OT: Who's seen a ghost? For real...

[Transplant]

You're not telling us anything we don't already know. This thread is for people to relate experiences with ghosts. Curmudgeons are encouraged to do their curmudgeoning elsewhere.

I will threadcrap no more. Although I didn't think I was being that curmedgeonly.

[Paratrooper]

I once saw PJ Harvey in concert, she was as pale as a ghost, does that count?

[nearmint]

Several years ago, my wife and I were living in a house that we were renting and my wife was sick with the flu. About 2 in the morning she got up to get a drink of water while I was still laying in bed. When she came back into the room, she was walking past the bed to the bathroom and a few feet behind her I saw the upper body of a woman with blond hair and a red top floating behind her with her hands in a praying position. My wife has dark brown hair and was wearing a black top. This figure followed her almost to the bathroom and simply faded away. I don't know what she was, but I think this experience was very cool.

 

Ken

 

What was your initial reaction? I would have been jumping out of my skin!

[The Troll King]

I think the most convincing evidence ever caught on film was the Toys R Us ghost when "That's Incredible" set up a whole crew there to film things. I clearly remember a skateboard jumping off the bottom shelf (even with the little rack in the way) and then rolling down the aisle.

 

Explain that one...

[The Black Hand ®]

I believe that when we die...we are gone for good. However, there might be a scientific explanation for what people think are ghosts. Parallel dimensions, rifts in space and time etc., could account for these sightings as well as drugs and various forms of mental illness as well as very real seeming dreams. Obviously I don't know for sure and all I have to offer is speculations and opinions, But the fear of death is so strong in most people that there is always going to be a belief in ghosts and life after death. For some people, it's the only thing that keeps them going. That, coupled with the fear of eternal damnation, is part of what holds our society together. My thoughts on the subject are crude and simplistic, but probably pretty close to the truth. If I wanted to write a book are have a carreer based on the study of these things, I would try to make them a lot more complicated, in the way lawyers and politicians and doctors do.

[Mr. Zipper]

Seems like these kind of stories have been going on for thousands of years from countless reliable sources. Are they ALL hoaxes or mistaken?

Yes. For thousands of years, people believed eclipses were the work of angry gods and required sacrifices. Why don't we see REAL proof in the age of video cameras and sophisticated equipment?

 

Depends on what you would consider real proof.

 

I am not a ghost junkie, but I do know that most people into ghost / spirit stuff claim that very rarely do ghosts appear in a "human form." They claim that most apparitions are in the form of light flashes or sounds.

 

There is no evidence that I am aware of of video captures of human looking ghosts. But, there is video / audio evidence of unexplanable lights, electrical activity and sounds.

[nearmint]

You're not telling us anything we don't already know. This thread is for people to relate experiences with ghosts. Curmudgeons are encouraged to do their curmudgeoning elsewhere.

I will threadcrap no more. Although I didn't think I was being that curmedgeonly.

 

Well, as you said, there's no way for the existence of ghosts to be proven, so bringing up the argument is kind of a brick wall. We're 5 days from Halloween, and I think some folks on the boards would enjoy reading stories related by people who believe them to be true.

[Scheradon]

There are no true stories of ghosts. They don't exist.

 

And you know this how? I'm always curious when someone makes a definitive statement like this.

 

I have never physically seen a ghost, but I have had enough strange experiences to atleast peak my interest in the paranormal.

 

I think it's worth keeping an open mind about. I'd love to spend the night in a real supposed haunted house or place and investigate these things myself before I draw too many conclusions.

 

It's impossible to prove a negative. The believer's job is to prove the existence of the fact claimed.

I love quoting myself.

 

You're the one making the definitive statement. You didn't say, "I don't believe ghosts exist", you said it as a matter of fact as if you had some proof of your claim, "Ghosts don't exist".

 

I never said they were real or not. I also never said I was a "believer". I always approach these things in a skeptical manner, but do not find any problem with investigating them to get to the truth of these strange happenings, sightings, and other occurances people are having.

