Ghosts don’t mean to scare you, but it can seem that way. In most cases, they just want to tell you something. And then they leave you alone. Get the scoop about ghosts after the jump.

Ghost Theory

Most ghosts are people who die but they can’t let go of something. There’s something that bonds them to the world of the living. In time, that bond will fade or break, and the person’s energy will leave.

Not every spirit is human, though. Animals and vehicles are other common ghosts. Animals don’t tend to stick around long after death. They usually check on their people, make sure they’re OK, then move on.

Vehicles are interesting. These phantoms just don’t happen: They’re made.

People love their cars, trucks and ships. Positive emotions help charge them with a potential to become a ghost. If there’s an accident and the owner dies, then that’s enough to turn them into a haunted object.

Deliver a message

Many ghosts have something to say. Being dead, they can’t just pop in and tell you like a phone call. They don’t have vocal cords anymore. So, they have to give you clues.

It takes a lot of energy to appear, so they can’t manifest for long. You may only get a word or see a figure for a few seconds. That’s like running a marathon for you and me.

Once living people figure out what the ghost wants, they can either tell the person who needs the message, or they can give the phantom what it wants.

And then the spirit leaves. Be happy for it. For all we know, the ghost may feel tortured in the living world.

Haunting Characteristics

If you have a ghost in your home, you might see or feel these things:

• See figures walking around or through solid things like walls
• Feel cold spots or hot spots
• Hear voices whispering to you (ghosts aren’t loud talkers)
• See things move on their own (this could be a clue)
• Feel something touch you or scratch you
• Hear footsteps or knocks when no one is home
• Have nightmares about a person you don’t know
• Pets may act weird and bark or hiss at something that’s not there

If you have these activities happen over a 2-week period or longer, you could have a ghost.

Dealing with Ghosts & Hauntings

Most ghosts are harmless and you have nothing to fear. It can be creepy but spirits are too weak to do any harm to a person or pet.

You could try to solve the mystery of what a ghost wants, so it can move on. Try writing down when the phantom appeared, what it did to get your attention, and how it manifested.

Over time, you can put together the clues to figure out what it wants.

If a ghost is scary, then it may need help. Spirits were people and they have all the emotions you and I feel.

If things get really scary for you, then you can pour a salt circle around you. Ghosts can’t cross salt. You can also pour lines by your doors and windows. If you do, make sure it’s about an inch wide.