More Information about Ghosts in Western History

There are also beliefs about ghosts in Western culture and history. The history of ghost started around. The Hebrew Torah and the Bible contain few references to ghosts, associating spiritism with forbidden occult activities. Then ghosts appeared in Homer's Odyssey an Iliad, in which they were described as vanishing as a , gibbering and whining into the earth. By the 5th century BC, classical Greek ghosts had become haunting, frightening creatures who could be good or evil. Also in the 5th century BC, the play Oresteia contains the first work of fiction, which is about ghosts. The ancient Romans believed if they scratching a curse on a piece of lead or pottery and placing it into a grave, the ghost could be used to exact revenge on an enemy. Plutarch, in the 1st century AD, described a ghost of a murdered man is the reason of the haunting baths at Chaeronea. The ghost’s loud and frightful groans caused the people of the town to seal up the doors of the building.( W. P. Mei.) 1929. Chapter XXXI) That is an example to prove ghost exist in history. Ghosts reported in medieval Europe tended to fall into two categories: the souls of the dead, or demons. Most ghosts were souls assigned to Purgatory, condemned for their offence to atone for their transgressions in life. Medieval European ghosts were more substantial than ghosts described in the Victorian age, and there are accounts of ghosts adhere on people to express its confession. The rise of Spiritualism saw an increase in popular interest in the supernatural. The claims of spiritualists and others as to the reality of ghosts were investigated by the Society for Psychical Research, founded in London in 1882. Belief in ghosts in European folklore is characterized by the recurring fear of "returning" or revenant deceased which may harm the living. There are many events about ghost haunted in British. (Charles W. E. 1852)

Movies about Ghosts

Terra Cotta Warriors

Xi'an, once the capital of eleven Chinese dynasties, is famous throughout the world for life-sized terra-cotta warriors and horses. They have won fame as one of the greatest archaeological finds of this century. Back in 1974, while digging a well to fight drought, some farmers from Lintong county, about thirty kilometers east of Xi'an, unearthed some brown pottery fragments, which led to the great discovery of the executed terra-cotta legions as an exterior section of the mausoleum, of Qin Shi Huang or First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (255-210B. C.)

　　Details of Qin Shi Huang's tomb can be traced in The Historical Records (compiled by Sima Qian) and legends about it have been widespread. However, for technical reasons, the major part of the tomb remains unexcavated today with its mound still standing 76 meters high against the slopes of Mt. Lishan and facing the Huishui River.

　　After 20 years of careful excavation three underground vaults officially opened to the public in 1979, 1989, and 1994 respectively, displaying thousands of terra-cotta warriors, horses and chariots, all arranged in battle formations.

　　Vault 1, built with earth and timber, measures 210 meters long, 60 meters wide and 4.6 to 6.5 meters high. In this area of 12, 600 square meters, six thousand life-sized warriors and horses of terra-cotta were found in rectangular battle formation. The troops were of a fairly uniform height of 1.8 meters. They wear helmets and armor and carry real bows and arrows, swords, lances, javelins and crossbows in their hands. Each chariot, made of wood, is drawn by a team of four horses, 1. 5 meters in height. Three rows of infantrymen make up the vanguard of the formation, and these are followed by the main body of the army, 38 rows of troops. There are also flank columns and rearguards. The array breathes the power of Qin Shi Huang's army.

　　Vault 2 is approximately one half vault I in size, housing nearly a thousand pottery warriors. Compared with Vault 1, these warriors are of a larger variety and arranged in more complex battle array. Unlike Vault 1, the war chariots and infantrymen are arranged separately in four square formations which are linked to one another in a polygon. Again, however, the warriors carry real weapons. The projecting part of the polygon consists of archers, either standing or kneeling, with crossbows or handbows and quivers and so appears to be the vanguard of the phalanx.

　　The archers are followed by a unit of cavalrymen to the left and one of chariots to the right, forming the two wings of the phalanx. Infantrymen and war chariots bring up the rear. Each chariot drawn by four horses has1l driver and two assistants, one on either side. The charioteers are armored and carry spears, swords and crossbows, Indicating that they could engage in long-range battles, short-range fighting and hand-to-hand combat. All the cavalrymen carry crossbows, a sign that shooting on horseback was a common practice in the army at that time.

　　From among the chariots a robust and unusually tall figure at 1. 95 meters has been unearthed. His armor is interlinked and overlapped with finer metal pieces than that of the common soldiers, and he is believed to be a high-ranking commander of the 1egion.

　　Vault 3 is a modest building more resembling a gallery. It has 69 pottery warriors with defensive weapons and a wooden chariot pulled by four magnificent horses. The structure of the gallery and the line-up of the soldiers suggest that this was likely the headquarters of the troops of Vault 1 and 2.

　　However, the commander is missing. Many archaeologists believe that since the underground army represents the emperor's garrison under his direct command, no marshal was necessary.

