Are Ghosts Real?

language humanities

The evidence is overwhelming that ghosts, supposedly disembodied spirits of the dead, are not real. The notion of ghosts derives from ancient tendencies towards animism, the practice of anthropomorphizing non-human objects. It was also likely formulated as an effort to come to terms with death, and to commune with one's ancestors. Once ghost legends were initially imagined up, confirmation bias - the inclination to see what we want to see - took over, and perpetuated the phenomenon in human culture.

When considered without wishful thinking, the idea of ghosts is filled with logical holes. For instance, why are reports of ghosts less numerous in cities that have been inhabited for many thousands of years, such as many in the Near East, than in those established relatively recently, such as less than 150 years ago? We would expect the opposite to be the case. Why, despite the existence of millions of video cameras for at least a couple decades, has no one ever captured a convincing video of poltergeist activity? Why is all the evidence for ghosts purely anecdotal?

Given an observed tendency to believe in ghosts even in the absence of any personal experiences whatsoever, and the lack of any videographic evidence that can be authenticated, it seems extremely plausible that ghosts are not real. Scientists have proposed various explanations for why people believe in ghosts. Among them are sleep paralysis, the feeling you get when you wake up in the middle of the night, can't move your body, and feel a nearby presence; infrasound, which is too low to be audible but can still be felt subtly with the body and can cause a feeling of dread; and the existence of "orbs," ghost-like videographic relics common to all forms of artificial image capture.

Because believing in ghosts is a fun thing to do, many will continue to believe for quite some time, despite the shakiness of the evidence. A 2005 Gallup poll found that 32% of American adults believe in ghosts. However, the exponentiation of cheap video cameras seen in recent years, coupled with image analysis software, will keep piling the burden of proof on believers in ghosts, until eventually, all credibility in the notion of ghosts will evaporate like a specter in the fog.

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57
Ghosts are real, we have a history written in Philippines that ghosts are proven true. In Manila at Tarlac bridge, there is a demon kid lurking around the bridge built by a murderer architect.

The architect himself was the ringleader for making the evil spirit. for some reason, to make the bridge stable, he murdered a random kid outside and mixed his blood with the cement. It is common saying from their delusional believing that it will make bridge stable. Then after a few months, a three-wheeled motorcycle with passengers in it passed by the bridge, then just saw blood coming out of nowhere, pouring heavily towards them. They thought they were being pranked by stupid people but there weren't any people found at the moment. All they saw was a kid hanging horribly alongside the bridge.

- anon52200
56
they are real. my high school is haunted and i have an actual photo of a little ghost girl in a classroom. And it is a ghost because the picture was taken at 9 at night, when there was no one there and all lights were out. in my pic, one door in the hallway is open, the light is on, and a little girl is clearly peeking out.

my high school was built on top of a slaughterhouse in which people were killed inside due to a large earthquake. yup. i'm convinced.

