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Are Ghosts Mentally Ill?


SSilhouette

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Does anyone even know anything about mental illness? IF ghosts exists they would have to have a brain to be mentally ill. Mental illness is about chemical imbalances in the brain. Mental illness is no different than having diabetes or cancer, so by the same logic ghosts would have to have diabetes and/or cancer as well.

Please visit www.nami.org or something.

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It is certainly true that most 'active' ghosts appear to have suffered greatly in their lives (and died in horrendous circumstance) , they would appear to have 'motive' for haunting and dwelling in a place both mentally and physically (as we consider it). So I guess they could be deemed to be in a bleak purgatory.

There is very little knowledge on how to communicate adequately and have complex conversations or get a good look, a question of strength of whatever form of material a ghost is formed from and how existing/travelling through our realm affects it? Heck it's rare that one ever stays around for more than a very short amount of time. I doubt we will ever be able to ask them why they stay around in our lifetime or whether science can ever touch that aspect, perhaps it was designed that way lol.

There are also other 'active' spirits who are attached to places because they loved being there whilst alive and it has been known for these types of spirits to frequent a location just as strongly as the other extreme. I think strength of emotion has more to do with it than being 'mentally ill' but I get the jist of your thoughts. All we are at the base of it is energy so it makes sense to me that areas attract the dead as they did in life, in the physical. Mayhap it is a lesser sentient form of the person as they were alive, like when a bee is attracted to colourful flowers or some kid's vivid clothes heh.

Edited by DancingCorpse
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For the purposes of this discussion we've talked about mental illness being obsession, suicide and murder. And those three themes seem to really show up a lot in discoveries and observations of ghostly presentations and habits, haunts etc.

And we are talking about dead people. Not living ones.

Edited by SSilhouette
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For the purposes of this discussion we've talked about mental illness being obsession, suicide and murder.

Obsession, suicide and murder have about the same amount of relevance to being mentally ill, as being Chinese. Absolutely none. For the purposes of this discussion, you're welcome to demonstrate how clueless and prejudiced you are, but I would argue that others needn't lower their standards to your level.

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Obsession, suicide and murder have about the same amount of relevance to being mentally ill, as being Chinese. Absolutely none. For the purposes of this discussion, you're welcome to demonstrate how clueless and prejudiced you are, but I would argue that others needn't lower their standards to your level.

What state can 2 girls get married in?

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Obsession, suicide and murder have about the same amount of relevance to being mentally ill

There are two ways to look at that statement. One is from a prosecutor's POV who would not want people getting off the hook for these crimes by pleading mental illness. And I can understand that because we need a system of punishments that are harsh to deter these crimes [murder against the state, suicide against the Spirit]. Obsessions don't necessarily lead to crimes but we can agree they are, if persistent and affecting the wellbeing of the person afflicted, a mental issue.

The other way of looking at these qualities or behaviors is through common sense. And in that arena I guarantee you the majority of folks see them as signs of mental illness.

And remember, we are talking about the dead. Also, it should be expected that great traumas and shock can lead to mental instabilities. What greater shock could there be than a sudden unexpected cessation of one's life?

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There are two ways to look at that statement. One is from a prosecutor's POV who would not want people getting off the hook for these crimes by pleading mental illness. And I can understand that because we need a system of punishments that are harsh to deter these crimes [murder against the state, suicide against the Spirit]. Obsessions don't necessarily lead to crimes but we can agree they are, if persistent and affecting the wellbeing of the person afflicted, a mental issue.

The other way of looking at these qualities or behaviors is through common sense. And in that arena I guarantee you the majority of folks see them as signs of mental illness.

And remember, we are talking about the dead. Also, it should be expected that great traumas and shock can lead to mental instabilities. What greater shock could there be than a sudden unexpected cessation of one's life?

You do realize that most people who plead insanity or temporary insanity have their plea thrown out and that people who truly have mental illnesses are in prison instead of mental institutions where they could be helped?

Flying into a fit of rage or being shocked very badly are just that. A person doesn't just instantly just develop a change in brain chemistry leading to bi polar illness, schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, etc from a shock or flying into a rage.

