I've been fascinated by ghosts, or the idea of ghosts, ever since I was a child. In elementary school I wrote dozens of ghost stories, read countless books about hauntings and spirits and reveled in Halloween and the 'haunted houses.' Most of these interests never died, although I stopped writing ghost stories once I entered junior high. I want to believe in ghosts more than most people, but after 27 years of seeking paranormal experiences and not finding any, I must admit that I am growing more and more skeptical.
There are many out there who will say I don't have "the gift," or that "my portals" just aren't open to the spirit world. However, I think that's just something people say to feel superior. We all like to feel special, and if having a rare connection to the spirit world doesn't make one special, than what does? Others will say I haven't been to the right place at the right time. I worked at a ghost tour company for two years and met dozens of individuals who claimed that if I visited this place or that, I was bound to have a paranormal experience. Well, I visited several so-called haunted locations, many more than once, and have yet to experience anything even remotely paranormal.
So if I don't believe in ghosts, than how do I explain the thousands, if not millions, of ghost stories shared throughout human history? Well, I think that most stories stem from experiences that people can't explain, and that these individuals automatically, and quite erroneously, attribute such experiences to ghosts or spirits. I believe that other stories come from individuals who want so badly to believe in ghosts and hauntings that they convince themselves such things exist, and are quick to find reasons to support their beliefs. Still more people lie about seeing or hearing ghosts, and others dream or hallucinate that they have. I think that one can explain away most so-called paranormal experiences by these sorts of things, but there are still those stories that make me wonder, and it's these stories that keep me from scoffing at the idea of ghosts altogether.
At this point in my life, I don't think that ghosts exist. As much as I'd like to believe otherwise, I personally don't have any reason to believe in spirits or hauntings. I don't mean to imply that all people who claim to have seen ghosts are liars, I am just one of those stubborn individuals who cannot believe in something like ghosts unless he or she experiences it for themselves, or unless indisputable scientific evidence exists to support it. Unfortunately, I haven't found either. Perhaps one day this will change, but as times ticks by, my skepticism only grows.
So, dear readers, do you believe in ghosts? Have you had a paranormal experience? If so, I'd love to hear them. I am skeptical, but I still love a good (supposedly true) ghost story.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Do you believe in ghosts?
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I don't believe in "ghosts" as they are commonly believed to be. That is, I don't feel they are restless spirits. I do believe that what some people perceive as spiritual phenomena is a form of "reality confusion" in that I believe that time does not exist and that we are portions of entities which are experiencing multiple "realities" at any given time. Some people may experience shadows of other realities which they interpret as "ghosts".
I can't convey what I believe simply in a comment but essentially I believe people aren't imagining things so much as misinterpreting them because our ability to understand anything beyond our 5 senses is so poor that we adjust any experience through the lens of those senses and our need to superimpose the patterns of this existence onto everything we experience.
Eight years ago I would have said the same thing... That I did not see ghosts or spirits, so therefore, the possibility of their existence was limited in my mind. However, that is no longer the case. Not only have I seen them, but deal with them quite often now. I have captured photos of spirit orbs in two residences, and just recently two family members reported seeing them even when I did not announce their presence in the house.
As a practicing psychic for many years, it was not until eight years ago that the paranormal phenomenon became very active. Today, I co-host an internet radio show called, P.O.R.T.A.L. Paranormal Talk Radio where not only do we speak on various paranormal subject matter, but we have guests who are experts in their field. Many of those guests are medical doctors, as well as, scientists who report their latest findings. It is absolutely fanscinating to hear what many have thought to be "reality confusion", or a misinterpretation of logic. If you are interested in finding out more about paranormal phenomenon, you may want to listen to the show. It is on the Paranormal Radio Network.
I don't believe in ghosts and don't think I have experience it. But I love to listen to its stories as sometime they are really fascinating and scary...
According to ShindigZ, Adrian the Ghost has had a long afterlife of party-hopping. Here’s the story of Adrian the Halloween Ghost!
Adrian was born a long, long time ago, right here in America, only before it was the U.S.A.. He was a shy boy, but he loved to have a good time. Unfortunately, the only person who ever wanted to play with Adrian, or who ever invited him to parties was his friend Amelia.
When he went to neighborhood get-togethers, dances, or dinner parties with his parents, Adrian was so timid he wouldn’t even say “Boo.” His parents worried about him, wondering why their son was so quiet and why he didn’t make any friends like the other children did.
Adrian’s parents, however, had nothing to fear, for Adrian really loved parties—the people, decorations, lights, and music. There was nothing about a party he didn’t enjoy. It was just that when he got to a party his voice seemed to die. He’d smile and listen and have a good time, but because he didn’t say anything, everyone seemed to look right through him.
Then one All Hallow’s Eve, when Adrian was no longer a young boy, he went to a Halloween party with his parents. Adrian’s mother and father decided to leave early, before the mischief of the night began. Adrian was listening to the conversations and enjoying the music, so he decided to stay longer.
When Adrian finally decided to go home, very late that night, he got lost in a thick fog. He knew that he was somewhere in the forest around the edges of his village, but the forest was vast and Adrian knew he would never find his way out in a night this dark and heavy with fog. He lay down beneath a tree and went to sleep, very frightened, but determined to find his way home in the morning.
When Adrian woke up, he felt like he had been asleep for an eternity. The sun was shinning high in the sky and all around him was light. When Adrian found his way out of the forest, he emerged into the village cemetery. There stood his parents and Amelia, looking at a grave.
“It’s so sad,” said Amelia. “No one ever really knew him. He could have been the life of the party if he had just spoken up. He was too shy for his own good, almost afraid to laugh!”
Adrian looked at the headstone, realizing that Amelia was talking about him. He looked down at his arms, but they were no longer the tanned, fleshy arms he was used to. They were pale and transparent. Adrian was a ghost!
After his parents and Amelia walked away from the small, quiet funeral, Adrian sat on his tombstone for a long time, thinking. Amelia was right—he could have been the life of the party if he had only tried!
At that moment, Adrian promised himself that he would be a new man, if rather transparent. If no one had noticed him before, they would now! In his afterlife, Adrian would be the life of the party!
He set out from the cemetery in search of a party, any party, where he could prove that he knew how to have fun.
Ever since, for over two-hundred years, Adrian has turned up at parties bringing jokes, scares, and fun. Finding the perfect party has long been Adrian’s goal and he traveled the globe learning about parties of all kinds, from weddings to elections, from fiestas to soirees, festivals and fairs. Halloween, of course, is Adrian’s favorite holiday—people don’t seem nearly as scared when he arrives.
You never know, the next party Adrian crashes could be yours!
Visit ShindigZ for pictures and more about Adrian the Halloween Ghost.
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