Do you believe ghosts to be real?

[Symarip]

Poll question: Do you believe ghosts to be real?

I know, it's not my typical NARWHALS FUCK YEAH fanfare. But I'm curious to see where everyone else is on this. I'm a skeptic of most supernatural-type of shit. I don't believe in god or crystals or heaven or tarot cards or fate or astrology. On the other hand, I have had four or five experiences that can either be explained as the supernatural or simply dismissed as unexplainable. I'm not talking bumps in the night - objects flying, body markings, optical anomalies, etc I have all experienced. And not by choice, mind you. I enjoy being skeptical and unimpressed.

So what do you say, Lounge? Do you believe ghosts to be real?

[MorningGlow]

1. I can't vote

I am not able to actually SEE ghosts, but I've had interactions with them. :shrug:

[Symarip]

2. I'll edit the subject to suit your needs

I'm here for you, sister.

[MorningGlow]

3. Just for lil' ol' freaky me?

Aw. :yourock:

[Shell Beau]

4. I have had some strange occurences.

Most involve my dead brother.

[Symarip]

5. I usually don't think about it

I'm a busy person anyways. But any time someone mentions the Whaley House in San Diego my mind wanders to the few times where I've just been dumbfounded. Obviously, one of those times was at the Whaley House.

[Sandrine for you]

6. I always wanted to play poker with somes gosts, but never happen,

I don't believe in any form of soul or others.

Do you think their is some caccuracca gosts ?

Gosts of fruit-fly ?

The gost of a fish...wait...a gost of a monocellular ?

[ogneopasno]

7. The ghost of an H?

[Sandrine for you]

8. You mean the letter ?

[RebelOne]

9. I am an atheist and do not believe in the hereafter,

but I have had some strange experiences, so I will say "maybe."

[Bake]

10. Naaaaaaaaah.

Not until I've seen some definitive proof.

Bake

[TZ]

11. +1

Hi Bake!

[Bake]

12. Hi TZ!

:hi:

Bake

[Roon]

13. I don't believe

If there were really ghosts and you saw one, it would be naked. You wouldn't see clothes on a true ghost. So I don't think they exist.

[960]

71. Um, how do you know this for a fact?

:wtf: :shrug:

[davsand]

14. Yes. I watched a guy walk out of a wall one time.

He walked OUT of a wall in a locked sun porch. Walked across that room and then out through the other wall. He was wearing a plaid shirt and a hunter's cap. Freaked the hell out of me.



Laura

[SoxFan]

20. Boo!

[davsand]

35. Boo who?

I just about fell over when it happened. I was in a vacation rental, in the kitchen making coffee. Something caught my eye and I looked up just in time to see this guy walk out of the wall...

I watched him walk across the rest of that sun porch and then back out through the opposite wall.

I have never seen anything like it and I was not drunk or tripping at the time.

:shrug:


Laura

[geardaddy]

22. Was this the guy?

[davsand]

36. Officer, that is NOT the guy! n/t

[amitten]

57. Oh, you were just HALLUCINATING!

Yes, in the absence of drugs or mental illness or previous hallucinations, and in broad daylight, you HALLUCINATED this thing! That is the only explanation!!!

(Actually, that explanation is more far-fetched than the idea of ghosts, IMHO.)

[blogslut]

15. Here's my humble theory

Humans generate electricity. Troubled humans generate a lot of electricity. That electricity remains after troubled humans pass away.

[Schema Thing]

55. except that electricity is a well understood physical quality

it can be measured and quantified easily, and the methods of it's generation are not mysterious.

[amitten]

58. Well, the electricity we know about.

Science discovers new and super-weird things yearly. I wouldn't be surprised if someday such errant "electricity" is proven to exist, once we have better ways of detecting it.

You can't prove/disprove something you don't yet have the means of detecting. People didn't believe in germs until they could look at them under a microscope. Did germs not exist before microscopes...?

