A ghost is a spirit of a deceased person that can be seen or heard by some people. Ghosts are sometimes believed to haunt places they were a part of in life, such as homes or schools. People who communicate with ghosts are called mediums. Some people claim that ghosts stay on earth because they have unfinished business or are trying to say goodbye to family members they missed when they died.
Ghosts can appear as a shadowy figure or be visible as an aura around a body. They are said to be able to move or make sounds, and they can also manifest as objects such as a hat or cane. Ghosts are also believed to be able to travel between places and to pass through walls.
People have reported seeing ghosts for centuries. Many famous people have claimed to have talked to ghosts, including Harry Houdini and Eleanor Sidgwick, who was a pioneer in parapsychology. It was once popular for upper-crust ladies to hold seances in their parlors over tea and crumpets. Psychic groups and clubs dedicated to ghost hunting have emerged, but conclusive scientific evidence of ghosts remains elusive.
Some experts believe that when people report ghosts, they are really just misinterpreting other natural phenomena, such as noises or movements. They may also be suffering from inattentional blindness, which causes them to miss sensory cues and then blame those misperceptions on a ghost. People who have trouble keeping track of multiple things at once or who tend to get absorbed in their activities are more likely to experience this type of misperception.