Ghosts: Real or Not?

[Jonny B]

So I don’t know if anyone saw the Video I posted in the Bar Room a few minutes ago, but it’s a video reportedly taken of a child filming and capturing footage of a Ghost. That video got me thinking, thinking about Ghosts and the Paranormal in Genera

Now I’m usually a very rational person, I’m not really religious and I put a big emphasis on science… however I do believe in Ghosts or at least the notion of people soul’s being here in some form or another. A psychic once told me that I had a Ghost or Spirit looking over me, apparently my Great Nan I was quite young at the time and didn’t really believe it because well there was nothing to prove otherwise. But on quite a few occasions throughout my life when I have been going through a tough time or just had a bad day or something similar when I get into bed in the evening and turn everything off I can feel a presence with me, now I know most people will go “What the Fuck?” and scoff at the notion, and honestly I wouldn’t blame you… I have no proof all I have is my ‘feeling’.

Following on from that though, I told you I put a great emphasis on Science, well it is fact that the human body to a degree is made up of energy; some cultures may refer to that as a soul or something similar. I think this is correct, please someone correct me if I’m wrong but energy cannot actually be destroyed, it can be used and or shaped into different things but not merely extinguished like for example when someone dies, their body is for all intensive purposes destroyed and literally rots away over time. Now let’s say that the energy in your body now has to go somewhere, is it completely inconceivable that that energy could possibly carry some part of your consciousness? I think it is and that, that energy could be somehow kept here as sort of an imprint of you… or as a Ghost? I think it’s definitely possible.

But anyway, what do you think… Ghosts: Real or Not?

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

I am definitely not a believer in ghosts, or the soul for that matter. If anything, I think that we haven't even started to scratch the surface of how the brain works. Ultimately, I think we will find that what we call the mind or the soul (i.e., consciousness) is totally reducible to the workings of the brain.

As for you feeling the presence of your Grandmother, I personally think that that is all it was: a feeling. Obviously, you have very fond memories of her, and these memories probably triggered some nerochemical reaction in your brain intended to alleviate your anxiety/stress.

 

[klunderbunker]

I would say yes they do. With as many weird things as there are in this world and in the supernatural world, I could easily see it being true. I've never experienced anything like them, but I've heard people that I trust talk about experiences that they have. I can't come up with any reason to concretely prove they don't exist, so I can't see why they wouldn't.

 

[Tastycles]

So I don’t know if anyone saw the Video I posted in the Bar Room a few minutes ago, but it’s a video reportedly taken of a child filming and capturing footage of a Ghost.

The video is almost certainly a fake. It is backed up by the evidence of a nine year old, and there isn't anybody in the history of the world that has filmed their landing for no reason. If you saw that, and it was real, there is absolutely no way you would be able to hold the camera as steady as the kid.

Now I’m usually a very rational person, I’m not really religious and I put a big emphasis on science… however I do believe in Ghosts or at least the notion of people soul’s being here in some form or another. A psychic once told me that I had a Ghost or Spirit looking over me, apparently my Great Nan I was quite young at the time and didn’t really believe it because well there was nothing to prove otherwise.

Unfortunately, this is something that people do. I genuinely believe that there are people who think they can contact "the other side" and who think that they are helping by contacting people's relatives. Think about what they say though, it's very vague. I was watching "Crossing Over with John Edward" who is alledgedly one of the best in this profession, but every claim he made was incorrect, it's just saying what people want to hear.

But on quite a few occasions throughout my life when I have been going through a tough time or just had a bad day or something similar when I get into bed in the evening and turn everything off I can feel a presence with me, now I know most people will go “What the Fuck?” and scoff at the notion, and honestly I wouldn’t blame you… I have no proof all I have is my ‘feeling’.

Different people deal with problems in different ways, and obviously it offers you some comfort and solace to feel that you are not alone, and the memory of the psychic's words offers you that comfort. I sometimes feel my mother is with me, but I know she isn't, it's just my mind playing tricks. However, sometimes I do lose myself in the feeling you are describing, but I just don't believe it's real.