[mvd]

16. Yes

I firmly believe in both residual and spiritual hauntings. :hi:

[cherish44]

66. Residual hauntings are something I've experienced.

I was staying at an Antebellum home in Vicksburg, MS and was sitting outside at about 7 am and I heard noises that sounded like a party going on ( people talking, glasses clinking, music) The owners said the people who owned this house used to host parties all the time.

[Ohio Joe]

17. No - nt

[SacredCow]

18. I'll have to give you another maybe....

I've not PERSONALLY experienced anything to convince me of the existence of ghosts, but I know a number of people (level-headed and not likely to lie or play jokes) who have relayed some experiences.

[redqueen]

19. Tell your stories...

what exactly did you see?


I voted 'maybe'.

[Symarip]

21. No fucking way

Everyone will think I'm either crazy or on drugs or both.

[redqueen]

23. Tease.

x(

[Symarip]

25. Fine

Some years ago I had some friends from the East Coast visit me in San Diego. They were interested in going to the Whaley House. Old Town is kind of boring so I had never been to it. When they got into town we made a day of it and headed over to Old Town to see said haunted house. And there are some nice historic buildings to look at aside from ghost chasing. Y'know, history and shit.

Anyhoo, it's the middle of the day, late spring, and we enter the house during a fairly unassuming weekday. It is now a museum so you have one or two caretakers that basically just sit there and give you literature. The place is super tiny and most of it is barred off with clear plastic partitions (more on this later). Naturally, the party I was with asked about 'OMFG GHOSTS' and the guide said personally, he has only seen one particularly strange reoccurance. Apparently, once every great while, someone will leave the house and have welts on their neck. Some attribute the welts to the gallows that once stood on the property. The Whaley House was mostly used as a court house annex with a general store attached. I guess you could hang someone and pick up a bag of oats all at the same time in those days.

We walked around the house and courtroom. It's very quiet and kind of pleasant, though cramped. The upstairs has a nice view of Old Town and there's a tiny, surreal looking playroom complete with a stage and piano. I can't imagine what type of plays they would have up there. Maybe a midget circus or something. Man, I love midgets.

We gear up to leave. As we exit the house and make an immediate left (towards the graveyard) someone noticed a ring of welts going around the neck of a girl in our party. Distinct and puffy... Like a rope burn. Irritation followed for the next hour until we put some aloe on her and the welts finally subsided by night time.

I haven't been back since.

[Symarip]

26. Oh. I forgot to mention the plastic barriers.

Ok, I've looked for ghost pictures of the Whaley House on the interwebs. They're all bullshit - at least the one's taken of the bedrooms. The effects you see are usually some risidual of the flash reflecting off of the plastic barriers. Notice the pictures always look scratchy as if there was a film over them? That's because there is.

[redqueen]

30. Yep... I'm never impressed by pictures. Too easy to fake.

Oh and thanks for the disco earworm btw.

[Symarip]

31. Here's a good example

[redqueen]

32. Hm... not working for some reason.

Another cheesy thing is youtube videos. So obviously edited. I'm still scared to watch though.

[Schema Thing]

56. pretty freaky

but almost all ghost stories involve expectations; shivery, spooky places, etc. While it sounds off-the-wall to suggest that your friend developed "welts" psychosomatically or through a placebo effect the words psychosomatic and placebo exist for very real reasons, and while not understood, they are much better documented that supernatural beings.

But hell, I'm the biggest skeptic in the world, and I've gotten a shiver in certain situations.

[amitten]

59. Group hallucinations!

Don't you realize that your entire group simultaneously hallucinated that whole experience..?!?! Just like you always are simultaneously as a group hallucinating stuff all the time?!?!

There is NO other explanation! Period! And I have PROOF!!! ;)

Hallucinations. The curse of modern-day man.

[geardaddy]

24. "will think?"

[TZ]

27. Too late.

We ALREADY think that! :P

[Symarip]

29. Don't you have a shoe to shag or something?

I'm giving myself +1 just because my insult was completely badass.

[Marrah_G]

51. Nope- been on DU long enough to not tell any story I don't have a video to back up with DNA samples

from the FBI crime lab....

