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Why people think they see ghosts


Still Waters

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A 2012 poll shows that 45 percent of Americans say they believe in ghosts. More amazingly, in that same poll, 28 percent of the respondents said that they have personally seen a ghost before.

With such a widespread belief in ghosts, I was curious if there was actually any scientific evidence to fuel these beliefs.

I went to Buffalo, New York, to talk to Joe Nickell, a senior research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and allegedly the world’s only full-time paranormal investigator.

https://www.vox.com/videos/2017/7/11/15948234/do-ghosts-exist

 

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This quote says a lot, I haven't watched the video though:

'He told me that in his almost 50-year career of investigating all things paranormal, he’s never come across a single shred of evidence that would prove the existence of ghosts. 

Instead, he points toward other scientifically explainable reasons for why people may think they’ve seen a ghost, including infrasound, sleep paralysis, and the traumatic grief of losing a loved one.'

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  • 2 weeks later...

Very interesting. I don't believe in ghosts, but I do believe in the people in my house and they are experiencing some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence. I'm a bit envious I haven't fully experienced it myself.

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I would agree, there are varying reasons for having experiences that goes beyond explanation, ghosts being one of them. Yes, on top of being a big paranormal enthusiasts, I also feel, there could be other reasons in seeing and experiencing what I do. I'm not going to be in denial of that. I have varying experiences, that I can't be too sure there are spirits from beyond, because for some, I was near sleep and such. The ones, where I have been fully awake, and it was daytime, could be other factors. But sometimes, my mind will noticed how certain things happen that shouldn't be happening because factors within it. Like what sounded like my name being called, sounding like my husband, from the upstairs of our house, in which I was the only one in it at the time. Yes, the windows were open, and it could have been my husband working on our car in the car port. It sounded like it came from upstairs. When I went to the car port to ask him if he called me, he said he didn't. *shrugs* ah well, there might be other factors, but it sure seems weird and unexplained to me. 

Though, lots of times, experiences tend to be a surprise, and even at the time, won't register to a person as a ghost till later. I remember seeing a guy walk across the road, in front of a car I was riding in, and remembering seeing the back of head puzzling over the fact that he never turned around to see if we're too close. (And we kind of were) It was not until, (after turning my head away) that the driver said she thought she saw him fade away. (By the way, I was even in denial of what she told me at that moment. I even was explaining it away by it being night time, there were woods and he probably ran will quick into them. It wasn't until later on and searching for a house reported to be hunted in the area, that I came across a website that reports experiences and the description of the guy I saw was there and that people would see him fade away.) 

 What about these experiences, the unexpected, and it's with situations where that might not factor into it? Like being fully awake, in a good mood, and on nothing, (coffee, prescription drugs, etc.) I'm just curious. 

 

Edited by Stubbly_Dooright
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Not everyone is meant to see these things. Moreso a paranormal investigator, who probably plans on tormenting these souls to make profit.  (He said he was with it for 50 years so what gives) the spirits can read deep into your subconscious. They know what you are thinking, what scares you, what your intentions are. Yes this person may not have experienced anything, but maybe their obsessive searching is exactly why they weren't given a chance to peak into the dimension, the realm of spirits. He was not given the ability, and his spiritual level is not great enough to experience that level of frequency. Sadly, investigation of the paranormal is a little more than just years of waiting. 

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People experience weird stuff. They think it's ghosts or whatever else they believe in.

There are a lot of ways we can fool ourselves. That said, I'm not beyond the idea that we somehow produce actual phenomena. Imagine for just a moment that we can do this. Of course, whatever we produced would know everything about us. It couldn't know anything we didn't. 

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27 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

People experience weird stuff. They think it's ghosts or whatever else they believe in.

There are a lot of ways we can fool ourselves. That said, I'm not beyond the idea that we somehow produce actual phenomena. Imagine for just a moment that we can do this. Of course, whatever we produced would know everything about us. It couldn't know anything we didn't. 

Then explain an experience that was exactly experienced at the same time, in the same place by another or multiple people, all with different beliefs and intentions. 

You couldn't,  and wouldn't. Simply put it's your choice to believe or not, but it is not your place to claim. That in itself makes you a believer of your own system. 

Edited by Morgannn
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3 minutes ago, Morgannn said:

Then explain an experienced that was exactly experiences by another or multiple people, all with different beliefs and intentions. 

You couldn't,  and wouldn't. Simply put it's your choice to believe or not, but it is not your place to claim. That in itself makes you a believer of your own system. 

What about we somehow produce actual phenomena didn't you understand? 

I never seem to make myself clear about this. 

If we produce actual phenomena, then of course other people could see and experience it. 

Edited by ChaosRose
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Just now, ChaosRose said:

What about we somehow produce actual phenomena didn't you understand? 

I mean, that can be true and only true if they were to read eachother's minds, or be able to match their frequency with one another, for multiple people to produce phenomena at the same time and same images. 

And if that was the case,  that is also considered phenomena.  

The reason you want to dismiss these as phenomena and not truth is because it is easier and more comprehensible when it is put in simple terms. 

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Just now, Morgannn said:

I mean, that can be true and only true if they were to read eachother's minds, or be able to match their frequency with one another, for multiple people to produce phenomena at the same time and same images. 

And if that was the case,  that is also considered phenomena.  

The reason you want to dismiss these as phenomena and not truth is because it is easier and more comprehensible when it is put in simple terms. 

I don't want to dismiss phenomena as not truth. This is where you're misunderstanding me. 

If we produce phenomena...actual phenomena...then it's actual. It can be observed and experienced. That doesn't mean it's independent of us. We can take back what we put out. 

I've done this. 

