What Is a ghost?
So what is a ghost? I suppose if you were to ask most people that question, they would probably describe a ghost as a disembodied spirit, cursed for eternity to wonder aimlessly through dark, musty corridors of some spooky old mansion or the like. This may indeed be true, in fact many sightings have been reported in such places, Avebury Manor being one.
Ghosts have been known to take on many different forms, some are seen as amorphous, whilst others have a distinct shape, whether it be human or animal, some are defined shadows, often referred to as shades, and some even appear as solid as you or I. Indeed there have been many stories where people claim to have engaged ghosts in conversation believing them to be quite real, only to be told later that they have in fact been happily chatting to the dead.
Many who research ghosts are of the opinion that past events, especially powerful emotional ones can be retained in inanimate objects such as wood and stone and when conditions are suitable (whatever suitable conditions maybe) are triggered and played back. This theory may well account for ‘cyclic hauntings,’ where an apparition appears to go through a repetitive program or sequence of actions, before ultimately fading away at the completion of the recording. These apparitions are often referred to as ‘imprints,’ and I am inclined to believe this theory is probably closer to an explanation for the ghost phenomena as any other.
Do Ghosts Exist?
A question as contentious as a belief in a God; both are supernatural entities and both have fuelled many debates over several millennia and will I’m sure fuel a many more. Many millions claim to have seen ghosts throughout history but how many claim to have seen God? If you were to ask men of science if they believed in the existence of ghosts, their response would almost certainly be, science deals in facts, specifics, things have to be measured and quantified, experiments have to be carried out again and again and anything that defies the laws of physics, e.g. passing through solid objects can’t possibly be entertained. They may have a point.
Sceptics are only too quick to dismiss ghosts as figments of the imagination. Many encounters are probably just that but to dismiss all encounters as fanciful rubbish, a trick of the light or a vivid imagination etcetera is folly by any standards.
I refer to myself as an open minded sceptic, I know that sounds somewhat contradictory. I will be the first to admit that I have my doubts about the existence of ghosts, although there have been one or two incidences in the past that I am at a loss to explain…
When asked where in Wiltshire I think is most haunted? I would have no hesitation in choosing the pretty little village of Avebury, which is probably best known worldwide for its magnificent standing stones and henge ditch, built around 2600-2400BC. What many of the 500,000 visitors who flock annually to marvel at its mysterious sarsen monoliths are blissfully unaware of are Avebury’s plethora of hauntings.
As mentioned earlier, the 16th century Manor house is rumoured to have five ghosts; The Red Lion pub, the only one of its kind in the world to reside at the heart of a Neolithic stone circle (also said to be haunted) has several ghosts. Many of the cottages in the village were constructed from sarsen stone quarried from the stone circle at a time when the stones held little interest other than for building material. These quaint little cottages hold many tales of ghosts and poltergeist activity. The High Street is said to be haunted by a ghostly coach and four. Many of the Neolithic burial mounds constructed high up on the surrounding downland and which overlook the circle are said to be haunted by giant demon hounds and wraith cats; guardians of the tombs.
Find out more about the hauntings of Wiltshire with Haunted Wiltshire by Keith Wills.