What if: Ghost Exist

[XenoFish]

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

[+ouija ouija]

I'll play!

* I don't think the effect on personal, social and religious beliefs would be any different than it is now. Currently there are some people who believe in ghosts and there are those who don't. It all depends(I'm guessing), on whether or not you have the personal experience of seeing a ghost, so unless ghosts started appearing a lot more than they do currently, I don't think the level of belief in them will change.

* What afterlife would be right, if any? As I understand it, the point about ghosts is that they don't make it to an afterlife because they're still attached to the physical world for some reason. They are as close to being alive as it's possible to be without actually being alive.

* What are ghosts made of? Just energy, I suppose ... energy stimulated by powerful emotion?

[tcgram]

I'll bite.   Personally and socially,  it would be great that we would be able to communicate with those who have passed on from this life.   We would not miss our loved ones so much and would know that they are with us, just in a different form.   Religiously, it would depend on what you believe.   It would blow Christians, for example, out of the water.   The bible says that if you are a believe of Christ, when you are dead, you are then with God.   So being a ghost and hanging around would mean that is false.  

Afterlife would consist of still being able to spend time with your family and friends.  

Ghosts are made of a type of mist, which enables them to travel easily from place to place and take whatever form they choose.   

Edited April 30, 2019 by tcgram

[HandsomeGorilla]

It'd make solving murders a whole hell of a lot easier.

[docyabut2]

1 hour ago, XenoFish said:

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

If they do exist, wish I could see one while awake  then I would believe it

[papageorge1]

1 hour ago, XenoFish said:

 

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

 

It would pose the most change on the atheist-materialist types. Most religious and spiritual people would see this more as confirmation of their beliefs that they may have held but felt uncertain about. 

Most strictly speaking even ghosts wouldn't prove so-called life after death but it would be highly suggestive evidence.

1 hour ago, XenoFish said:

 

What afterlife would be right if any?

 

A number of belief systems are consistent with ghosts, in fact most around the world. 

1 hour ago, XenoFish said:

 

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

There are multiple types of non-physical entities that  get the term 'ghost' in colloquial speech. But basically they are entities whose native realm are in dimensions beyond our familiar three and composed of the subtle matter of those  realms. These are not directly detectable by us. The type of ghosts occasionally visible through our physical senses are materializations (or semi-materializations) where they draw energy (drain batteries, leave cold spots) from the physical environment for a temporary light material existence.

[Orphalesion]

Well it would depend on what those ghosts are. Are they dead people who are somehow stuck in the mortal realm after death? Are they "bits" that got left behind/cast off? Are they just echo images?

If they were people that are stuck on the mortal plane after death and somehow unable to "move on" it would very much distress me. Since it would mean that whatever the afterlife is, it's disorganized enough for people to be "left behind" and that isn't a nice thought. If they are "cast off" bits or echo images...eh... would probably be kinda cool to see.
If they'd be some sort of spirit entity that doesn't have anything to do with a dead human or a past event, but is something like a Genus Loci, then they'd be hella cool to see.

Don't really understand the phrasing on the "which afterlife" question. Probably my status as a non-native speaker, but I don't understand what is asked here. Though as I said people being stranded in the mortal realm after death would, in my opinion, point towards a chaotic, possibly perilous, afterlife.

Well in stories where I have ghosts I like to call it "soul stuff". And again here it depends... if it's people's souls stuck in this world then it would have to be an exotic kind of.....stuff.... that isn't subject to decay or entropy. If it's cast off bits or echoes.....*insert pseudo scientific stuff about photons? here*
Then again even with stranded souls it could be that hypothetical ghosts are just a different form of, possibly makeshift "body" made of *insert pseudo-scientific stuff about exotic matter here* 

[Piney]

2 hours ago, XenoFish said:

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

On certain traditions. None. 

2 hours ago, XenoFish said:

What afterlife would be right if any?

