Do you believe in Ghosts?

[Juventus3]

Originally Posted by Barnes

I don't think you can believe in ghosts until you actually see one and feel what a spirit is capable of and how they affect your senses and perception.

Here's my story.

I am agnostic and my feelings about ghosts were the same as my thoughts on religion.

I have a friend whom him and his girlfriend moved into a house that was owned by an older black woman who had a daughter who had since moved out and she was looking to downsize. The old woman's husband had passed fairly recently.

They told stories of things being really strange in the house. Footsteps in the hallway, one of those big, round wicker chairs was turned around when they got home and was facing a window and so on. They had trouble with their TV in the bedroom. It would turn on in the middle of the night and the volume would go all the way up. The remote would not turn it off nor would the power button on the front and the TV would have to be unplugged. Easily explainable you say. They've had two other TVs that did the same as well.

My girlfriend and I were house sitting one weekend there and I was laying on the couch and my girlfriend was in bed. I was overcome by a weird sensation of cool but somehow warm going through me. Calming to say the least. I stand up and as I do I hear footsteps in the hall but without looking, I KNOW it is not my girlfriend. When I turn around to look, I see him for a split second and then he's gone.

Now let me tell you, I get scared at everything paranormal. I am 27 and will change the channel if a horror movie comercial comes on while I am watching TV. I was fine. I was almost happy to see him there. Never felt like that before.

Recently, my friends ripped up all the carpeting to put down laminate flooring and they found crucifixes all over the place under the carpet and in a closet, they found a pendant with a picture of the couples daughter.

A few days after they finished the flooring, the daughter shows up at their door unannounced to see how they are doing and how the house was. She had never done that before. My buddy's girlfriend gives her the pendant and crucifixes and politely tells her that her father is still in the house. The daughter claims that it was impossible as they are Jehovah's Witnesses.

There hasn't been anything unusual since she showed up. It's almost as though he was waiting for her.

4 out of 4 on the "i wont sleep tonight" scale. Yikes. I love this stuff.

[the crispy badger]

I dont understand how someone CANNOT believe in ghosts..I've been following the adventures of the "okcgc" research team for the past 5 years, they are based in Oklahoma and have some very REAL evidence of ghostly phenomea including this pic taken from a webcam on their site..this was taken during a random investigation and I truly believe that this is in no way tampered with.

[metallicat]

Wonderful. I just got off a night shift, and despite it being bright and sunny outside, I'm going to have a hard time getting to sleep right now thanks to this thread!!

[photon]

So what's that a ghost of, the large lady from the future after she dies? Looks like either an after image from the webcam, or a photoshopped image. Interesting picture, but doesn't qualify as evidence (in the scientific sense).

Where's the extended video of this? Or at least a non-heavily compressed image.

Why don't these "researchers" always have at least TWO webcams at different angles looking at every scene? Then you'd get a sense of things in 3D. And higher resolution ones. Try to reduce the errors.

Doctoring a photo is easy, doctoring two different high resolution video streams is a bit harder (though not much).

Originally Posted by the crispy badger

I dont understand how someone CANNOT believe in ghosts..I've been following the adventures of the "okcgc" research team for the past 5 years, they are based in Oklahoma and have some very REAL evidence of ghostly phenomea including this pic taken from a webcam on their site..this was taken during a random investigation and I truly believe that this is in no way tampered with.

[troutman]

http://www.skepdic.com/ghosts.html

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Genting Highlands in Malaysia



Here's a story based on an encounter my Aunt had. She used to be the Casino manager of this resort hotel. I'm not sure how recent this picture is of Genting, but ask any Malaysian, heck ask anyone from that region (including singapore and indonesia) and everyone will know of Genting Highlands. One of the most popular resorts, if not the most popular in Malaysia.

Genting Highlands is a fairly old resort as well. My mom worked there when she was in her early 20s, so that tells me the resort was probably build in the late 60s.

If you want to read a bit of history, here's the link
http://www.genting.com/history/index.htm

Anyway, on with the story...

There have been many encounters in Genting that have left many staff members shaken. My aunt recounts some pretty damn freaky stories, both her own encounters and staff members.

One late night, when the casino wasn't busy and the staff members were preparing to clean up the casino floor, my aunt would walk the floors a bit. Suddenly, she heard what sounded like a "tick tick tick" noise. It sounded like it was coming from a nearby roulette wheel. My aunt turned around to see the wheel slowly moving on it's own. It didn't last very long though, probably only a few seconds, but it left my aunt a bit shaken.

