Do you believe in ghosts?

Zomoniac

I think this thread is my new favourite thing on the internet.

foxro

Maybe in "some" cases it just comes down to fear of the unknown as a defence system, and certain fears over the years become embellished and lore. Why do certain things tend to creep out some people and not others ? Is it learned behaviour or just natural for us to be creeped out ?

sabified

I've never seen anything to convince me to believe, but I have an aunt who swears her house is haunted... she thinks the old guy who died there before she bought it is still around.

Super creepy pics, btw!

ks4e

The Conjuring's original house is actually in my home state. My husband and I tried to go see the movie twice this weekend and it was sold out each time we went.

I believe in spirits. I've had things happen to me that are really hard to explain. My culture is big on reincarnation and things like that. Sometimes, if you come from a culture with lots of losses and pain, it really helps to believe in spirits and ghosts.

Ophidion

“There is no one reality. Each of us lives in a separate universe. That’s not speaking metaphorically. This is the hypothesis of the stark nature of reality suggested by recent developments in quantum physics. Reality in a dynamic universe is non-objective. Consciousness is the only reality.”~ Prof. M.R. Franks

“We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.”
― Ray Bradbury

Zomoniac

Maybe in "some" cases it just comes down to fear of the unknown as a defence system

I like that idea. Similar to how so many people "find God" when on their death bed or in a time of crisis. Scared of reality? Just make one up instead.

homerjspartan

Of course I believe. And they will be here for us all on 11/5....

Laces_0ut

another explanation for this stuff that i have heard is electromagnetic fields. these fields interact with the electricity in our brains causing neurons to fire and making us see images and hearing things that are not there.

so if an area has a lot of "hauntings" it could be an area with an increased electromagnetic field that is causing it.

again Occam's razor(the simplest solution is often the correct one) ...what is more likely?


you can have a very "real" experience that to you seems like its happening when in actuality its not.

helenrosemay

Notice how haunted places are usually old, draughty places or where an horrific death happened. What about all the other millions of places where someone died, why are we not seeing ghosts there? That's what makes me think ghosts don't exist.

My sister and brother-in-laws house is haunted and it's not drafty nor did a horrific death happen there. I have seen two pictures that they took of the outside of the house when they were doing renovations. In one picture you can clearly see the image of a man in overalls with one strap down standing in the upstairs window. In the other picture there was the image of a woman in a high necked dress with lace at the throat. Apparently they were the farmers who lived in that house about a century (or more) ago. They were also doing renovations on the inside and experienced a little bit of activity. My sister-in-law was in the house alone working. She got tired, went upstairs to take a nap. Right after she laid down and closed her eyes she felt someone sit down on the bed and she was the only one in the house. Her kids have experienced things too and they often have shoes and other items go missing.

I could easily find an explanation for that. I'd say the photos can easily be faked, even if your Sister says they aren't and as for things going missing, my things go missing all the time, it happens. I'm always loosing my tv remote, it gets knocked about and goes missing. The sitting on the bed thing could've been her moving in bed as she was falling asleep, the covers moving as she moved.

soldier4242

Maybe in "some" cases it just comes down to fear of the unknown as a defence system, and certain fears over the years become embellished and lore. Why do certain things tend to creep out some people and not others ? Is it learned behaviour or just natural for us to be creeped out ?

You are not that far off of the current scientific explanations for why people still believe in things like ghosts in the modern era.

Basically the organisms that were afraid of the right things did a better job of staying alive and as a result they did a better job of reproducing. Our ancestors had a whole host of things trying to kill them and their primitive minds learned to fight or flee from everything that scared them.

In the modern era we have found solutions for a great many things. While encountering a hostile bear could have meant death for a part of hunters with sticks in the past. Our modern hunters with shot guns could focus fire the beast to the ground so fast there might not even be a casualty.

This makes many of the fears that used to serve as an important survival mechanism less important but our brains are not going to do away with such a useful life saving tool so easily. So this fear trigger still exists in our minds and it doesn't do a very good job at detecting small things. It detects big life threatening things. So now tree branches scraping against the room become some horrible monsters or ghosts trying to get at you.

The truth is this research is still a long way off but I think it is making the best strides toward finding real answers to why people still think that ghosts are real despite all the times ghost stories are explained.

Juliejustsaying

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
~ Hamlet

I think humans are a prideful lot, and I think there are many things that are beyond our weak understanding. We use only the smallest fraction of our brain capacity, yet we know it all, do we not?

I think it is interesting and fun to speculate on life after death, its what we all question is it not for the most part? I've had some experiences I couldn't explain, I usually chalk it up to a guardian angel and leave it at that....but who knows. My science background makes it difficult for me to go whole hog into belief, but I wouldn't rule it out.

MelsAuntie

The Bible on the death of humans:

"When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them." - Psalms 146:4

"For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten." - Ecclesiastes 9:5

It sure doesn't sound like they're up and around bugging people, remembering their past lives or plotting revenge. You know the stuff that makes up every piece of ghost folklore ever.

In a nutshell dead is dead.

[edit] Most major world religions aren't really compatible with ghosts for a variety of reasons. There are some belief systems though that are basically chock full of spirits and dead ancestors watching over you and whatnot.

I'm pretty sure you missed a few things. The bible discusses how we shouldn't try to contact the dead, referring to living spirits.

Also, there was a specific ghost mentioned in the OT. The ghost of Samuel, called by the Witch of Endor.

I don't know what this means, but I'll assume it is hilarious.

Just an actual biblical reference to a ghost that was mentioned in the Old Testament.

The bible also contains references to dragons, sea monsters, and zombies. Fun stuff.

I must have missed all that. Hmmm. Do you have references? I want to read up on zombies.

