A visitor from Virginia asks:
What is the difference between a spirit and a ghost?
The difference between a spirit and a ghost is mainly semantics – different words for the same thing. Both represent the energy of our personality and soul that remain after we shed our physical body at the time we call death. Some might make a distinction between an earthbound spirit (typically referred to as a ghost) and a spirit that has completely “crossed over” (spirit), however, they are all spirits, just as you and I are, with differing states of awareness.
What we typically associate with a “ghost” – a translucent apparition, is a form of materialization, where a spirit forms an image from surrounding material, such as ectoplasm, or etherialized protoplasm, which is a natural component of our physical bodies. Spirits can appear through materializations, regardless of whether or not they have fully assimilated in the afterlife. The process of “crossing over” deals with the spirit’s awareness or acceptance of their transition, which is a topic for another day.
Thanks for your question!