Disclaimer: The following document fragment is presented from an in-character perspective, it should not be taken as the truth of the setting.
Context: This week we return to Necromancy. While ghosts are usually bound to a single person, there are cases where a group of people become an anchor. Some of these situations lead to docile, harmless ghosts, other to very dangerous ones. This expert details such cases.
Among all the hauntings, the most difficult to resolve are cases where the ghost in question lacks a concrete anchor. We can divide them up into three different classes.
The first is the most benign. It is the case of a ghost returning over and over because the original person is too ingrained into the collective psyche. The primary associations with the person must be somewhat favourable for such a phenomenon.
Such cases often involve celebrity ghosts, with Elvis Presley as a perfect example. An example of such a haunting event may be the 1980 Kalamazoo (Michigan) sightings. Citizens reported several sightings of the deceased pop star over a short period.
Of course, the events underwent post-rationalization to soothe the minds of Normas. Now, most see it as a conspiracy theory of sorts.
In truth, the sightings are a textbook example of a benign ghost without a centralized anchor. It fed with repeated sightings, and more people joining the mass anchor served as its connection to reality. Such hauntings resolve themselves with the ghost dissipating without any need for intervention.
Cases of benign ghosts rarely require any action from the local mages. Most harmless apparitions are also hard to ghostjack. Even more so with ones relying on decentralized anchors.
The situation is different when the ghost is aggressive. Moreover, out of the two characteristic patterns, the easier to understand one is a ghost that does not haunt its mass anchor.
In our experience, such ghosts are the product of a mass subconscious outcry for justice. The human psyche is far from perfect. Thus, the phenomenon may escalate to an unreasonable extent or target the wrong people.
Historically, cases like this have a significant body count if left unchecked. So, interventions are necessary.
How should a mage attempt to resolve this situation then? Due to the mass anchor aspect of the haunting, it is not feasible to address the anchor directly. However, an approach that is not efficient in other situations becomes useful here.
The strategy involves resolving the issues within the mass consciousness. This will involve the anchors and thus lead to the dissipation of the ghost. Since such cases often revolve around justice, it is a good idea to attempt to bring such a feeling to the masses.
It can be hard and often involve questionable actions from a legal point of view. However, it is often the only effective way of approaching these situations. Understanding the circumstances of the public outrage is paramount to success. Be careful.
Finally, the most difficult cases are mass anchors who target themselves with a haunting. Yes, attacking the issue within the mass consciousness still applies, but there are additional complications.
It is essential to understand why the situation should arise at all. Such events may involve a broad spectrum of feelings. Justice, guilt, but more often, some mass paranoia starts the haunting. Because of the more intricate cause behind the case, anchors may be unwilling to reason.
Though it is not a certain strategy, it is an excellent way to weaken the ghost’s influence. The anchors can be addressed afterwards when the probability of fatal accidents is reduced.
These situations are dangerous. Approach them with extreme caution. They are rare, unusual, and almost always lead to casualties even with a mage working on the case.
Esoteric Musings... 