or months

Poltergeist activity includes moving objects, throwing things, loud noises, and even playing with modern technology.

If an individual causes it then it is normally a female under the age of 20 years old.

In the 1970s Alan Gauld and A. D. Cornell analysed cases collected since 1800 to that time. They identified 63 general characteristics,: 64% involved the movement of small objects; 58% were most active at night; 48% featured raps; 36% involved movement of large objects; 24% lasted longer than one year; 16% featured communication between the poltergeist and agent; 12% involved the opening and shutting of doors and windows.

The Gauld-Cornell analysis found only 9% of the cases attributed to demons, 7% to witches, and 2% to spirits of the dead.

Possessed Objects

There are two main categories within this group. An imamate object that moves or changes shape etc or phantom ships, cars, death coaches

Possession
This is when a spirit enters ones body to temporarily take control of the soul and mind.

Radiant Boys
These are ghosts of boys who have been murdered by their mothers.

They bring death or bad luck to those who see them sometimes they show a threat such as moving their finger across their necks

They are called radiant boys as they are depicted as having long yellow hair and glowing in appearance

Residual Haunting 

These are ghosts who occupy particular buildings or places often where they has been violent deaths

Retrocognition

This is where someone enters a building and sees a vision of the past. They are only witnesses though and do not take an active part in the scene

Revenant
Another word for ghost

Screaming Skull
 These are skulls who scream when removed from their place of residence. If they are removed the spirit will haut and bad luck will befall the house.

Destroying the skull is impossible and the haunting goes on until the skull is returned

Most screaming skulls are found in England

 Shadow ghosts, dark entities

These are ghosts that appear like shadows and are also often sighted within mirrors

Vortex, funnel ghosts