Is "Ghost in the machine" an acceptable alternative way of saying "Deus ex Machina?"?

I know Deus ex machina means "god from the machine."



I am wondering, however, if my writing teacher was correct when he said it as "ghost in the machine."

Was he mistaken, and if so, what would "ghost in the machine" mean?



Also, how do you personally define Deus ex Machina.Is "Ghost in the machine" an acceptable alternative way of saying "Deus ex Machina?"?
Deus ex Machina is a term used in literature. It describes a fail-safe plot device. When you've written yourself into a corner, you introduce a new character or machine or a character suddenly develops a new ability, and this new addition suddenly solves the problem.



For instance, you've written that your hero has been captured by villains and left for dead in the middle of a desert with no food, water or shelter. Suddenly he realizes he can fly. Problem solved, just like that.



It's basically considered a cop-out in writing. You make little or no effort to use logic to solve the problem, and simply introduce something new that, gold-like, instantly saves the day.



Your teacher may have accidentally said "ghost" when he meant "god." Or, if you follow the previous commenter's link, it references a book on philosophy with that title. The basic concept of that philosophy is that that sometime primitive, instinctual behaviors override the higher logical brain functions. However, that's not the same thing at all.Is "Ghost in the machine" an acceptable alternative way of saying "Deus ex Machina?"?
Try this:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_th鈥?/a>



I for one always thought it meant a bug or a glitch, but then I work with computers, but that is the way we used the term, correct or not