Ghosts Exist, or Do They?

[Neon Ignition]

We have a multi-year running thread discussing the chances of alien presences on Earth and the various social, political and religious ramifications that it would entail. We've combed over white spots on grainy footage and testimonies from those speaking out to convince others of their experiences.

So, especially given the time of year, it seems a fitting outcome that we have a sister thread for the other common belief around the world with a similar history of accounts and evidence.

The existence of the spirits of the deceased, other apparitions and unexplained experiences

Experience: I am a full-time paranormal investigator | Life and style | The Guardian
This article reminded me to start this thread, a man who doesn't believe in Ghosts but none the less has dedicated his work to following up on sightings and seeking evidence that they might be real instances.


But, what are your thoughts on the belief that Ghosts exist?

[MartyG]

There are more dead people than alive people, if there were ghosts we'd be inundated with them.

Ghosts are just a manifestation of our hope that when you die there isn't nothingness and you cease to simply exist in the universe.

[Asura]

But, what are your thoughts on the belief that Ghosts exist?

I don't believe they do.

I'm totally open the idea that there might be unexplained phenomena that cause similar things. Extra-dimensional things being briefly visible in our spatial dimensions, localised quantum... Things. I'm not a scientist. Point is that I'm not saying everyone who believes they've experienced ghostly happenings is "making it up"; they genuinely might've seen something that could be considered "paranomal".

But I don't believe in ghosts as such.

[teddymeow]

No, they don't exist.

[MartyG]

I'm totally open the idea that there might be unexplained phenomena that cause similar things.

Glitches in the simulation.

[Neon Ignition]

When it comes to those who believe, I find it interesting how easily unquestioning it is.

Take the whole witching hour thing that is represented or referred to all the time, that at 3:15am ghosts are most active.

That's not why that time has become mythical, it's because it's the time that that people most commonly wake to go to the bathroom having drank before going to bed so any nerves of being the dark has translated to that time being cited as 'ghostly'. That's before it meaning that spirits adhere to following time of day - which means that they also follow international timezones - which also means they observe each nations individual stances on clock changes

Effectively, it means the afterlife has a government body that informs them of such dates and enforces its implementation.




What I often hate is when you get in a discussion, often when watching a film, where someone who believes will see someone wander into a creepy abandoned building in the dead of night and the discussion will immediately go:

"Would you go in there?"
"No"
"I thought you didn't believe in Ghosts?"
"I don't"
"Yet you wouldn't go in there?"
"No"
"See, you must believe in them!"


No - I believe in murders!

[wheelaa]

We had a phantom dumper at school.

[Yakumo]

We had a phantom dumper at school.

Lol, we had one of those who would visit the ladies staff toilet when I worked at HMV in the late 90s.

[Golgo]

I once saw the ghost of a dog. And this was well before I heard that awful song from Edie Brickell. Makes you think...

The dog was a whippet, called Jet. [details added for authenticity of visitation from a hound]

[fishbowlhead]

I've always thought what people see as ghosts are just a ripple in time, your getting a brief glimpse of something that's happened and gone, but that's it.

That's my take on it anyway.


Saying that, down our old factory, leigh on sea, there were some SERIOUSLY weird things that went on a daily basis, everyone witnessed it 1 by 1, and we had 20 odd staff at that time.

[fuse]

I had a job at uni working at the bar of a bowling alley that also had a Laser Quest-esque venture on the side of it. Fair play to them, the cleaning staff had managed to convince the management that a) they'd seen a ghost in there and that b) this excused them from going back in there to clean any more. It got left to the rest of the staff to clean it out, who unsurprisingly did a terrible job of it. It was filthy.

[Neon Ignition]

Ghosts are affected by gravity, another thing that goes against the default stance on things. As they have no corporeal presence the hurtling of the Earth at over 1,000 miles per hour in rotation whilst simulatenously racing at 66,000 miles per hour through space should mean you become a ghost and are instantly left for all eternity floating aimlessly and alone through the void of space.

[Neon Ignition]

Three of the most famous photo evidences

[Yakumo]

Three of the most famous photo evidences

I remember that first photo on the stairs from a book when j was a kid. I'm sure it was proven to be fake.
The photo of the kid is just that, a boy sticking his head around a door frame. The white eyes are caused by reflection.

The second photo Ive never seen before.

[MartyG]

The first one is a light leak or processing issue, the others are double exposures or just people standing in frame.