In a new approach to the theory of integration over Wess-Zumino supermanifo
lds, we suggest that a fundamental principle is their consistency with an "
Ethereal Conjecture" that asserts the topology of the supermanifold must be
generated essentially from its bosonic submanifold. This naturally leads t
o a theory of "ectoplasmic" integration based on super p-forms. One consequ
ence of this approach is that the derivation of "density projection operato
rs" becomes trivial in a number of supergravity theories. (C) 1999 Elsevier
Science B.V.