Ghost Hunting

[Michael]

Do you believe in ghosts?

Toronto media is reporting this morning that a person died last night in some "ghost hunting misshap" at a rather well known old Toronto building (Spadina College House).

I can't find any online links for this story yet, but I guess I'm interested in the larger topic of ghosts. Seems that Toronto has several walking tours of ghost haunted sites and I've seen ghost walking tours in London as well.

So, what do you think about ghosts, ghost tours and ghost hunting?

Edited to add: Found a link!
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/09/10/toronto-woman-falls-death523.html

[SMadsen]

It's great entrepreneurship, is what I think :) Business based on fear of the unknown will never run out of customers.

Ghosts are only a larger topic if one considers the source of ghosts, the mind. Then it actually becomes a huge topic. In and of itself, it barely qualifies as a topic.

[drgoodtrips]

I was listening to the television while cooking the other day, and I heard a commercial describing some place as "one of the most haunted in the world". I remember chuckling and thinking, "how do they measure that?"

Personally, I believe the idea of "ghosts" to be a load of bull plop.

[Zarquon]

since are minds are purely physical, and the notion of a soul is a pre-scientific one, I don't subscribe to it, and thereby can't believe in afterlife, ghosts, or anthropomorphic gods.

[The Drunk Guy]

I don't believe, either. Watching shows like Ghost Hunters and "History Channel" only prove, to me, that ghost sightings can be explained by natural, yet rare, activities. I still like watching the shows, because I enjoy creepy, supernatural stories. The scariest thing I know I'll ever encounter is my own imagination. ;)

Two years ago, I was living in a friend's basement. One night, all alone in the windowless basement, I saw a large glowing ball soar across the room. I was freaked the fuck out, of course, and questioned my denial of ghosts. Luckily, a quick chat with pom helped to shine light in the issue. I'll let him get into the details, but he explained that "orbs" are common electrical occurrences in homes. Since then, I have noticed that orbs are the most convincing type of "proof" given when speaking of hauntings.

[partofme]

It's so amazing how much different posters here are compared to the general public. Every time something like ghosts comes up and I tell people I don't believe in them I get looks like I'm batshit crazy.

[SMadsen]

It's so amazing how much different posters here are compared to the general public. Every time something like ghosts comes up and I tell people I don't believe in them I get looks like I'm batshit crazy.
Are you sure it's because of the ghost thing? :D

[drgoodtrips]

It's so amazing how much different posters here are compared to the general public. Every time something like ghosts comes up and I tell people I don't believe in them I get looks like I'm batshit crazy.

I don't really know anyone that I deal with in my day to day life that believes in ghosts (or at least admits to it). :shrug:

[partofme]

I don't really know anyone that I deal with in my day to day life that believes in ghosts (or at least admits to it). :shrug:

You don't live in Western Kentucky.

[drgoodtrips]

You don't live in Western Kentucky.

Isn't believing in ghosts blasphemous or something?

[Donkey]

My college is notoriously haunted.

Now I'm not sure that if anyone who touts that factoid believes in ghosts or not.

[Michael]

Isn't believing in ghosts blasphemous or something?

Probably, but I'd consider belief in ghosts to be more common amongst religious/spiritual types, given that belief in everlasting souls and a supernatural god seems to be conceptually related to the idea of ghosts.

Btw, we do have a "yes" voter... :shrug:

[partofme]

Isn't believing in ghosts blasphemous or something?

For some odd reason I've never heard that it is.

[Donkey]

Btw, we do have a "yes" voter... :shrug:
Burn the witch! :D

[dilettante]

I give ghost stories slightly less credence than alien abduction accounts. Which is to say, practically none.

[Lily]

I like Ghost Hunters. Grant is kind of hot and Steve and Tango crack me the hell up. The idea the guys are Roto Rooter plumbers is even funnier. I've had a couple of strange experiences in my life, but I'm a skeptic at heart, so until the ghost of William Shakespeare sits down in my living room and tells me he really did write all of those plays, I'll remain a nonbeliever.

[The Drunk Guy]

Probably, but I'd consider belief in ghosts to be more common amongst religious/spiritual types, given that belief in everlasting souls and a supernatural god seems to be conceptually related to the idea of ghosts.

I remember hearing "ghost stories" when I was younger from family members. Almost all of those stories were about hearing angels and seeing shadows and orbs when someone passed away. Very few people claimed to see a lingering ghost.

And the religious outlook is right there in almost every ghost movie in existence; ghosts are souls that can't except that their lives are over and have to be urged to follow the light. Corny, but consistent.

[The Drunk Guy]

I like Ghost Hunters. Grant is kind of hot and Steve and Tango crack me the hell up. The idea the guys are Roto Rooter plumbers is even funnier. I've had a couple of strange experiences in my life, but I'm a skeptic at heart, so until the ghost of William Shakespeare sits down in my living room and tells me he really did write all of those plays, I'll remain a nonbeliever.
I really like Destination Truth, too. The host is a foul-mouthed smart ass, so I can more readily identify with him than with the plumbers. ;) Plus, they travel around the world, going to cool remote places. It's fun.

[The Drunk Girl]

My college is notoriously haunted.

Now I'm not sure that if anyone who touts that factoid believes in ghosts or not.