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Think of it as thoughtforms or negative energy if you like. It's in a form that we've created, either consciously or subconsciously. That form is out there for anyone around to experience. And of course they will experience it as we have created it. But it's like smoke. It's experienced but essentially still illusion. It doesn't have substance. It's not independent. It's existing and doing what we consciously or subconsciously want. 

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You could also think of it like a movie projector. It's as if you're projecting, well...your nightmares. 

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On 7/14/2017 at 6:01 AM, Timonthy said:

This quote says a lot, I haven't watched the video though:

'He told me that in his almost 50-year career of investigating all things paranormal, he’s never come across a single shred of evidence that would prove the existence of ghosts. 

Instead, he points toward other scientifically explainable reasons for why people may think they’ve seen a ghost, including infrasound, sleep paralysis, and the traumatic grief of losing a loved one.'

I'll translate:

"I'm a committed skeptic. There is nothing  that could possibly convince me that supernatural phenomenon exist. In my 50 year career I have successfully fished up an excuse for whatever strange thing happened. (Now followed by the usual non-scientific guess work of explanations)"

There are fakes. This is a given, but what bothers me as much as the paranormal fakery that exists is the goofy explanations often provided for what happens.

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1 minute ago, OrdinaryClay said:

I'll translate:

"I'm a committed skeptic. There is nothing  that could possibly convince me that supernatural phenomenon exist. In my 50 year career I have successfully fished up an excuse for whatever strange thing happened. (Now followed by the usual non-scientific guess work of explanations)"

There are fakes. This is a given, but what bothers me as much as the paranormal fakery that exists is the goofy explanations often provided for what happens.

You mean the possible logical explanations? 

It really depends what you find 'goofy', you must have an example where the goofy explanations didn't satisfy you? 

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9 minutes ago, Timonthy said:

You mean the possible logical explanations? 

It really depends what you find 'goofy', you must have an example where the goofy explanations didn't satisfy you? 

I mean guessed explanations that have no basis other than it satisfies peoples need to have an explanation, any explanation.

One of my favorite coverall explanations is "Sleep Paralysis". This catchall is trotted out for everything thing under the sun. Someone blinks longer than normal and it's sleep paralysis.

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10 minutes ago, OrdinaryClay said:

I mean guessed explanations that have no basis other than it satisfies peoples need to have an explanation, any explanation.

One of my favorite coverall explanations is "Sleep Paralysis". This catchall is trotted out for everything thing under the sun. Someone blinks longer than normal and it's sleep paralysis.

A guessed explanation which is logical and has been studied is better than a fantastical explanation with no basis, a fantastical explanation which could be easily proven if true. 

Head over to the thread about people feeling their bed pushing against them at night. Plenty of claims which can be logically dismissed, and nothing to support the fantastical side of it.

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Just now, Timonthy said:

A guessed explanation which is logical and has been studied is better than a fantastical explanation with no basis, a fantastical explanation which could be easily proven if true. 

This is a very good example of my point.

1) Scientifically speaking "guessed explanations" are useless no matter how logical it might be. Skeptics claim to be scientific.

2) Your use of "no basis" is simply a way of begging the question. You assume the supernatural is untrue therefore anything with that premise is untrue.

3) You use a vague meaningless term like "fantastical" to poison the premises. In my parlance there are two forms of explanation - natural and supernatural, both are possible, though a supernatural explanation is extremely rare.

Natural explanations are subject to the scientific method. A supernatural explanation is not subject to the scientific method by definition, and are not easily provable because they are not repeatable.

 

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2 minutes ago, OrdinaryClay said:

This is a very good example of my point.

1) Scientifically speaking "guessed explanations" are useless no matter how logical it might be. Skeptics claim to be scientific.

2) Your use of "no basis" is simply a way of begging the question. You assume the supernatural is untrue therefore anything with that premise is untrue.

3) You use a vague meaningless term like "fantastical" to poison the premises. In my parlance there are two forms of explanation - natural and supernatural, both are possible, though a supernatural explanation is extremely rare.

Natural explanations are subject to the scientific method. A supernatural explanation is not subject to the scientific method by definition, and are not easily provable because they are not repeatable.

 

My bold

Convenient eh? That's pretty much the definition of non-existent.

 

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Just now, Timonthy said:

My bold

Convenient eh? That's pretty much the definition of non-existent.

 

Actually, it's very inconvenient.

You are engaging in a classic path of fallacious reasoning - "stealing the concept" and "begging the question".

1) You define non-existence solely to suite your argument.

2) You presume the non-existence of the supernatural in order to discredit supernatural explanations.
 
 I would say your course is an good example of psychological convenience.

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On 7/14/2017 at 6:06 AM, XenoFish said:

Maybe I need to save this article for later use?

Since you are asking a question, I say no. Joe Nickell has a PhD in English. This does not instill a lot of confidence when it comes to science. Of course it does probably make him a great story teller.

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27 minutes ago, OrdinaryClay said:

Actually, it's very inconvenient.

You are engaging in a classic path of fallacious reasoning - "stealing the concept" and "begging the question".

1) You define non-existence solely to suite your argument.

2) You presume the non-existence of the supernatural in order to discredit supernatural explanations.
 
 I would say your course is an good example of psychological convenience.

Alrighty then, so how do you suggest I approach this?

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2 minutes ago, Timonthy said:

Alrighty then, so how do you suggest I approach this?

Have you ever served on a jury through to the end of the trial?

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12 minutes ago, OrdinaryClay said:

Have you ever served on a jury through to the end of the trial?

No, I've never been called for jury duty.

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43 minutes ago, Timonthy said:

No, I've never been called for jury duty.

Then you proceed like you understand how to serve on a jury.

Edited by OrdinaryClay
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