Do you believe in ghosts?

Kramerman · July 8, 2003, 16:13

As a man of science and atheism, I am one to be very skeptical on these matters. If i were to make a decision, I would say that I dont believe in ghosts as in the spirits of the dead... tho sometimes I hear stories that makes me wonder...

I have heard some speculate that some ghost 'phenomena' could possiblely be the result of higher dimensional beings occupying the same space as us, and other pretty out there explainations, but I dunno any of the evidence for these theories.

I just rest assured tho with my .45... 'cause I figure that if there are ghosts, they can hurt me only if i can hurt them

monolith94 · July 8, 2003, 16:18

It's not that I don't care - it's that I don't know. It could be yes, could be no...

Japher · July 8, 2003, 16:24

As an engineer I keep an open mind to enything that can't be explained, and attempt to explain such phenomena through science. Belief? I don't know.

Though I have heard of people picking up "haunts" with EMF and other electrical equipment. Leading me to hypothesis that "ghosts" are not "spirits" per se, but electormagnetic empressions... Who knows?

Solver · July 8, 2003, 16:31

As a scientific kind of a guy - no, there are no ghosts as in spirits of the dead, or along these lines.

However, they are nonetheless seen, even by people with scientific background. And I've read of an explanation that satisfied me completely. When a ghost is walking around, it's actually extremely loud in the place, just outside of human ear recognition. That can also explain things vingrating, and such. Then, if the frequency of sound somehow matches that of eyeball (I don't have this part exactly correct now, need to look it up), it can result in visual images. Those, when being tried to be understood by the brains, can create images of headless men or such.

Boris Godunov · July 8, 2003, 16:44

The phenomena that people ascribe to "ghosts" are widespread, but so are alien abductions and UFO sightings, and I don't put any stock in those being real instances of extra-terrestrial actions.

I'm not convinced such phenomena are anything other than people's imaginations run wild or out-and-out lies. However, I'm not unwilling to consider such things being real phenomena that people have experienced, but that have perfectly natural explanations of which we just aren't yet aware.

I've been in purportedly "haunted" places where people around me claimed to feel all kinds of things and see things, and I didn't share any of these experiences. I was willing to experience them, too, as I think it would be cool. That leads me to believe people were just overexcited and willing to believe they experienced things that weren't there.

Jon Miller · July 8, 2003, 17:09

how in the world can you be a man of atheism and a man of science??

that is just silly

being an athiest and a scientist is reasonable, otoh (even though agnosticism and scientist goes together the best)

Jon Miller

SlowwHand · July 8, 2003, 17:12

I've never seen a ghost, nor do I know under what circumstances they might exist.
That said, I believe they might be around.

geeslaka · July 8, 2003, 17:23

I don't see ghosts but my brain tends to organize visual noise into threatening shapes.

st_swithin · July 8, 2003, 17:52

YES 100% ABSOULUTELY
There are most DEFINITELY ghosts out there. It's just that most of the time, people choose not to listen to them. Anyone can hear them, but almost no-one can recognise it, even when they see, hear, touch, smell, or taste it.

The State of Denial is bigger than Texas.

Sava · July 8, 2003, 17:56

Nah I don't think so. The concept doesn't make much sense. Billions of life forms have lived and died on this planet, what makes humans so special? In the spot I'm sitting right now, I'm sure perhaps hundreds, thousands or whatever number of living things died over the course of 4 billion years or so. Yet, I don't see ghosts. I once read that there have been something over 200 billion humans that have ever lived. The Earth would be pretty crowded with ghosts if that were the case.

SlowwHand · July 8, 2003, 17:56

Almost, not quite.

Nubclear · July 8, 2003, 17:56

Of course they exist.

Boris Godunov · July 8, 2003, 17:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Jon Miller
how in the world can you be a man of atheism and a man of science??

that is just silly

being an athiest and a scientist is reasonable, otoh (even though agnosticism and scientist goes together the best)

Jon Miller

Apparently I understand the meaning of "worship" better than you understand the meanings of "science," "atheism" or "agnosticism."

Kuciwalker · July 8, 2003, 17:59

I believe people see ghosts.

I don't believe they are actually, physically "there".

Nubclear · July 8, 2003, 18:01

Quote:

Originally posted by Sava
Nah I don't think so. The concept doesn't make much sense. Billions of life forms have lived and died on this planet, what makes humans so special? In the spot I'm sitting right now, I'm sure perhaps hundreds, thousands or whatever number of living things died over the course of 4 billion years or so. Yet, I don't see ghosts. I once read that there have been something over 200 billion humans that have ever lived. The Earth would be pretty crowded with ghosts if that were the case.

