“modern ghosts”
While discussing the appearances and reported hauntings of ghosts in today’s society, it was pointed out that these sightings always consist of people in period clothes, ie, from the 16th, 17th, 18th C etc. It was queried as to why this was so, why there seem to be no reports of ghosts wearing tracksuits or jeans. This question interested me, asa I had not given it much thought before.
While discussing the appearances and reported hauntings of ghosts in today’s society, it was pointed out that these sightings always consist of people in period clothes, ie, from the 16th, 17th, 18th C etc. It was queried as to why this was so, why there seem to be no reports of ghosts wearing tracksuits or jeans. This question interested me, asa I had not given it much thought before. Clearly places that using reported hauntings as a way to build up tourism are going to have a ghost with an interesting and tragic story behind it, that will capture people’s imagination. However, I was wondering if anyone has heard of any hauntings of people that have died in tragic circumstancs more reccently then our "traditional ghosts?"
Re: “modern ghosts”
I can’t give details due to confidentiality but, in my experience of ghost investigations, a large number – probably the majority – of ghosts reports I’ve looked at involve contemporary dress. I even know of a report of someone in a tracksuit! It should also be noted that most cases of haunting do not involve any sightings of apparitions. Most ghost reports these days seem to be one-offs, not associated with any other phenomena.
Re: “modern ghosts”
As with Mysteryshopper I have come across and investigated some cases were the apparitions clothing either did not immediately appear out of place or were contemporary. Again as Mysteryshopper says confidentiality stops a lot of cases becoming public knowledge.
This is an interesting topic Ziaria as I dare say there are other differances with the experiences had today and those reported say 200 years ago, or perhaps it is all down to quality of how they were reported.
These days we seem to get reports of shadow people and corner of the eye figures and in the past some ghost stories had the apparitions actually communicating, which doesn’t seem to happen now.
Re: “modern ghosts”
[quote=Ziaria]Nowadays of course, due to the changing nature of belief, it is not as widely accepted, and therefore it may well be that many people who have sighted ghosts or even had conversations with them will not publicise their experiences, believing it to be a figment of their imagination, or fearing that they will be thought crazy by friends and families if they mention their experiences.[/quote]
That was true a decade or two ago. However, people are now happy to get in the papers or go on TV with their ghostly experiences.
I agree with Ian that cases of old seemed much more dramatic. I think, perhaps, that some old accounts have become exaggerated over time and were not investigated with best modern methods.
Re: “modern ghosts”
Each experience is personal to the witness, so it is not just their cultural background and the year it happened that we have to consider but their personal opinions or bias, or perhaps those of the person investigating and reporting the experience when looking at an old case.
Don’t forget that the emergence of spiritualism and the occult revival in the late 1800’s probably had an big influence on cases reported in the Victorian era, of which there are many.
Back to clothing though, it seems quite common for people who witness an apparition to not realise they are seeing a ghost at the time. I know of a few witness accounts covering two seperate pubs where staff have encountered a phantom punter, but not realised it was a ghost until they approached a fellow member of staff to queery if they were serving said customer. These people were not dressed in the most upto date clothing but certainly did not look out of place in the pub setting.
Re: “modern ghosts”
Do you think the current views of ghosts and the paranormal are similar to those of the the Victorians in as much that mediums and psychics are probably as if not more popular and we also seem to have a growing interest in paranormal tourism, something that I think started to develop in the late 19th century.
Re: “modern ghosts”
Table tilting/rapping, seances and such belong in the realm of pseudoscience and no genuine investigator should be using them, although, as you rightly point out, they appear to be in common usage by some.
I was wondering whether it would be feasible to create a timeline of paranormal experiences in Britain, to map out any changes in how they were reported and whether these have changed over time. We could cross refence it with key dates such as the introduction of such ideas as spiritualism and when certain haunting theories became popular. Look at the most famous ghost cases or even photographs from the past a guage how far they spread and what influence they may have had. You never know, it might make an interesting little project.