 

I personally prefer the one where you become part of the spiritual energy emulated by Creation because it my particular belief system reincarnation is optional

2 hours ago, XenoFish said:

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

This pretty much explains what Algonquians and Japanese people believe. Just Maanituu or Kami. Spiritual energy. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kami

 

1 hour ago, ouija ouija said:

* What are ghosts made of? Just energy, I suppose ... energy stimulated by powerful emotion?

Emotionally driven urges would probably be closer. 

[+joc]

3 hours ago, XenoFish said:

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

Boredom is the devils workshop!  

I ghosts exist then it means that there is life after death.   If there is life after death, that means that personal, social, and religious beliefs are all true.  If those beliefs are true, that means that there is no reality where the laws of physics rule the day.  If that is true, then we are all living in a surreal world where the likely hood of Salvador Dali's paintings are not so surreal after all!

I kind of dig melting watches on tree limbs...but I'd freak if I saw them all around me!

[Piney]

16 minutes ago, joc said:

If those beliefs are true, that means that there is no reality where the laws of physics rule the day. 

From a Western perspective with Heaven, Hell and other dimensions. Yes.

From a Tendai perspective none of our beliefs break any known theories of physics. 

Then there's the Western nonsense where they can somehow apply physics to the Eastern spiritual tradition creating a nonsensical word salad without even understanding what we actually believe. But that is straight up woocrap. 

[Orphalesion]

1 hour ago, Piney said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kami

 

Interesting, and here I just thought Kami meant deity, never knew that it meant a lot more. I only have a superficial idea about Japanese beliefs, but are Youkai and Obake Kami (or part of Kami) then? Or is that something else entirely?

[Piney]

5 minutes ago, Orphalesion said:

Interesting, and here I just thought Kami meant deity, never knew that it meant a lot more. I only have a superficial idea about Japanese beliefs, but are Youkai and Obake Kami (or part of Kami) then? Or is that something else entirely?

Everything is part of Musubi but Youkai who are too deranged just lose Musubi and fade away. Obake are the "personification" of nature and human nature. Literally "Thought Forms" created by the "Hive Mind" of a group. 

[onlookerofmayhem]

2 hours ago, papageorge1 said:

It would pose the most change on the atheist-materialist types.

If I found out ghosts were real, it would in absolutely no way change my stance on a god existing.

It would mean ghosts are real. Unless the position was that God is a ghost or perhaps a collection of ghosts.

Even if a ghost told me a god existed I would still have to die and find out for myself. 

Just because we could survive death in some way would not constitute a belief in a god. 

Ghosts are made of memories.

[papageorge1]

1 minute ago, onlookerofmayhem said:

If I found out ghosts were real, it would in absolutely no way change my stance on a god existing.

It would mean ghosts are real. Unless the position was that God is a ghost or perhaps a collection of ghosts.

Even if a ghost told me a god existed I would still have to die and find out for myself. 

Just because we could survive death in some way would not constitute a belief in a god. 

Ghosts are made of memories.

By 'atheist-materialist types' I was more getting at those that think the world is physical-only and just operates by the laws of physics. This view is big among the 'scientific' types. The Theist vs. Atheist debate was not what I intended to get at. I agree that there can be ghosts without a belief in God.

[spartan max2]

I think people would spend insane amounts of money into the phenomenon.

Trying to weponize ghost, get an edge, make technology around it etc.

 

This is actually a topic I toyed with making a para-sci-fi book around.

If ghost and souls not only exist but were measurable. If these things were real and measurable then it would inevitably lead to technology that could control and manipulate. 

If you can measure anything then it is physical enough to build technology around to manipulate. 

 

[TheOracle]

5 hours ago, XenoFish said:

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

Great questions XenoFish.

I believe that there would be a great effect personally, socially and religiously. On personal level people would be able to have contact with the deceased including ancient ancestors. They could learn about family histories and the history us as a species. Socially this information could be shared and add to a collective knowledge and understanding for all of us.

Religion I think would be the most put out as the afterlife that this would reveal may not support the mainstream religious beliefs that they have taught. I think that this one would be the biggest struggle.

