HOME | DD

Description

Souls
Before we examine ghosts and the many forms they take, we must first define the soul. Known as the “astral information shadow (AIS)” to those who take a more material view of the phenomenon, the soul is a parallel memory imprint stored within the akashic layers of subspace. Every part of a person is recorded from mental development to cessation of self and stored eternally in the akashic library. An astral conduit connects the individual and their soul self through the pineal eye and is responsible for the transmission of data.
The soul is the means through which Yog-Sothoth perceives the multiverse and through Yog-Sothoth the multiverse has a single shared “oversoul”.

Ghosts
The term “ghost” commonly refers to spirits in the image of a diseased person. To be more accurate, a ghost is the ectoplasmic manifestation of an astral information shadow projecting into physical space. The exact mechanism that changes an AIS from a passive recording to a self-aware entity is unknown.
Most ghosts require a weak point in the fabric of reality to cross over, such as a convergence in astral currents, the gaps worn by other spirits and even the astral conduits of the living. A manifested ghost never fully leaves subspace, instead the ectoplasmic form serves as an avatar for the soul still within the akashic layers.
Ghosts may also be created or summoned by practitioners on the material plane through the use of various rituals and tools, such as the Silver Key or Essential Salts.
The form of a ghost is highly dependent on both their psychokinetic weight and on their own self-image. A ghost with neither will not be able to reproduce their living appearance with accuracy. Without frequent reinforcement a ghost's appearance will change over time, altering to fit their new perceptions and prone to subconscious self-caricature.
Most ghosts don't have any kind of conscious control over their forms but that is far from universal. A ghost that learns to control its own form can become a potent shapeshifter.

Non-human spirits
Humans are far from the only mortal beings to have a soul. Any ontological being of sufficient complexity to be of worth to Yog-Sothoth will have an information shadow and therefore have the potential to become ghosts.
It is also worth noting that many spectral entities were never “alive” in the first place. Countless individual consciousnesses and even entire species have been born out of nothing but random fluctuations in sub-dimensional energy states interacting with ectoplasm.

Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm is the matter of subspace, most frequently appearing in the material world as a thick slime, vaporous ooze or as a strangely coherent fog. Even solid ectoplasm has a strange plasticity to it.
It has a very weak interaction with gravity but can absorb phenomenal amounts of energy. This is the reason for the cold spots and battery drainage commonly reported in relation to spiritual activity.
Contrary to popular belief, ectoplasm actually does interact with physical matter. When a ghost passes through a solid object it's actually moving “around” it by partially retreating back into subspace.

Auras
Ghosts are frequently luminous, as their ectoplasm releases their stored energy as light. However they are often accompanied by far more dangerous radiance, the Aura of the subspace realms they are projecting from.
Auras are also known as T(illingast) Radiation, after Crawford Tillinghast, the “mad” scientist who discovered how to harness them in the 1930s. Aura at first appears to be an intense ultraviolet light but rapidly expands into other, less definable colours with continued exposure. This is a result of the pineal eye opening, leading to increased subspatial perception. In high enough doses it can even cause a full awakening to the Beyond.
Intense, long term exposure to T-rays has a more pronounced mutagenic effect and can lead to a horrible corruptive death as the body overloads on subspatial energy. Ghosts rarely emit enough T-rays to cause more than a slight sensitivity to further spiritual encounters but it is important to keep in mind nonetheless.

Sothic Energy
There is a paranormal energy field that suffuses subspace and extends into realspace through astral cords. It is known by many names; Sothic Energy, Psychokinetic Energy, Magic, Psi, and even simply as “Power”. Whatever you call it, it reacts to thought and through Sign and Ritual can be guided into creating all manner of esoteric effects. There is some speculation that the PKE field is an energy state of Yog-Sothoth, acting unconsciously but directed by the minds within it.
Whatever PKE’s properties, what is important to this discussion is that spirits can use this energy to form their ghostly bodies and project them back beyond the veil. Not all ghosts are created equally and the level of PKE they can manipulate varies across individuals. Because ghosts need so much PKE to manifest and hold their ectoplasmic forms together, they have an exponentially higher PKE field than a living being or even other forms of ectoplasmic entity.
Those who study ghosts place them on a seven point Psychokinetic Energy Category scale. Class 1 to 3 are partial manifestations, capable of little more than intermittent visibility. Class 4 ghosts tend to be fully formed and have a limited ability to affect the material world. Class 5 and up can be very powerful, capable of manifesting at will and altering the world around them with all manner of psychokinetic effects.

