The Mon Valley Ghost Research Society

The Mon Valley Ghost Research Society of Southwestern Pennsylvania What are Ghosts?

ghost (gost), n. [early printers' sp. (prob. after Fl. gheest) of ME. goste, goost; AS. gast (also gaest), soul, spirit, demon, etc.; akin to G. geist; IE. base*gheiz(d)-, startled, angered, seen also in Sans. hed-, to be angry], 1.originally, the spirit or soul: now only in give up the ghost, to die; hence, 2.the supposed disembodied spirit of a dead person, conceived of as appearing to the living as a pale, shadowy apparition. 3.a haunting memory. 4.a faint, shadowy semblance; inkling; slight trace: as, not a ghost of a chance. 5.[Colloq.], a ghost writer. 6.in optics & television, an unwanted secondary image or bright spot. 7.[often G-] in theology, the Divine Spirit: now only in Holy Ghost. v.i. [Colloq.], to work as a ghost writer. v.t. 1.to haunt. 2.[Colloq.], to be the ghost writer of.
...Webster's Dictionary College Edition

Ghosts are timeless. No matter what time period interests you, you will find ghosts. They were there before and after Christ, and the people who believed in them. There are many different names for ghosts; spirits, ghouls, apparitions, to name a few. But what makes a ghost, frankly, a ghost? That's what we'd like to know! Granted, none of us will know, until the moment of our own demise, the answer to the greatest unsolved mystery of all time.

However, we are doing our best to try to unravel some of the unknown. We can't say for certain that the beliefs we have now, are the answers to all the questions. We just don't know. No-one does for sure, unless you're dead. You don't have to adhere to our beliefs, but we WOULD like you to keep an open mind on this subject. You never know when you yourself will hear that bump in the night, feel that icy chill, or get that hair-raising feeling that tells you you're not alone.

There are quite a few signs to let you know when a ghost or spirit is around you. You might feel as if someone is watching you, an unseen presence. You turn around, only to find no-one there. You walk through a cold spot, can even determine the perimeter of cold around you. You smell something strangely out of place, such as roses in winter, or bread baking. You hear footsteps behind you, your name is called out, but there's no-one there. You see a shadow out of the corner of your eye...a light is on that you know you turned off...a treasured locket that was there a moment ago and now is gone...a favorite book that you know you put back on the shelf...and lest we forget, the bump in the night.

We rely on our senses to get us through every day. But there are times when we wonder if our senses have gone awry. Smells, for no apparent reason, such as flowers, baking, perfume, remind you of a loved one. Your Grandmother had an apple tree in her backyard, with a rope swing tied on it. You used to swing on this all the time. She made the best apple pies, but now she's gone, along with the swing. Shortly after her death, you smell apple pie when you walk in your door. Where can the smell be coming from? You think of your Grandmother and wish she were there. But maybe she is. She may be there to watch over you, to comfort you through a rough time. This is called an intelligent haunting. Become comfortable with your ghostly visitors. For the most part, they don't mean to scare you. They just want to let you know that they are there. Sometimes, they just don't realize they're dead. They may have died suddenly, or they just weren't ready to let go.

Some other manifestations of an intelligent haunting are;
1.opening, closing, unlocking of doors and windows
2.strange sounds
3.voices such as whispers or hearing your name called out
4.cold spots that can't be explained
5.a strong presence
6.strange smells (mostly pleasant, sometimes not)
7.actual sighting of a ghost (which by the way, looks just as they did when they were alive, sometimes transparent, but not in gauzy clothing or wings)

Footsteps may be the result of a residual haunting. Let's say you were a baker. At 4:00 AM every morning, you came down the stairs and walked out the door. You did this every morning for forty years. Twenty years later, you are in your grave, and somebody new is living in your home. Every morning at 4:00 AM, they hear footsteps going down the stairs, and out the door. They jump out of bed to see who it is, and don't see anything. They check the lock on the door, and its still locked. Who could be doing this? A ghost, maybe? The baker left an imprint on time. And it will replay, over and over again. This is called a residual haunting.

The residual haunting is probably the most common. Anything repetitive enough, over time, will put an imprint in time that can be played over and over again. Gettysburg is the site of numerous residual hauntings. The soldiers repeatedly go back into battle and die all over again. The cannons firing, the smell of the campfires, and yes, the putrid smell of burned and rotting flesh are all there to be experienced by us.

For the most part, if you were happy and loving when you were alive, you most certainly will be a happy ghost. But just as there are happy ghosts, yes, you can run into a grumpy, disgruntled ghost. But it's not the rule, it's the exception. And they CAN pick up on your moods. If you are scared, they will know this, and act accordingly. We talk to the spirits, let them know that we're not there to chase them away or harm them in any way. You'll be surprised at how much more activity you will get!

Title Page and Guestbook
The Investigations
Meet The Members
Spirit Energy
Ghosts and Pets
Real Ghostly Encounters
Ghost Links

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