Another story involving my aunt had to do with the room she used to stay in. In the middle of the night, before she would go to bed, she would hear someone knock on her front door. When she open the door, no one would be there. However, as soon as she closes the door, the knocking would start again. She claims that one time she stood by the door, and as soon as the knocking started, she would open the door right away mid-knock to see no one there.

A room on the 12th floor (I can't remember the number of the room) is closed to the public due to a suicide. A man, losing all his money at the casino, decided to take his life by jumping to his death (back in the day, the windows weren't sealed shut). There have been a lot of cases of suicide by jumping in Genting. Mainly because back in the day, the main attraction of the hotel was the casino. Staff members have pretty much all recounted the same story about their encounters cleaning the 12th floor. While going about their duties, they would notice someone standing at the far end of the hall. This figure would just stand there, not moving. When the staff members sense something might be wrong and look his way, the figure would walk into a room. People describe this figure as being very dark...so dark, it seems to dim the lights where it stood. When the staff would investigate, they would find that the figure entered the sealed room.

A resort customer came running into the hotel and claimed that someone had jumped. When investigated, nothing was there, but the customer would insist on what they saw. There are a lot of reports like this. Genting staff have apparently come to expect it.

Of course, most famous stories are recounted by Taxi drivers. There have been many reports of drivers seeing "people" walking either up and down the hill at night. There's always something about the way these people that doesn't seem right. Such as they way they would walk, and their appearance. In case you think what's so abnormal about that, no one walks the hills of Genting. Genting is partially surrounded by jungle, and it would be suicide to walk the hills at night.

[Flashpoint]

No.

Ghosts are usually noisy pipes, poor construction, or "friend of a friend" stories like the many listed in this thread.

If ghosts existed there would be proof and a wealth of evidence.

You may as well believe in the tooth fairy or Santa. At least you got something from them.

[Burninator]

Some interesting stories in this thread.

I do not believe in ghosts. Mostly because the evidence is very sparse and largely stories/heresy. Nothing I have seen has been even close to convincing me that anything paranormal is going on. A poor night vision camera shot that depicts some dots is hardly evidence of ghosts. Plus so much of the paranormal ghost stories are fabricated is hard to give new ones a chance, unless of course they can provide decent evidence above things as "feelings" and images like the one in this thread (which I think is posted as a joke). Plus a lot of it has been attributed to the mind playing tricks on the person that it is also hard to lend any credibility to the stories.

I think people just like/want/need to believe in things of this nature. Humans have a wild imagination and like to believe that there are things going on outside of the nature order of things, the prospect is exciting. But I like to follow the principles and process of science so I tend to not give these things any credence until I can see any real evidence.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

No.

Ghosts are usually noisy pipes, poor construction, or "friend of a friend" stories like the many listed in this thread.

If ghosts existed there would be proof and a wealth of evidence.

You may as well believe in the tooth fairy or Santa. At least you got something from them.

I don't doubt it when people tell me stories of the paranormal. Simply because I think science have partially explained some of these instances. It's no coincidence these supposed haunted places often have high electromagnetic output or low decibel waves. These can cause a person to see or experience things that can be preceived as paranormal.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

No.

Ghosts are usually noisy pipes, poor construction, or "friend of a friend" stories like the many listed in this thread.

OK, here's a first hand account.

My friend's brother passed away at a young age. (mid 30's.) I moved in with my buddy shortly after his brother had died, and my friend was always a little shaken up. His urn with his ashes was kept in the living room on a side table. A little thing I started; when we were hanging out and drinking, we would always pour a shot for his dead brother and leave it on the urn. When we would cheers each other we would also make sure to cheers his brother. My buddy's wife was convinced that her brother in law's ghost was in the house; and was happy now.

Fast forward a few weeks. I have an issue with Revenue Canada, and I need to find a piece of paper that's packed in one of my many boxes in the basement. I don't have a lot of time; and keep putting off looking for it because I know it will take me hours to go through those boxes.

Then one day I come home from work and see the piece of paper I needed sitting on the kitchen table. At that point I assumed that my buddy's wife went through the boxes (she wasn't working at the time) and I went to go thank her. She sees me and says "oh, I see that you found that form you needed." I figure she is pulling my leg, but when I go downstairs the boxes are all still there; undisturbed. They were the cardboard type of boxes with packing tape; so I would have been able to see if one had been opened.

Throughout the time that I lived there there were a few other things that happened without explaination; and each time it happened we would always thank my buddy's dead brother.

