Most of us have learned about ghost-busting from the movie Ghostbusters. In fact, the produc­ers of that film researched actual ghost-busting with real parapsychologists, and some of the ele­ments of the movie are real. Apparently ghosts that become corporeal do leave behind a sub­stance known as ectoplasm (which is said to be sticky and gross), though there is no device for capturing ghosts, and the methods demonstrated in the movie bear no relation to real parapsycho­logical activities.

A real parapsychologist would look into the history of the haunting and the individuals involved, and try to use mediums and clairvoyants to access the ghost directly. These techniques are not tried and true, but they work in some cases; the parapsychologist can often learn the probable cause of the haunting and try to help the ghost move on, erase the apparition or eliminate the poltergeist's activity. In this sense, the ghost is not captured or even destroyed, but simply freed from this world.

Exorcisms have also been featured in the movie industry, and again in real life they are not quite as successful. An exorcism will have a varying effect depending upon the cause of the haunting, the type of haunting, the individuals involved and whether or not they believe. A ghost haunting may be exorcised if the ghost is religious, but not if it is a fearful ghost - that kind will only be enraged by the attempt to get rid of him. Apparitions may be erased by an exorcism, pro­vided all present believe strongly in the faith of the exorcist. Poltergeist activity may be eliminat­ed through an exorcism, provided the focus indi­vidual is a strong believer, but otherwise, the activity will only worsen as stress rises.

For More Information

If you would like to learn more about ghosts, hauntings and parapsychology, please check out the following books:

Various authors, Foundations of Parapsychology. Boston; London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1986,
Fador, Nandor. The Haunted Mind: A Psychoanalyst Looks at the Supernatural. New York: Helix Press, 1959.
Green, Andrew. Ghost Haunting: A Practical Guide, London: Gamstone Press Ltd, 1973.
MacKenzie Andrew. Hauntings and Apparitions. London: Heinemann, 1982.

Anatomy of a Haunting "Real Life" Ghosts to Enhance Your Campaign

Introduction
Types Of Hauntings
Haunted Places
Ghostbusting and Exorcisms