As I understand it, but don't have the specific details at the moment, there has been a study carried out at Edinburgh University in Scotland into electromagnetic effects on the brain.

What they apparently did was to plaster various electrodes onto willing participants heads and place them into isolation. They then varied (safe) currents running through the electrodes and observed individuals behaviour. The premise behind this experiment (which I beleive was televised on U.K. terrestrial television), was to try and simulate the type of experiences witnesses to ghosts have in order to try and see if there is a realationship to ghostly sightings and experiences and higher than normal levels of electormagnetic activity.

The people involved in the experiment all exhibited stable constitutions and were essentially not easily scared. However, upon activating the experiment various things were observed and reported by those involved. Some actually saw aparitions; some form of luminescent form. Some remembered a very strong feeling of a presence behind and around them. Essentially the feeling you get when someone is standing too close and invading your personal space. Others just felt general unease.

The most interesting of the effects determined by the experiment were the sightings of apparitions. Apparently this could be explained and linked to specific phenomena experienced at specifc frequencies. Essentially at the given frequencies the eyeballs actually move very quickly in their sockets which causes pressures to be exerted on the eye and a slight de-focussing and the seeming luminescent apparition due to the distorted optical input.

At the conclusion of this experiment it was shown that certain "so-called" paranormal effects could be explained in terms of electromagentic activity acting on the brain. Whilst this covered certain phenomena this by no means explained all ghostly activities.

So my question is, after that rather lengthy introduction, what do you beleive ghosts are? Also, are there various different types of ghost and does the experiment above explain any experiences you may have had?

Cheers!! ;D

I think what the experiment proves is that they have dicovered which parts of the brain are triggered when experiencing a visit from a ghost or what ever you want to call it. i really do beleive that there is at least one other plane of where spirits exist.
I also recently heard of a similar study where they stimulated the brai with electrodes to mimic the brain wave paterns in people that meditate , in this study they discovered that the brainwave paterns in a person who has reached the astral plane in meditation where exactly the same as deeply religious persons who was praying to god .

As I understand it, it is thought that prayer and meditation are very closely related. They both stimulate that same sort of brainwaves within the brain. However, the focus of meditation is generally inwards, to access parts of the subconcious in order to reveal information on the subject of meditation, whilst the focus of prayer is outwards towards the deity, being or spirit of choice. Another difference is that in meditation you expect to see answers whereas in prayer you exhibit faith and look to the "feeling" of being close to divinity.

Interesting stuff.