Classifying spiritual entities
Terminology
Anchored – An entity that is tied to a single location within defined boundaries.
Animating – Entities capable of entering and moving physical objects.
Bound - A spirit that is bound to highly specific requirements for manifestation. Being named is a common binding.
Corporeal – A spirit with an unusually tangible form. Most ectoplasmic constructs are gaseous masses held together with PKE and thus easily disrupted by physical objects. This is not the case for Corporeal entities.
Dreaming - Some powerful entities can manifest Dream phenomenon inside the influence of their PKE field. This is commonly referred to as "Reality-Warping."
Ethereal – An intangible spirit with no ability to manipulate physical reality. These entities are stuck in the fringes of subspace and are not fully present. A potential witness usually needs to already have some sensitivity to subspace phenomenon to even glimpse an Ethereal spirit.
Free – Entities capable of moving without regard to physical or spiritual boundaries.
Full-torso – A humanoid ghost with a full body, including arms and legs. Most ghosts are indistinct below the chest.
Inhabiting – An entity bound to an object.
Metamorphic - Spirits that have control over their forms, allowing them to change their shape.
Possessor – An entity that can enter a living host and influence or control their actions.
Repeater – A haunt characterized by repeated behavior, often but not always a sign of a residual haunting.
Residual – Also known as stone tape hauntings and pseudo-ghosts, a residual spirit is one where past (or more rarely future) events have been burned into the psychic ether and repeat without change under the right circumstances. If the ghost can react to outside stimuli, it is instead an anchored-repeating entity.
Sarchromatic – An ectoplasmic entity emitting a high degree of auric radiation. Characterized by unrecognizable colours and a dizzying change in perception.
Shadow – a ghost that is composed of negatively charged ectoplasm. They appear in the material world as light sucking voids in vague silhouette.
Telekinetic – Entities capable of projecting their PKE at range and exerting force without ectoplasmic contact.
Vapour – A particularly ill-defined ectoplasmic form.