　　Altogether ten thousand pieces of actual weaponry have been unearthed from the three vaults, including arrow-heads, swords, spears and halberds. Two long-handled swords dug out recently are still sharp and gleaming despite their burial for more than two thousand years. Some bronze arrow-heads from Vault 2 are 41 cm in length and 100 grams in weight. They are the biggest bronze weapons excavated in China. Important to the study of Qin technology was the discovery of bronze arrow-heads and swords treated with a preservative that has prevented erosion for 22 centuries. Chemical analysis revealed the sword to have been cast of an alloy of copper, tin and various other elements, including nickel, magnesium, and cobalt. The arrow-heads which contain 7.71 percent lead are considered by archaeologists to be the world's most poisonous.

　　Experts expect future discoveries to unearth even more amazing art treasures. But they warn that it may require the efforts of one or two generations to recover the entire tomb complex of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

　　The three vaults are well preserved in three modern constructions, each with an arched dome and a corridor along the side of the vault so that visitors may overlook the restored figures of warriors, horses and chariots in their original formations. Vault 2 is equipped with devices for regulating temperature, lighting and air humidity.

My Opinions

Even though some people do not believe ghosts exist, I think ghost is necessary evil for the religions. God needs evil to warm people about their behavior and tell them the consequences of doing the bad things. Then God can save people from the hell. I think this is the reason why people believe in God and pray when they face the predicament. If people believe in God, they should also believe in ghost and evil because they exist at the same time. In addition, there are many phenomenon happened, not only in history, but also in the present around people. The expression of historian and few scientists also can prove ghosts exist. Aerolite used to be an eerie thing that comes from unknown space and people were scared of it before scientists’ research and develop it. I think ghosts is the same. People do not find them out yet. They are waiting for people like you and me to explore.

Elements of the supernatural have long enhanced the folklore of many cultures. Stories of ghosts, magic, and so-called aliens are transferred from generation to generation, sparking our imagination and uncovering our deepest fears. While some stories are clearly fabulous, those who tell them believe others. Remember that just because you have never seen a ghost does not mean that they do not exist. Belief has little or nothing to do with being able to see them. Try to believe in ghost, you may see them someday through your own eyes.

Spiritual Strength

Spirits, being inherently religious and spiritual in nature, largely rely on personal experience, doctrine, and faith for their existence. Their existence does not rely on or need any evidence. Ghost believers, on the other hand, are often looking for evidence everywhere.
Television shows are created to see what will come of ghost hunting expeditions, and pictures and videos of ghosts are often widely circulated on the Internet. Yet, the vast majority of the time, the evidence is either so subjective or so circumstantial that is considered not valid by most scientists. The problem that ghosts and spirits face to becoming accepted as real by everyone is that those who believe in them either believe in them for reasons that do not have to do with evidence, or believe in them for reasons that rely on insufficient or subjective evidence that cannot be tested by science.

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Ghosts not Exist?

Some people do not believe ghosts exist. They thought there are no ghosts of dead people. Our consciousness is only a result of all the parts of our body working together. Feel, hear, taste or smell is only our brain's interpretation of our environment. There is no such thing as a soul or a part that lives on. Therefore, no ghosts, and no scientific evidence or reasoning agrees that there are ghosts. Some people said the ghost is just optical illusions. They think people’s brain can make mistakes sometimes and that is the reason why they see things that are shadowy and visional. “You may have seen moving shapes in static images, does that change color, ghosts that do not exist and even a “religious” experience.” (Optical Illusions, 2007, para.20) Some people and scientists think ghost is superstition. The contemporary East Asian term "superstition" in Chinese would appear to be a comparatively recent word, and may well reflect a Christian analysis of the religious situation. (Barrett, T. 2008, p.1) Another example is the famine period between 1959 and 1961in China. It was ravaged by what was probably the worst famine in human history in terms of the absolute number of deaths. There are many diseases disseminated that caused more death. At that time people believe it is the punishment of God. Actually, it is the failure to deal properly with the dead was one reason why chaotic spirits were now believed to be in the ascendant. (Smith, S. 2006, p.408, 419) In religion, the Bible is the definitive source for knowing anything anyone would ever want to know about ghosts, which makes it somewhat ironic that many Christians simply label all 'ghostly' phenomena as demonic and forget about it, or conclude that ghosts don't exist, when in fact that clearly do.

