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Seven Types of Ghosts: A Catholic, Biblical Perspective by Bro.
John-Paul Ignatius, Legion of
St. Michael Table of Contents I. Floating in Time and Space If we were to get
into a time machine with this computer and a power source and go back 1000
years, we would likely be accused of witchcraft. To the people 1000 years
ago this computer machine would have been considered impossible. Its
abilities would be considered the power of the devil. To them, this
computer is supernatural. To us it is just another machine.
Unless we are to
consider ourselves utterly uneducated and primally brutal, we must admit
that what we consider to be supernatural today may to future generations
be as natural as home made pie.
Physics has given us
some clues into the nature of alleged ghosts and their origin. We suspect
from Physics research that it is possible for beings to be in a plane of
existence different from our own which may give us a ghostly image when
those two planes open to each other in some way. Through this research we
may eventually come to understand how angels (and ghosts) are able to do
what they do. Also through this research we may find some kinds of Ghosts
that are not Ghosts at all in the way we normally think of them, but an
event of time/space distortions or other quantum phenomena.
II. What the Bible
Says about Ghosts
We will leave the
speculative physics for another time. Now let us discuss the experience of
ghosts in this plane of existence. We begin this discussion with an
examination of some of the Scripture verses that give us clues on this
subject.
Scripture does not
have much to say about this and certainly God has made it clear that this
is an area we are not to seek out
*Lev. 19:31 tells us
to not turn to mediums or to seek out spiritists
*Lev. 20:6, 27
equates the seeking out of mediums with prostitution (doing so is an act
of infidelity to God that is not just adultery, but involves a prurient
interest in the occult things equating it with prostitution -- a medium
also is "hired" which is also an image of prostitution).
*Deut. 18:10-11 gives
a whole list of prohibitions involving the occult and spirit world.
Whatever Ghosts are
or are not, it is clear that we are not to seek them out in any way.
B. What do We
Know About Ghosts?
*What are ghosts
composed of? Well, we have a little hint of that in Luke 24:39 where the
Resurrected Jesus is mistaken for a ghost. Jesus says "a ghost does not
have flesh and bones".
Thus we can know that
whatever ghosts are, they are spiritual beings without flesh and bones.
2. Ghostly
Visitations during Sleep
*Is there an example
of a ghostly visitation during sleep? Job 4:15 "A spirit glided by my face
and the hair on my body stood on end"
This "spirit" was
most probably an angel, but it does give us a clue of the human experience
of meeting a spiritual entity and that such entities can and do come to us
in that vulnerable time of twilight and dreams. This account is very close
to the common experience many have of which can be described in technical
jargon as cataleptic somnambulism with a sensed or visual phantasmic
perception.
Also in 2 Maccabees
15:12-16 This passage is about a dream (vision) of the Jewish leader
Maccabeus. In this dream the ghosts of the high priest Onias and the great
prophet Jeremiah appeared to him and encouraged him concerning the battle
to come.
Maccabeus told this
dream to his men which encourage his men greatly. Maccabeus and his men
afterwards defeated blasphemous Nicanor and his men who thought to destroy
the Jewish people.
3. Human
spirits in Ghostly Form?
*Can a human being's
spirit be transported? We know from accounts of Padre Pio that bi-location
is possible, but those are yet unverified -- But what about in Scripture.
Well, there are a couple of verses that indicate this. One is in Rev.
21:10 (17:3) where John was "carried away in the spirit". But the most
direct notion of this is in 2 Corinthians 1:22 "I know a man in Christ who
fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in
the body or out of the body I do not know -- God knows."
From this we know it
is possible for man's spirit to be apart from even his living body at
God's discretion. In the occult world this is called Astral Projection.
*Can a person's body
be transported spiritually? Acts 8:39, after Philip was miraculously
running up along the chariot of the Ethiopian, and after Philip baptized
him, Philip then disappeared. "When they came up out of the water, the
Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see
him again..."
This episode appears
to be a bodily transport in the spirit, but I suppose it could also be a
corporeal bi-location too. Who knows?
