Acknowledging the existence of ghosts or spirits leads one to ask why they may be here. Please keep in mind that suggested answers are not the result of scientific study. However, they are derived from similarities in haunting activity and, from a psychological standpoint, many make complete sense. Although several theories on this page are seemingly derived from theological beliefs, it should be known that the PGHA's approach is one of science, not religion. Therefore, although we acknowledge the existence of theological theories, we can only base findings on scientific evidence, rather than belief and assumptions. To date, there is no definitive evidence as to why we encounter spirit phenomena. However, we have provided for you several traditional possibilities and quoted case studies in support of them.

One reason that you may encounter a spirit may be that it fails to realize, or refuses to believe, that it has died. This can often seem to be the case, but not always. It is assumed that if one suffers a sudden or unexpected death, in disbelief, they may not pass on to whatever destination (assuming a destination actually exists). Denial or unawareness may be the key to someone remaining behind. The tendency appears to be that they will continue to go about their daily lives as though nothing happened. There are documented cases of this instance. Take for example; a mother dies unexpectedly, obviously she'd want to be home with her family. Soon, the family begins to notice strange things. They wake up one morning and the dishes are washed. Or beds that were slept in are made to perfection. Or the aroma of Mom's perfume permeates the house on occasion. This case, coupled with the repeated documentation of similar haunting activity has reinforced the theories of denial/unawareness.

Violence. It is suggested that spirits, just as the living, often feel the need for justice. Seemingly, a ghost will try and communicate to the living in search of justice, sometimes leading to their killer. There is a documented case of an apparition of a woman who, every morning, would be seen searching for something at the edge of a field. After witnessing this several times, the land owners decided to follow her. She led them to a stream in a wooded area nearby. From a distance, they saw her bend over as if reaching for something. After she had gone, the men went over to investigate. They turned up a rusty gun lying in the stream. The gun was traced back to a man who lived on an adjacent property and later admitted having killed his wife. Upon this resolution, the apparition was never seen again. It is assumed that she can now rest in peace.

Some spirits, seemingly exhibit their inability to let go of people and/or places to which they have an emotional attachment. Based on personal experience, I have also come to think that this can be the case with pets as well. This is a sound theory from a psychological perspective however, as with most theories of spirit reasoning, it lacks definitive scientific evidence. The fact does remain however, that one can easily identify with the need to know that everyone will be okay without them. Also, it is assumed that the fear of being without loved ones can have the same result.

I'm sure there are more theories pertaining to why some spirits may be active. Should the PGHA uncover definitive evidence in support of such theories, results will be posted to this website.

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