However, after about 2 weeks, most ghosts lose interest in Earth and ascend. To where, I don't know.

However, certainly there are many who stay. Some of animals, some of humans. We more easily recognize humans because we are humans.

Anyway, most ghosts that are seen are called "Astral shells". They aren't ghosts perse, but just a shell of a former person. Doesn't think, doesn't feel....Just mimicks.
There are other types as well. Many ghosts are poltergiests (they are able to interact with the physical world). Ghosts of this nature are very often disturbed and REFUSE to ascend for whatever reason. As a ghost stays on Earth, it begins to lose higher awareness (pleasure, compassion, etc) and begins to falter to lower emotions such as pain and unhappiness.
BUT, in order to stay on Earth, they have to constantly feed off of the life energy of people, so they attack. You can tell when your being attacked when there is a LARGE temperature change (hot or cold), you begin feeling hungry and dizzy, sleepy....
Some ghosts crave sex. They enter a person, and...well, arouse them. But the feelings of arousal aren't there, just the "symptoms". These beings often looks like balls of light with crystals around them and are very beautiful.
Then there are others who are addicted to drugs. They enter a person, and influence them to take drugs. This stimulates both the person and the ghost.

Welcome to the world of New Age.

Sava · July 8, 2003, 18:02

Quote:

Welcome to the world of New Age.

I just hear a "Cuckoo Clock" going off.

Nubclear · July 8, 2003, 18:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Sava

I just hear a "Cuckoo Clock" going off.

Thats a symptom of schizophrenia. Maybe you should get checked out

Az · July 8, 2003, 18:10

No. though the mind works in mysterious ways.

Sava · July 8, 2003, 18:11

Quote:

Maybe you should get checked out

that's okay... I just saw a ghost and he said it was all good.

st_swithin · July 8, 2003, 18:17

okey dokey.

No, wait, I already get pills for that.

Thanks, Tassadar5000 -
that's the best gift Utah ever gave me, and I mean that sincerely. ·|)<=

Pekka · July 8, 2003, 18:22

I don't know.. I used to believe in them when I was a kid, 100%, but now.. I've never encountered any so I don't know. But, I keep that possibility open.

August Borms · July 8, 2003, 18:31

I'm sure that ghosts don't exist.

Isn't it so that what we think of ghosts (= basically transparent dead people floating around

) is a thing that is only present in *some* European cultures and completely unheard of in other cultures?

If ghosts really existed, wouldn't the myths over the entire world be much more alike?

Nubclear · July 8, 2003, 18:36

Quote:

Originally posted by August Borms
*some* European cultures and completely unheard of in other cultures?

In my visits to India, there are many beliefs related to ghosts...

I'm not really sure what your talkin about here

st_swithin · July 8, 2003, 18:36

"Rhy rho rho, Rhaggy." - Scooby doobey doo!

August Borms · July 8, 2003, 18:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Tassadar5000

In my visits to India, there are many beliefs related to ghosts...

I'm not really sure what your talkin about here

Well, I believe in Iceland they didn't have ghosts but they had what we would call zombies, and in Africa they believed in spirits who occupy animals/trees/people IIRC but not transparent dead tribal chiefs haunting the village or something

I could be wrong though, mentally ill people probably see the same things over the entire world

st_swithin · July 8, 2003, 19:06

As a matter of fact, August, we DO indeed see exactly the same things. Just not at the same time.

'Slavery is bad. Norway is good!' -my cat

Jon Miller · July 8, 2003, 19:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

Apparently I understand the meaning of "worship" better than you understand the meanings of "science," "atheism" or "agnosticism."

I doubt it

I was mostly picking at the wording

'man of science'

'man of athiesm'

Jon Miller

lightblue · July 8, 2003, 19:14

Quote:

Originally posted by st_swithin
·|)<=

Is this like a Rorschach smilie? 'Cause I am seeing something rather disturbing that does not fit well with the rest of the line

SlowwHand · July 8, 2003, 19:16

He does.

st_swithin · July 8, 2003, 19:19

No, actually it was a somewhat abstract emoticon of a Chinese person bowing with hands together.

Machiavelli knew what he was talking about. I'm pretty sure he has Faust on speed-dial.

The lemur resolution to find the world beautiful and fun has made Madagascar beautiful and fun. (Leemur)