Folklore: Ghosts

I remember reading somewhere that of paranormal/supernatural beings ghosts are more favored because they’re unpredictable. Okay, that’s true, but I have to wonder what makes them (supposedly) more unpredictable than any other character whether living, dead or supernatural. A ghost (and in my opinion any type of character) is capable of anything the writer can imagine. The problem that can arise here, is having unclear rules for the entity, if they can walk through walls in one segment, you can’t lock them in a room later without addressing why they can’t just walk out or disappear. Seems obvious, right?

I love the show Being Human both the BBC and Syfy versions, but the thing that always bugged me about the BBC version was that the ghost’s abilities weren’t always well defined. I thought they changed too often, and too easily- on the whim of writers.

All of this being said there are probably thousands of topics I could discuss under ghosts, but let’s start with the basics.

Types of Ghosts & Hauntings
Origins & the Spirit-Corpse Connection
Ghost Detection & Communication
“Ghosts” as Literary Figures