[av8rdave]

28. Nope.

[azmouse]

33. No.

[lizziegrace]

34. I live in a house that was built in 1846

I'm sure time will tell... :)

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

39. We lived in one built in 1750

It was definitely haunted. The most active ghost died in 1984, though.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

54. The ghost died?

Does that mean there is a ghost of a ghost roaming free somewhere?

[amitten]

60. When will you stop hallucinating!?!

Don't you know that any and all ghost sightings are mere hallucinations?

Even though the people hallucinating have never hallucinated before? And have never hallucinated anything other than ghosts? :eyes:

I cannot believe how rampant hallucination has become in our society!!!

[Xipe Totec]

37. The real question is, what are the implications of quantum entanglement? n/t

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

38. I used to be a bit of a skeptic

Then, we rented a haunted house for a year.

[begin_within]

40. If they were real, they wouldn't be ghosts.

They have to be spectral, ethereal, supernatural to be ghosts.

[BlueJazz]

41. I did catch a picture of a Ghost once. It's Here >>

[amitten]

61. When you see a ghost, it happens so fast and you are so

shocked there is NO WAY to get a picture. Ghosts don't stand around and pose in my experience.

It's like seeing your favorite car suddenly drive by really quickly. What are the chances you could snap a pic in time? It doesn't mean you didn't see the car. But no one can react that quickly.

Plus, being scared as shit doesn't help any...

[Orrex]

42. I only believe in circumcised ghosts

[x-g.o.p.er]

43. 99% of "ghosts" are fake or explainable

But yes, there's something out there that is rare, isn't human, and can't be explained. I've had a few occurrences, and my interest in it has caused me to join a paranormal research group.

[amitten]

62. Yep. That 1% is out there, and it's not hallucination.

Hallucination =

dumbest. cop-out explanation. ever.

[mnhtnbb]

44. I've never personally seen a ghost, but I am a believer.

I do believe that human souls exit when the body dies and continue on as a sort of energy. Whether that energy enters some other level of being--or remains connected to this earth--is a question I can't answer.

I do know that hubby and I took a really fun Ghost Tour of Pluckley, England many years ago. We didn't see any of the ghosts, but it was a blast. http://www.walksoflondon.co.uk/50/index.shtml

We did stay at Elvey Farm, which 20 some years ago was still a working farm. It's apparently
now strictly a hotel. The owners at the time confirmed the stories about Elvey Farm.

[emilyg]

45. Yes.

[Symarip]

46. Wow.

This puppy is virtually tied. I expected it to be a blow out.

[MorningGlow]

47. Blowout "yea" or "nay"? n/t

[Symarip]

48. I thought for sure based on my 'fate' and 'astrology' polls

DU would swing towards 'nay'. It doesn't really say anything one way or the other. I'm just surprised.

[Phoonzang]

49. Maybe....haven't seen one.

I'd love to, since I really want to know that I won't just rot in the ground and cease existing when I die.

[sammythecat]

50. I think most of us, myself included,

would, for a variety of reasons, like it if ghosts existed. But they don't. No matter how romantic and storied the location, there are no ghosts there. Or anywhere else. Not now or ever before. There are no ghosts.

There are no ghosts.

[amitten]

63. There are, but you haven't seen one yet.

There are two sorts of people in the world: those who have seen a ghost and those who haven't.

The ones who have believe, and the one's who haven't don't.

And the ones who have are not stupid/crazy/gullible/hallucinating. But we will always be accused of such, so whatevs.

And btw, most of us don't "wish" they exist as some lame proof of the afterlife. If anything, it makes the afterlife seem way more lame and horrible than if ghosts did not exist. Who wants to be roaming the earth aimlessly forever? I'd rather just be dead! So no, it's not some romantic wish.

In fact, when I saw a ghost (only time) it made me think, "Wow, that sucks and I really wish I'd never seen it. Now I'm too fucking scared to sleep in my own room!" So yeah.

[sammythecat]

68. I try to choose my words carefully when I post.

That way, if someone pays a little attention, I can be more confident of being understood.

"I think (not know) most (not all) of us, myself included, would, for a variety (many, differing) reasons, like it if ghosts existed.