[feartheflames]

http://www.ghostresearch.org/ghostpics/


for those interested check out this link, very interesting ghost pics

[Flashpoint]

Originally Posted by ken0042

She sees me and says "oh, I see that you found that form you needed." I figure she is pulling my leg, but when I go downstairs the boxes are all still there; undisturbed. They were the cardboard type of boxes with packing tape; so I would have been able to see if one had been opened.

Throughout the time that I lived there there were a few other things that happened without explaination; and each time it happened we would always thank my buddy's dead brother.

LOL. I like your story, especially the part about making him happy with a shot. I also know what a bitch it is to find forms in packed boxes. Good on you for providing a 1st hand account.

But seriously - is a ghost the best explanation?

[BlackEleven]

Hmmm, I could be way off base here, but judging by the religion threads seems more people belief in ghosts than God. Kind of interesting.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

But seriously - is a ghost the best explanation?

I guess in my mind I believe that there is more than what exists in our material world.

200 years ago if you had suggested that space and time were interconnected you would have been burned at the steak. Now we are just barely begining to understand the realtionship; and are likely another 200 years from fully understanding it.

Is it not possible that our thoughts, brainwaves, or souls (whatever you wish to call it) are not somehow part of a much larger piece of the universe; one that we are just now begining to understand?

I'm not asking you to become a believer. All I'm asking is for you to open your mind to the thought that we may not know all that there is to know yet. If you can appreciate that, then that leaves other possibilities open. And to me; exploration of this part of the universe is fascinating. And it's part of the universe that we can indeed explore; unlike for example outer space where there are physical limits in place.

[Ford Prefect]

Put me in the "I believe, but they don't scare me" catetgory. Here's a post of mine from a previous thread on this topic about experiences I've had.

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I spent a few years working at the IPSCO steel mill in SE Calgary (Ogden) in the mid-1980s. There was a story that the place was supposed to be haunted by the ghost of a foreman that had been killed there when it used to be Phoenix Steel. The only thing I ever encountered to suggest it might be true was I'd often get bumped from behind by someone walking past me while I worked at my job station. When I'd turn around to see who it was there'd be nobody in sight. This usually only happened on night shifts for some reason. It wasn't spooky or anything ... I'd just get bumped by something or somebody who wasn't there. On the odd chance there's somebody on the board who's familiar with IPSCO, this would happen at the #2 beveller.

My parent's house had lots of weird stuff happen too ... footsteps in the night when everybody swore they were in bed, puddles of water appearing in the middle of the floor for no reason, the dog getting let out of the house in the middle of the night (and barking like an idiot at nothing). Like the IPSCO experience, these incidents never felt creepy, frightening, spooky or whatever ... just kind of WTF. The lack of eeriness makes me wonder if they're even "ghost" stories, but whatver they are they cant' be explained within the parameters of normal sensory perception. Since I experienced them first hand I know these events occurred ... not like getting them second or third hand. But I can't say what caused them. I certainly didn't see or sense any "ghosts".

[photon]

Originally Posted by feartheflames

http://www.ghostresearch.org/ghostpics/


for those interested check out this link, very interesting ghost pics

Interesting, but none of them very convincing. Most are common things in photographs due to bad film, over or double exposures, etc.. The mind is programmed to see faces in random noise, and that's exactly what a lot of those is.

Again, no real proof.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

I'm still not sure I believe in ghosts, but I have had a couple of incidents that makes me wonder.

I went to a murder mystery night at the Deane House in Calgary. This house has a history and reported hauntings. Dinner is served on the main floor of the house, but most of the murder mystery is acted out in the upper floor of the house. While on the second floor, we were watching the actors do their thing and giving the clues that the guests would need to solve the mystery. Being tall, I allowed the shorter people to stand in front of me so they could enjoy the production more. I was watching the action unfold and felt a tap on my left shoulder. I shuffled aside a bit, as if to give someone a better view. I felt a second tap and shuffled a little more, almost standing on the feet of the person beside me. I felt a third tap, and turned to give the person a dirty look and tell them I couldn't move any further. When I turned, I came face to face with a wall. There was no way anyone could have tapped me on the left should as I had been worked into a corner. That didn't really scare me, but it has stuck with me for the past six or seven years since the event happened.

