Ghost caught on cam? Paranormal expert Ed Caluag gives a rundown on ghosts, poltergeists, and doppelgangers

It's that time of the year again when horror stories, whether they are rooted in reality or mere fabrications, become the hot topic in town.

On Tuesday's episode of "Unang Hirit," paranormal investigator Ed Caluag revealed that ghostly spirits don't confine themselves solely to "Undas" but can manifest on any given day.

“Ang nangyayari lang kasi ‘pag ganitong papalapit na ‘yung Undas, eh mas natatakot o ‘yung imagination ng mga tao, mas malawak,” Ed said.

[What happens is as Undas draws near, people's imaginations tend to run wild, and fear becomes more widespread.]

“Nasanay na sila na kapag pumasok ang undas, katatakutan na ‘to,” he added. “Kumbaga, ‘yung collective consciousness ng [mga] tao.”

[They have grown accustomed to associating this season with spookiness; it's like a collective consciousness.]

During the morning show, Ed delved into various types of spirits captured on CCTV and shared stories from netizens.

Ghost

In CCTV footage featured on "Unang Hirit," an entity resembling a child darted by and then vanished with astonishing speed. According to Ed, this type of entity is classified as a ghost.

“Ghost ‘yung ganyan kasi kung makikita mo, walang reaction ‘yung tumawid eh, so dapat nakikita niya sana ‘yun, dapat may reaction siya, so it’s a clear manifestation of a ghost,” Ed explained.

[An entity like that is considered a ghost because, if you notice, there was no reaction from the passerby. If he saw it, he would have reacted. So, it's a clear manifestation of a ghost.]

According to folklore, a ghost is an apparition or the spirit of a deceased person, believed to manifest before the living.

Poltergeist

In another video, an entity was captured on camera hurling a keyboard to the ground. It wasn't clear what it looked like, but it was similar to the figure of a cat.

“Poltergeist ‘yan, sa punto na ‘yan, malakas ‘yan kasi kaya nang manakit ng mga ganyang klase,” Ed said.

[That's a poltergeist, at that point. It's strong because it's capable of causing that kind of harm.]

“Kasi kung kaya niya pagalawin ‘yung keyboard, which is medyo mabbigat na, kaya rin niyang itapon,” he added.

[If it can move the keyboard, which is quite heavy, it can also throw it.]

According to Merriam-Webster, a poltergeist is a "mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises."

Doppelganger

A netizen's horror story was read at "Unang Hirit," and it talked about a person seeing his brother in the kitchen, knowing fully that he saw him asleep in his room.

According to Ed, it could be a doppelganger or an etheric double. 

“Doppleganger ‘yan, kinokopya [lang] ‘yung image ng kaniyang kapatid, or pwede rin etheric double, parang nagproject lang ‘yung memories ng kanyang kapatid na ginawa yung [action na ‘yun in the past],” Ed explained.

[That's a doppelganger; it mimics the image of his sibling. Alternatively, it could be an etheric double, where his brother's memories projected that action as if it happened in the past.]

According to Merriam-Webster, a doppelganger is a "ghostly counterpart of a living person." On the other hand, an etheric double is an "invisible etheric body of human beings."

— Hermes Joy Tunac / CACM, GMA integrated News