Two reasons for liking the existence of ghosts come to mind right away. One is that I think ghosts, a few vampires, some angels, a hell-mouth here and there, and lots of leprechauns would be sort of fun. I'd like it if there was some magic in the world. Two, the existence of ghosts would not necessarily prove the existence of a god, malignant or benign, but it would at least give credence (not absolute proof) to the idea of the supernatural, which would give some hope of life after death. And not necessarily an eternal life of rattling chains at midnight, maybe ghosts are just souls who have yet to find their way "home". This second reason would be for atheists like myself who take no pleasure in the idea of being mortal. I'd like us all to be immortal, so maybe we could eventually right all the wrongs we've committed and all living creatures could live in a world we'd never want to leave.

One last thing. You said, "And the ones who have are not stupid/crazy/gullible/hallucinating. But we will always be accused of such, so whatevs."

Before I respond to this I'm going to make the assumption that anyone who believes in ghosts must necessarily believe in the existence of the supernatural. I consider belief in the supernatural to be roughly equivalent to religious belief. Certainly there is some commonality there. Not necessarily the same, but close enough for what I want to say.

I'll also make the assumption (correct me if I'm wrong) that you're saying I think those who believe in the supernatural, or have religious belief, are stupid/crazy/gullible/hallucinating. I didn't say that and I wouldn't say that. No doubt there are people who fall into one of those categories, but in general, the reasons for belief in the supernatural and religion are far more complex than any of those insulting labels. Most everyone I know well, and everyone I've ever loved, has had belief in the supernatural and religion. I happen to think they're wrong, but I don't think they're stupid or crazy. Nor do I think all atheists are arrogant cold-hearted nihilists. I have a problem with religion, but that doesn't translate into my having a problem with everyone with belief in religion or the supernatural.

I don't know what happened when you saw that ghost and I don't know what happened when Jesus came into my friends heart and changed his life, but I don't think it was really Jesus or a ghost. anecdotal evidence is nothing more than a claim and cannot be considered any kind of proof.

[amitten]

69. And you have no "proof" that you love the people you do.

It's entirely anecdotal.

But I believe you damn well know what you feel, the same as I damn well know what I saw.

And seeing something with your own eyes is not the same as "feeling" Jesus for instance. And ghosts are not in the same category as leprechauns or vampires, which are made-up characters from fairy-tales. Not all things you deem supernatural come from the same source, and in fact I don't feel that ghosts are "supernatural". I think they're an entirely natural occurrence of the material world, and not necessarily evidence of an afterlife or a soul.

[sammythecat]

76. You're right. I have no proof that I love anybody.

And if for any reason you doubted that I loved anybody, you'd need more information than just my say so to convince you otherwise. Same with you and the ghost. I don't believe ghosts are possible and someone saying they saw one just isn't enough for me to change my belief.

And right at this point I want to say this: I don't for a minute doubt your sincerity, and believe me when I say I'm being sincere myself, and not at all condescending. My intention here is not to insult. I don't think you're foolish or crazy, or anything else like that. I just think there has to be some other explanation for what you saw. It was something that could easily be mistaken for a ghost, but it was something other than a ghost. I'm looking at this from afar with a biased (skeptical) point of view. Perhaps if I'd been there and saw what you saw, I'd be rethinking some things. I tend to doubt that, but I can't automatically dismiss the possibility either.

I get the impression (could be wrong) you consider ghosts to be a rather unpleasant fact of life. As I said before, I'd be more than pleased to find a ghost. Even a scary one. And if you or anyone else could offer a genuine prospect of even a little real evidence of a ghost, I'd make it a priority to try and see that evidence for myself.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from here. Like I said, I don't mean to anger or insult you. For all I know you and I might agree on every other damn thing in the whole wide world. Just not ghosts. :hi:

[sammythecat]

67. wrong spot

[RiffRandell]

52. Totally believe in ghosts.

A Haunting is one of my favorite shows on Discovery, they are all reruns, but are on during the week at 2 and 3 pm eastern. I love that show. Not sure how the movie A Haunting in CT will be, but it was a 2 hour long episode on Discovery, and wicked scary.

[Arugula Latte]

53. I don't ... but this guy does:

"I do believe in spooks. I do believe in spooks. I do, I do, I do, I do, I *do* believe in spooks."

[Heidi]

64. I voted "No," but one's reality is shaped largely by one's experiences,

and there are three very important people in my life who've struggled for more than 30 years to rid themselves of the ghosts of Vietnam. These ghosts have marked the mental, physical and spiritual realities, and haunted their dreams, disrupted their Fourth of July celebrations with their kids, and shaped their perception of the world. This doesn't answer your question, I'm sure, but it's the truth as I know it.

[cherish44]

65. I lived with a ghost for years

It wasn't a menacing ghost, would just mess with the lights, turn on the radio or tv, sometimes open doors or blow the curtains (it wasn't the wind, the air conditioner or the heater, swear!) One night I swear it was playing the piano (couldn't have been the cat because it was playing real music) Anyway even though it wasn't a mean ghost I kind agree with Eddie Murphy's assessment 'If there's a ghost in the house, you get the fuck out!" No ghosts in my new house (that I know of)

[astral]

70. I voted "no" but I think there is something out there

that we don't understand. I just don't think it's ghosts. I think there are entities out there that are not in physical form.

I have a ghost in my teeny apartment. Whenever I walk by my infrared lamp and accidentally bump it and get a static shock, my coffee grinder goes off and grinds me up a pot of beans. Which generally scares the holy hell out of me ; )

I don't know WHY this ghost must torment me so!

[amerikat]

72. I have a genuine picture of a ghost.

Not the cat. The white thing around the newel post.

[astral]

74. Wow, does the cat know it's there?

Did you see it before or after you took the picture or only after you saw the picture itself?

[amerikat]

75. It only appeared on the film. GF took the pic, 4 of them infact

and the white was in every one of them. Kodak said there was no defect in the photo paper
and ask to see the negatives but GF wouldn't give them up. The house was haunted
for sure, I was a bit freaked out about things that went on there but the animals
were not afraid and that calmed me down. Friendly ghosts I guess.

[BikeWriter]

73. I have had totally rational witnesses tell me a number of stories.

[Lethe]

77. not exactly sure, but i believe i may have been in a haunted house before

i don't necessarily believe in this stuff, and this happened when i was a kid, and kids are more impressionable

there was one room in my grandparent's house that was really creepy when you turned out the lights. for some reason i always got a feeling of dread and thickness, but never said anything about it.

on 3 separate occasions with 3 different people, who had never spoken about it before to anyone but me, had a similar experience in that room.

one was my cousin, who was a teenager. the next day we found him in the living room on the couch. he wouldn't tell anyone why, but later on he told me he was scared in that room.

one was my brother, who was an adult at the time, and he got so freaked he joined me in the living room on the couch and wouldn't go back in the room at night. i jokingly said did you see a ghost or something, and his eyes lit up and a shocked pall of fear crossed his face. he was really disturbed about it. he wouldn't go back in.

then after both of these incidents, i decided to ask my grandma about the room. she reluctantly told me that she was afraid of that room too, and that she saw a ghost, or demon, that tried to suffocate her once. i shit you not.

to this very day i wouldn't sleep in that room.

i never saw any ghosts or anything, but i felt a presence.

[Iggo]

78. There've been a couple things I can't explain...

...but I was probably dreaming. (Well hey looky there...I guess I COULD explain them...lol.)

But no. There are no ghosts.

[XemaSab]

79. I don't believe in the "old lady in a white nightgown" kind of ghost so much

but there are places that have spiritual energy, good or bad.

[Richard Steele]

80. Inexplicable phenomena are REAL.

The LABELS that people choose to attach to inexplicable phenomena
teach us more about human nature than about how this multivese works.

[lildreamer316]

81. Okay, Symarip..here you go:

The Annual DU Ghost Story Thread. Posted every All Hallow's Eve for the past three years.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=8203581