The English word ghost continues Old English gāst. Stemming from Proto-Germanic *gaistaz, it is cognate with Old Frisian gāst, Old Saxon gēst, Old Dutch gēst, and Old High German geist. Although this form is not attested in 展开

Ancient Near East and Egypt
There are many references to ghosts in Mesopotamian religions – the religions of Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, and other early states in 展开

Judaism
The Hebrew Bible contains several references to owb (Hebrew: אוֹב), which are in a few places akin to shades of classical mythology but mostly describing mediums in connection with necromancy and spirit-consulting, … 展开

Ghosts are prominent in story-telling of various nations. The ghost story is ubiquitous across all cultures from oral folktales to … 展开

Anthropological context
A notion of the transcendent, supernatural, or numinous, usually involving entities like ghosts, demons, or deities, is a cultural universal. In pre-literate folk religions, these beliefs are often summarized under animism and 展开

African folklore
For the Igbo people, a man is simultaneously a physical and spiritual entity. However, it is his spirited dimension that is eternal. … 展开

Nietzsche argued that people generally wear prudent masks in company, but that an alternative strategy for social interaction is to present oneself as an absence, as a social ghost … 展开