Ghosts - 'The disembodied spirit or image of a deceased person, appearing to be alive. The term does not include apparitions of the living. Reports of appearances of ghosts go back to ancient times, and ghost stories have always been popular as a special genre of literature. Ghosts are believed to be ethereal, able to penetrate doors and walls, and are often said to appear at the moment of death to a distant relative or friend. Ghosts are also believed to haunt specific localities, either dwellings associated with their earthly life or locales with a tragic history. Children are often reported to have encountered ghostly playmates.'

• Taken from the Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology edited by J. Gordon Melton.