Author's note: I thought maybe this would be a good way to actually think about the events of the series. And then I thought, "I guess I could share this with the FanFiction world." Oh, and I need a few people to interview for the next chapter. I just want to know you're theories for something. Details at the bottom, because I don't want this note to be freakishly long. Enjoy!

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Danny Phantom: Your Guide to All Things Ghostly

by Alexia Moonlight

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Introduction: What is a Ghost?

I've heard this question asked frequently. "What is a ghost?" My friends will ask me when I blabber on about Danny Phantom. Well, I took some ghost books out of the library and came up with this conclusion:

Ghost or spirits can appear in different forms, and each have a definite purpose, or obsession. At least, thats what most believers think. They might visit for reasons like to take revenge on those who have hurt them, give warnings of death or upcoming events, or even just because they aren't able to rest in peace because haven't been properly buried. The better known types of ghosts include:

Banshee: A ghost in the form of a screaming women which originated in Ireland. It is said that a banshee forewarns a human being of his or her time of death.

Ghoul: A demon from Arabia that lives in deserts and sucks the blood of humans, kind of like a vampire.

Jinnie: A jinnie is a spirit from the Middle East made of smokeless fire. A jinnie can be controlled with magic by binding it to an object.

Duppy: A spirit from Jamaica who is said to live in the buttress roots of silk cotten trees.

Virika: A red, small, evil spirit from India. A virika will roam around during the night making strange noises that sound like gibberish.

Poltergeist: A ghost which is never seen, only heard. It is violent, noisy, and sometimes even causes fires. Some say that most poltergeists cause trouble in the houses of families with troubled teenagers.

Of course, none of the ghosts mentioned above appear on Danny Phantom. The ghosts on DP look fairly much like normal people, but can float, fly, walk through solid objects, and become invisible or vice-versa. These ghosts also seem to have special powers, which I haven't heard anything about in the books I have taken out from the library or wikipedia.

In reality, ghosts cannot age. But, in cartoons, apparently they can. Take Dan, (Danny's evil future in The Ultimate Enemy) for instance. Danny was fourteen when he got his powers, so, while his human form ages, his ghost form should stay the way it was in the accident. Yet, Dan is 24 and looks like a 24 year old (but slightly hotter. Oh... did I type that out loud?)

There are many different theories as to what ghosts are made up of. The number one theory is ectoplasm, followed by pure energy, and then magnetic field. Now, I believe that ghosts are a mixture of all three, but I'll get more into that in the next chapter. Anyway, ghosts on DP seem to be made up of ectoplasm, and Maddie described them as an "odd manifestation of ectoplasmic energy and post-human consciousness" in the episode Public Enemies.

Now, I have to say that this show has certainly peaked my interest in ghosts. The following chaapters, if you would like me to continue, will include things on the episodes with unanswered questions, such as Phantom Planet, The Ultimate Enemy, Reality Trip, and any other episode you may be able to think of. You can take a look beyond the drawings, and into the mind of a mere fan who happens to think very much.

Sources:

Ghosts and Poltergeists by David West

The Unexplained: Ghosts and the Supernatural by Colin Wilson

Wikipedia by I. Hav NoIdea

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NEXT CHAPTER: Is he alive? Is he dead? Is he both? What exactly IS he? Read the theories of author's like in the next chapter, Danny: The Phantom Theory

IMPORTANT: I need some DP authors to interview on their theories, if you wouldn't mind contributing. If you wish, I can keep your identity a secret. But, if no one wants to help, I can always interview some of my friends. Thanks for reading!