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Obsession, suicide and murder have about the same amount of relevance to being mentally ill, as being Chinese. Absolutely none.

Obsession--OCD, paranoid schizophrenia

suicide- bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, etc., etc.

I've no interest in talking about ghosts, but this statement is demonstrably false. Look up the definitions and brief summary statistics about any of these conditions. At a population level, suicide rates are much higher in people with the mental illnesses listed above (except OCD).

Edited by Cybele
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Flying into a fit of rage or being shocked very badly are just that. A person doesn't just instantly just develop a change in brain chemistry leading to bi polar illness, schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, etc from a shock or flying into a rage.

I would say having a shock or flying into a rage were effects not causes of those things.

Edited by starlight1020
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A cause of them could be the shock of dying and not being prepared for death. Many people obsessed with things in the physical world are never ready to let go. So even if their death was expected like a terminal illness, they may be so fixated on their obsession that death becomes meaningless to them and they are "stuck".

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Obsession--OCD, paranoid schizophrenia

suicide- bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, etc., etc.

I've no interest in talking about ghosts, but this statement is demonstrably false. Look up the definitions and brief summary statistics about any of these conditions. At a population level, suicide rates are much higher in people with the mental illnesses listed above (except OCD).

http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=04ea1254-bd31-1fa3-c549d77e6ca6aa37

States:

Most people with mental illness do not die by suicide.

It does also state that:

90% of people who die by suicide have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric disorder at the time of their death.

http://allpsych.com/disorders/index.html

Included in psychiatric disorders are: sexual dysfunctions, sleep disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, etc.

It is a VERY wide spectrum. Again, can be compared to asking if a ghost would have diabetes. IMO

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I would say having a shock or flying into a rage were effects not causes of those things.

You might, but the psychiatric community would not agree.

A cause of them could be the shock of dying and not being prepared for death. Many people obsessed with things in the physical world are never ready to let go. So even if their death was expected like a terminal illness, they may be so fixated on their obsession that death becomes meaningless to them and they are "stuck".

Why would someone with a terminal illness be classified as mentally ill? What you state above, could be true, if you believe in ghosts but it would not have anything to do with mental illness.

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it's obvious that this thread is posing a question based on an incorrect assumption about mental illness.

mental illness is an inbalance in brain chemistry. it is a physical ailment that happens to the body. if you do not have a body you do not have a brain and you do not have a problem because you do not have a 'mental' state per se.

if the OP would like to finally concede that she is in error, that's one thing, but to keep this thread going merely to argue a point that she does not understand and refuses to understand (thereby continuing to knowingly offend those who suffer from this affliction) really puts an end to the entire discussion.

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it's obvious that this thread is posing a question based on an incorrect assumption about mental illness.

mental illness is an inbalance in brain chemistry. it is a physical ailment that happens to the body. if you do not have a body you do not have a brain and you do not have a problem because you do not have a 'mental' state per se.

if the OP would like to finally concede that she is in error, that's one thing, but to keep this thread going merely to argue a point that she does not understand and refuses to understand (thereby continuing to knowingly offend those who suffer from this affliction) really puts an end to the entire discussion.

Agree 100%. Marry me.

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You're coming from the angle that all paranormal events are infact the ghosts of humans who have passed on. There are other entities then just human ghosts.

Anything on this subject is just speculation. There isn't even a concrete definition of ghosts in the paranormal world of study. Some will say it's the dead souls that won't move on, some say it's residual energy. So it all boils down to personal belief & opinion.

I have several different theories. One of my theories is that time is an illusion, that everything (past, present & future) is happening all at once but our brains can only process things 'chronologicially' one event at a time. So some of these 'ghost' sightings may be an event that has 'looped' over the 'present' and is being received by human or electronic perception.

Scientific fact: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. When we die our energy must go somewhere. Does it take on a 'life' of it's own as a disembodied spirit? Maybe. Does it retain it's original human consciousness? Maybe, assuming it had something to live for to remain in the land of the living.

Long story short, I don't believe ghosts are mentally ill. I believe they are here because there is a motivation that keeps them here. Just as most people have a motivation to keep them from killing themselves. Does that make most people OCD? manic depressive? ect.... no, it makes us human. i.e. I believe that ghosts who remain are attempting to hang onto what threads of humanity they can and have no interest in ascending or being reincarnated.

