Do you think ghosts are all around us?

[gummyAvenger]

I hope (know) that's not what it is... If that's the case then my family must be prone to fluke sets of circumstances allowing the propegation of very unlikely events.

could be.. or it could be that, like many other people, you tend to focus on false positives in coincidences, and seek a pattern in them.

on a related note, for an example - you're thinking of someone, and the phone rings, and it's them! you must be psychic - you "knew" they were going to call.

what you don't think of is all the times they called when you weren't thinking of them, or the times you were thinking of them and someone else called. It's human nature to focus on the hits, not the misses, and find a pattern in them.

could it be that some of your phenomenon is similar? a cold draft when you're thinking of late Uncle Charlie is the same cold draft you felt when you weren't thinking of him, but it didn't have the same resonance, so you've forgotten one and ascribed more meaning to the other.

I totally agree with you for the most part. A lot of the time people mistake things like what you said for being supernatural. I had an instructor in college who was very superstitious about things like that... she had us read books on the subject and even took us outside so we could relax and focus on receiving messages or psychic waves from our loved ones. I just sat there and watched everyone look goofy as they tried to concentrate or take a nap.

Now I'm about to get "religious/spiritual", so squeamish people might want to look away

There's a difference between noticing coincidences and being very specific in prayer. My God is all powerful and is glorified in specific prayer. For example, a long time ago my parents were in a "small group" Bible study. They desparately needed a vehicle and they only had $300 to pay for it. They presented their need during the "prayer request" time in their small group. The leader of the group insisted that they be very specific, so they told him they would like a truck and that they only had $300. He told them to be even more specific - even down to the type of engine and color of the truck. My dad listed out several details about the truck and its engine that he wanted and my mom said she wanted a red truck. Then they prayed about it together. Soon after they were looking at ads in the newspaper. They didn't see anything for $300, but they did see a truck for $500, so they went to see the guy who was selling it. It was a red truck and every single detail that my dad had listed was featured in the truck. When they talked to the owner, he told them that he hadn't been able to sell it and he figured it was because the price was too high, so he told them they could have it for $300 (they didn't even mention that price to him!). You've got to admit, there's no way that could all be coincidence.

Speaking of vehicles, even more recently my mom was in need of a new van so she prayed very specifically for a silver-blue van. She'd seen cars that color before, but she'd never seen a van that color. When my parents went to CarMax, the van that was best for them was silver-blue. Go figure

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince or "convert" anyone here. I know that's really not possible over the internet... besides, it's not my job to do that anyway. I'm just stating what I know.

This has been a very interesting thread. 8)

[snafu099]

It is hard to beleive that such an intelligent goup of people can be so closed minded to the conciep of life after death.

My I offer the typical response from the OTW's "do a search and read"

"the impossible is only that which has not been done yet"

[Ripper2860]

I don't know about you folks, but ...

I see dead people ...

[pyrate83]

[quote="gummyAvenger"][quote="housepig"]

This has been a very interesting thread. 8)

That was my goal...to come up with something interesting to get the OT community going.

[the bomb]

One of the best threads in a long time. wtg!

[doppletwo]

[quote="pyrate83"][quote="gummyAvenger"]

This has been a very interesting thread. 8)

That was my goal...to come up with something interesting to get the OT community going.

What you don't like my Cola thread?

I was suprised by the response the Cola thread got.

I think there could be ghosts, but I haven't seen proof with mine own eyes.

(I know it should be "my own" but "mine own" iust has a ring to it.)

[doppletwo]

Like I've mentioned previously in OT, my university is built on and around an old mental asylum for the criminally insane. .

So your university was built on Australia?

[jimmalenko]

The housing estate I live in was formerly a mental institute also

[doppletwo]

The housing estate I live in was formerly a mental institute also

So your housing estate was built on Australia?

[jimmalenko]

in, not on

[doppletwo]

You live underground?

[jimmalenko]

You live underground?

That would be under, not in

[doppletwo]

under would mean you are a lava person.

[ViRaL1]

under would mean you are a lava person.

You didn't know that?

[jimmalenko]

under would mean you are a lava person.

