Do we see ghosts as they are or how we want them to be?
When we read accounts of ghost sightings, often the witness describes seeing a person clad in clothing appropriate to the era in which the deceased person lived. In some cases, the viewer has been able to describe the spirit’s clothing in great detail. In other instances, the paranormal entity appears in some sort of flowing garb. What accounts for these differences in appearance?
Ghosts as Energy
One theory about the identity of ghosts is that when a person dies, his or her energy or spirit remains. When we try to picture what pure energy would look like, most of us would probably think of a source of light. This may well be the image that can be captured on film. These images can be described as a vapor, fog, or mist. Obviously, this type of apparition does not have a distinct form and could not be described as looking like a person, clothed or otherwise.
Residual Haunting
In the case of a residual haunting, it is thought that certain images and/or sounds remain in a specific location long after the event has taken place. When someone observes a residual haunting, they are seeing something played out in front of them, similar to watching a film. A spirit seen in this type of encounter would appear very much as he or she was in life, including hairstyle and clothing.
Intelligent Spirits
Other supernatural encounters describe a person not only seeing but being able to interact with a spirit. If someone reports having seen the ghost of a friend or a relative, the spirit was readily identifiable as being the deceased loved one. One of two things may be taking place here: the human brain may be filtering the image or some type of intelligence may be at work.
When the human brain is presented with something out of the ordinary, it automatically tries to sort the image into some kind of familiar order. It could very well be that we see ghosts not as they really are, but how we want them to be. How do we know who our otherworldly visitor is if we are unable to recognize him or her?
The second explanation is that those who have passed over can choose to present themselves to us in whatever way they choose. Children often report seeing images of other children. Could this be because a young child will be more accepting of another youngster? Maybe. Adults, too, may be more accepting of a visit from the other side if the entity looks familiar. And that would include being dressed.