Here's a tiny bit of The Word (from The Bible) about "Zombies, dragons and sea monsters...

So-called Zombies (of a sort...though some (like The Bible and me ) some of these "living dead" are called saints (small s)...not zombies--I reckon the ones who died in the sins and experience "The Second Death" could be called zombies though--check it out:

1 Thessalonians 4 (King James Version)

13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

And...

Revelations Chapter 20 (KJV)
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.



Dragon(s) There are many references to "the dragon" and dragon in The Word, but here's just one:

Revelation Chapter 12: (KJV)
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.


Sea Monsters

Read The Book of Jonah and...also search out Leviathan

Isaiah 27...
Isaiah 27

King James Version (KJV)

27 In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.

3 I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

4 Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together.

5 Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.

Thanks for quoting that work of fiction.

My honor and pleasure sir. One person's fiction is another person's Truth...just as one person's trash is another person's treasure. Thank you so much for taking the time to read it too. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Meh, I wouldn't go so far as to call it a work of fiction. I will say though, that a book that's responsible for justifying slavery, genocide, murder and destruction should definitely be re-evaluated for its validity. The Bible is highly symbolic. There were no real dragons, sea monsters, or zombies, ghosts, spirits, nada. Clowns are real though. That's about it.

I was raised Christian and taught that the bible should never be questioned. As a child I thought, what a load of crap! The idea that the flood and the ark were literal truth, that all the animals made it to the Middle East...well, it was a damned long swim for the koalas and kangaroos, and the flightless kiwis and emus, wasn't it?? And when it was all over, two lions and two leopards to repopulate with only two zebras, two gazelles, etc, to provide meat? I knew then that it was bulls---t. If god just waved a magic wand and turned it all back again, why bother with that ridiculous ark in the first place? And yet, the church taught that it had to have happened, as it was in the bible, exactly as read. Fiction, and unbelievable fiction at that... nobody with any sense at all could believe that story actually happened. Tthere is a lot of crap in the bible which contradicts all scientific evidence. Creationism being one.

Zomoniac

The second time I was'nt alone and it was a ummmmmmmmm, game changer.. lol...

It always changes the game a bit when you're not alone. Less tiring on the wrist.

Mgregory723

xvxCelticWandererxvx

Do ghosts look like this? If so, I BELIEVE!! lol

foxro

I was raised Christian and taught that the bible should never be questioned. As a child I thought, what a load of crap. The idea that the fllod and the ark were literal truth, that all the animals made it to the Middle East...well, it was a damned long swim for the koalas and kangaroos, yeah? And when it was all over, two lions and two leopards to repopulate with only two zebras, two gazelles, etc, to provide meat? I knew then that it was bulls---t. If god just waved a magic wand and turned it all back again, why bother with that ridiculous ark in the first place?

The flood "story" is not not limited to the Bible and many societies have accounts of it. Catastrophics use it and others to explain mass extinctions, not by slow processes like evolution but by major events such as meteor strikes as well. Many of these "stories" must have some root to them to be "world wide" The same for the topic here. At least a "god" gave us a chance to save the animals, which is alot more than what we do today by driving them to extinction !!:laugh:

soldier4242

Some people have legitimate unexplained stories to tell that would freak you the f*** out and probably change your perspective on the issue.

You don't know everything about life and the universe. Take a step back.

I don't have to know everything about life and the universe. Why would that be a prerequisite to rejecting your claim? If anything you should take a step back.

As I stated before ghost claims boil down to some story that cannot be explained. Why are you bothered by me at all? I am not saying anything directly about you at all. I am simply stating that you are making a rather large claim that carries with it a rather large burden of proof. Why wouldn't you expect my reaction to be this? Do you simply believe every ghost sighting claim that is presented to you? I am sure that you don't.

I'm bothering the most outspoken against it. Me thinks that he protests too much.

Pot, have you met the kettle?

Not. But, thanks for trying.

So are you saying that your zeal shouldn't be suspect but people that disagree with you would have to do so dispassionately or they are suspect?

rm830

I definitely believe, and living in Arizona...you hear about a lot of ghost stories. A couple years ago, my best friend and I went to The Museum Club in Flagstaff (look it up to read all the stories about it) and were taken on a tour of the place by our friend who managed the bar at the time. We felt uneasy most of that time, and heard footsteps etc where no one was supposed to be at (attic), but didn't think much of it. We just kept getting a feeling that we were being watched, you all know how that goes. So....my best friend decided to go dance and I wanted to make a video of her, it was hilarious! Well...when we got back, another friend and I were watching the video and while I was taping her, I panned the room, focusing on where I felt like I was being watched from....well, an image appeared! I did a screen shot of it and sent it to our friend who worked there and her response was "yeah that's pappy" like no big deal...lol

That's the most recent story...I've had other experiences but that was the most recent one!

soldier4242

I was raised Christian and taught that the bible should never be questioned. As a child I thought, what a load of crap. The idea that the fllod and the ark were literal truth, that all the animals made it to the Middle East...well, it was a damned long swim for the koalas and kangaroos, yeah? And when it was all over, two lions and two leopards to repopulate with only two zebras, two gazelles, etc, to provide meat? I knew then that it was bulls---t. If god just waved a magic wand and turned it all back again, why bother with that ridiculous ark in the first place?

The flood "story" is not not limited to the Bible and many societies have accounts of it. Catastrophics use it and others to explain mass extinctions, not by slow processes like evolution but by major events such as meteor strikes as well. Many of these "stories" must have some root to them to be "world wide" The same for the topic here.

Stories can travel from place to place and embellishments happen over time. It could have been the massive flooding of a specific region and story could get started. Before you know extra details are added and there you have it a flood story. I think that explanation is far more likely than the actual story of Noah and the ark being a true record of history.