Time is Short
The average ghost sighting lasts for less than ten seconds. Seeing a ghost can be a frightening experience and witnesses often freeze up from shock during the sighting. No one is ever prepared to see a ghost. Even parapsychologists and ghost hunters who are looking for ghosts are never prepared when it happens. Fear and confusion are normal feelings when face-to-face with a ghost. It is important for a witness to take full advantage of the short time to observe and study the ghost.
Eyewitness descriptions are a double-edged sword. The problem with eyewitness accounts is that the accounts are hardly ever accurate. The ability to observe and remember accurately is not as reliable as people think. People see events from their own perspective. Ten witnesses can see the same ghost and yet each witness will give a different description. There are paranormal researchers that believe that the different descriptions are because the ghost is showing itself differently to each witness, but studies on eyewitness testimony show serious faults with that theory.
In eyewitness research done at Harvard and Yale, subjects were submitted to false crimes lasting only a few seconds. The subjects were then asked to describe the perpetrator of the crime. The results were amazing with all the subjects swearing to different descriptions of the same criminal. Some subjects gave the criminal a mustache, some a beard, still others said the criminal had no facial hair. The inconsistencies covered every characteristic proving that what the human eye recalls seeing is not always accurate. It is important not to give too much credibility to varying eyewitness descriptions of a ghost. The inaccuracies are not necessarily intentional and should not be regarded as lying, but these factors have to be taken into account.
People who see a ghost are not expecting to see a ghost and in some rare cases do not realize they have seen a ghost until after the experience is over. Ghost sightings happen so quickly that it is almost impossible for the witness to examine every detail of a ghost thoroughly. It is important for a witness to continue watching the ghost until it disappears from sight.
Eyewitnesses should try to recall facts immediately after the sighting. Witnesses should immediately sit down and write out exactly what happened, describing in detail what they saw, heard, smelled and felt. It is also a good idea to draw images and keep detailed notes while the experience is still fresh. If a witness waits too long before putting his or her experience down on paper, there is a chance that the experience will be contaminated by false memories altered by time.
Seeing a ghost is a life-changing experience. Those who have been lucky enough to see a ghost will remember the experience for the rest of their lives. The opportunity to observe a ghost is a once-in-a-lifetime event and should be treated as a great chance to get a firsthand look into the world of the supernatural.