[HPforGrownups] Ghosts and Physics (was Chap. 9 Summary)

[Dave Hardenbrook]

No: HPFGUIDX 24570

On 20 Aug 2001, at 18:59, linman6868 at aol.com wrote:

> Well, and as to that, I've always wondered how it is that ghosts can
> make noise.  They don't have corporeal vocal chords, yet Binns can
> clear his throat with the sound of chalk snapping in CoS.  It seems to
> me that JKR's ghosts can do a lot of physical things that you wouldn't
> expect a mere specter to be able to do; but I've hesitated nitpicking
> on it because I didn't want to spoil any Magic.  Hmmm....

I suppose for these sorts of questions we'd have to ask _Blithe 
Spirit_ author Noel Coward... For example, in that play the ghost of 
Charles' first wife Elvera can only be seen or heard by Charles 
himself.  This suggests to me that ghosts manifest themselves by 
making a direct contact with the visual, auditory, etc. centers of 
someone's brain, rather than though the normal sensory channels, 
so that a ghost can only be perceived by select individuals.  In the 
Potterverse, I suspect that ghosts are undetectable by Muggles.

(But how is it that Elvera can touch things and reek Peeves-like 
havoc, but no one can touch *her*??)


                 -- Dave