It’s an age-old question for ghost AND monster hunters. And it really depends on how you want to classify a monster. Get the 3 schools of thought on the subject after the jump.

If we only go by the traditional folklore, a monster is any being that defies natural order. It’s something that’s unnatural or frightening outside our typical reality. That’s why ghosts and spirits can be considered monsters, but only under certain conditions.

Three Schools Of Thought On Ghosts As Monsters

Here’s how it breaks down:

School 1: Folklore

In early folklore, monstrum (the Latin root of “monster”) meant “an omen” or “a sign from the gods.” Ghosts and spirits all fit that definition. They were supernatural warnings or messages. In that sense, a ghost could absolutely be a monster.

School 2: Literary Traditions

By the 19th and 20th centuries, “monster” shifted toward physical beings. The are popular creatures like vampires, werewolves, and sea beasts. Ghosts and spirits reclassified to mean apparitions or entities, not monsters, because they didn’t have bodies or animal-like traits.

Still, horror writers and filmmakers often blur the line, just think of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in A Christmas Carol or the Lady in White entity. They could be monsters because they terrify, haunt, and embody something harmful to humans.

School 3: Paranormal Usage

In ghost hunting and paranormal circles, ghosts aren’t usually called monsters. The term entity or spirit is often used because “monster” implies physical aggression. So when a haunting turns violent or sinister (like a poltergeist or shadow person that attacks), those could qualify as monstrous entities. But the spirit is still unseen or incorporeal (meaning without a body).

Ghostly Activities Take On The Subject

So, let’s recap:

• All monsters are supernatural (in folklore terms)
• Some spirits behave like monsters
• But not all ghosts are monsters

In a nutshell, I wouldn’t call a ghost or spirit a monster unless it’s doing something to harm you. Those pesky dark entities, elementals and poltergeists … I’m going to label them as monsters. As for Grandpa Jones showing up to say ‘Hi,’ he gets to keep that cozy ghost label.

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Thanks for reading Ghostly Activities. When would you call a ghost or spirit a monster? Let me know in the comments below. Take care!