I think ghosts would be a form of energy. As spartan max2 mentioned above (and this is the scariest part) I think the attempts to control and manipulate this energy could be a huge issue.

['Walt' E. Kurtz]

Bonus question : Scientists believe in multiple universes or multiverse perhaps ghosts is a form of energy that can move through the worlds.

Edited May 1, 2019 by Impedancer

[Rlyeh]

12 hours ago, XenoFish said:

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

First you'd have to explain what a ghost is.

[XenoFish]

6 minutes ago, Rlyeh said:

First you'd have to explain what a ghost is.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ghost

[Rlyeh]

3 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ghost

So an actual soul of a dead person?

Can we detect and communicate with them?  If not nothing has really changed, we just know ghosts exist.

[openozy]

13 hours ago, XenoFish said:

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

Oh,how grand it would be to imagine.

[freetoroam]

On 30/04/2019 at 10:07 PM, XenoFish said:

What if:  ghosts exist?

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

Could have a dramatic influence on people in many different ways

Apart from the usual ideas of being in touch with your dead loved ones, there will no doubt be those who were not loved or did not love.

How many ghosts would love to haunt those who have got hold of and abused the inheritance or haunt those they did not like in life?

Would the ghost be at the wake listening to the comments by those who were not so sad to see the back of them?

If a ghost were able to name their murderer, would it stand up in court without any other evidence? 

Would people think twice about committing a murder if they knew ghosts existed?

Would it be the end of those ghost hunters and their you tube vids and para programmes?

As to what ghosts are made of - as it stands today, they are made out of mans imagination, but for this thread, i need to ask a few questions: 

How long would it take to become a ghost from the moment of death?

People generally describe ghosts as walking about or standing , but  many people do not die when they are walking or standing, so there has to be a time period from when the dead body becomes a ghost, but the ghost does not come back as they were at time of death, but prior to their death .

If a person is bedridden or killed in an accident, then how can they come back walking or standing? 

So what are they made?  Would this depend on what sees them?

If they can only be seen in the dark with a camera flash ,  then they are made of dust or insects.

If they are only heard though an EVP, then they are a form of static.

If ghosts exist, then can everybody see them and not just the person wanting to see them?

All mediums would be obsolete as you would not need one if ghosts were able to come back.

There are over 7 billion people on Earth, if their dead ancestors were ghosts, there would be some scientists who would be experimenting on how to stop them 'returning'  after death? 

Edited May 4, 2019 by freetoroam

[Dejarma]

On 30/04/2019 at 10:07 PM, XenoFish said:

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

if ghosts are proved to be real do you mean?

[ParanormalKris]

On 4/30/2019 at 4:07 PM, XenoFish said:

I'm bored and wanted to pose a few simple questions to all of you. First thing I want to make clear, this isn't about the existence/non-existence of ghost. It's more or less a thought experiments. Let's say that ghost do indeed exist.

What would the effect of this be on personal, social, and religious beliefs?

What afterlife would be right if any?

Bonus question. What are ghost made of? 

I Love all your Questions. But the First One is Grate! To Be able to Believe in Ghost, is an Physical Mind Set. Now if Your See Lights Just Turning on an off by them own, that is not an Mind Set, Just Cause You Don't know if it an Ghost or just A energy Thing. But if You do the Flash Light Test or, like the Fox Sisters did with Tapping and ask Yes or no Questions then get a response Every Time. That Would be an Mind Set. Or if you see a Face or a Fill Body. If Everyone Believed in Ghost then that will Changes our Social Life. and Might End all Religion all together. We will Become More Spiritual.

 

   the Afterlife is our Real Home, It's Bliss! You can Live out your Life there or Come Back.

 

[the13bats]

the fox sisters admitted to hoax even showing how they did it....

a world where ghosts are real? hum.

basically it would be a world like seen in films like "cast a deadly spell" "  the frighteners" etc

the answer is gonna depend which rules of spookies the person subscribes to like if it were zombies do you follow romeros ideas or return or living dead.