- anon52028
55
Ghosts are real!
- anon51564
54
Well here it is. I am the writer of Tin's Hypothesis. I was just roaming around when I saw this article. Why don't people understand that one needs a brain to understand, eyes to see, legs to walk, nose to breath? I don't get it. If a ghost could see or react with you, then think of what is the purpose of us having physical organs. What you think you see is actually an illusion which came up from the fear of death. Or the fear of seeing things that humans cannot explain. So get over it. If anybody could prove to me that there is a presence of a ghosts (even tv shows like ghostbusters etc) you are welcome to contact me.
- anon51120
53
ghosts are real. i get haunted all the time and my kid looks and laughs at nothing all the time.
- anon50606
52
ok, i don't believe in ghosts, but i do believe that there is, in fact, something else out there like spirts that have not yet crossed over into the afterlife, so if anyone wants to humor me on the subject please feel free. :)
- JackieLegs
50
i want to know that if the ghosts are real then why can't we see them? i have a doubt about whether ghosts are real or not.
- anon50227
49
i am bored because i'm doing a report on ghosts for school!
- anon48835
48
Ok so i've seen ghosts before, probably seven. i think when i was a kid i was walking to my mum's room down the hallway. when i looked into the lounge room i saw a old man or someone in their 40's or something with a dog walking in to the heater. i looked away then looked back and there was nothing. another time i saw a black cat run across the room. recently i moved to an estate which used to be a mental hospital. i live across the road from were the really crazy people used to be. i looked out the window when i was on the staircase. Across the road i saw a group of ghosts where the building was some were females. they looked like they were wearing olden day clothes.
- anon48462
47
look at all of these ghosts pondering about if they're real or not. I don't see anything more blatant. humans try to cope with death by believing in things like ghosts and souls, but the truth is it just makes you feel better. death is death. it is what it is. you're as good as dead. try not to spend the only life you'll ever have by worrying its departure. for your own sake.
- anon48158
46
paranormal - impossible to explain scientifically: unable to be explained or understood in terms of scientific knowledge. hope that helps. i personally believe in ghost i see them every friday night. they're on the CBS show "Ghost Whisperer."
- anon47075
45
I've had several things happen throughout my life that can't be logically explained. I saw and spoke to a woman who was a relative of my husband's, only to find out later that night that she had been dead for years. I described the dress she was buried in, the mole on the side of her nose, etc. to her sister. I'd never met this woman before, so I didn't know anything about her. My brother died three days later. A warning? I don't know, but I've often wondered. Other things have happened, but that stands out in my mind more than the others. Believe what you want, but I'm keeping an open mind. I *do* believe in life after death, in heaven or hell. I don't know what all this other stuff is, but I believe there's something out there. What? I don't know.
- anon45335
44
well, I do believe in ghosts. i had an experience of it when I was in grade school. before, I didn't really believe in it but when I saw it once, everything I believed to be true before was out! i was sleeping with my door open when I woke up in shock, seeing a boy seated in front of the door. i stared at him for about five seconds, no blinking when suddenly he began turning his head on me. that was the scariest! since then, I started believing that ghosts are *real*!
- anon44972
43
Listen everyone, I have seen a lot of paranormal activities in some parts of Oregon. I have seen a lot of them, but I am not scared of them. I think they are more likely spirits, not ghosts. A small blue ball, glittering at the corner room, then the faint blue light gradually disappears as I take a view on it. In my humble opinion, I think they are spirits. I often see it on random apartments or where trees are crowded except in the house I lived for so long. Afterwards, I saw this girl with black hair and wearing a white satin dress at the door of my room. She seemingly wants to irritate me and to leave the apartment. It shows up sometimes in the evening or in the dawn. I tell you, some spirits are annoying and then some are expressing emotional feelings. They can express it when I touched their faint small lights or when they entered my dream. Then when I woke up, there are tears in my eyes automatically coming out caused by unknown sources. Then, there are a few more. I was asleep then my soul separated from my body, then boom, my body pointed directly to the window. all I could see was the tree outside, then there was something trying to show up. gradually the voices are increasing as well coming from the trees. I focused to close my eyes, it was dark, the lights were off, and finally, I woke up safely. I tell you, spirits are also persistent to show their presence. I still have no idea why only my father and I could see it except my other siblings, friends, visitors, and my mother. But, I have made my decision to leave the dwelling, so that I will live eventually in a peaceful place where no one can bother us. No more creaks and bangs on the kitchen, bathroom, closets and the presence of spirits are not involved with me anymore.
- anon43066
42
people who are 100 percent convinced there is no life after death and think we die and nothing happens are probably a bit depressed or have a lot of guilt in their lives. You can argue all day. there is no proof in either direction.

If you think of how big our brains are compared to the extremely vast complex universe you should keep an open mind. Science has only been around for a tiny tiny fraction of time compared to the universe. To think we humans know everything of what our eyes can see, seems logical but primitive at the same time.

It's good to be a skeptic, but keep an open mind.

One experience for me. Walking home at sunset from class, and it was not busy at all. I felt a strong tug on my shirt from behind, it actually jolted me backwards. I thought it was a friend that snuck up on me, but no one was even in sight. This part of campus was built in the 90's and actually dug up a small Indian burial ground. Factual reports and evidence of the remain are on record.

Still I'm 70 for, 30 against though. not enough proof.

- anon40079
41
Ok i am a firm non believer, but have you ever thought about this: if you believe in ghosts then you believe in afterlife, if in afterlife then in religious texts which predict so and if in those, then in god. So shouldn't all of you who have seen ghosts/believe in them be religious?

I personally think people believe in ghosts because they want to believe that there is something for them to do after they are dead and they do not see it as a deep sleep which you never wake up from -- just that death scares them and they want to believe that it is not the final destination. please respond if it makes sense.

- anon38789
40
I had a very vivid dream one night. I was walking along a country road I knew well and my sister that had recently commited suicide walked up to me and hugged me. It was so real I woke up crying. Does this mean she was really there or does it mean I missed her so much I created this dream . I don't know.
- anon38256
39
I have lived for over half a century and there are those in my family that believe in ghosts and there are those that do not. Personally I have never seen one. My Aunt lived next to a grave yard and she absolutely believed in them but I have spent time alone at midnight in that graveyard and have never seen anything.