Following on from that though, I told you I put a great emphasis on Science, well it is fact that the human body to a degree is made up of energy; some cultures may refer to that as a soul or something similar. I think this is correct, please someone correct me if I’m wrong but energy cannot actually be destroyed, it can be used and or shaped into different things but not merely extinguished like for example when someone dies, their body is for all intensive purposes destroyed and literally rots away over time. Now let’s say that the energy in your body now has to go somewhere, is it completely inconceivable that that energy could possibly carry some part of your consciousness? I think it is and that, that energy could be somehow kept here as sort of an imprint of you… or as a Ghost? I think it’s definitely possible.

Energy is not a thing in its own right. Energy and mass are the same thing, that is what E=mc squared is about. The energy within people is obtained by chemical reactions, and it is lost when we do things. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, that is true but when we die, any energy we have is released as heat energy. That is why dead bodies are cold.

I am definitely not a believer in ghosts, or the soul for that matter. If anything, I think that we haven't even started to scratch the surface of how the brain works. Ultimately, I think we will find that what we call the mind or the soul (i.e., consciousness) is totally reducible to the workings of the brain.

When you consider that the brain can be reduced to neurons, and that reduction is not properly understood, then it's easy to come to this conclusion, and I think you're right. It's even easier to understand when you think that the neurons can be reduced to atoms and molecules, which can be reduced to quantum effects.

I've heard people that I trust talk about experiences that they have. I can't come up with any reason to concretely prove they don't exist, so I can't see why they wouldn't.

I don't believe that these people are lying, there are members of my family who swear that they have seen ghosts. I believe that they think they have, but they are mistaken. Be it atmospheric affects, tricks of the light, or just a case of mistaken identity people see things and they sub conciously want them to be real, because they miss a family member, or maybe just because they feel they should see one. So, in my opinion, there is no such thing as ghosts.

 

[TheOneBigWill]

Its almost too hard to prove Ghosts are real, without looking like a moron or idiot yourself. I mean, do "I" believe they are real and "out there?" Absolutely. On the simple basis that some things you just don't have a reasonable explanation for, otherwise. But that's kinda jumping back to the "it's hard to prove it" fact.

For most stories, they're either made-up to ease an unstable person's mind. (ie. Someone was raped, or hurt very badly.. so they altered the entire situation to believe themselves that it was a Supernatural event.) Or these stories are purely fictional, mainly to get attention. (ie. The tons of random news-flies who come out only to say they've been taken to a U.F.O.)

However, some things are unexplainable. For example, personally, a white flash of light that seemed almost like a headlight, went right through a vehicle I was in, when I was a bit younger. (13) I can't explain that as being anything other than the unknown.

It was late at night, and ironically enough it was on a back farm road, coming home from a Halloween Haunted House. So that story could easily be taken as fake. Yet the truth is, I have no real explanation of what could've happened, other than to say.. maybe it was a low flying plane, who's light just happened to shine directly into the car. Or maybe it was a contact-high if someone else in the car would've been smoking. (can't say anyone was or wasn't)

The full story is that basically put we were on a road that was too small for two vehicles to travel on, unless they went off the side of the road. Since it was pitch black out, our car pulled over.. and the on-going light looked as if it turned to come directly at us. At which point, some type of light literally went through the middle of the car.

There is no possible way I tell this story to anyone and everyone all the time, because even "I" would look at myself as a fucking moron. But the fact is, I have no understanding explanation for what happened. So because of that moment, I surely believe in Supernatural events and the "paranormal".

 

[Monkey_Mania]

I myself DO believe in ghosts. As I do with aliens and some cryptozoology creatures. There is no evidence to prove that ghosts are real. Just as there is no evidence that ghosts are not real. I believe that if someone had something to finish here on earth then their soul gets stuck here. Some are good, some are evil. Do I think Ghosts are scary? You bet your ass I do. Until their is some concrete evidence that Ghosts are not real, then I am not going to stop believing.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

Im on the fence about this, I personally have never seen any concrete evidence of ghosts/spirits. I watch some of those shows on the Discovery Channel and watched some videos on youtube but any of them could easily be doctored so you never know.

I have heard so many friends and family members though swear by it that they seen or heard something unexplainable before so I hate to call them liars but sometimes your mind does play tricks on you or it could be some other explanation. But with so many testimonials from so many different people throughout history you would have to think they exist, I mean I wouldnt think everybody would be making it up.