4. Other
examples of ghostly visitations
*1 Samuel 28 the
Witch of Endor. In this story Saul goes to a medium asking her to contact
the dead Samuel. She apparently succeeds and Saul talks with Samuel and
Samuel prophecies. The Scripture specifically states that "Samuel said".
There is no indication at all that this was a demonic imposter.
*Sirach 46:20. Again
Samuel prophecies from the grave.
*The Transfiguration
Matt 17:2 Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus to Peter, James, and John
*The Rich Man and
Lazarus Luke 16:19-31 In verse 25 Abraham says that there is a great chasm
between him and the Rich Man that cannot be crossed. This is not talking
about a chasm between the earth and hell; it is a chasm between Abraham's
bosom (which, in principle can be likened to heaven), and that of hell.
Those in hell cannot come to the place of the saved, and the saved cannot
reach down with compassion to those who are lost. It is in the next
request from the Rich Man that we have a possible clue. The Rich Man wants
Lazarus to go to his brothers to warn them of hell. Abraham says that
there is no point in doing so. v.31 "If they do not listen to Moses and
the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the
dead".
This passage implies
the possibility of at least Lazarus being able to go to the living (it
implies the Rich Man in hell cannot), but Abraham refuses the request not
because it is impossible to do so, but because there is no point in doing
so.
C. Conclusion
*So what do we have?
1) We know that
ghosts do not have flesh and bones. (Luke 24:39)
2) We know that the
dead can communicate with the living. (1 Sam 28; Sirach 46:20)
3) We know that at
least in some context allowed by God, the dead can be conjured in some
fashion. (1 Sam 28)
4) We know that it is
possible for the dead to appear on the earth (Matt 72; 1 Sam 28)
5) We know that is
may be possible for the dead to not only appear on the earth, but appear
to people and talk with them (Luke 16:27-31; 1 Sam 28)
6) We know that it is
possible for the living to bi-locate (Rev. 17:3; 21:10; 2 Cor 12:2)
7) We know that it is
possible for spirits to communicate in dreams and the person to have a
bodily reaction to the visitation (Job 415)
III. Comments from
Peter Kreeft
Now, let's take a
look at what Peter Kreeft says about this. He wrote at least two books
that mention this subject, "Angels (and demons) What Do we Know About
Them?" and "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Heaven". His comments
stem from his study of Thomas Aquinas, Philosophy, and other Catholic
saints and observers on this subject.
Kreeft makes mention
that many very reputable people, such as C.S. Lewis, have reported seeing
a "ghost" of their wives. There are many instances from reputable sources
of experiences that do not have ANY flavor of the demonic.
Based upon these anecdotal accounts Kreeft and others talk about identifying three kinds of ghosts. I would add a fourth and a fifth category (from Kreeft's material that he talks about but doesn't categorize) and a sixth and seventh type from my own thoughts and observations. A. GHOSTS OF THE
FIRST KIND:
The first kind Kreeft calls the "sad ones" or "wispy ones". These Ghosts
seem to be working out some unfinished business of some sort, or suffering
some purgatorial purification.
He says that these
Ghosts would seem to be the ones who just barely made it into Purgatory,
who feel little or no joy yet and who need to learn many painful lessons
about their past lives on earth. God, in his compassion, may realize that
to allow the person to get through Purgatory that it may be useful for
them to learn some lessons on this earth.
B. GHOSTS OF THE
SECOND KIND: A Second kind may be some of
these purgatorial ghosts who might have been so material minded in their
earthly life that they can't detach themselves from these Material places
or possessions. God may allow them to remain attached as they work out
their need to "let go".
C. GHOSTS OF THE
THIRD KIND: A
third type might be those who don't yet realize their dead. Again, in
God's compassion, I can see why He would allow a spirit to linger for a
short while so that they may realize their fate before leaving this world
completely. In both the "second kind" and "third kind" God could, of
course, force the person to let go of the material place or to come on
through the "gate" and not linger. But a compassionate Father can also
allow for a "little" tolerance to help the person to adjust.
D. GHOSTS OF A
FOURTH KIND:
A Fourth type is the malicious and deceptive spirits. These are the one
who probably appear at séances and the like and are most likely from hell.
