Long gone are the days of Casper; a friendly floating chap who went out of his way to reassure children that spectres were in fact very approachable beings.
Today our screens are polluted by hideously ugly, dead women that scream into the faces of the living and make their lives a living hell.
Their existence will be up for debate until the end of time, but the five photos below put forward a strong argument for their legitimacy.
5. Spirit In The Woods
A case of photoshop?
No. Photoshop didn't exist in 1959 when this famous photo was taken by Reverend R.S. Blance near Alice Springs, Australia.
The woman appears to be wearing a white dress and holding her hands just beneath her chin.
4. Monk In Church
This ghost, captured in 1954 by Reverend K.F. Ford, bears an uncanny resemblance to the main antagonist in the Scream movies.
Ford accidentally snapped the screaming spectre whilst taking pictures of his church in England. Examinations have taken place and no evidence has been found to suggest the photo has been tampered with.
3. Lady Of Bachelor's Grove
Cemetery's are a place you'd expect to find ghosts and this shot, taken at Bachelor's Grove cemetery in Illinois, lives up to that stereotype.
The ghost was captured by Mari Huff, a member of the acclaimed paranormal investigating group Ghost Research Society. However, rather eerily, she claims the spectre was not there when the picture was taken.
2. The Fire Girl
November 19th, 1995 saw Wem Town Hall in England crumble to the floor in ash as a fire blazed through its walls.
Local photographer Tony O'Rahilly was on hand to capture a few photo's from the disaster and was stunned to find this image as he flicked through his images. A young girl appears to be watching on, unfazed by the inferno before her. Firefighters claims there was no one in the building and no missing report was submitted.
1. The Brown Lady
This photo, considered to be the most famous ghost photo in the world, was taken in 1936 at Raynham Hall in Norfolk.
The spectre is said to be that of Dorothy Townshend, a former resident of the hall along with her abusive husband Charles. Dorothy is rumoured to have engaged in an affair with Lord Wharton. When Charles learned of her affair, he imprisoned and killed her.