Ectoplasm...Sort Of.

I hope you're sitting down, because I'm about to burst your ectoplasmic bubble.

Is "ectoplasmic" even a word?

Let's just pretend I didn't make that up for the sake of this article.

First, a little history.

Ectoplasm first became popular in the late 1800s when mediums claimed they could produce a mysterious substance during séances. It was said to emerge from the nose or mouth and was supposedly too "light sensitive" to exist outside complete darkness.

Convenient, right?

As it turned out, many of those famous demonstrations were exactly what skeptics suspected. Once the lights came on, the "ectoplasm" often turned out to be tissue paper, cheesecloth, or some wonderfully appetizing mixture of gelatin, soap, and egg whites.

Some mediums even swallowed the material beforehand so they could dramatically regurgitate it during the séance.

I don't know about you, but I think I'd rather meet an actual ghost.

So...

Is traditional "ectoplasm" real?

Probably not.

Sorry, Ghostbusters.

With that said, I do believe that ghosts can sometimes leave behind traces of themselves within and on us. 

I like to call it "energy ectoplasm". 

I believe this energy can leave behind an electrical slime, which sticks to our energy like paranormal glue. Once touched by a spirit, you know it absolutely. 

There's no mistaking the strange feeling you have after a brush with an entity that resides on the other side. It's almost as if the touched part of your body was transported to the dead realm. You feel as if you were electrocuted with a vibrating aftershock. 

That vibration can last for what feels like eons and lasts until you shed the energy that has made your body it's temporary home.

Do I think it's actual ectoplasm?

No.

What I do know is that the history of ectoplasm, hoaxes included, is fascinating.

Sometimes the fake stories are almost as interesting as the ghost stories themselves