And most likely are demons disguised as dead loved ones and not the human
persons themselves.
E. GHOSTS OF A
FIFTH KIND: A
Fifth type is the bright, happy spirits of dead friends and family who
appear unbidden at God's will, not ours, with messages of hope and love.
They seem to come from heaven. These types may come to a loved one to say
goodbye or to comfort after a funeral for example. Or these types may come
to a relative or friend in "great" need. There are very trustworthy
empirical and psychological evidence for these phenomena.
F. GHOSTS OF A
SIXTH KIND: A
sixth type might be a form of time/space instant replay. We know from
Einstein's work and other scientists that it may indeed be possible for
events of the past to be in the present in a sort of time/space warp. This
gets into some very complicated notions, but the idea is that some
"ghosts" are not ghosts at all but are an instant replay of a past event.
In such cases what
one sees is the ghost performing a certain scene repetitively. For
example, a ghost of this type may go from the top of the stairs to the
bottom and then disappear. This may happen over and over again. It never
changes. The Ghost never interacts with anyone, and we cannot interact
with it. It never changes facial expression nor does it ever acknowledge
anything around it. Thus phenomenon is exactly like an instant reply on
T.V. As some sort of time/space loop or instant replay, this Ghost is NOT
a demon, or soul, or spirit. It is a phenomenon that given the right
circumstances can probably be explained by physics. This type is NOT
supernatural.
G. GHOSTS OF THE
SEVENTH KIND:
Some "apparent" ghostly apparitions or effects may be the bi-location of
the living...the Astral projections of living people. This can be
postulated from scriptural evidence (Rev. 17:3; 21:10; and 2 Cor 12:2),
and from verified reports of bi-location of people like Padre Pio.
V. What should our
demeanor be toward "any" ghostly event?
In a one liner the
answer to that question is skepticism, caution, and testing.
Because Satan can so
easily fool our senses, we should look upon all ghostly events with great
skepticism as to the idea of whether they come from God.
First, we must
recognize the GREAT possibility that we are imagining things. The human
mind has great imagination capacity and we can psyche ourselves into
seeing things that are not there or to misinterpret optical illusions.
Second, we must
always presume that we may be tricked by Satan and what we see is a demon
in disguise or Satan taking advantage of our overactive imaginations or
taking advantage of optical illusions.
Third, we must be
aware that it is possible for the event to be ordained by God.
VI. How can we
tell the difference between a Godly Apparition and one not of God?
1) a Godly apparition
will NEVER contradict ANY Public Revelation. (So we need to be well versed
in Public Revelation)
2) a Godly apparition
will NEVER lead you to disobey your elders, superiors, or the Church. (so
we need to be aware of Church teaching and the like)
3) Although meeting a
Spirit is scary, a Godly apparition will lead you to peace.
4) A Godly spirit
will ALWAYS and without hesitation affirm the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Thus we need to test the spirit with the formula of 1 John 4:1-3
VII. Some Common
Questions and Answers
1) In reference to
the Ghosts of the Second Kind, how can we even begin to think that God
would let someone stay on to work out their need to "let go"?
ANSWER To a degree,
purgatory may serve this function in some cases. Letting go can even be an
obstacle to Heaven completely
"Jesus looked at him
[now sad] and said, 'How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the
kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who
heard this said, 'Then who can be saved?' And he said, 'What is impossible
for human beings is possible for God.'" (Luke 18:24-27)
I don't think
allowing adjustment time would be a scripturally unfounded statement.
2) Referring to the
Third and Sixth kind of Ghosts, how can we even begin to think that God
would allow someone to not realize they're dead, or allow for a "little"
tolerance to help the person to adjust, or create a type that might be a
form of time/space instant replay????
ANSWER "Who is this
that obscures divine plans with words of ignorance? Have the gates of
death been shown to you, or have you seen the gates of darkness? Which is
the way to the dwelling place of light, and where is the abode of
darkness, that you may take them to their boundaries and set them on their
homeward paths?" Job 382,17,19
"... For stern as
death is love, relentless as the nether world is devotion, its flames are
a blazing fire." Cf. Song of Songs 8:6
"... for nothing will
be impossible for God." Luke 1:37
I do believe such a
conjecture IS possible for God; the question is whether it is likely? A
key to that would be whether it would be loving, for God is love (1 John
4:7).