 

The first stage in any investigation is to hear the eyewitnesses accounts, then go from there...yet you want to bury your head in the sand and shoot them down before they even get their story out. You've already made up your mind, so how could anyone prove it to you?

[october]

It happened during my third year of law school at The University of Illinois. For those who have been to that campus, you might remember the large graveyard right across the street from Memorial Stadium. Well, the law school sits on the corner of both. It was about 7:00 at night during the fall, and I had just finished up my night class. Dusk had fallen, so it was already fairly dark. I had parked a few blocks from school, right across from the graveyard entrance.

 

The street was totally deserted, but as I was about a block away from my car I saw a figure in white come out from between two buildings. I thought it was a girl (but I wasn't sure) and I watched as she approached the street. I never took my eyes from her as she walked up to one of the cars and got in. At this point I realized that she had just climbed into my Jeep. I wasn't totally sure, as I couldn't remember if I had parked exactly in that spot, but as I got closer I realized it was indeed my car. I kinda freaked at this point and I grabbed my keys and stuck them between my fingers in case I was mistaken. I thought it could have been a guy with long hair trying to steal my Jeep, and I could have been forced to fight him. I walked past the car, looked in all the windows, checked under it, but there was no one there.

 

The other cars were empty as well, no one had crossed the street, no one had walked away. It had gotten into my car and disappeared. I hadn't taken my eyes from the scene, since I thought someone was trying to steal my car. I can't explain it and I know what I saw. It occurred to me on the way back to my apartment that I might have seen a ghost. It did happen right next to the graveyard afterall. I didn't (and don't) believe in them, but I can't really explain what happened either.

 

BTW, I am not the only person who claims to have seen a ghost associated with that graveyard. A woman I work with said her husband was there once with his friends and ended up driving right through one! Of course they were drunk and stoned at the time...

[Wally's Comics]

I have seen something fall diagonally before and that led me to believe

it was spirit motivated in the late 70's.

 

This was a wooden plaque with no metal of any kind on it and didn't make

any sense for it to do so.

 

My older brother who is a minster now in Minnesota was going to Bible college

and at home durring the holidays when he had an argument with my other older brother

over him witnessing to him. My other brother said give me that bible and I will rip it up

to prove to you that their is no god. As he lunged toward him they were right over the

enterance way to the den where a plaque hung from above. The plaque if it fell should of

fallen straight down and there wasn't physical disturbance or no reason, but it fell diagonally

and hit my other brother in the back of the head before he could reach my "preacher" brother.

The most ironic thing of all was it was my father engraved plaque that says "Jesus Saves".

 

To this day seeing that flips me out.

And no I wasn't on any hallucinogenic drugs either (I was only 9 years old).

 

 

 

[Scheradon]

Seems like these kind of stories have been going on for thousands of years from countless reliable sources. Are they ALL hoaxes or mistaken?

Yes. For thousands of years, people believed eclipses were the work of angry gods and required sacrifices. Why don't we see REAL proof in the age of video cameras and sophisticated equipment?

 

Depends on what you would consider real proof.

 

I am not a ghost junkie, but I do know that most people into ghost / spirit stuff claim that very rarely do ghosts appear in a "human form." They claim that most apparitions are in the form of light flashes or sounds.

 

There is no evidence that I am aware of of video captures of human looking ghosts. But, there is video / audio evidence of unexplanable lights, electrical activity and sounds.

 

Very true. I have heard some really amazing EVP's captured on Ghost Hunters and other Ghost Shows (although I put more faith in Ghost Hunters). However, the skptic in me would like to capture one myself in a secure setting, then I'd definately be on my way to true believer status. I've been thinking for awhile about trying to capture an EVP myself.

[Transplant]

The first stage in any investigation is to hear the eyewitnesses accounts, then go from there...yet you want to bury your head in the sand and shoot them down before they even get their story out. You've already made up your mind, so how could anyone prove it to you?