Spirits and Ghosts

Some people believe ghosts exist. Ghosts that tend to stick around could be caught between two worlds-their world-and ours. They might have unfinished business with a loved one, friend or even business partner. Some ghosts can be attached to a house they lived in, an object that they held so dearly to them while alive, or have some anger or sorrow that they took with them when they died. Ghosts can also be unaware that they have even died. Ghosts are often thought to be residual- leftover energy that is simply re-playing an event in time. However, residual does not equal ghost, it equals leftover energy, like a blueprint that is frozen in time. Residual activity is not interactive; it is just a movie that constantly replays repeatedly. Ghost is different from spirit. The word spirit is a term used for spiritual beings like spirit guides, angels or other spirits who have a special purpose and are here to help the living with various things. Spirits are considered to be 'good', Among paranormal enthusiast groups, the difference between spirits and ghosts comes up as a topic quite often, and can lead to round and round discussions about who is right and who is wrong when it comes to defining the difference between the two. Some would say that a ghost is any spirit who has come back from the dead to haunt a person, place or thing, and it is a ghost regardless of what it is intentions are. Others would say that spirits and ghosts are the same thing, with no difference between the two.

Ghosts in Religion

Ghosts exist for a long time and were very important in religion. Folk beliefs think people die and become ghosts, but Buddhism does not think so. After a person died, his soul will leave his body, he will become the visional shape in the intermediate existence between death and reincarnation. He will keep this shape until he goes to the next metempsychosis. (Braarvig, J. 2009, para.3)

In Christianity, ghosts in the bible most mean devil Satan or fallen angels. After people died, their soul all goes to haven wait for the resurrection of the last phase of an age. People who belong to Christ will go to paradise; others will go to lower world to be punished. The preternatural phenomenon is the lies and feints made by Satan.
In Taoism, people become ghosts after they die. The believer of Taoism believe some senior Taoists can use some incantation or special symbols to control ghost, even command ghosts do something for them. There are many traditions in Chinese culture is basic on exorcism and avoid evil spirits. (Dippmann, J. 2001, p.46)

Ghosts in Western History

There are also beliefs about ghosts in Western culture and history. The history of ghost started around 900 BC. The Hebrew Torah and the Bible contain few references to ghosts, associating spiritism with forbidden occult activities. By the 5th century BC, classical Greek ghosts had become haunting, frightening creatures who could be good or evil. Plutarch, in the 1st century AD, described a ghost of a murdered man is the reason of the haunting baths at Chaeronea. The claims of spiritualists and others as to the reality of ghosts were investigated by the Society for Psychical Research, founded in London in 1882. Belief in ghosts in European folklore is characterized by the recurring fear of "returning" or revenant deceased which may harm the living. There are many more events about ghost haunted in British. (Charles W. E. 1852)
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Buried Alive with the Dead

Buried alive with the dead is also a spread of ghost belief. This means to sacrifice farm animals, materials, and even living people with dead. People who can bring others to sacrifice with him must be emperor and nobleman. The sacrifice people should be emperors and nobleman’s wives and servants. The reason of buried alive with the dead is people believe this can bring dead happiness beyond the grave. This custom kept thousands years until Song dynasty. Indian also has the same custom since two century. Women cannot get married after husband died. They have to be burned with dead. Hindus believe a widow will go to heaven if she dies with her husband. (Mallampalli, C. 2004)

Terra-Cotta Warriors
The Terracotta Army or Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a collection of 8,099 larger than life Chinese terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The figures vary in height according to their rank; the tallest being the Generals. The heights range is 184-197cm (6ft - 6ft 5in), or more than a full foot taller than the average soldier of the period. The figures were discovered in 1974 near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China.
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Anthroposcopy

A person’s outward appearance can show their temperament, background, and destiny. The most common way to forecast is palmistry. It says people’s hands can show their lives, state of health, and destiny.

Maps of Palmistry

Divination

divination
[ˌdɪvɪˈneɪʃən]
n
the art, practice, or gift of discerning or discovering future events or unknown things, as though by supernatural powers
a prophecy
a presentiment or guess

People cared about when they going to die and what will happen to them after they die. There are many ways of divination. The divination records from Anyang indicate shows the Late Shang kings believed that cracking bony parts of dead animals was a useful. They are not all superstition. (Flad, R. 2008, p.427) Some of them are basic on natural science. Such as horoscope, it uses the position and movement of celestial bodies, people’s birthplace and birth time to forecast people’s temperament and destiny.
Maps of starlike image



There is no assured evidence can prove this is true but some people believe the astronomical phenomenon still can affect people until now.

Ghosts in Eastern History

“Ghost” is not a new word in our history of eastern.
Ghost started to play an important role thousands years ago. In Chinese history, people started to believe that a person would become a ghost after he died more than three thousand years ago. Then the person’s identity would continue beyond the grave. They think ghosts will continue care about and affect things in the real world. This belief made the divination prevalently. “In late imperial Chinese ghost tales, the victims of certain kinds of untimely death, including some methods of suicide, become ghosts who seek out mortals to take their places.” “The ghost of a suicide seeking a substitute is terrifying largely because of the expansion of personal vengeance to general malevolence.”(Huntington, R. 2005, para.1, 2)

The most famous ghost in Chinese old tales.