a) The Imaginary Ghost
It is personification of one's own fear. When intensified terror or apprehension develops into a conviction, it takes the shape of visual image. Under hypnosis an individual can be made to see things which do not exist. A terrified person makes out a human figure out of a bush in darkness. Fear creates confusing in mind and apprehensions produce living images perceptible to senses. In this way eyes and ears record audio-visual signals generated in one's own mind as those coming from without. The skin feels as though the subject is being touched, grabbed or possessed by a spirit. When the mind is weak and susceptible, whatever is imagined appears real. Thus persons troubled by imaginary sightings of ghosts do not have the least doubt about the reality of the event. For them everything actually happens. In this state whenever the level of fear or apprehension crosses a certain threshold the ghost is perceived and it also creates disturbances of various kind.
b) Psycho-Somatic Disorders
Psychological disturbances give rise to diseases like mental disorders and hysteria. As a consequence, abnormalities appear in man's actions, facial expressions, habits, speech, likes and dislikes. The patient does not talk normally and behaves strangely. Ayurveda (An ancient treatise on medical science) gives elaborate descriptions of psychic disorders which are mistaken for possession by spirits. Finding a suitable environment, suppressed desires manifest as hysteria or sudden loss of consciousness. When one is forced to live in an unfavorable environment from which there is no opportunity to escape, the accumulated stress creates confusion in the information-sensors of mind making the person behave as if he is possessed by some spirit. At times in order to attract attention, individuals also pretend to be possessed or relate tales regarding their fictitious encounters with ghosts. This is also a type of psychosomatic disorder. Some young brides do not find the new environment of married life favorable. The perturbation and frustration due to helplessness create a stress manifesting s symptoms comparable to those seen in persons possessed by spirits. At times individuals dissatisfied with the behavior of family members manage to create impressions of haunting in order to trouble, harm or fleece money. Cunning servants rogue neighbors, tricksters and exorcists too create situations simulating haunting. The phenomena are thus a social malady.
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