Ghost vs Spirit
Ghosts and spirits are essentially the same as they live in the same realm and have the same kind of energy. However, there are subtle differences too.
A ghost has more of a negative connotation associated with it when in comparison to a spirit. It is like a soul that finds it difficult to cross the realm between living and the non-living. Ghost stories add on to this feeling of being scared and wary of ghosts that you might find around the corner.
On the other hand, spirits are there, and we may feel them such as a cold blast of air or a sound in the corner. They are like elves in fairytales who might be mischievous but not harm you maliciously. Spirits are here to give us a guiding hand and are associated with a guardian angel. A parent or grandparent who loved you dearly and can’t bear seeing you in anguish will come to you in your time of need. They can be great sources of comfort and even advice one in subtle ways.
Ghosts do nothing of this sort for us. They are there and just their presence is ominous with bad tidings. They are probably waiting for someone to help them to pass on to the next realm where they actually belong.
There could be bad spirits too, which are out to harm us, but they can be counted on our fingers. But, ghosts are usually associated with someone who is angry, aggressive and has a lot of hurt and pent up frustration within. Such kinds of unhappy ghosts are known as Poltergeists. They love to see people frightened out of their skin. The more uncomfortable and frightened you are the happier they feel. Therefore, ghosts are associated with banging of doors, hearing thumping footsteps. All these things are possibly to get our attention.
To sum up, ghosts are the stuck souls waiting to pass on to the next realm and continue with the learning process. Whereas, spirits are those that have passed on to the next realm and now are able to fluidly move across different realms and be besides those who need comfort.
The concept of ghost and spirit are entirely based on human beliefs.