Phantom or phantasm?

There are many theories about paranormal phenomena appearing all through the internet.
It’s a challenge for our team to find out the truth behind all those theories using scientific methods.
For this reason we questioned physicists and asked their opinion on some very common theories on ghosts.
Below you can both find the summarized theories and the answers given by the physicists, who were kind enough to assume as a working hypothesis that ghosts exist.

Theory 1: ghosts draw energy from their surroundings
The first of our theories says that ghosts draw heat energy from their surroundings which lowers the room temperature.

Theory 2: ghosts can be measured with a Gauss meter
The second theory states that ghosts can be traced with the help of a Gauss meter, resulting in a high reading on the scale.

Our question: What attributes would a ghost need to havein order to affect its surroundings in the stated way? Would that be physically possible?

Answer of physicists (summary):

Working hypothesis: ghosts are real and are drawing heat energy from their surroundings. They also can be measured with an EMF-detector [note: Gauss metre].
To possess these qualities ghosts would - according to the laws of physics – have to consist of matter, with a specific inertia, density, specific heat capacity etc.
But if a ghost is made out of matter, then how could we explain that it can go through walls and the like (which is a very popular statement)? Out of which elements would this matter consist? Ghosts are said to be invisible – does this mean the matter is gasiform? Maybe a ghost consists of pure energy? But what would keep that energy together?
Does a ghost generate ionised gas or a kind of plasma during its manifestation, just like (ball)lightning? The required energy could theoretically be drawn from the surrounding area and would probably also explain a possible spike on an EMF metre [note: Gauss metre]. But if that is so, then what makes this stationary plasma hold together, so that it won’t dissolve after a couple of (split-) seconds?

CEPI: To summarize this statement, it would hypothetically be possible that something exists, which owns these above mentioned qualities, but there is no known force that would be able to keep this thing together. It’s said that apparitions of that kind are only seen for a very short time – for a second – and then disappearing again, dissolving again (a girl recently described this to me as being “wiped out”). It appears very sudden and also disappears suddenly. It seems like ghosts would be something rather unstable.

Theory 3: Life energy and memories can be imprinted in matter
Herewith we are approaching a further popular theory, which states that images or voices (human or beastly) can be replayed again and again in a certain location, like a kind of video/audio recording. It could be compared to some form of holographic projection, which is triggered by certain conditions.
Assuming this phenomenon existed, could such a „video recording“ be saved in matter in a natural way and triggered by certain stimuli? The optical component reminds me a bit of thermoluminescence, which simplified can be explained like that: energy is absorbed by matter (sun beams, radioactive decay); if this matter is strongly heated, then the stored energy will emanate as light and heat energy. Now the entire process starts anew. Thermoluminescence can happen in ceramics, burned bricks, quarz, granite and sandstone. This shows us that the optical component of the above mentioned phenomenon could be possible.
Our question: Would a thusly created holographic „video recording“ in the described com-plexity be possible in a natural way?

Answers from physicists (summary):
First you should differentiate „images“ and „voices“. There are holographic techniques, where you can store 3D images on foil. A good catchword would be „optical illusion“.
Light phenomena can physically be explained quite well. How this will be interpreted that’s another story. Physically it’s not impossible that a broken cup reassembles itself. But that’s a question of probability.
The „voice-phenomenon“ on the other hand seems physically totally impossible. It’s not possible that accoustic information is stored in matter in a natural way and moreover being re-played in good quality. Above that the memory capacity would suffer.

That means following the current status of research it’s impossible that complex maybe even moving images could be stored in matter. The same is true for accoustical components of the above mentioned „video recording“.
Even if it was possible to save an information on a natural data storage medium, the quality of the replay would be extremely bad and fragmented.
Through the effect of heat, chemical reactions and electrical energy things can quite easily be made to glow. If this light is bent or fractioned by something, the illusion may arrise that we see an image [note: the human brain interprets optical and accoustical stimuli in a way that they are making sense. Fragmented information is automatically completed by the humain brain. This is called pareidolia.]

Closing words of the physicists:
It seems to be physically impossible that ghosts exist, even though up to now there’s no precise definition of a ghost.
This topic is surely interesting, but also very difficult to explain with a rational approach.

CEPI: Thank you very much for the interview!

The consulted physicists prefer to stay anonymous. The questions were asked in 3 different physic forums.

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