I can't believe in anything I can't see or touch. Sorry. That's the way it is. I don't want to believe that I could die and be stuck in some Hell between worlds. Until I see something I deny that's the way it is.

Art

- anon38255
37
there are no ghosts. there are dead people, spirits, demons, and angels but no ghosts. if you tell me you have proof you dont. pictures or videos dont scare me because i know that its just fig because it a cheap camera or that people are just trying to scare you. people beleive its real because they want to make pther people scared. all they are doing is scaring children.
- anon37343
36
well....i don't know if ghosts are real or not....childhood stories of spooks and goblins and friendly ghosts may have somewhat brought about the belief in them in the first place. my aunt(who claims to have seen her dead father's ghost sitting on his rocking chair quite a few times and even drinking some of his favourite whisky of which she leaves a glassful near the rocking chair everyday!)says that just like a bird does not cease to exist after set free from its cage, so a person doesn't when he/she discards their body....i personally don't know what to believe! often in the middle of the night, i wake up hearing foot steps in the hallway, but as soon as i peep out to see who it is,i don't see anyone. coincidentally,it was around the time my uncle died of lung cancer. my mom, dad and friends all say i was probably half-asleep or hallucinating,but i don't know for sure what to think. i also love my gramma a lot,and i still cry when i think of the day she died. the two of us could not stay without seeing each other for even a day. it's been nearly four years now and gramma never came, and i doubt it's because she found a way to deal with parting sorrow...
- anon37123
35
so me hearing my dad play with change in his pocket just before i got a phone call from the hospital telling me he passed away is what then?
- anon37115
34
Ok, as I search into google if the ghost are real and found this site that seems interesting from wisegeek. Anyway, I can't judge everyone's opinion because it is really hard to believe it especially from a no religious like me, but I have actually experienced it once with my old apartment in Philippines. Those two glasses of water lying on the table next to me has thrown on its own. It just slid frontward toward the floor. All waters were scattered on the floor. My cousin panicked when we saw it moved on its own. After that happened, my cousin never went back to my house(My parents own the apartment so I called it a house)unless in Christmas to New Year's day. My suggestion to non-believers of ghost is, don't think that the ghost are real because it can cause mental illness to realization the Phenomenon. So, just forget what I said. Scientists are right, don't believe in ghosts! They have good reasons just like I said, for the sake of your mental health.
- anon36775
33
their is suspicious activity in sri lanka (address: Millakade, Dodampe, Ratnapura). Description: Male, Black skin (asian) and black long hair.

If anyone know what kind of thing this is plz comment to this post.

- nofear
32
Ghosts are *all* fake and 100% proven??? Not at all sorry you are so wrong.

Here is my proof. I not only saw a ghost when i was 13 but i had conversation with it in which she accurately predicted her own name and location of birth. All details, including the exact appearance and even voice was identical to the ghost and the ghost was born to someone i'd never even heard of at the time (someone in a location over 100 miles away!) If that was my imagination then how could i have "known" all these details??? Chance? What are the odds i wonder?? Of course the ultra skeptic will say that it *must* be chance since the possibility of it being a "real" ghost is zero but even the most skeptical side of my mind totally rebukes at such a suggestion. so sorry i'm a believer in ghosts.

- anon32167
31
if you ever read things like "a poll found that 32% of American adults believe in ghosts" and you have not partaken in the poll, it's utter BS. 100% of all citizens must partake in polls like these for them to ever claim "American adults"
- anon32062
29
Ghosts *are* real..My uncle who had just died was a pipe smoker and after his death we had a seance to try and bring up his spirit(we didn't actually believe it would work) but, when we called upon him to let his presence be known, all of us smelled pipe smoke at the same time so don't tell me they're not real..we experienced it first hand..
- anon31505
28
Fare play to the lot of them, but I lived in a haunted house once & there was a bottle of beer that my dad had. When the priest came over to bless the house it flew behind him & smashed off the wall. :o

- anon29708
27
I won't get into arguing for or against ghosts, but I do believe that the human brain is not capable of understanding all that there is. As we progress in science and technology, many things that were once science fiction are now science fact. If there is no "life" after death, then this is one crazy, complex existence for no apparent reason...

