I need a definitive answer and I need it now: are there such things as ghosts

[crim son]

and spirits and hauntings? What say you?

[Robeson]

1. No.

[crim son]

3. Whew!

That's what I was hoping.

[Chan790]

2. My "enlightened skepticism" makes me want to say No...

unfortunately, I grew up in a 200 year old haunted manse.

[crim son]

5. So wherefrom comes the skepticism?

Or did you see no evidence of any haunting?

[Chan790]

7. It's my euphemism for my non-belief in a diety or higher being.

No, there was definitely proof of haunting. I've seen dead people in funny hats and dress.

[crim son]

9. I try to believe in both

but the one seems to contradict the other. Cool that you've seen something.

[texanwitch]

4. I lived in a haunted house for almost 5 years in Austin.

I don't know what ghosts are but I have seen one.

The ghosts was nice mostly.

Every once in a while they would get a little loud.

[crim son]

6. What did you see? n/t

[texanwitch]

8. The only ghost we ever saw was a young woman who died in childbirth in 1910.

She was dressed in a old fashion type dress.

Sometimes she would just drift by, you got used to it.

We would set her a place at the table, she lived there to.

Sometimes there would be a lot of noise coming from the kitchen, we would just go to bed.

The ghost never hurt anybody and the rent was cheap.

[crim son]

11. I understand.

I think there was a friendly ghost at my last house. I never saw her but felt her - physically sitting on my bed, I mean - and at first it scared the shit out of me. I lived there for seven years and I swear that now I miss her comforting presence.

Alas, the rent wasn't so cheap!

[texanwitch]

15. This was a old family house, the family no longer lived there.

They never could keep renters in the house until we came along.

I wish I could have bought the house, the family didn't want to sell.

I don't know what ghosts are but many people over the years have seen this ghost.

[windy252]

44. Sometimes I Think I Might have a Friendly Ghost in My

apartment too.

[CBHagman]

55. Was it that ...

...you were wide awake and felt as though someone came and sat down on the bed? Were there footsteps, audible footsteps?

This is not an interrogation; I'm just interested in hearing how it unfolded.

I've never seen/felt/heard a ghost or similar, though I know a number of people who have heard footsteps in the house, felt someone sitting on the bed, etc. And these are never the flaky people, either.

[PassingFair]

10. No.

You'd think there would be definitive proof
by NOW, wouldn't you?

[crim son]

12. I wonder what would constitute this definitive proof. n/t

[PassingFair]

13. Any proof at ALL would be a start.

And I don't mean those "orbs" from
the "ghost walks".


"Demons", anyone?

fficial%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=q_58SrG7KZW1twfl27yAAg" target="_blank">http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bible...

[crim son]

17. I guess one would have to know what were the indications of a ghostly

presence, if there is such a thing. There are photographs out there, and not only of orbs. What do you think about near death experiences? Are they the effect of brain chemical changes at death?

[PassingFair]

19. Yes, and of oxygen deprivation.

I don't believe in ghosts and I
have never seen any indications
that they exist.

None of the "evidence" is believable either.
Like the stuff I linked to...



I DO know people who hallucinate, however....

[crim son]

26. I've never seen any sign of ghosts or hauntings

and can't think of any reason to believe in them, which makes it interesting that people do claim with great seriousness to have seen apparitions, etc.

[PassingFair]

34. People WANT to believe.

I don't really blame them.

[Aristus]

14. All the time, I have evangelical Christians tell me, no there are no ghosts.

But as a Christian myself, I have to remind them that the prayer goes: "The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost", not "The Father, The Son, and the Only Ghost."

[crim son]

16. Oh, I'm impressed.

That's the best answer I've ever heard. Ever!

[Aristus]

18. You like that? I did it just for you...

[crim son]

24. Yeah, well I'm easily impressed.

Luv You!

[Aristus]

57. Back atcha, babe!

[Lindsey]

21. Definitey- but I use the word "Spirits"-same thing-I've had many

experiences that assure me our energy lives on.

[crim son]

30. So many people have that it's hard for me not to believe.

Thanks for your response.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

20. yes.

