Just because you see a ghost, does that mean that ghosts can see you or know that you can see them? Here are my thoughts on if ghosts can see you or not.
Are Ghosts Aware Of You?
To address whether ghosts are conscious of the living, it’s nuanced. Ghosts fall into two primary categories: residual and intelligent. Residual spirits resemble playback loops, akin to recordings, lacking awareness of the living. In contrast, intelligent spirits exhibit awareness of their environment, including the presence of humans. Here are my thoughts on both and my experiences with them.
Residual Haunting
Residual hauntings are often compared to a broken record. They replay a snippet of the past, trapped in a loop. Imagine a dramatic scene from history, like a panicked duel or a tragic death, somehow etched into the environment itself.
The ghosts involved in these “recordings” are like actors with no free will, going through the motions but oblivious to the world around them. They won’t respond to your questions or even acknowledge your presence. This is because they aren’t actually sentient spirits–they’re more like psychic echoes imprinted on a place, unable to think or interact in the way we understand.
My personal experience with this would be the old woman that used to do dishes at night at my home in Spokane. From time to time, after we had gone to bed, we could hear the sound of dishes clinking in the sink, and even catch the impression of an old woman doing the dishes.
Sadly though, she was only ever doing her spectral dishes and never did any of mine.
Intelligent Hauntings
Intelligent spirits are believed to be the lingering consciousness or soul of a deceased person. Unlike residual hauntings, they seem to possess a degree of awareness and sometimes even personality. They might react to the presence of the living, appearing to acknowledge questions, trying to communicate, or even responding to their surroundings in meaningful ways.
Some theories suggest these spirits are tied to a place or person due to unresolved emotions, unfinished business, or simply a strong attachment to the world they once knew. This lingering connection might explain their awareness of the living and their attempts to interact.
My most memorable intelligent spirit was one I met on a ghost tour in North Carolina.
We were all in a group, and the tour leader had given some of the people dowsing rods and explained about the haunted buildings around us. I walked off from the group and came face to face with a full body apparition. My impression is that his name was Eddie, and he was standing in the alley being amused by the silly people wandering around looking for ghosts.
Should You Try And Make A Spirit Aware Of You?
Beyond the question of if ghosts can see you, the bigger question is if you want them to be aware of you.
When you encounter a spirit or ghost, you never know if it is malevolent or not.
Acknowledging a negative spirit can be like throwing open the gates to a hungry beast. Fear is a potent energy source for these entities, and letting them know you’re aware of their presence can be seen as an invitation to interact.
They may feed on your terror, amplifying their own power and intensifying the haunting. Worse yet, some believe acknowledging them strengthens the connection between you and the spirit world, making it harder to break free from their influence. If you suspect a malevolent presence, it’s often safer to act oblivious and focus on energetic protection measures instead of drawing attention to yourself.
One Response