Are Ghosts always Demons?

[Father Heathen]

The thing I find weird, is why (in Izumi's death scene), do they show her being killed at the altar of a Shinto Shrine? Surely Buddha would have protected her from being killed by the ghost.

Shintoism is a separate religion from Buddhism, and Buddha isn't a deity.

 

[ronki23]

Shintoism is a separate religion from Buddhism, and Buddha isn't a deity.

But a lot of religions utilise Buddhism alongside their own. Shinto, Hindu and Dao.

And some religions have a God-like Buddha (Journey to the West).

Just found it odd they showed a girl getting murdered by an Onryo in front of a Shinto Shrine (Shintos have God too)

 

[satyaroop]

Paragraph 1 sounds like the plot for the Exorcist haha.

Is it dogs, cats or both that can see them? Why are ghosts and demons afraid of them (i'm still saying ghosts=good, demons=bad for convenience sake)?

What keeps evil spirits around on Earth if Hell is for them?

I've never heard this before, that demons and ghosts are afraid of animals
in fact, I've heard and read about the opposite, animals can sense these things and will refuse to stay in haunted areas
for example in the movie, the conjuring(supposedly based on true events), the dog refuses to enter the infested/haunted house

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

No. Only fundamentalist Christians and Muslims say such things. I reject the whole " evil demon" thing to start with, anyway. I don't believe any entity is entirely good or evil.

 

[Mindmaster]

No. Only fundamentalist Christians and Muslims say such things. I reject the whole " evil demon" thing to start with, anyway. I don't believe any entity is entirely good or evil.

I can't really tell a difference other than appearance and apparent interest. Dead people are more interested in mortal affairs, but I've also see ghosts that are more like a videotape than some sort of entity. (They don't respond.. etc) I've seen angelic and demonic looking things and perhaps the most harmful of them was one of these 'angelic' looking things which I generally see near sick people draining some sort of energy from them. They attempt to be nearly and completely motionless... Probably in some vague attempt to hide from their victims.

It seems that any of these beings including the dead folks are able to shift their appearance if they desire to do so and rarely do I pay attention to that. They all seem to communicate with me the same way so I'd venture to argue they are all nearly the same thing. But, like people there are helpful and harmful things. I've had experiences with spirits that were far worse than those I've had with supposed demons due to the fact they they are much more likely to screw with you on the material level whereas the others aren't very interested in being a nuisance and seem more mature... If that makes any sense.

 

[ZooGirl02]

I do not believe in ghosts as being people who didn't "pass over" or people whose life on earth was not completed. I believe that when everyone dies they go to be judged by Jesus Christ and then those who died in a state of mortal sin are immediately put in Hell. Those who die in a state of grace but in need of further purification go to Purgatory. As for those who die in a state of grace but with no further need of purification, they go straight to Heaven. In other words, once a person dies, they are in either Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory... period. So ghosts are not human souls.

I do believe it is possible for demons to appear as ghosts though and since Satan is the father of lies I think it is also possible for them to convince people that they are deceased people when they are demons.

 

[ronki23]

I can't really tell a difference other than appearance and apparent interest. Dead people are more interested in mortal affairs, but I've also see ghosts that are more like a videotape than some sort of entity. (They don't respond.. etc) I've seen angelic and demonic looking things and perhaps the most harmful of them was one of these 'angelic' looking things which I generally see near sick people draining some sort of energy from them. They attempt to be nearly and completely motionless... Probably in some vague attempt to hide from their victims.

It seems that any of these beings including the dead folks are able to shift their appearance if they desire to do so and rarely do I pay attention to that. They all seem to communicate with me the same way so I'd venture to argue they are all nearly the same thing. But, like people there are helpful and harmful things. I've had experiences with spirits that were far worse than those I've had with supposed demons due to the fact they they are much more likely to screw with you on the material level whereas the others aren't very interested in being a nuisance and seem more mature... If that makes any sense.

Didn't quite understand the last bit; you say spirits are more likely to screw you over yet you also say they're like videos/reliving?

 

[Idris]

Hmmm I always think if ghosts exist and they have no substance then surely gravity would not work on them and they would fly out into space and never come back no? As in they die - the earth is spining at 1000 miles an hour (and going round the sun) they would simply flick off the globe...

 

[nazz]

To answer your general question I don't think we know enough about what might cause paranormal activity to answer it. It seems to me there are multiple possible causes. People who say demons are always responsible are usually coming from a religious perspective that does not allow for ghosts. So it's a way of explaining the phenomena away.

I would ask if demons are behind all reports of paranormal activity what is their goal in creating it? Also paranormal investigators often get intelligent responses about specific personal information. Would demons have access to that?

Didn't know where to put this but I was told that ghosts are demons in disguise and using a Ouija board or screaming Bloody Mary into a mirror summons demons.

People who do paranormal investigations often find that malicious activity is preceded by use of a Ouija board. I've never heard of the latter except in horror movies.

I know Ouija board responses are actually from the ideomotor effect but what if ghosts are not necessarily bad? I know some say there is an afterlife after death but what if a mother or father dies and they have a very young child, wouldn't their ghost rather live on Earth and 'haunt' the house/look over their child and spouse? What if a very young child dies, surely the ghost would wander the house to be with the parent?

Makes sense

Which brings me onto demons:

what if a ghost stays to protect someone from demons?

Perhaps

When people say a dog or a cat can see a ghost or demon, which one is more true? Or do ghosts/demons have a fear/aversion to both

Animals do seem to be able to sense paranormal activity more easily than humans although children seem to have more capacity than adults. I've never seen the claim ghosts fear dogs and cats.

 

[ronki23]

To answer your general question I don't think we know enough about what might cause paranormal activity to answer it. It seems to me there are multiple possible causes. People who say demons are always responsible are usually coming from a religious perspective that does not allow for ghosts. So it's a way of explaining the phenomena away.

I would ask if demons are behind all reports of paranormal activity what is their goal in creating it? Also paranormal investigators often get intelligent responses about specific personal information. Would demons have access to that?



People who do paranormal investigations often find that malicious activity is preceded by use of a Ouija board. I've never heard of the latter except in horror movies.



Makes sense



Perhaps



Animals do seem to be able to sense paranormal activity more easily than humans although children seem to have more capacity than adults. I've never seen the claim ghosts fear dogs and cats.

Maybe some demons want to lure people to them so they can posses or kill them?
Or maybe it's the signature they leave behind as 'proof' they exist.

Still don't fully understand the difference between the two- why don't 'videotape' ghosts interact and (as stated) why did the Grudge Onryo kill the girls even though they were near a Holy Shrine (unless some believe in ghosts but not God).

I didn't find the Japanese versions of Ring or Grudge scary, even Ring virus wasn't scary