 

[The Big Gunnzbowski]

Personally, I believe that yes, they are real. I've had more than my share of paranormal experiences in my lifetime...my first happening when I was 8 years old... My grandfather was in the hospital 200 miles away, after suffering a massive stroke. I went to bed like any other night, and only a few hours after falling asleep, was woken up by my bed shaking, as if someone had just plopped down onto it. I woke up, turned on the light, and sat up... and there, at the foot of my bed, was my grandfather. He smiled at me, said "No matter what anybody says, I always loved you. I gotta go now, but always remember that I always loved you." I sat there for a minute or two, petrified for the most part, but eventually got out of bed and walked out into the living room. My mom was standing there, crying. She just got off the phone with the hospital...my grandfather had died about 10 minutes before... Around the time I saw him in my room... That's what started my interest in the paranormal and I have been into it ever since. I'm a full fledged "Ghost Hunter" even now. My thing about people believing and not believing and demanding proof and such, pretty much boils down to this:

When people demand proof, do they really know WHAT they're asking for? Do we REALLY know how a "sprit" would manifest itself? I mean, we all assume that since this energy was a person in life, that they would continue to take that form after the fact? Do people see what they see because that's what it really is? Or are they seeing a predetermined image already programmed by the brain? Meaning, are people seeing things for what they really are or what they believe it SHOULD look like? The power of suggestion is really strong in group situations, which is why I rarely take seriously the clusterfuck of shows on tv that claim to be paranormal investigators... If one person hears a noise, they'll ask, "Did you hear that?! Did you see that?! Did you feel that?!"
When I conduct my investigations, I require total silence from all involved, and if there is something there, the proof will be in the evidence. I don't want someone suggesting that something is there, because somebody else will agree, 9 times out of 10. There's not going to be any definite proof that's going to 100% convince everybody... ever. Skeptics will always try and debunk anything you throw at them, and even if they cannot scientifically disprove what they see, they'll always say that it's not paranormal, but there IS an explanation...we just haven't found it yet...

 

[Tastycles]

I am surprised that I'm in the minority here, but perhapsI shouldn't be. Firstly, I'm going to wear my philosophy of science cap for a second and say that the burden of proof here is most definitely on the believers. Why? Becausean insubstantial, translucent manifestation of a dead person, is completely against the laws of physics.

Think of it like this, if I say that there is an invisible man behind you right now, that you can't touch, you wouldn't believe me. If I then said "proove they aren't", you couldn't, and this is the same. I could even go as far as saying that the Second Coming of Christ is here and regularly reads these forums. Proove that doesn't happen. You can't.

As for trying to explain individual cases, it's hard unless you were there. Gunnz, I imagine that your experience was a dream born out of worry for your grandfather. I've said previously that I regularly thought I'd seen my dead mother, but I know I didn't, it's just a way of coping, particularly with children. I realise that this is a sensitive subject, and I really don't mean to offend, and sincerely apologise if I have.

Will, your case is actually one ofthe most common ghost sightings. What happens is that light from an oncoming vehicle, is reflected off the glass within your car. You probably saw the vehicle, which then moved off the road or out of the way or something, but it's light was trapped in the car. This is rare, but it does happen, and is to do with the angle at which the light beam hits your car.

There are countless common rational explanations for these sightings such as pareidolia, which is seeing patterns in random shapes, slight carbon monoxide poisoning and ionised air particles.

 

[Pimpin]

No I don't believe in ghost or any of that voodoo shit. For 1 people would think i'm crazy if I captured a ghost on videotape. Second if I saw an invisible person behind me then how the hell would I prove it. The answer to that is I can't. And finally most of the time that people se ghosts it's usually when their dreaming anyways.

 

[The Big Gunnzbowski]

I am surprised that I'm in the minority here, but perhapsI shouldn't be. Firstly, I'm going to wear my philosophy of science cap for a second and say that the burden of proof here is most definitely on the believers. Why? Becausean insubstantial, translucent manifestation of a dead person, is completely against the laws of physics.

Think of it like this, if I say that there is an invisible man behind you right now, that you can't touch, you wouldn't believe me. If I then said "proove they aren't", you couldn't, and this is the same. I could even go as far as saying that the Second Coming of Christ is here and regularly reads these forums. Proove that doesn't happen. You can't.