The second happened when my wife and I lived in Florida. My wife had always complained about an feeling of unease, and not like being at home alone. I thought she was just paranoid, because we lived in a pretty nice neighborhood and there was not a crime problem in that art of the city. One night we were watching TV in bed, and I heard our dog growling. He doesn't growl without reason, and was sounding surprisingly aggressive. My wife sent me out to see what the dog was growling at. I went out in the living room and found him staring at a point in space about 7-8 feet in the air, growling with his fur up. I stood next to him and tried talking to him to calm him down. He wouldn't stop staring or growling. I finally gave him a push to break his stare and get him moving. He circled around a pillar we had in the foyer and began staring at the same spot and growling just as aggressively. This freaked me out quite a bit, because dogs aren't supposed to conceptualize three dimensions, so something HAD to have been there to have him behave in that fashion. As I said, I was disturbed by this, but it was only to get worse. When I went back to bed and told my wife of what was going on, she said it was not a surprise to her. She said she had heard her name called many times from the other end of the house and had felt many cold spots in the house (as had I, but thought was just poor HVAC design). She was certain our house was haunted.

What is really strange about this house was that our yard had a tick infestation that we unable to get rid of. We had our yard treated multiple times, but the ticks would never go away. Our dogs were continually covered in the nasty little arachnids no matter what we did. What really sent me for a spin was that our neighbor, who also had dogs, said he never had any problems with ticks on his dogs. The problem only seemed to be in our yard. He also told me that no one had lived in the house for more than a year, and most people moved out suddenly (the last owners actually just left one night and never returned). The creep factor went through the roof there.

I'm still skeptical, but these events really have made me wonder.

[Lanny_MacDonald]

Originally Posted by BlackEleven

Hmmm, I could be way off base here, but judging by the religion threads seems more people belief in ghosts than God. Kind of interesting.

The two are completely unrelated. The concept of the soul supercedes the confines established by "western" religions.

[photon]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I guess in my mind I believe that there is more than what exists in our material world.

200 years ago if you had suggested that space and time were interconnected you would have been burned at the steak. Now we are just barely begining to understand the realtionship; and are likely another 200 years from fully understanding it.

True, but as we understand it better we have theories that make predictions and test those predictions, observable reproducible evidence, and that sort of thing which demonstrates that the link between space and time is an accurate part of a description of reality.

No such thing yet exists for any paranormal things, and meanwhile the evidence that there isn't such a thing continues to grow.

If evidence ever comes forward, then that's great since our understanding of reality grows better, and science will change to encompass the evidence.

Is it not possible that our thoughts, brainwaves, or souls (whatever you wish to call it) are not somehow part of a much larger piece of the universe; one that we are just now begining to understand?

I'm not asking you to become a believer. All I'm asking is for you to open your mind to the thought that we may not know all that there is to know yet. If you can appreciate that, then that leaves other possibilities open. And to me; exploration of this part of the universe is fascinating. And it's part of the universe that we can indeed explore; unlike for example outer space where there are physical limits in place.

Of course it's possible, but you can't believe everything that's only possible without evidence, otherwise you might as well believe everything and anything (where to stop believing?).

Science is by definition open minded, and perfectly sees that our understanding of reality is incomplete (and will probably always be). Anyone can bring the evidence.

[MolsonInBothHands]

I also have a first hand account. Nearly 20 years ago, an uncle I was very close to, who had been dealing with alcohol addiction, depression, and a broken family, commited suicide. My uncle and I were both sort of black sheep in a very religious and judgemental family, so we often spoke to each other about our own beliefs, and pondered about what was really out there. We also spent many nights around a camp fire, and he was a self taught guitar player, I knew, and enjoyed his style of play very much.

After his death, and before my road trip to attend the funeral, I am lying in my own bed, half asleep, drifting, and thinking about my uncle, and had the tune of a song, 'House of the Rising Sun' in my head. Suddenly, I don't know why, I get a bolt down my spine, that feeling of sudden shock. I am now WIDE awake and sitting upright in my bed, and I still hear the song. Here's the kicker: my bolting upright wakes my wife sleeping beside me. She sits up and asks what's wrong. I just say "SHHHH!, listen." I didn't tell her what I heard, she told me, it was my uncle, and it was 'House of the Rising Sun'.

My uncle was never recorded playing that song, and it is pretty easy to distinguish his amateur campfire playing vs. a commercial recorded version. It was him, and I wasn't the only one to hear. I immediately got out of bed, thrashing the place (an apartment) trying to find the source. I went out on to the balcony to see if it was the neighbours playing music, by then, it was gone. If it had been the neighbours playing a bootlegged copy of my hippy uncle singing 'House of the Rising Sun', it was the only song they played that night, and it was very strange timing.

To this day I interpret this as my uncle letting me know there is something more after this life, and that he was doing alright. It is the single event in my life which keeps me believing in something. I also tried to pick up the guitar and teach myself. Guess which song I was determined to learn first.