I think every college has some story like that. One of the dorms where I go now is supposedly haunted and there is Waverly Hills that was right down the road from UofL's campus.

I'm a pussy and tend to get scared VERY easily. I don't believe in ghosts, but I also don't like to be freaked out or scared. I never was a fan of haunted houses or farms or horror movies due to my own personal anxiety. TDG made me watch The Strangers and I about had a damn panic attack throughout the whole movie waiting on something to happen.

[SMadsen]

I remember hearing "ghost stories" when I was younger from family members. Almost all of those stories were about hearing angels and seeing shadows and orbs when someone passed away. Very few people claimed to see a lingering ghost.
At the age of 13 or 14 I actually saw ghosts in the exact form of humans.

In the countryside, I was riding my bike during late dusk with a large meadow on my left and again some grassland but with a famously haunted castle in the distance to my right when I noticed something moving in the meadow, coming towards me. I stopped and stared. It appeared to be three cloudy structures in close formation. They had the height as humans but hovered a couple of feet above the ground. As they hovered onto the road and went right in front of me in a steady pace I could clearly see heads and torsoes draped in long gowns.

Later, of course, I learned about what the early evening cold and a breeze can do to low-hanging, localized vapor concentrations in wetlands.

[drgoodtrips]

Probably, but I'd consider belief in ghosts to be more common amongst religious/spiritual types, given that belief in everlasting souls and a supernatural god seems to be conceptually related to the idea of ghosts.

Btw, we do have a "yes" voter... :shrug:

Indeed. Come forth silent rogue, and explain!

[Michael]

Indeed. Come forth silent rogue, and explain!

A pair of them now it seems. :shrug:

(I'm resisting my curiousity to use my Admin-powers to see who voted "yes" on this poll).

[Lily]

I really like Destination Truth, too. The host is a foul-mouthed smart ass, so I can more readily identify with him than with the plumbers. ;) Plus, they travel around the world, going to cool remote places. It's fun.

Oh, I haven't seen that show. I do like foul-mouthed, smart asses, too.

By the way, there should be a fourth option in the poll, "agnostic." ;)

[Michael]

By the way, there should be a fourth option in the poll, "agnostic." ;)

Please define. :)

[Americano]

Isn't believing in ghosts blasphemous or something?

Not if they communicate in tongues or wear confederate civil war uniforms.

[Lily]

Please define. :)

You know, for those who don't necessarily believe or disbelieve, but if offered proof may jump on the ghost bandwagon. My criteria would be Bill Shakespeare, but hey, that's just me... :lol:

[Americano]

You know, for those who don't necessarily believe or disbelieve, but if offered proof may jump on the ghost bandwagon. My criteria would be Bill Shakespeare, but hey, that's just me... :lol:

Offered indisputable proof who wouldn't become a believer for the right price? I'd be lenient regarding proof as long as my demands were satisfied and they have nothing to do with after my death.

[Korimyr the Rat]

Can't speak for the first two. I'm number three.

I've seen too much to deny it. Might be mundane physical explanations for some of it, but I have experienced things that can only be manifestations of one of two things: legitimate spiritual phenomena or organic mental illness. I choose to believe in the former.

And I find it hard to understand how a person can be deeply religious and then dismiss such things as "superstition."

[Lily]

Can't speak for the first two. I'm number three.

I've seen too much to deny it. Might be mundane physical explanations for some of it, but I have experienced things that can only be manifestations of one of two things: legitimate spiritual phenomena or organic mental illness. I choose to believe in the former.

And I find it hard to understand how a person can be deeply religious and then dismiss such things as "superstition."

I'm with you on that one. Superstition goes hand in hand with any religious belief, I would imagine. What is a "miracle" if not an unexplained and/or unexplainable phenomenon?

[Michael]

You know, for those who don't necessarily believe or disbelieve, but if offered proof may jump on the ghost bandwagon. My criteria would be Bill Shakespeare, but hey, that's just me... :lol:
If people were offered "proof" then I think any rational person would believe it.

Indeed, if you are shown "rational proof" of ghosts, then still refuse to believe them, that would be rather dogmatic and close-minded.

Btw, I saw you make a reference to the authorship of Shakespeare. I've been known to dabble with the argument - I'm not convinced Shakespeare wrote the plays attributed to him - I lean to Chistopher Marlowe as the author. ;)

Hmmm... perhaps we should have a thread for that...

[andrew45611]

I had a blast trying to explain all the weird stuff that he described. My only conclusion was that his friends and family had to be messing with him. I didn't say this out loud being as friends and family were present, but if they were responsible they should receive awards for acting, or take up professional poker.

I just don't think they would let it go on that long. There really is nothing more I can do from where I am, but I just thought this was really neat story. This is the first time I've ever heard a relatively normal, stable person talk about encounters with something like this.

[Lily]

As I was drifting off last night, I happened to see some ghost hunting show on TV. Three guys locked in an old Louisiana plantation overnight. The lead guy was so over-the-top that I just wanted to reach through the screen and slap him, or give him a valium. Maybe both. I found no entertainment value whatsoever in this disaster of a show. Even the "experts" this guy interviewed seemed to have a difficult time keeping a straight face. Perhaps his steroid-esque body and equally pumped-up ego are what attract some viewers, because I certainly couldn't find anything else worth watching. :ummm: