Exploring Ghosts and the Afterlife: Beliefs Across Different Faiths

If you’ve listened to my podcast you may have heard about my GHOST NOTEBOOK. It’s just a marble notebook where I jot down any TRUE stories I hear from friends or family, as well as any odd things that have happened to me. And in doing that I soon realized that ghosts, or spirits, or hauntings seemed to come in different forms.

You see, hauntings are as different as a box of crayons. There are ghosts of people we once knew. Beings that come to tell us they are ok. There are stories of evil ghosts, although rare, they seem to get the most attention and are the meat of Halloween parties and campfire stories. Then there are the odd ones, the lost ghosts, the ones that seem to have no idea what they’re doing as if their walking aimlessly on this planet lost and confused. Unwilling to communicate in any way

So I asked myself, why are ghosts, and hauntings so different? What makes them so different? So i decided to look at religions and traditions and I learned  a lot and would like to share

Human fascination with the supernatural is as old as civilization itself, with ghostly tales and encounters forming a part of nearly every culture. This podcast goes into the beliefs surrounding ghosts and spirits from various religious perspectives, examining how different faiths interpret, explain, or even deny the existence of these ethereal entities. From Catholicism to Voodoo, each belief system provides unique insights into the mysteries of the spirit world. SO id like to share a few TRUE ghost stories and how I chunk them into faiths. If you’ve listened to my previous podcast, you know I keep a Ghost notebook and it is filled with true stories of what I’ve experienced or what others have told me. I do this so that these gems don’t slip away.  but to secure privacy  I have changed the names and locations slightly.

A family member, a non believer, and actually one of these annoying non believers who didn’t believe until it happened to him, His wife had passed after a long illness. When she passed it was actually a comfort in that sh wasn’t suffering anymore. This family member was riddled in guilt because of it. Because of the sense of being relieved that she wasn’t around anymore. A terrible feeling I would imagine

 A few weeks had gone by when one day he was sitting alone in his yard. They had owned a few acres of beautiful prairie land and it was a place she took comfort in when in physical form and very much alive, well into the last days of her life.

Well he was sitting there thinking about her when he felt a soft hand on the back of his neck and heard her say his name, “Sam?”

 and for a moment forget she had died. Instinctively he turned around expecting to see her because that was how she often touched him. And low and behold he was all alone.  He said a warm feeling came over him- she had moved on and wanted him to be at peace. What happened? Many of us have stories like this. Sunset child , the author of another aspiring podcast, had told me her deceased mother had visited her daughter in a similar way. She attributes ghosts to nothing more than imprints of energy from the time they were made. A timeline of sorts. To be honest, its as good as an explanation as any other. 

But I think stories like these, stories in which the deceased relatives come to say “hi” and to let  us know they are OK are common in every culture. But to be honest, I feel it gets its validity from Catholicism and let me explain why,

Catholicism: Spirits of the Dead and the Role of Divine Will

In Catholic theology, the dead are often in a spiritual state. They haven’t disappeared but they are  beyond human interaction. However, Catholics believe that the deceased visit the living, typically to provide comfort or convey important messages such as in the story above. These souls are seen spirits meant to comfort, not “ghosts” in the haunting sense. 

Ironically , The church opposes practices like séances or Ouija boards, as these are viewed as attempts to bypass divine will by summoning spirits artificially. Additionally, Catholics believe in purgatory. This transitional state between life and death. And it could be that these spirits have not yet totally crossed over, This is why many Catholics pray for their deceased loved ones, hoping to assist them on their journey. In short, they should NOT BE HERE.

Chloe and the Myrtles Plantation

On the 9th birthday of the Slave owner’s daughter, Chloe concocted a plan she believed would earn her favor and respect from the ruthless slave owner. She crushed poisonous oleander leaves and mixed them into the birthday cake, intending to poison Mrs. Woodruff and the children. Her hope was that, by nursing them back to health, she could demonstrate her value and importance to the family. However, the plan went tragically wrong and unfortunately the mother and both young children died.

Fearing she would be blamed, and rightfully so,, Chloe fled to her family’s home deep in the woods, seeking for a place to hide. Sadly her own family turned her into the slave owner who sadly put her to death. TO this day the house is said to be haunted by Chloe- a price she must pay for her bad karma, which brings me to my next religion.

Buddhism: Karma and the Wandering Spirits of Past Lives

Buddhist cultures hold a deep belief in reincarnation. This cycle of rebirth allows for the possibility of spirits or ghosts, often seen as souls struggling with negative karma from past lives. Such as in poor Chloe’s case.

 In Buddhism, spirits , also called “hungry ghosts.” are thought to be tormented by their bad karma and past evil doings. This is why Some Buddhist  try to appease these spirits and help them achieve peace, offering food, prayers  to assist in resolving their karmic ties. 

NO what of the “loop ghost” as I like to call them. These are spirits that appear as if they are reliving the same tragic experience over and over again. I went to visit Gettysburg a few years ago and I was awestruck by the tragic history of America’s bloodiest day at war. My husband and I decided to visit Sacks bridge. For those of you that don’t know it, it’s known to be haunted and apparently three confederate soldiers had been hanged at that bridge. We went at night and took pictures. Like I said, I did not try to contact any spirits but was hoping to catch an image on my camera- sadly I did not- And it justifies me feelings that ghosts will appear when they choose to and that night it was not in the cards. However, while there I met a couple who had shown me a photo that had been taken the night before in another area. It wasn’t much to look at, to me it looked more like just a foggy shadow with no discernible image, but the couple assured me that right before they snapped the picture they saw the ghost of a soldier running across a field and towards a school yard. But by the time they reached for the camera the figure had disappeared.