"Human beings, vegetables,or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious time, intoned in the distance by an invisible player" ...Albert Einstien

- anon29555
26
We threw a party for a friend once so we called and rented a dj for the night. The mix board and speakers were in place but no one ever showed up. We began to wonder.. all of the sudden music began to play. Then we remembered the dj's name was g-host.
- anon29547
25
I respect all of the "debunking" comments on this page for the simple fact you all may have not experienced some of the things others have seen. I, only once, have seen a ghost in its (somewhat) physical form. The spirit was black but, I could see through it. A week before seeing this spirit, a close friend who doesn't even believe in ghosts saw this phenomenon.

I'm not sure if they take other forms, but another friend of the family just a few days ago, again someone who doesn't believe in ghosts, claimed to see an old lady in the living room who suddenly vanished.

If you don't believe in ghosts, that's your choice and by all means, believe what you believe.

I have seen and witnessed too many odd things in my life not to believe in them. They are people just like us, but no longer live in a physical body.

- anon29317
24
I bet that a fart is just a piece of ghost that broke off and smells bad.
- anon29296
23
If ghosts aren't real...then what is fog?
- anon29295
22
to anon28867 - how do you know there is no life after death? think of

it like this, you are right in the aspect that people are afraid to

die, some are not. I am not afraid to die. I welcome it, cause it's

better there than here, right now. but back to what I mean, how on

earth can you just say that's it? no life after death, you have not

died. how do you get your information on when you die, that's it?

- whitewolf
21
Check out something known as the "Stone tape theory" I think this is a plausible explanation for Ghosts.

Anyone with half a brain knows there is no possibility of life after death. People are afraid of ceasing to exist when they die (which is what happens) so they create stories of the after life to make themselves feel better.

If believing in ghosts makes someone feel better about their own existence then I don't see any harm in it but I don't personally waste my time with such notions :)

- anon26867
20
Ghosts aren't real! Stop talking about them! It's annoying, because they don't exist. Ok? This is the answer to all ur questions!
- anon26501
19
This is a pointless argument... You cannot prove it either way. This is a very similar topic to religion. Some believe while others don't. There's also different view points about the types of ghosts and spirits. This gives people the belief of an after life just like religion provides.
- grapinator
18
You are trying to tell me the evidence is overwhelming against ghosts? I don't think so. I find it quite underwhelming... Anyone else feel the same way?

- anon24706
17
well i have been convinced that ghosts, are in fact, real. my dad told me to go get a laundry basket from my room and so as i was half way up the stairs, i heard music from my room. i thought that i must've left my radio on, but from the angle i was at, i cud see that my radio had been unplugged, and as i walked in, i saw THE ghost of randy rhoads playing the guitar i had inherited from him (seeing i am his nephew) and he stared me in the eye for about 3 seconds and vanished out of thin air, leaving the guitar behind on the floor of my bedroom. i have proof of this, because the neck of my guitar, now has a crack in its neck based on the impact of it hitting the hardwood flooring.
- anon23721
16
As far as the reliability of witnesses, did you ever see that experiment where a purse is snatched in a crowded park? There were as many different versions of what happened as there were people in the park. People are generally unreliable witnesses.

Also, black holes? Physicists (real scientists) use mathematics to not only prove their existence but to provide details of individual black holes, like the massive one at the center of our galaxy. Is the existence of ghosts possible, of course, given that scientists have thus far concluded the the existence of other universes (11 so far, again by applying mathematics), we may never fully understand all that is possible, but again, there simply is no real, objective, or undeniable evidence of ghosts, and no reason to believe in such apart from our own desire to do so.

- anon22827
15
You guys are killing me, sensations, dreams? Did you not read the article? Sleep paralysis and infrasound are just two examples of phenomenon often confused with paranormal activity, other forms of electromagnetic activity have been proven to elicit the same sorts of sensations associated with ghostly or demonic presences in laboratory environments by acting on certain regions of the brain. Along with confirmation bias, consider the fact that human memory has been shown to be thoroughly unreliable, every time you recall something from memory the memory itself is slightly altered, over time memories are utterly transformed completely unbeknownst to the person remembering.

I have not heard of or seen one piece of photographic or recorded evidence of the existence of ghosts, demons, spirits, etcetera that has not been fairly easily debunked or even mimicked. Believe me, when I was younger and less discerning I believed the myths as well, the simple fact is that there is nothing but subjective, anecdotal, or circumstantial evidence to support these beliefs. As for feelings, please, I had the strongest feeling just the other day at the roulette table about 17 black, well that didn't work out so well, and didn't you "feel" that you were so in love with that first crush of yours and always would be, so how did that turn out? Even the strongest feelings often mislead.

