Some ghosts will not rest until they have haunted – or even harmed – those who wronged them during their lifetime. This is partially done because it was thought that spirits who were not properly mourned would become angry and remain in this world to haunt the living. The most common practice that is observed worldwide is to give the dead burial rites to help them move peacefully onto the next world. There are many things that are done to ensure that this doesn’t happen.
How to Prevent a Spirit from Becoming a Ghost Cultures with religious or spiritual roots often believe that a ghost is created when a spirit is unable to find the necessary peace to move into the afterlife or when the spirit has been corrupted by evil nature. However, the most common basis for all ghost related beliefs is that when the human body dies, the spirit continues to live. Ghosts are thought to be the result of many causes depending on geographic location and culture. While ‘ghost’ is commonly used interchangeably with the word ‘spirit’, it is much more likely to be used to describe a distressed or malevolent apparition. It comes from the word ‘ghoisdo-s’ and means ‘fury’ or ‘rage.’ This is very telling of the ancient perceptions of ghosts. The word ‘ghost’, however, has a very different origin.
In fact, the word ‘spirit comes from the Latin word ‘spiritus’ which meant ‘breath’ or ‘blast.’ This was often evidenced as being fact because of the way warm breath interacts with cold air. Ancient cultures believed this spirit form – that supposedly makes us human – is confined to our physical body during life, but could sometimes be made visible through our breath. Many anthropologists believe that the early idea of ghosts was developed when it was determined that humans must have a ‘spirit’ in addition to a physical body. This is often evidenced by the ancestor worship of many ancient and pre-literate cultures – many of whom believed their ancestors had the power to help them from beyond the grave. The idea of ghosts has been around for thousands of years and is thought to pre-date modern humans.