Or other contact with the previously alive? This was just occuring to me in the Hillary and Hatch posthumous thread (ah, that almost sounds like my ideal future!).
Suneun said that there is a possibility of posthumous baptism having the same effect as expelling poltergeist. Now it took a long time for me to read this as anything except the inevitable result of food poisoning.
But then it sank in. Poltergeists? Who here believes in this stuff?
Posted by DOG (Member # 5428) on :
Not me.
Posted by Kraid (Member # 6302) on :
I somewhat believe in ghost/spirits/poltergeists whatever you want to call 'em. Being a mormon, I believe that there are billions of spirits roaming the earth influencing us in bad and good ways. Whether they're of the devil or of god.
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
(unsurprisingly) I believe in the possibility of 'ghost' by which I mean a functioning being after death that can interact with this world.
Course, I also believe in the possibility of non-consciousness at death, but I'm not as fond of that hypothesis.
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
The spirit of my uncle was seen by several children at his funeral. He also came and comforted my mother when her dog died.
Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
I believe in spirits. I just do. I think that they can influence some things on Earth.
Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
I don't think that anyone is in agreement over what the heck ghosts are. The common usage is all over the map!
Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :
I believe in spirits, but I'm not allowed to act upon that belief until after my 21st birthday.
[ April 12, 2004, 06:46 PM: Message edited by: Da_Goat ]
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
Da Goat: Posted by Yank (Member # 2514) on :
If you put it that way then yes, I do.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I believe in giant white bunny rabbits that are invisible to everyone but me.
Posted by Yank (Member # 2514) on :
Do they eat people?
Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
Bob, is your giant bunny rabbit friend named Harvey?
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
I don't know about that, Bob.
Harvey and I meet and discuss contintental philosphy over fresh-made carrot juice [juiced with half an apple and a slice of ginger] all the time.
Posted by BYuCnslr (Member # 1857) on :
A couple years ago, at night Dad and I woke up and saw a spirit in our rooms looking around, we told each other in the morning, a few hours later when my father was talking to our neighbor, we found out the funeral of the original owner of the house was that day. Having experience a ghost first hand...I have to believe in them, though not as good or bad things.
Satyagraha
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Okay, well the nearest thing I had to interacting with the "previously living" is that once I thought I left a bottle of dish soap on the windowsill above the sink, and then it turned out it was on the counter right by the sink. But I was feeling so worried at the time I called in sick to work and took the Metro into D.C. and went to the monuments.
I guess my mom thinks she saw the spirit of her baby after she died (the spirit was an adult looking personage.) But when I was in the same situation I thought that I was going to be appointed Secretary of the interior. So I... guess I don't think she lied, or necessarily that she was crazy. I just don't think I could handle it. Maybe not believing in ghosts, not seeing them, takes the greater act of willfulness.
Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
I'd really like to see a ghost. Or an alien, or Sasquatch.
But my life is too mundane, or sumpin. Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
eslaine, how can you expect to see the sasquatch until you become willing to be the sasquatch?
P.S. Those who believe in ghosts, do you believe there are effective and duplicatible methods of getting rid of them? I'm so worried I'm going to get haunted as a result of this thread. I picked the wrong day to give up chocolate.
[ April 12, 2004, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: pooka ]
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I don't believe the spirits of dead people come to earth and influence things. I believe once we die our spirits then either join with the saints in heaven or go to hell.
I do however, believe in the spirit world, and in the spiritual beings we commonly call angels and demons. I believe they most definitely influence our world.
Posted by J T Stryker (Member # 6300) on :
I believe, but then again, i also think that if i try hard enough, i might be able to bend a spoon with my mind. *takes spoon out of soup and stares*
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
I've had some pretty wacky and fairly inexplicable things happen around me. I generally don't like to talk about it, even years later it freaks me out.
Posted by Apooche (Member # 6384) on :
I beleive in ghosts. I think they live pretty average lives somewhere out there. When they die their body (a kind of sollid lookingish type thing) comes and inhabbits a soul here. They are souls, just as we are bodies. Only very few of them can see eachothers bodies, they mostly just look like a soul. When we see ghosts, we are seeing souls of dead people who couldn't find the place where ghosts live. We could also see people yet unborn, who just died in Ghost-land and are about to find a body to live in.
Ghosts might even spend some time discussing if humans really exist, as they live in a world oposite to ours. I know its confusing, but its how *I* think it works and thats the best I can explain it. Please don't hunt ghosts because they are innocent and haven't found their way to Ghostland yet and shuold be symmpathised with not hated. Im going to beleive this unless sollid evidence proves me rong, and I beleive that you should do the same with your own theory.
Whatever you do, don't discriminate people over their veiws. Remember, even if you have a strong beleif, you could be rong. Don't assume that you are correct, as I will not do so with myself.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
For those who don't recall, Harvey is actually a pooka.
And now, to answer the real question in the thread, I guess I believe in ghosts because I've smelled one.
I can't really begin to explain it, but there was a scent that wafted through my room. Very pleasant smelling woman's perfume actually. Since I didn't have any perfume in the house at the time, being single, it was clearly not from any source of mine. Now, it's possible that one of my next-door neighbors had dropped a huge bottle of Chanel or something, but the scent was very localized. I could sort of wade through it in my room.
Weird.
I get chills just thinking about it.
For weeks after my first dog died, I could sense her presence. It was probably just because I was so used to having her around. The feeling gradually faded to just missing her all the time because she was sort of always there and now there was a big void. So I guess I can't really count that experience as seeing a ghost.