As for trying to explain individual cases, it's hard unless you were there. Gunnz, I imagine that your experience was a dream born out of worry for your grandfather. I've said previously that I regularly thought I'd seen my dead mother, but I know I didn't, it's just a way of coping, particularly with children. I realise that this is a sensitive subject, and I really don't mean to offend, and sincerely apologise if I have.

Will, your case is actually one ofthe most common ghost sightings. What happens is that light from an oncoming vehicle, is reflected off the glass within your car. You probably saw the vehicle, which then moved off the road or out of the way or something, but it's light was trapped in the car. This is rare, but it does happen, and is to do with the angle at which the light beam hits your car.

There are countless common rational explanations for these sightings such as pareidolia, which is seeing patterns in random shapes, slight carbon monoxide poisoning and ionised air particles.

That's the thing...family and friends have had the same response. They say it was a dream. It wasn't... I can distinguish dreams from reality. The one thing that makes it stick out to me, is what he said to me. It made absolutely no sense...until years later. About six years later, my grandmother told me it was my fault he died. That it was my fault he had the accident that caused him to end up in the hospital to begin with... Looking back on his words, they made perfect sense. There was no rational explanation for him to have said what he said at the time, as it made absolutely no sense. It's really hard to explain, but I guess I have to agree with you in that the burden of proof is on the believers. But let me ask you a question, if I may? Being of the scientific persuasion(?), what would be definitive proof for you?

 

[Blade]

I used to, cause it did make sense... in it's own, strange, spirirt-wandering-the-earth kinda way...

But one day I watched this programme. A programme called Most Haunted: Live. The gist is, they a bunch of douchebags, bring them to an old abandoned castle and they try some "ghost hunting"....
The aforemention d-bags wander around the castle, completly freaking the hell out anytime they here any noise. Cause they think the noise was made by the "ghosts" in the castle...
And they occasionally get a "psychic" to come to the castle with them to "communicate" (too many inverted commas...?) with these spirits.
And by communicate, i mean the guy closes his eyes, has a mild seizure, then talks in a ridiculous voice, repeating what the ghost is supposedly saying to him.

Wow... Just wow. It's hard to take the thought of ghosts being real seriously after that...

 

[Tim]

Basically, this is always going to be theoretical, and something people will always argue about. As for me, I think that ghosts are real. every night, it feels like someone is watching over me, and every time I open my eyes when it's dark, I can always feel a presence and I see an out of focus soft white light, that quickly disappears. I could be imagining things, but it could be ghosts. I think there are many things in this world that are unexplainable, and there are believers, and there are non believers. And you have to choose which side you belong to.

 

[Phenom1388]

Oh, I definately believe that ghosts are real. I would not think "What the fuck?" when you say you feel a presence, Jonny B. I remember about 4 years ago my mom & I lived in an apartment. My bedroom always scared the shit outta me! At night I'd just be sitting in bed, trying to go to sleep with the covers over my head because it felt like something was RIGHT there next to me, & it didn't feel friendly or comfortable; it felt menacing, dark, hell I guess you could say evil. I'd sneak out of my room at night & sleep in the living room on the couch!

Then my aunt moved in with us. I moved out of bedroom, my aunt took the bedroom. She's good at recognizing the paranormal, so a few months ago I asked her, "Was that room haunted?" She told me, with that tone of voice that means you're 100% certain about something, that it was. Whatever was in there must have been menacing, because my aunt, who knows alot about ghosts & knows they CAN NOT hurt you(demons can, ghosts can't), was not comfortable unless she slept with a knife under her pillow. Is that good enough evidence for ya?

 

[OIL]

I would say ghosts are real. Basically, there is no evidence to prove that there isn't; just like there isn't any evidence to prove that they are. However, with all the videos & pictures I would say that I believe in them. I mean, there have been so many weird happenings in the world that for anyone to completly dismiss it would be naieve.(sp?) My friend gets councelling because she saw her grandma after she died. She was scared shitless. Other mates have run out of houses after he woke up & saw a ghost sitting in the chair opposite him. Mind you, it was a very old Victorian house.

 

[logan]

I dont belive in them and I think alot of it is in people heads but I Dont really no sometimes some crazy shit can happen