Common types of spirit
Aeiirii and Saiitii – Elemental spirits that not only animate and possess, they are able to infect solid physical matter in order to anchor themselves in our reality. The Aeiirii are limited by volume and density but the Saiitii are able to spread their influence much further, if not infinitely. They are only slightly visible when manifesting in this universal layer, appearing as faint blots of darkness and an oily sheen on infested matter. Once present only destruction by high energy matter (fire, plasma) can break their grasp on space-time.
Beyonders – A subspacial ecology that exists in the universal layers just beneath the subspace boundary in what is commonly referred to as “The Beyond”. The most common beyonders resemble jellyfish and long, many-winged insects.
Deadite – A warped and partially ectoplasmic host seized by certain strains of demonic possession.
Demon – A malevolent non-human spiritual being. Note that while many versions of Hell exist in the nightmare realms of Dream any “demon” born of them is likely to be as material as any small god of earth.
Destructors - Spirits of such overwhelming power they pose a threat to civilizations and even entire planets.
Devourers/Ectovores – Predatory Elementals that have developed a preference for the particular ectopattern and energies of ghosts. They normally dwell deep in the netherealms, carving twisted mazes their ghostly prey have difficulty escaping. Sometimes they can be drawn to the living world by particularly intense hauntings.
Doppelganger/Fetch – There is nothing stopping a soul from becoming self aware prior to cessation of the physical self, although it is significantly less common. When this occurs the ghost sometimes become resentful of their living selves and may even begin to sabotage them.
Elemental/Ectobion – Entities native to subspace. They are completely unrelated to human (or any other mortal) souls. They are not avatars and being “internal” to Yog-Sothoth makes them beneath its notice.
Faerie/Little People/Good Neighbors/etc. – The elemental beings native to Deep Dendo. They are sometimes also known as “the Voor” in certain occult circles although this is likely a misinterpretation of ancient Hyperborean lore.
Grudge – Revenge is a common motive for a spirit to return to the world of the living but some have been treated so poorly in life that they become particularly dark and violent ghosts. While Grudges can sometimes be laid to rest by the resolution of their vengeance, they are just as likely to continue their vendetta against any living person that catches their attention. The ectoplasm of a Grudge is curiously thick and dark, resembling tar.
Orbs – The faintest physical manifestation possible, orbs are shapeless blobs of low-energy ectoplasm and usually aren't even visible to the naked eye. Orbs encompass at least 99% of all spiritual activity but are still relatively rare. Most reports of Orb activity are mistaken, with illuminated dust particles and reflections being the most common sources.
Poltergeist – A psychokinetic energy vortex. Poltergeists have no agency or intelligence of their own but they can attach themselves to a human and act upon their subconscious thoughts. Poltergeists don't tend to last very long outside of subspace and burn out after a few months.
Projection – Some occult practitioners can transfer their consciousness into their astral selves and use it to travel through subspace and physical reality as a ghost would.
Shade – A ghost with a poor connection to its source life. They are usually free-roaming vapours of class 2 or 3 and are characterized by particularly aimless behavior.
Tulpa – An ectoplasmic entity that takes form through the interaction of the netherealms, the dreamworld and a disciplined psychokinetic or occult practitioner. Although Tulpa can appear human and even like a specific person, they are never the result of an active soul and cannot be classified as ghosts.
Visions – A very short lived ghost that usually appears to loved ones soon after the death of their physical selves.
\\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//

An essay on how ghosts work in my version of the Cthulhu Mythos, just in time for spoopy season!

Description

Souls
Before we examine ghosts and the many forms they take, we must first define the soul. Known as the “astral information shadow (AIS)” to those who take a more material view of the phenomenon, the soul is a parallel memory imprint stored within the akashic layers of subspace. Every part of a person is recorded from mental development to cessation of self and stored eternally in the akashic library. An astral conduit connects the individual and their soul self through the pineal eye and is responsible for the transmission of data.
The soul is the means through which Yog-Sothoth perceives the multiverse and through Yog-Sothoth the multiverse has a single shared “oversoul”.

Ghosts
The term “ghost” commonly refers to spirits in the image of a diseased person. To be more accurate, a ghost is the ectoplasmic manifestation of an astral information shadow projecting into physical space. The exact mechanism that changes an AIS from a passive recording to a self-aware entity is unknown.
Most ghosts require a weak point in the fabric of reality to cross over, such as a convergence in astral currents, the gaps worn by other spirits and even the astral conduits of the living. A manifested ghost never fully leaves subspace, instead the ectoplasmic form serves as an avatar for the soul still within the akashic layers.
Ghosts may also be created or summoned by practitioners on the material plane through the use of various rituals and tools, such as the Silver Key or Essential Salts.
The form of a ghost is highly dependent on both their psychokinetic weight and on their own self-image. A ghost with neither will not be able to reproduce their living appearance with accuracy. Without frequent reinforcement a ghost's appearance will change over time, altering to fit their new perceptions and prone to subconscious self-caricature.
Most ghosts don't have any kind of conscious control over their forms but that is far from universal. A ghost that learns to control its own form can become a potent shapeshifter.

Non-human spirits
Humans are far from the only mortal beings to have a soul. Any ontological being of sufficient complexity to be of worth to Yog-Sothoth will have an information shadow and therefore have the potential to become ghosts.
It is also worth noting that many spectral entities were never “alive” in the first place. Countless individual consciousnesses and even entire species have been born out of nothing but random fluctuations in sub-dimensional energy states interacting with ectoplasm.

Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm is the matter of subspace, most frequently appearing in the material world as a thick slime, vaporous ooze or as a strangely coherent fog. Even solid ectoplasm has a strange plasticity to it.
It has a very weak interaction with gravity but can absorb phenomenal amounts of energy. This is the reason for the cold spots and battery drainage commonly reported in relation to spiritual activity.
Contrary to popular belief, ectoplasm actually does interact with physical matter. When a ghost passes through a solid object it's actually moving “around” it by partially retreating back into subspace.

Auras
Ghosts are frequently luminous, as their ectoplasm releases their stored energy as light. However they are often accompanied by far more dangerous radiance, the Aura of the subspace realms they are projecting from.
Auras are also known as T(illingast) Radiation, after Crawford Tillinghast, the “mad” scientist who discovered how to harness them in the 1930s. Aura at first appears to be an intense ultraviolet light but rapidly expands into other, less definable colours with continued exposure. This is a result of the pineal eye opening, leading to increased subspatial perception. In high enough doses it can even cause a full awakening to the Beyond.
Intense, long term exposure to T-rays has a more pronounced mutagenic effect and can lead to a horrible corruptive death as the body overloads on subspatial energy. Ghosts rarely emit enough T-rays to cause more than a slight sensitivity to further spiritual encounters but it is important to keep in mind nonetheless.

Sothic Energy
There is a paranormal energy field that suffuses subspace and extends into realspace through astral cords. It is known by many names; Sothic Energy, Psychokinetic Energy, Magic, Psi, and even simply as “Power”. Whatever you call it, it reacts to thought and through Sign and Ritual can be guided into creating all manner of esoteric effects. There is some speculation that the PKE field is an energy state of Yog-Sothoth, acting unconsciously but directed by the minds within it.
Whatever PKE’s properties, what is important to this discussion is that spirits can use this energy to form their ghostly bodies and project them back beyond the veil. Not all ghosts are created equally and the level of PKE they can manipulate varies across individuals. Because ghosts need so much PKE to manifest and hold their ectoplasmic forms together, they have an exponentially higher PKE field than a living being or even other forms of ectoplasmic entity.
Those who study ghosts place them on a seven point Psychokinetic Energy Category scale. Class 1 to 3 are partial manifestations, capable of little more than intermittent visibility. Class 4 ghosts tend to be fully formed and have a limited ability to affect the material world. Class 5 and up can be very powerful, capable of manifesting at will and altering the world around them with all manner of psychokinetic effects.

Classifying spiritual entities
Terminology
Anchored – An entity that is tied to a single location within defined boundaries.
Animating – Entities capable of entering and moving physical objects.
Bound - A spirit that is bound to highly specific requirements for manifestation. Being named is a common binding.
Corporeal – A spirit with an unusually tangible form. Most ectoplasmic constructs are gaseous masses held together with PKE and thus easily disrupted by physical objects. This is not the case for Corporeal entities.
Dreaming - Some powerful entities can manifest Dream phenomenon inside the influence of their PKE field. This is commonly referred to as "Reality-Warping."
Ethereal – An intangible spirit with no ability to manipulate physical reality. These entities are stuck in the fringes of subspace and are not fully present. A potential witness usually needs to already have some sensitivity to subspace phenomenon to even glimpse an Ethereal spirit.
Free – Entities capable of moving without regard to physical or spiritual boundaries.
Full-torso – A humanoid ghost with a full body, including arms and legs. Most ghosts are indistinct below the chest.
Inhabiting – An entity bound to an object.
Metamorphic - Spirits that have control over their forms, allowing them to change their shape.
Possessor – An entity that can enter a living host and influence or control their actions.
Repeater – A haunt characterized by repeated behavior, often but not always a sign of a residual haunting.
Residual – Also known as stone tape hauntings and pseudo-ghosts, a residual spirit is one where past (or more rarely future) events have been burned into the psychic ether and repeat without change under the right circumstances. If the ghost can react to outside stimuli, it is instead an anchored-repeating entity.
Sarchromatic – An ectoplasmic entity emitting a high degree of auric radiation. Characterized by unrecognizable colours and a dizzying change in perception.
Shadow – a ghost that is composed of negatively charged ectoplasm. They appear in the material world as light sucking voids in vague silhouette.
Telekinetic – Entities capable of projecting their PKE at range and exerting force without ectoplasmic contact.
Vapour – A particularly ill-defined ectoplasmic form.