That's my 2cents, don't spend it all in one place. :)

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You're coming from the angle that all paranormal events are infact the ghosts of humans who have passed on. There are other entities then just human ghosts.

Anything on this subject is just speculation. There isn't even a concrete definition of ghosts in the paranormal world of study. Some will say it's the dead souls that won't move on, some say it's residual energy. So it all boils down to personal belief & opinion.

I have several different theories. One of my theories is that time is an illusion, that everything (past, present & future) is happening all at once but our brains can only process things 'chronologicially' one event at a time. So some of these 'ghost' sightings may be an event that has 'looped' over the 'present' and is being received by human or electronic perception.

Scientific fact: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. When we die our energy must go somewhere. Does it take on a 'life' of it's own as a disembodied spirit? Maybe. Does it retain it's original human consciousness? Maybe, assuming it had something to live for to remain in the land of the living.

Long story short, I don't believe ghosts are mentally ill. I believe they are here because there is a motivation that keeps them here. Just as most people have a motivation to keep them from killing themselves. Does that make most people OCD? manic depressive? ect.... no, it makes us human. i.e. I believe that ghosts who remain are attempting to hang onto what threads of humanity they can and have no interest in ascending or being reincarnated.

That's my 2cents, don't spend it all in one place. :)

i enjoyed your post, especially the part i bolded. i have a very similar theory.

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lol

sorry spoken for.

All of the good ones are taken. :yes:

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Hmmm I was under the impression that people were allowed to explore the paranormal at this website without ridicule? Perhaps I was mistaken.

In any event, we are for the purposes of this thread, assuming that the thousands of eyewitness accounts of ghost sightings each year, at least a small percentage of them are viable. And of that percentage we are exploring the topic of how when mediums or EVPs ferret out the nature of their haunting, it always seems to revolve around suicide or murder or obsessions. Not that each and every DEAD PERSON'S ghost is mentally ill; only that it seems like a lot of them are.

For those who claim that it is impossible for a person's spirit to be mentally ill, we have to assume that a spirit doesn't exist as awareness separate from the body. Yet many near death accounts hold witnesses that swear when a person is revived that the events down the hallway [for example] reported by the revived patient who could not have known about them down to impossible details, were precisely as described. Respected medical professionals are baffled and uphold these accounts. So accurate are their reports that they compel us to be sceptical as to the sceptics who have made a religion out of refusing to believe at all costs......

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I think the best part of this topic is that if mental/spiritual illness is reponsible for a lot of hauntings, that "therapy" for the ghost might be able to be developed. Already that's kind of what purifications are about but not as much as I'd like to see. Some of these ghost shows are way off the mark. They run around yelling "are you here? Can you see us?"... which may seem frightening to the affected spirit because "of course they're here. And of course they see the living...why can't the living see me??...am I really dead??! Oh god!..oh nononon...oh god no!!" And so on...

I think the trauma from being shockingly dislodged from the body, still retaining awareness and therefore for all intents and purposes from the dead person's POV, they ARE alive..I think that would be very unnerving to have people milling around you and completely "ignoring" you. Because you can see yourself. You can see them. Why can't they see you??? I think just that might drive someone mad.

The whole point of my opening this topic up was so that we could be more compassionate towards those spirits who still feel they are alive and treat them with the same dignity and respect as anyone would a living person. I hope that we would stop treating them like some parlor game for our amusement.

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Well when we have proof that dying is being shockingly dislodged from the body this whole topic might make more sense, but I doubt it.

It could just be a peaceful lifting sensation. It could be reincarnation. It's all based on BELIEF and not FACT, like actual mental illness is.

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No, it's actually based on eyewitness accounts: http://www.nderf.org.../NDERF_NDEs.htm

Eyewitness accounts are the least accurate form of proof next to circumstantial evidence.

And NDE's are not proof of an afterlife. It could just be as most scientists believe, the lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain that causes hallucinations. http://www.csicop.org/sb/show/return_of_the_living_dead_the_final_chapter/

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