Ectoplasm refers to the part of cytoplasm outside a cell and is also used to describe the tangible plasma residue that gives ghosts physical presence. Charles Richet first attributed it to spiritual power. Ectoplasm is said to glow and gradually dissolve, leaving no trace. No scientific tests have verified its existence, and most samples have been found to be common materials.
Derived from the Greek word ektos, which means “out”, ectoplasm is a term used in two different ways. In terms of medical information, ectoplasm refers to the part of the common cellular construction. The term designates that portion of the cytoplasm which is found outside a cell. Most commonly, ectoplasm is understood to refer to the paranormal manifestation of spirit energy related to ghosts. Serving as the physical medium of that spiritual energy, ectoplasm is said to be the more or less tangible plasma residue that helps give ghosts some degree of physical presence.
The designation of ectoplasm as a physical manifestation of spiritual power or the presence of a ghost is traced back to Charles Richet. While not understood to have identical cell structure to human cells, ectoplasm is still considered to possess a small degree of weight and can be touched. Over the years, many people have claimed to have come into contact with ectoplasm and have in fact captured some of the purported supernatural material for study and analysis.
Some schools of paranormal thought attribute different qualities to ectoplasm. The substance is thought to glow for a period of time after being detached from the host. As the ectoplasm begins to break down, the light quality begins to fade. As decomposition continues, the material is said to gradually dissolve, leaving no trace. For this reason, many people have photographed substances thought to be ectoplasm in an attempt to record the phenomenon before the physical evidence fades.
To date, no scientific tests have provided any information verifying the existence of ectoplasm. While countless substances that have been collected and declared to be ectoplasm have been subjected to analysis, most have been found to be common materials and very unsupernatural. Some of the more common samples of alleged ectoplasm have been shown to be nothing more than human skin or shavings of chiffon.
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