My grandmother reportedly used to hang around various of my cousin's houses after she died. Sort of creepy, really, because she could be a holy terror when the mood struck her. But apparently she just sort of stood around watching. I never saw her. Well, once I thought I did, but I wasn't sure. So I don't count that one.
Posted by JohnKeats (Member # 1261) on :
Apooch, I love your theory. Can I write a story with it? Please??
To the question:
Yeah, I guess I believe in ghosts. I say that with a rather nebulous definition of what exactly a 'ghost' is... mostly because I'm no longer dogmatic enough to label my unknowns.
I know a lot of really great people who claim to have experienced paranormal activities. And I'd say it's fair to guess that millions of people around the world do the same every year. While not having identified any singular 'other' entity in my own experience, I am inclined to believe that some portion of these occurances are explainable and that a sizable portion of them are not. For me, believing that those millions--all family members and friends--of regular, decent people are having their earthly existence infringed upon by expressively evil creatures from the god-realm (and millions of angels as well, doing their angel things) would be accepting a world where human beings are the subjects of supernatural predators.
Not my thing.
I prefer to give most people the benefit of the doubt and be open to new information or experiences that could help me come to whatever conclusions I'll eventually make, if any.
Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
Yeah, i've met one, even had sex with one...oh wait, I thought you said goats. Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Apooche, Mormons also believe in premortal spirits and pre spirit something elses. But rather than their coming here being termed their death, I've heard of our death being called another birth. Maybe that sounds trite. But you know how it seems like a baby in the womb must be so confined? Maybe that's what being mortal is like compared with what may come after.
Posted by vwiggin (Member # 926) on :
"P.S. Those who believe in ghosts, do you believe there are effective and duplicatible methods of getting rid of them? I'm so worried I'm going to get haunted as a result of this thread. I picked the wrong day to give up chocolate."
What's the worst thing they can do to you, kill you? Then you will become a ghost and kick that other ghost's ass.
P.S. I so got that Pooka reference. Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Not only do I not believe in ghosts, I find the belief in ghosts to be laughably ludicrous. It sets off every single one of my cringe-inducing skepticism meters.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Your definition -- ghosts = someone previously alive (first post).
But that definition, I don't believe in ghosts.
I do, however, believe in spirits (good and bad). I do not believe they were formerly people.
Farmgirl
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
I do not believe in ghosts. But then again, I don't believe in most "devine" experiences, either. I think both ghosts and the "holy spirit" are manifestations of internal desires and/or attempts to explain odd occurances. I think there is a reason most ghost experiences happen in situations where one's senses are not at their best (dark, spooky, late at night, when you're alone, when you just wake up in the middle of the night, etc), and I think it's the same reason that most people's most intense religious experiences come in conjuction with highly emotional or stressful events, or religiously inspired altered states (like intense fasting, fervent prayer, chanting, charismatic gatherings, etc.)
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'm pretty skeptical of the idea of ghosts, but I don't rule out the possibility that they exist. I have seen some things that seem to me to defy conventional explanation.
Posted by Xaposert (Member # 1612) on :
I'm kinda neutral towards ghosts. I've never seen any good evidence for them or met anyone who has, but I've heard claims and I can't say I have any refutation for them.
I don't consider it a vital issue to take a position on though, considering it has virtually no impact on anything relevant to me. Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
I believe in that one Christmas Future ghost. That guy's a total tool.
Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :
I don't believe in ghosts. I don't believe in UFO's. I don't believe in Bigfoot or Nessie. I don't believe in ESP, telekinesis, auras, fortune telling, clairvoyance, astral projection or past lives.
I am actually a huge skeptic, for someone with deep-seated spiritual beliefs.
Posted by fil (Member # 5079) on :
There is no spoon.
fil
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Well, I had a really creepy night but I feel pretty good today. Tomorrow should be interesting, as my brain regulates to this no sugar no chocolate thing. Though I accidentally put some honey on my bread yesterday. My husband is trying to do it too, and he claimed he already had a headache yesterday.
Posted by Fishtail (Member # 3900) on :
I believe that there is a possibility that there are ghosts, and even had a friend who was a physics major explain some energy theory to me that sounded like a plausible explanation for their existence. Unfortunately my memory and technical ability don't allow me to reproduce that argument...I wish I could remember!
Posted by Mabus (Member # 6320) on :
Although I don't know how my religious beliefs can be compatible with the existence of ghosts, several members of my stepfamily (who mostly share those beliefs) tell me that an apparition of a woman appeared in my middle stepsister's bedroom during a period when they were living in a used trailer. They moved out of that trailer as soon as possible and have never bought a used home since. Apparently it was a very frightening experience.
I have always been a skeptic myself, but my skepticism is eroding. I have met too many people who have been freaked out by an apparent encounter with psychic abilities or phenomena.
Posted by Godric (Member # 4587) on :
I knew a fellow once who claimed to have a "spirit" friend who apparently let him watch other people and other places. He also tried to teach me how to see other people's auras(sp?).
I knew another guy who claimed that lights would flicker whenever he entered a room in his house.
Finally, my one old roommate told the story of how a few friends of his were hanging out at his old house when they heard the piano being played upstairs and nobody else was there.
I think they were all full of crap.
Don't get me wrong, I think they all believed themselves -- but I'm pretty sure the explanation for the three are 1) a troubled childhood/mental problems, 2) bad wiring and a tendency to exagerate, and 3) an ---hole who had to come up with a story to top everybody else.
Now, I do believe in "the supernatural" -- but not in ghosts. I'd really like to sometimes. But I don't.
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