A supernatural manifestation of a dead person or animal or even of a live person or animal living too far away to be within normal range of the observer. Contrary to common belief, most apparitions are of the living (not the dead) and few are visual. Most involve the sensing of a presence, sometimes using touch or smell or the hearing of strange thumps, raps, or moans.
Throughout history every civilization has had, or still has, its beliefs about apparitions, ghosts, or spirits of some kind. These beliefs are intertwined with the religion, myth, and folklore of the country of origin. Many reasons are given to account for apparitions. A favorite belief is that they are unhappy restless spirits of the dead, trapped here on earth with nowhere else to go and in need of appeasing or placating. Another belief is that these spirits are evil and will haunt the same location time and time again until they are exorcised by adjuration. This does not mean that they are to be cast out but rather that they are put on oath by invoking a higher authority to oblige them to behave. Yet another view holds that important apparitions are uncommon and are seen only once or twice. It is thought that they manifest themselves to us to tell us something. Examples of these special kinds of manifestations are the Marian apparitions at Lourdes in France and at Fatima in Portugal. People who believe strongly in survival after death tend also to believe in the out-of-body experience and the near-death experience. In folklore there are many archetypal apparitions, such as the phantom ship sailing with no living souls aboard and headless hunters roaming the countryside following dangerous phantom hounds.