Life and Relationships

What Does the Bible Say About Ghosts?

The Bible does not teach that deceased human beings remain on earth as ghosts. Scripture teaches that the dead are unconscious until the resurrection while also teaching the existence of angels and evil spirits.

Published 2026-09-13 · Updated 2026-09-27

Written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team. Read our editorial policy.

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Great ControversyState of the Dead

Biblical explanation

Ecclesiastes says: “The dead know not any thing” (). says that when a person dies: “his thoughts perish.” Jesus compared death to sleep when describing Lazarus (). Scripture also forbids attempts to communicate with the dead: “Should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?” (). likewise prohibits consulting mediums and spiritists. The Bible does teach the existence of supernatural spiritual beings. Therefore, Scripture does not require us to conclude that every supernatural experience is imaginary. But it does not teach that deceased humans become wandering spirits. This distinction is important. The biblical teaching about death should be interpreted alongside its warnings against spiritism and communication with the dead.

In brief

Ecclesiastes says: “The dead know not any thing” ().

Bible references

Go deeper into this topic Where Did Evil Come From? Start the study

Editorial note

This answer is written and reviewed by the Word Oasis Editorial Team, and is presented with supporting references so you can examine each passage in context. If you notice an error or unclear statement, please suggest a correction.