Ghosts! Are they real?

Are ghosts real?

The Brown Lady is one of the most famous ghost photos ever taken. Is it real? I'll let you, the viewer be the judge! To view the image larger just click on the image itself.

I'm fairly certain that prehistoric humans would have asked themselves that exact same question "are ghosts real". I'm also certain they wondered in awe at the life-force that animated not only them, their fellow humans but even the animals within their midst.

Grave sites have been found in Iraq, Croatia and Israel that are believed to be at least 60,000 years old, and these are probably not even be the oldest graves in the world! I truly believe that these primitive humans would not have bothered burying their clan and family members with items, trinkets and talismans that they believed would be needed by the dead in their next life, unless they had some belief system on the continuation of this life-force, and of life after death. I'm also quite certain they wondered where that life-force went, when they did encounter, the death of one of their fellow humans.

A former skeptic

I originally opened this website back in October of 2009. Before that time, I guess I would have to admit that I was totally skeptical when it came to ghosts and the paranormal and I only believed in ghosts, as something for Hollywood movies or TV programs, or those who were so afraid of death and dying that they needed the hopes of an afterlife. But after some unusual events happened to me, in my own home, events that some may consider paranormal, which I mention elsewhere in this website. I had no choice but to open my mind a bit and concede, that perhaps ghosts and the paranormal are real. I would not say I was a believer at that time and I still had my doubts and reservations. I believed that some, if not all of these events could be explained by natural phenomena.

I would have to say that I sat right on the middle of that proverbial fence with my beliefs and I sat there until I became interested in EVP or electronic voice phenomena. I've watched quite a few of the TV programs about ghost hunting, but I was not very impressed with any of the EVP that they presented as evidence of the reality of ghosts. I did not necessarily believe that these programs were faked but I was a bit skeptical of their EVP and thought most of it was just random sounds or noises that sounded like words, it's a mental phenomena commonly referred to as auditory pareidolia.

After becoming interested in EVP, I went out and bought myself an inexpensive digital voice recorder and I felt compelled to attempt a few EVP sessions of my own, in my own home. The reasoning behind doing this, was with the hopes that I would either dismiss this phenomena as a simple misinterpretation of the background noise and hiss, or I would convince myself of the reality of EVP as something paranormal. After doing a few dozen EVP sessions in my home, I have come to the conclusion that there is definitely something paranormal going on in my home, something that I cannot explain. After doing just this small amount of research on my own, in my own home, there are a few things I can say with absolute certainty.

• I absolutely DO NOT believe EVP are stray radio frequencies as some skeptics and scientists like to assert. I say this because stray radio frequencies would not respond to direct enquiries.
• I also DO NOT believe they are fragments of cell phone or CB radio conversations for the same reason.
• I can also state that some may, in fact, be auditory pareidolia, but I also believe that most are definitely words and/or phrases being articulated in some manner and sometimes these voices seem to respond to direct enquiries.
• I can also state with absolute certainty that NONE and I do repeat NONE of the EVP samples provided by myself on this website are faked or hoaxed in anyway.
• I am not going to say that these voices are ghosts, spirits or any other paranormal type phenomena, but I absolutely do believe they are paranormal in origin.

Does this mean that I now believe that ghosts are real? Not necessarily! I cannot say with absolute certainty that ghosts are real, no one can! But I do have to admit that EVP has changed my perspective from that of an open minded skeptic to one who now believes there probably is something to the paranormal, and ghosts most likely do exist

My experiences

The ghost on the stairs is another now famous ghost photo or picture that was taken in the mid 1960's by a retired minister. Again, I'll let you the viewer be the judge as to the authenticity of this image! To view the image larger, click on the image itself.