[crim son]

33. Of all people, I believe you.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

22. How on earth are you going to get a definitive answer on this one?

I say yes but who am I to know?

[crim son]

25. Well, the OP was written tongue in cheek.

I was interested in opinions. It's amazing how people tend to be convinced one way or the other. Sort of like a belief in God, except there are no photographs of God out there.

[quakerboy]

23. By my standards of science:

No.

By my spiritual beliefs? Possibly, but not in the places, times, situations, or bulk claimed by some.

[crim son]

28. My ex husband is a physicist

who believes in ghosts. Knowing him, his scientific background has nothing to do with his scientific understanding. Actually I have no idea where he gets his ideas. People believe things.

[quakerboy]

36. Not me

I believe as little as possible

[crim son]

37. I don't know what makes life easier.

Belief or nonbelief. Both have their pitfalls, eh?

[quakerboy]

54. It is very true

I work with a lot of people who believe quite a lot. There is a reason that they need someone like myself to help them interface with the greater world.

On the other hand, I have my own moments. Being a believer of as little as possible means I have to consider a much greater spectrum of factors if I want to come to any conclusions. Its a lot to have on ones mind. Luckily for me, mine is some sort of ADHD and seems to do well with this jumping between many thoughts. Almost like I was somehow brought into being as a cohesive whole, despite being a product of Milena of punctuated evolution.

So, have you come to a conclusion as to the existence of ghosts? I long ago came to the conclusion that there was no scientifically valid explanation, and ruled out most of the stupid(pardon my pejorative) stuff that people claim of them. But then I worked cleaning an old ladies house, and in the process of that came to believe that there is some sort of spiritual force residual in this world. Not necessarily the remains of the deceased, but I do think that situations and generalities can embed themselves into a physical place on very rare occasion.

[crim son]

58. I do believe in ghosts or spirits.

I've heard and read hundreds of stories about visitations since I've been actively interested in the subject since high school, but one person's story that I heard about a decade ago, turned me into a firm believer. The man who experienced the visitation was a nonbeliever, a scientist with a PhD, a old-time Mainer who was extremely conservative and more than shocked to see his newly-deceased mother walking outside the cabin at the family camp. The woman had not wanted to die and was very vocal about it right until the end. Knowing the man, I have no doubt he saw what he said he saw.

[quakerboy]

61. Forgive a skeptic

But in times like those, I generally find it more appropriate to believe that people have no doubt that they saw what they say they saw. But my experience is that even in the average every day situations, people often do not have a great grasp of what they have seen, heard, done, or otherwise participated in. And in times of stress, well...

Not to say that there is no such thing, but rather that I think most claimed instances have much simpler explanations. Wishful perceiving, and prankery being among the most common. I have to admit that I pulled a few convincing incidents off when i was younger, and had some people good and fooled.

Then again, you are talking to a guy who buys lotto tickets on a system. Not your standard system either. I decided to buy a scratch ticket once, when I was 21 and helping an older friend who's main goal in life was to win at the ponies. I won $20. I have kept track of every one purchases since, and if I ever get to a $-10, I will never buy another. I perceive myself to be pretty tied to the empirical.

[crim son]

62. I forgive you!

You live by empirics... I was raised Catholic. Enough said!

[quakerboy]

68. I think empiricism is my refuge

Half the family are catholic, half are southern Baptist, and I married into a mystic family.

Though to be fair, I do have my own strong streak of well tempered mysticism as well. I just keep in in the realm of the hypothetical and theoretical unless and until I see some practical effect.

[rcrush]

27. Yes, they post on message boards all the time.

I've been dead for 9 years now.

[crim son]

29. Laughing.

I'll be dead nine years from now. Wanna hook up?

[rcrush]

31. I'm not technically a ghost.

See I died sometime around 9 years ago and what everything is now is just a fragment of my mind at the moment of death. You don't really exist and this website doesn't really exist. But if this hallucination is still going on in 9 years then sure!

[crim son]

32. Something to look forward to, then.

Excellent!

[abq e streeter]

35. hardly "definitive" but I experienced something about 15 years ago that I can't explain

any other way. I was a ghost "agnostic" until that night. Never had another "ghost" experience before or since. Spooked me a little ( pun intended) and would just as soon not have anything like it happen again . It didn't feel malevolent or "evil" or anything; just that I'd be fine with nothing "supernatural" occurring again .