 

I've never seen gravity but I believe in it. It's been proven. Not saying I agree with everything Richard Dawkins says, but here goes. If someone says that there are flying spaghetti monsters, you can't possibly disprove 100% that they don't exist. There will always be doubt that something could exist without having been observed. I can't prove ghosts don't exist. I can only ask for proof that is generally scientifically accepted.

 

BTW, I will only pop back in when folks bash me for my stance not to dispute the claims of others.

[Jeffro.]

Reportedly there is a ghost at my work place. The building I am in used to be a dormitory for the school of nursing that is now closed. Several of my staff have reported seeing things out of the corner of their eye, strange noises when no one else is there and even having the sensation of someone blowing on their ear.

 

I have yet to experience anything, bit it does make me want to come back at night and take some pictures.

[nearmint]

My father-in-law is the most practical person I know. He doesn't believe in God, the devil, ghosts, gnomes, or Norwegian forest trolls.

 

But...before my wife was born, her folks lived in an old house in Seattle. My father-in-law never felt comfortable in that house. It just wasn't...welcoming.

 

After living there for several years, they sold it. The day they moved out, my father-in-law was removing a small television from the living room when he was shoved violently from behind.

 

No one else was in the house. When they moved into their new house, he says it immediately felt very welcoming.

[nearmint]

there are flying spaghetti monsters

 

I knew you had a good story.

[Pirate]

There are no true stories of ghosts. They don't exist.

 

And you know this how? I'm always curious when someone makes a definitive statement like this.

 

I have never physically seen a ghost, but I have had enough strange experiences to atleast peak my interest in the paranormal.

 

I think it's worth keeping an open mind about. I'd love to spend the night in a real supposed haunted house or place and investigate these things myself before I draw too many conclusions.

 

It's impossible to prove a negative. The believer's job is to prove the existence of the fact claimed.

I love quoting myself.

 

Prove they don't exist. So because society says there aren't any, then you follow right along with the masses.

 

I have never seen one, haven't exactly looked for one either, but who's to know for sure.

[nearmint]

Reportedly there is a ghost at my work place. The building I am in used to be a dormitory for the school of nursing that is now closed. Several of my staff have reported seeing things out of the corner of their eye, strange noises when no one else is there and even having the sensation of someone blowing on their ear.

 

I have yet to experience anything, bit it does make me want to come back at night and take some pictures.

 

Or just leave a video camera running. See what happens when no one's around.

[Pirate]

Several years ago, my wife and I were living in a house that we were renting and my wife was sick with the flu. About 2 in the morning she got up to get a drink of water while I was still laying in bed. When she came back into the room, she was walking past the bed to the bathroom and a few feet behind her I saw the upper body of a woman with blond hair and a red top floating behind her with her hands in a praying position. My wife has dark brown hair and was wearing a black top. This figure followed her almost to the bathroom and simply faded away. I don't know what she was, but I think this experience was very cool.

 

Ken

 

What was your initial reaction? I would have been jumping out of my skin!

 

Trooper would have asked her out.

[Paratrooper]

Several years ago, my wife and I were living in a house that we were renting and my wife was sick with the flu. About 2 in the morning she got up to get a drink of water while I was still laying in bed. When she came back into the room, she was walking past the bed to the bathroom and a few feet behind her I saw the upper body of a woman with blond hair and a red top floating behind her with her hands in a praying position. My wife has dark brown hair and was wearing a black top. This figure followed her almost to the bathroom and simply faded away. I don't know what she was, but I think this experience was very cool.

 

Ken

 

What was your initial reaction? I would have been jumping out of my skin!

 

Trooper would have asked her out.

 

I likes me women skinny, almost transparent.

[Wally's Comics]

BTW, I will only pop back in when folks bash me for my stance not to dispute the claims of others.

 

that's a buggaboo statement if I ever heard one...