Jesus spoke of spirits. We call them "ghosts" or "hauntings". Luke 24:36-39 reads, "And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit (ghost). And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit (ghost) hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
We have many names for them: Ghosts, Spooks, Spirits, Poltergeists. We know they scare us and every town, every state, every country has its own share of Ghost stories. Some are very scary, some are amusing, and some are awe inspiring. The real question is ARE THEY REAL? The Bible teaches that when a person dies, his soul and spirit go to either heaven or hell and there it is to stay until the appropriate resurrection occurs.
Can people really talk to people who have died and departed from this world? If they are in heaven or hell certainly not. So who are they talking to? Scripture constantly speaks of how deceitful Satan is. I believe "Hauntings" and "Ghosts" are either the result of a satanic deception (people talking to the dead) or angelic intervention (where a crime is solved for example).
There is also the possibility that nature itself is replaying a past event when conditions are just right. We take for granted that images appear on our tv screen and sounds come from our radio, but a person living a hundred years ago would think the "boxes" were "haunted" and had "ghosts". Anyway, in conclusion, whatever "hauntings" really are they certainly are one thing: scary. Hauntings tend to chill us to the bone which is why I think they may be demonic in origin but that is not 100% certain.
My Scariest Encounter
When I was a senior in high school, I found myself at home lying in bed reading a book early one night. My mother burst into my room, obviously excited, and cried,"You've got to come and hear this!"
I was a little annoyed at the interruption of my reading time, but I knew that only compliance with my mother's wishes would get me back to my book. I joined my sister and mother standing outside on the hilltop above the creek that flowed from a cave through a small, wooded lot below our house. My mother said to be quiet and listen.
I waited a moment and then heard a sound that sent chills up my spine. It was a heavy, breathing sound that seemed to be right behind us but we could see nothing. We listened to this sound a few moments. I was getting more shaken by the minute and I told my mom that I didn't know what was making that sound and I wasn't staying around to find out. We all went back inside scared and excited. It was a real mystery. Was it a ghost, demon, or something that naturally occurs in nature? All I know is that it made chills run up and down my spine. I also lost my nerve and sought the shelter and comfort of home. I was afraid I might actually have to confront the source of the sound and I wasn't ready to face a ghost, spirit, or demon. Never again did we hear that eerie breathing sound. That was one of the scariest moments of my life.