Let us look into
Church traditions of the past for precedents.
"'A very probable
opinion,' says St. Thomas [Aquinas], 'and one which, moreover, corresponds
with the words of the saints in particular revelation is, that Purgatory
has a double place for expiation. The first will be destined for the
generality of souls, and is situated below, near to Hell; the second will
be for particular cases, and it is from thence that so many apparitions
occur.'
"The holy Doctor
admits, then, like so many others who share his opinions, that sometimes
Divine Justice assigns a special place for purification to certain souls,
and even permits them to appear either to instruct the living or to
procure for the departed the suffrages of which they stand in need;
sometimes also for other motives worthy of wisdom and mercy of God.
"Such is the general
view concerning the location of Purgatory. Since we are not writing a
controversial treatise, we add neither proofs nor refutations; these can
be seen in authors such as Suarez and Bellarmin." (Fr. F.X. Shouppe, S.J.,
"Purgatory Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints," 1893)
3) But Scripture says
that if you are not alive on earth, then you are in the presence of God.
ANSWER: Most
definitely; but what does that mean?
Case in Point, we
know that Souls in Hell are in the "presence" of God because God is
everywhere. Those in Hell, however, do not "perceive" God's presence
because they have chosen to blind themselves to the light of God. The
nature of Hell is to exist without perception of God's presence (thus
without Love and all good things) ... to be "free" from God, yet those in
Hell are still in the presence of an omnipresent God.
Similarly, souls in
Purgatory only have a partial awareness of God's presence. The veil of
mortality has not yet passed away, yet they are still in God's presence.
"The first point
about eternal life is that man is united with God. For God himself is the
reward and end of all our labors I am your protector and your supreme
reward. This union consists in seeing perfectly. At present we are looking
at a confused reflection in a mirror, but then we shall see face to face."
(St. Thomas Aquinas, "Credo in Deum")
The point is that
even when we are in the presence of God it does not mean that our
perception of Him is clear. We also know that it is possible to be in the
presence of God while on the earth. The angels can be standing right next
to us yet they are also in the constant presence of God - the beatific
vision. With God all is possible according to His will.
4) The Bible doesn't
delineate how, why or if God places spirits on the earth other then visits
by Gabriel, the Archangel Michael, or Elija and Moses.
ANSWER: Let me use
another example from tradition that responds to "if God places spirits on
the earth anywhere." I qualify this example to say that it does not
necessarily prove anything regarding "hauntings," but is one of many
documented examples of ghostly apparitions.
"We read the
following in the Life of Father Nicholas Zucchi, written by Fr. Daniel
Bartoli, of the Company of Jesus ...
"... a fortnight
afterwards, this young man died, carried away by a rapid death, that left
him little time to put the affairs of his conscience in order, so that
there was everything to fear for his salvation.
"One evening, whilst
the three novices were engaged together in holy conversation, the youngest
was called away to the parlour. There she found a man wrapped in a heavy
cloak, and with measured steps pacing the room.
'Sir,' she said, 'who
are you? and why did you send for me?' The stranger, without answering,
drew near and threw aside the mysterious mantle which covered him. The
Religious than recognized the unfortunate deceased, and saw with horror
that he was entirely surrounded by chains of fire that clasped his neck,
wrists, knees, and ankles. 'Pray for me!' he cried, and disappeared." (Fr.
F.X. Shouppe, S.J., "Purgatory Explained by the Lives and Legends of the
Saints," 1893)
On an anecdotal side
note, Padre Pio's first visit from a deceased human's soul was that of a
monk who had died 300 years before in the cell Padre used at the time. The
man had been guilty of some infraction of his duties as a monk, and so God
sentenced him to remain in his cell until a monk would offer up some
prayers and sacrifices on his behalf. I forget what laxity the monk had
been guilty of, but I found it interesting that his "sentence" very much
fit the "crime."
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