Common types of spirit
Aeiirii and Saiitii – Elemental spirits that not only animate and possess, they are able to infect solid physical matter in order to anchor themselves in our reality. The Aeiirii are limited by volume and density but the Saiitii are able to spread their influence much further, if not infinitely. They are only slightly visible when manifesting in this universal layer, appearing as faint blots of darkness and an oily sheen on infested matter. Once present only destruction by high energy matter (fire, plasma) can break their grasp on space-time.
Beyonders – A subspacial ecology that exists in the universal layers just beneath the subspace boundary in what is commonly referred to as “The Beyond”. The most common beyonders resemble jellyfish and long, many-winged insects.
Deadite – A warped and partially ectoplasmic host seized by certain strains of demonic possession.
Demon – A malevolent non-human spiritual being. Note that while many versions of Hell exist in the nightmare realms of Dream any “demon” born of them is likely to be as material as any small god of earth.
Destructors - Spirits of such overwhelming power they pose a threat to civilizations and even entire planets.
Devourers/Ectovores – Predatory Elementals that have developed a preference for the particular ectopattern and energies of ghosts. They normally dwell deep in the netherealms, carving twisted mazes their ghostly prey have difficulty escaping. Sometimes they can be drawn to the living world by particularly intense hauntings.
Doppelganger/Fetch – There is nothing stopping a soul from becoming self aware prior to cessation of the physical self, although it is significantly less common. When this occurs the ghost sometimes become resentful of their living selves and may even begin to sabotage them.
Elemental/Ectobion – Entities native to subspace. They are completely unrelated to human (or any other mortal) souls. They are not avatars and being “internal” to Yog-Sothoth makes them beneath its notice.
Faerie/Little People/Good Neighbors/etc. – The elemental beings native to Deep Dendo. They are sometimes also known as “the Voor” in certain occult circles although this is likely a misinterpretation of ancient Hyperborean lore.
Grudge – Revenge is a common motive for a spirit to return to the world of the living but some have been treated so poorly in life that they become particularly dark and violent ghosts. While Grudges can sometimes be laid to rest by the resolution of their vengeance, they are just as likely to continue their vendetta against any living person that catches their attention. The ectoplasm of a Grudge is curiously thick and dark, resembling tar.
Orbs – The faintest physical manifestation possible, orbs are shapeless blobs of low-energy ectoplasm and usually aren't even visible to the naked eye. Orbs encompass at least 99% of all spiritual activity but are still relatively rare. Most reports of Orb activity are mistaken, with illuminated dust particles and reflections being the most common sources.
Poltergeist – A psychokinetic energy vortex. Poltergeists have no agency or intelligence of their own but they can attach themselves to a human and act upon their subconscious thoughts. Poltergeists don't tend to last very long outside of subspace and burn out after a few months.
Projection – Some occult practitioners can transfer their consciousness into their astral selves and use it to travel through subspace and physical reality as a ghost would.
Shade – A ghost with a poor connection to its source life. They are usually free-roaming vapours of class 2 or 3 and are characterized by particularly aimless behavior.
Tulpa – An ectoplasmic entity that takes form through the interaction of the netherealms, the dreamworld and a disciplined psychokinetic or occult practitioner. Although Tulpa can appear human and even like a specific person, they are never the result of an active soul and cannot be classified as ghosts.
Visions – A very short lived ghost that usually appears to loved ones soon after the death of their physical selves.
\\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------//

An essay on how ghosts work in my version of the Cthulhu Mythos, just in time for spoopy season!