The fact that someone is practical does not preclude the possibility that they may be fooled, reasonable, rational people are fooled all the time.

As for Jupiter, come on, there are ample photographs provided by satellites and terestrial telescopes. Look, I would love to believe in ghosts, it's not only fun but would provide some proof of an afterlife, and who doesn't want to believe that death isn't the end of conscious existence? Never assume that what you believe is true is true simply because you believe it is true.

- anon22826
14
Ok, I don't know if they are real or not, but i have watched a couple of documentaries and episodes of different things like ghost hunters that find evidence of ghosts or psychics that claim to be able to feel the presence of ghosts. The documentaries about ghost hunters are pretty convincing sometimes, so how do i know if its a hoax or not? =]
- anon21000
13
Google "residual hauntings" for an better explanation. In particular, the type of foundation/mineral that the location being haunted is built upon.
- ProveIt
12
If anyone had actual proof, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Period.
- anon20334
11
The examples of "logical holes" have possible explanations.

One reason why there are more reports of ghosts in newer cities could be that their populations were/are far greater than those of older cities in ancient times. There are more people living right now than all the people who have lived in all of history combined. Also consider the possibility that ghosts leave or disappear after a period of time.

Many "unexplainable" occurrences do get captured on video or photo, but they are always subject to debate and can hardly be considered definitive proof, especially with increasingly sophisticated editing technologies which could render video useless as evidence. Not all ghostly experiences have a physical manifestation that can be recorded by typical consumer equipment.

- anon19542
10
Some people can be so closed minded, the things people don't believe in are the things they fear. I know ghosts are real, I have felt them, I have experienced them. I had strange dreams for about 2 years. They grew clearer, stronger, and painted a vicious picture. I came to a point that I couldn't sleep for days. And when I did sleep it felt as though I was taken to a different place. Finally I went to the library to look through old newspapers. Turns out, everything in my dreams were right there in black and white. Suddenly my dreams were a startling reality. But how do you stop them?!?!?
- JustMe00167
9
I must admit that I do not spend too much time thinking or worrying about ghosts, however, I have had a few experiences that just make me wonder. They were all positive, or neutral experiences, nothing scary.

Even though I can not prove anything scientifically, the experiences that I had, made me believe that there are some forces or energy around us, that we do not see, and are not aware of it, but occasionally we get a glimpse of it. Something or somebody trying to help us? A ghost?, maybe. For a brief moment, I experienced something that stayed with me and I am very grateful for it.

- catapult43
8
Perhaps ghosts are real, but how do you conduct "legitimate" research or experiments?
- habura
7
Indeed ghosts may not be real. But, I must state beyond any reasonable doubt that, through my personal experience, paranormal activity is a real part of this world.
- anon13873
6
The vast majority of experiences come from sane practical people who are doing anything but looking for ghosts. These are people who have better things to do, jobs to tend to, other things to worry about. These people can include your own family members, coworkers, friends, neighbors and others. Even small children. Hearing a small child tell you about a strange man in the room and corroborating it is quite unnerving and disturbing to a parent. So don't tell me what is or isn't true. You haven't seen space and the planet Jupiter either, yet you know that's true - because someone said so. You have never seen a black hole in space, yet you know it exists, why? Because someone told you. If scientists spend as much time researching ghost phenomena as they do in outerworldly things, we might have already solved the mystery - once and for all. Merely sitting back and poking holes at something from an objective standpoint with straw man theories without performing any legitimate research into it will never help the problem.
- anon13803
5
Instead writing an article debunking it, and quarterbacking from behind a computer, why not get up go out and find out the truth yourself. Talk to the people, find out what happened and conduct your own investigation. Unlike religion where you don't really have a known means of investigating, the ghost phenomena occurs everywhere - frequently unreported. You can go to these sites, interview witnesses, conduct experiments, etc.
- anon13802
4
Whenever I think about ghosts, I get frightened. I feel as if someone, a cold hand, is touching my arm. Naturally ghosts are not true, but I agree that it's possible...
- anon13441
3
i have proof. i have evidence. i have seen ghosts/spirits. i have taken pictures of them. You are saying that there is no evidence ?

I think you guys should consider the possibility. I hope that some people "think for themselves" ...

- anon12749
1
I have to say that while I logically know that ghosts are not real, I have thought I've seen one in an old family home. I say "thought" I've seen one because I did see some transparent person but I know that ghosts aren't real. My mother also saw "ghosts" in this house as well.
- habura

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Last Modified: 12 November 2009

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