[crim son]

39. Funny how we aren't comfortable

with such experiences but then, we aren't generally comfortable with death and it's pretty much established to be fact.

[rcrush]

38. Has Bruce Willis just started hanging around for no reason?

[crim son]

40. No, though that was a great movie the first time I saw it.

I was watching "Death of a Ghost Hunter" and it's filmed in the Blair Witch style. It made me think about the fact that the idea of ghosts and hauntings is prevalent enough that there are people out there whose job it is to confirm or deny such manifestations.

[proteus_lives]

41. I believe so.

I can't speak for anyone else but I have some weird moments in my life.

[MilesColtrane]

42. Yo, der's shit out there, you ain't even dreamed of, Horatio.

That's the fact, Jack!

[orleans]

43. i say: absolutely

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[cwydro]

45. Yes.

[Wapsie B]

46. Definitive answer about ghosts? You may as well be asking about the Federal Reserve,

getting answers that range from the official government line to someone talking about the Creature from Jekyll Island.
As for ghosts I'm open to think they may exist.

[PVnRT]

47. No.

There is no legitimate physical phenomena that could account for their presence.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

48. I sure hope so

I want to believe that after we die we still exist in some form.

[stray cat]

49. Definitive answer or one that might be accurate?

[Kajsa]

50. Yes!

That is all.

[nuxvomica]

51. Metaphorically or literally?

If the former, a definitive "yes". If the latter, I can't say for sure one way or the other.

[Tulio]

52. Why wouldn't there be? (nt)

[Deep13]

53. No.

There is no evidence such things exist and plenty of evidence that the human brain is prone to making up such things.

[EastTennesseeDem]

56. I believe so.

[AllenVanAllen]

59. I just don't know.

There really isn't any substantial scientific evidence of ghosts but there is a vast amount of eyewitness accounts. A friend of mine who worked with President Clinton's advance team attended a ceremony in St. Petersburg with him a few years ago. While she was there she took a lot pictures in and around the palace. They were on 35mm and when they were developed one of the interior shots had what appeared to be a woman in period dress. The woman was over to the left and you could see right through her. It could have been a double exposure, but it was strange nevertheless.

I've also read that in controlled tests manipulation of magnetic fields created "ghost encounter" style feelings in the test subjects. The brain is a pretty amazing thing, so I just don't know.

[Sequoia]

60. Yes.

There seemed to be a kid ghost in a house I lived in Santa Monica. One day my sister and I were at the kitchen table when a bottle of vodka fell off the top of the fridge and onto the floor. The bottle had been in the middle. Other strange things like water turning on and such would happen too.

[mvd]

65. I haven't even seen one, but there are just too many accounts

I don't think it can all be in the mind or explained.

[mvd]

63. I believe there is something unexplained

What I am not sure, but I call them ghosts. I believe ghosts could be spirits, leftover energy, and maybe even inter-dimensional.

[azmouse]

64. I don't think they really exist.

But they are fun for Halloween and entertainment purposes!

[dorkulon]

66. No. But there is a DEATH PANEL!!!

[carpetbagger]

67. I trust someone's report of having seen two.

She's a rationalist, lapsed even from Unitarianism. So no agenda to believe in irrational things. She saw two one time, really couldn't explain them away.

[bridgit]

69. Hold Up! I thought your X was/is a physicist, aren't those peeps into membrane theory n'stuff?

Cause hubby and his funky 'membrane people' are all up in my house lounging round drinking my 7up and talking their parallel-universe shit and some of it drives me nutz but just other day one of them was musing, I guess that's what they call it, bout how past, or other lives, could be able to transit these membranes stem to stern port to starboard and that as they do, or may, we here (where we are) may be able to see them do so and that may be a closed synapse that speaks to our perception of ghosts though I'll give you this, "The spirit precedes the flesh" so says a bunch of other like-minded wise guys which makes sense to me I suppose though-while-but I say, "Well, that's fine, but if the spirit is able to precede the flesh...then why wouldn't it be able to follow it?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc_D-ZvYnOk