Ghosts?

Ran across a "post your own real ghost story" thread on a discussion board last week - it generated more comments than most themes! Everyone had to put in their story, or their views. Some pretty freaky stuff there (and some pretty freaky people too!).

Got me thinking. What about the Christian view? DO Christians have a view on ghosts and such stuff? Does it depend on what you believe happens when you die - either that you "sleep" or that you "wander" or that you are assigned to "heaven" or "hell"? Does that influence your view on what these folk are seeing - whether evil spirits, or unexplained forces, or loved ones from beyond? Is there a reason why kids are more susceptible to seeing and sensing things, why animals are, why a half-awake or relaxed state is more likely to bring on a "sighting"? Why ghosts seem to prefer having their picture taken digitally? :)

I know my dad's seen at least one ghost - before he became a Christian. Hasn't seen one since that I know of. Does that have something to do with things, being a Christian or not? Do Christians see angels, not ghosts? :)

OK, so there's a load of stuff that our 10%-used brains know nothing about. Stuff we can only guess at. Energies and occurances we can't comprehend or attempt to explain. Like feeling the presence of memory in an ancient forest.

I know I've awoken at night to feel evil and terror trying to press in - gone after some panicked praying or similar. Bad dreams hanging on into half-conciousness perhaps...

But ghosts? Still trying to figure out what a Christian response to that one should be...or if Christians should even be reading ghost stories! :)