The Existence of Ghosts

*Originally published on 1/30/09



Haunted houses are a staple of horror movies and pop culture. People have wondered if the existence of these specters is a possibility. As an avid fan of Ghostbusters, I am slightly biased in the positive. Let's take a look at the facts.

A ghost is really just the soul of someone who has passed on. Given the fact that practically every religion acknowledges the existence of a soul, why are ghosts so far fetched? Ah, but you're an atheist who doesn't believe in that mumbo jumbo? Fact, people who have been clinically dead all give the same descriptions about what they saw when they left their body. They felt like they were pulled upward and saw a bright light. Given that this is the most reliable testimony feasible, I'd say that there is a pretty good chance that there actually is an afterlife. An afterlife suggests the existence of a soul, if souls exist than so do ghosts. People dismiss out of body experiences, and there are times that it is just the drugs working. On the other hand, wouldn't an out of body experience suggest that there is a part of you that leaves when you die?

But let's not focus on that. All across the country, there are historical landmarks that are haunted. Some of this is just to draw tourism, but there are places where explorers do sense a presence or hear voices. Is it an actual entity? Or are their minds just playing tricks on them? I've seen some of those ghost hunter shows and while I'm sure that some of those people were just on edge, there are others who went in stoic and came out terrified.

People have moved into homes that contained malevolent presences. There are documentaries that re-enact accounts where families were threatened by such entities. That old show, Sightings, had similar accounts. One story I saw featured a family that moved into a home that was haunted. As their lives were in danger they moved, only to discover that the ghost had followed them. This process repeated itself several times. Stories like that lend credence to the idea that ghosts do in fact exist.

I know people who have actually lived with ghosts. I've never actually witnessed any supernatural activity myself unfortunately. I am, however jealous because I am of the opinion that living with a ghost would be awesome. The ghost would need to be friendly, though if he weren't I am well versed enough to know how to handle it.

The question about whether or not ghosts exist is one that is difficult to answer. Unless you see it for yourself, you can either want to believe or take the rational route. If ghosts do exist? How come only a handful of people have seen them. I said before that this was a widespread phenomenon, and yet people will go their whole lives without seeing a ghost. Even the people who actively hunt for ghosts have little luck in finding them. Unlike UFO's there is no weather balloon or swamp gas with which to provide a logical explanation. If there is, I have yet to hear it. You shouldn't go all hardcore in your belief in ghosts. You don't want to send yourself down a slippery slope that turns you into a real life Fox Mulder. On the other hand, I think that we should all keep an open mind on the off chance that there are spirits roaming the earth.