Being curious I looked it up and  I later learned that this was a common haunting that occurred by a present day middle school. And as the accounts report, the school which now lies on the grounds of this battle, often sees apparitions of soldiers running through the halls and classrooms. I went to the school to explore,  but wasn’t lucky enough to see what they had seen. Namely, a young terrified soldier reliving, most likely his last day on earth.This is another common type of haunting or ghost. One that does not communicate, but simply seems stuck in some strategic timeline. A lot like the character Dr. Malcolm Crow, played by Bruce Willis in The sixth sense.

Which brings me to my next religion

Hinduism: The Shadowy Spirits of the Unrested Dead

Hinduism actually believe in ghost.  Hindus believe that certain individuals, especially those who die unexpectedly or violently, such as our soldier friend in Gettysburg, might become ghosts if their soul cannot peacefully transition. Hindus partake in Rituals after death to ensure that the soul finds peace and moves on. Because without these,  the soul may linger, potentially becoming a restless ghost who haunts places or people they were attached to. And the death rituals are EXTREMELY important to the Hindus for this reason.

Have you ever heard of an evil ghost? One that pulls hair, knocks people out of windows, or scratches?  Like Malahide Castle or Leap Caste, Both in Ireland, by the way, and both where it is said reside a ghost that pushes people as they walk through the halls.

This is the stuff nightmares are made of and why most people are terrified of ghosts, although I personally feel these occurrences are rare. 

But there are tons of stories about such evil entities. Sometimes the haunting lies: it’s an item like a doll or piece of jewelry that seems to attract bad luck. Such as the Annabelle doll- I’m not sure how i feel about this- but who am I to pass judgement- I’ve never had an experience with a possessed item or evil spirit but let’s discuss that.

Islam: The Jinn

In Islam, the concept of traditional “ghosts” does not exist as it does in other faiths. The souls of the dead are considered to remain in a state of  purgatory between life and the afterlife, where they await the Day of Judgment. And that’s where they stay. 

 Islam, however, does recognize “jinn,” supernatural beings with spiritual and physical forms. Jinn are neither inherently evil nor good, but they are capable of interfering in human affairs, which has sometimes led to them being mistaken for ghosts and believers are cautioned against attempting to communicate with these beings, as it can invite harm.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Jehovah witnesses have a similar belief in that once a person dies they too remain in a “Waiting state” until resurrected by god. And any presence of a spirit or ghost is considered demonic and should be avoided at all costs.

My advice, play it safe, and don’t try to communicate- just ignore and avoid. Sort of like a spam call, if you answer it just may not stop calling..

I had very little luck in my research of the Jewish faith and their definition of ghost other than to say  the belief is that once dead, the soul falls into the spiritual realm and can not be seen in this world. Which sort of negates the concert of a ghost, however, having grown up with many Jewish people, I can assure you, the ones that I knew were believers. If you have any insight I’d love to hear it. The research in this was very scarce.

Voodoo: 

Now this brings me to my last story,  What about the ghost that seems human and just comes to give you a message. Well  let me tell you a strange story.

Years ago my friend and I found ourselves in a bakery when a spirit, that’s right, a spirit approached her and began singing a song to her. She was an old woman with a thick head of white hair with a bluish tint and 2 slits for eyes. She approached my friend without any reason and just started singing. My friend broke out in tears until a final hug snapped her out of it.

You see, this woman, or ghost, had given her  a message from her father who had recently died of Alzheimer’s disease. My friend had never seen this woman before and had never seen her afterwards (At least as far as I am aware of.) Don’t believe me? Well if you’re curious about the full story you can find it HERE. Just take a visit and look for “Oh Danny boy- A ghost story”. Had I not been there I might not have believed it myself. But there was no earthly way this entity could have known what she knew. And after she delivered message she simply walked out of our lives never to be seen again,

In Voodoo, spirits and ghosts are common and regarded as ancestral guides, protectors, and even mischievous beings. But they are believed to play a key role, watching over and influencing the lives of their descendants.  . Much like that old old Irish woman. Interestingly enough, my friend was of Irish decent but her family had been in America for generations. So it was telling that this woman came with a thick Irish accent and was hyper focused on her that day, barely paying me any mind.  These spirits are not here to scare but to protect and guide And it’s why Voodoo ceremonies  are often performed to honor and communicate with these spirits. The spirits are not considered “hauntings” in the fearful sense but are respected and invoked for guidance, protection, and healing, forming an intimate connection between the physical and spiritual worlds.

Well if you’ve listened this far, i suppose you are a believer. And I thank you! An audio of this can be found and shared HERE

In the end , The views on hauntings,  ghosts, spirits, and the afterlife vary dramatically across religions and cultural beliefs and our fascination with spirits transcends time and culture, revealing our shared curiosity about what may await us on the other side. So next time you come across something odd, be it a person, an image or experience you can’t explain, open your mind to the possibility that you too may have been paid a visit, and may also be Haunted and Waiting for an explanation yourself..

and remember – sharing is caring, so feel free to share this with friends!