History Main / AnAstralProjectionNotAGhost

* In ''Manga/MobPsycho100'', a ghost peeking at one of the clients through the window turns out to be an astral projection of a psychic.

* ''Film/GhostDad'' reveals at the end that Creator/BillCosby's character, apparently a ghost, is actually in a coma in the hospital and that the "ghost" is a projection that he's been controlling from the hospital bed. His daughter also becomes a ghost after being knocked unconscious, albeit briefly. The ability is said to be genetic.

* ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'': Kai has a brief freak out when Jinora astral projects into his cell, though she reassures him that it's just a high-level airbending and spiritual technique, she's not a ghost.

* In ''LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai'', [[spoiler:the ghostly antagonist of the first chapter/movie turns out to be an out-of-body experience of a bedridden, blind girl named Fujou Kirie]].

* A girl in ''Anime/MoribitoGuardianOfTheSpirit'' ends up this way after drinking wine with a magical flower in it.

* Harry Potter does this in the Fanfic/{{Dangerverse}} fics. When Luna (who is a Seer and can thus see Harry's astral form) first encounters Harry, she is absolutely terrified for a moment. It doesn't help that the last time anyone had seen Harry, he'd been suffering from a sudden and debilitating lupus flare-up.

* Given a twist in ''LightNovel/RokujyoumaNoShinryakusha'', where CuteGhostGirl Sanae turns out to be a mass of spiritual energy that split off from a powerful [[PsychicPowers psychic]] and was concentrated enough to retain her personality and appearance. In book 11 she and the human Sanae are forced to recombine, after which [[SplitPersonalityMerge she acts like the timid "Sanae-san" around family and the energetic "Sanae-chan" around her friends]]. [[ResidualSelfImage She still takes on Sanae-chan's younger appearance while astrally projecting]], though in later books she learns how to [[SplitPersonalityTeam leave Sanae-san behind in her body]] as a LiteralSplitPersonality.

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1602786707007523400
%% Please see thread to discuss a new image.

* The character is capable of using astral projection powers and pretends themselves to be a ghost in order to scare off someone.

* Someone capable of using astral projection powers pretends themselves to be a ghost in order to scare off someone.

* Someone capable of using astral projection pretends themselves to be a ghost in order to scare off someone.

* Someone capable of astral projecting pretends themselves to be a ghost in order to scare off someone.

A SubTrope of TheReveal and an InvertedTrope of sorts to DeadAllAlong. As this is a revelatory trope, '''spoilers will be found ahead'''.

%%%

%%%
[[quoteright:350:[[Series/DoctorWho https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/army_of_ghosts.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:She thinks this is the ghost of her deceased father. She is wrong. Very wrong.]]

* Harry Potter does this in the Fanfic/{{Dangerverse}} fics.

[[caption-width-right:350:She thinks this is the ghost of her late husband. She is wrong. Very wrong.]]

* Happens to Ash Ketchum and Pikachu in the ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' episode "The Tower of Terror" ([[TooSoon which infamously spent a few years off the airwaves due to its title alone]]) after getting struck by a falling chandelier. As the three Ghost Pokemon show them what it's like to be ghosts, Ash befriends Haunter and, after being reunited with his body, asks him to help him against Sabrina back at Saffron City.

* PlayedForLaugh in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'': When Loki uses an illusion to talk to his brother Thor who has been imprisoned in the dungeons on Sakaar, Korg, an inmate, mistakes him for a ghost.

* ''Film/ThorRagnarok'': When Loki uses an illusion to talk to his brother Thor who has been imprisoned in the dungeons on Sakaar, Korg, an inmate, mistakes him for a ghost.

* In ''Film/TheInvisible'', Nick is severely beaten by Annie and her friends, and finds that no one seems to notice him the next day, and changes he makes in the world reset as soon as he looks away. He initially believes himself to be a ghost, but eventually learns that his body is critically injured, but still alive, and that he's having an Out Of Body Experience, with only Annie able to perceive him.

* ''Film/GhostDad'' involves Creator/BillCosby's character, apparently a ghost, actually being in a coma at the end. His daughter also becomes a ghost after being knocked unconscious, albeit briefly. The ability is said to be genetic.

* Given how often ComicBook/DoctorStrange uses AstralProjection, this sort of thing is inevitable. As a master of the art, he never mistakes astral forms for spirits of the deceased, and he has to make a conscious effort to render himself visible to normal sight. When he does so, other (non-mystic) characters will often refer to his astral form as his 'creepy ghost.' He uses this effect on one occasion to convince a bank robber he will be haunted forever unless he releases his hostages and surrenders. It works . . . apparently the "criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot" trope is not franchise-specific.

[[quoteright:350:[[Series/DoctorWho https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/army_of_ghosts.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:She thinks this is the ghost of her late husband. She is wrong. Very wrong.]]]]

* In ''Webcomic/BeneathTheClouds'' the evil spirit possessing the Emperor turns out to be the spirit of the main character,Genza, whose bitterness and resentment at being exiled created a living spirit. He sacrifices himself to exorcise the spirit. It is implied that Genza's sacrifice redeemed him, as he's reunited with his late wife in the afterlife.