The reason I now lean more toward being a believer in ghosts, is that I, personally have had some unexplainable, paranormal type activity happen to me, in my own home, activity that I cannot explain. I got up one evening around 2:00 AM to let my dog out and seen a shadow that almost looked like a person, hunched over, dart across my kitchen floor. To be really honest don't remember if the moon was out or not, perhaps it was, and in reality, it was only a shadow coming in through my kitchen window. I have also heard footsteps in my loft or attic room and went to investigate and found no one there, my wife has also heard these footsteps, and they have been heard on more than one occasion, and they have also been heard by other people. I have also heard voices in the middle of the night when no one was around and all the televisions in the home were off and we don't live near any other homes. And this voice almost seemed to speak to me personally. Are these events paranormal or evidence of ghost or spirit activity? I really don't know. All I do know for certain is that I can't explain them. Perhaps my own home is haunted! Or perhaps it's just my own, overactive imagination running amok. But if my home is haunted, then I think that's pretty cool.

Science and the paranormal

Most main stream scientists, are rather skeptical when it comes to the paranormal and especially to the idea of ghosts and haunting's. Many of these scientists have a tendency to dismiss anything that can't be verified under laboratory conditions using scientific methodology. Their attitude seems to be, if they can't see it, measure it or quantify it under laboratory conditions then it just doesn't exist. But just because ghosts, spirits or some other paranormal phenomena, can't or possibly won't be quantified and verified in a laboratory does not mean that it isn't real. These same scientists, who dismiss as bunk the possible existence of ghosts and the paranormal, can't even satisfactorily explain the nature of consciousness or of reality itself. Although there are a few scientists, most notably Sir Roger Penrose and Dr. Stuart Hameroff who have proposed a theory of what they call Quantum mind or Quantum consciousness. This theory is way beyond my ability to fully comprehend or explain, therefore if you wish more information click on the above link.

I've watched programs on the "Discovery Science Channel" about the universe, black holes and other space phenomena. The astrophysicists and scientists who narrate these programs talk of string theory and how there may be 10 or perhaps even 11 spatial dimensions. And some of these scientists even state there may be an infinite number of universes. They also talk of dark matter and dark energy, but can't even prove to themselves that this stuff exists. And what I find amazing is that these same scientists, who believe in these unproven and bizarre theories, will often dismiss the possible existence of ghosts, the supernatural and the paranormal. I believe it famed astronomer "Carl Sagan" who coined the term extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Well, I'd like to ask, where is the evidence or proof that these scientific theories are anymore valid then the theories of the paranormal. They rely upon mathematics to prove and validate their theories, but the mathematics they rely upon is only as good as mathematicians who may have created the equations. And if there is an error in their logic, then there is also an error in the subsequent equation. And even they admit that their theories will sometimes contradict each other, and they have yet to come up with their so called theory of everything.

I sincerely believe that the scientists, who ridicule those who do believe in the paranormal, should step back for a few moments and take a look at the history of science itself. It was less than a century ago, when it was considered science fiction to believe that one day; humans might walk upon the face of the moon. And there have been other strides in science, that at earlier times were believed to be impossible.

I sincerely believe that no one, and especially those with a scientific background should ridicule the believers in the paranormal, ghosts and haunting's, until they, the scientists can come up with conclusive and verifiable proof that such things are not real! However, I do believe that the burden of proof does lie upon the believers, but to belittle and ridicule anybody for their beliefs, is, in my opinion, just not right.

Scientists have the attitude that everything in our universe can be broken down, understood and explained through science and the scientific method. Perhaps they're right, but there is always the possibility that there are some things that just may be, beyond the scope of normal human and perhaps even scientific understanding, therefore, I believe that everyone should maintain an open and curious mind, and not attempt to negate or invalidate the beliefs of others.

Suggested reading

If you are a ghost hunter or just a paranormal enthusiast there is an outstanding book that I think everyone in the paranormal world should check out. That book is The Yoga of ghost hunting by Richard Salva. It offers some excellent tips and tricks that can help keep the ghost hunter/paranormal researcher safe and well grounded.