If you say so ... but precisely. I'm not a lava person


Anyway, there's been a number of "unconfirmed" strange events (there always is), such as things getting knocked over, moved, strange noises etc etc etc, so we made sure that our block was where the recreation oval was. We were the first compelted house in the stage, so it was pretty lonely at night and during winter when the wind got up, you'd hear distinct howls. Couple this with a number of steel frames creaking and it was quite freaky some nights, even though we don't believe. To this day (all houses are now compelted), there are a number of steel-frame houses that we can hear rocking back and forth during high winds. It's quite offputting at times.

[pyrate83]

Uh oh, I sense my thread getting off track.

[pyrate83]

Ah, never mind. Jim kept it in tact.

[ViRaL1]

I will be very controversial here. I do not believe in ghosts. Consciousness and personality arise from the electrical activity generated in the brain, as bundles and networks of neurones interact. Once you die, it is lost forever.

Just as you did not exist before you were born, you will not exist when you die. It is oblivion, and completely unimaginable to the human mind.

Not knocking anyone's beliefs here - I could well be totally wrong. Just saying, I have an extremely pure and clinical view of the world. Paranormal and magical activites are not a factor.

Haven't people been able to be revived after all brain activity has stopped?

My dad listed out several details about the truck and its engine that he wanted and my mom said she wanted a red truck. Then they prayed about it together. Soon after they were looking at ads in the newspaper. They didn't see anything for $300, but they did see a truck for $500, so they went to see the guy who was selling it. It was a red truck and every single detail that my dad had listed was featured in the truck. When they talked to the owner, he told them that he hadn't been able to sell it and he figured it was because the price was too high, so he told them they could have it for $300 (they didn't even mention that price to him!). You've got to admit, there's no way that could all be coincidence.

How is that different from someone else just deciding specifically what they want and finding it?

[pyrate83]

BTW Doppletwo...your Cola thread was interesting.

[ZAPPER]

I am not a believer. (at least not in the light of day) I could be wrong, but I doubt it. It is fun to let yourself believe for entertainment if you will. And it it would be great if there was someplace to go after death, but I have seen no proof. Unfortunatly if and when I do find proof, it will be too late for me.

My wife however believes in anything ( she did after all marry me) It may be her proximity to me that caused the biggest "ghost scare" that I ever had. Late one night in our old house, that my wife and mother inlaw insist is haunted, a weak child like voice was heard in a somewhat unused room. My wife looked at me to see if I had heard the sound and I had in fact heard something. I was not about to give in to being haunted so I teased my wife a little about it and laughed it off. A moment latter there was the sound again! Like the mew of a kitten or the very frail voice of a small girl child just like you would hear in a movie. Again I let it ride figuring it to be the wind or an animal outside the house or anything rational, just unknown. My wife is almost in tears by now and looseing her color fast. So being the big bad burrly construction worker that I like to think that I am, I am starting to get pissed off that a full grown woman, and a trained nurse at that, would be so afraid of a sound.

Again I hear the voice! Yes it is a voice! And it is not outside of the house! I bolt up out of bed and turn on the light, I quickly go to the spare bed room and turn on the light in there to have a look. I see nothing out of place and quickly check out the bathroom that is in that room. I check out the windows and anything that may be outside of them. Nothing. I admit that about now I was a little on edge myself and my old lady was ready for a room with rubber wallpaper. My heart was pounding and my mind was not working quite right. I knew that I had heard a small childs voice say "Come play with me" Being that I don't believe in ghost I wanted an answer and now! I mean WTF! I ain't all that crazy.

Well I ain't Sherlock Holmes and I can't figure it out. My heart beat has returned to normal and it is late and time to go back to bed. Just as I turned off the light in the spare bed room it happens again! I about shit myself! I got a cold shiver in my spine so bad that I thought I was being dunked into ice water! I turned the light back on and looked down to see a toy laptop that belongs to my kid. The damb thing had setteled down into the toy box and been turned on by accident! It is one of those interactive toys that prompts the child to push buttons and solve or answer questions.

[lordsmurf]

I don't want to believe in ghosts either...

... but I've seen stuff. Some of it I'd rather like to forget, but for some reason cannot. Outright unnerving. Others were just mischievous.

[ViRaL1]

Don't believe everything you see.

[pacmania_2001]

Like I've mentioned previously in OT, my university is built on and around an old mental asylum for the criminally insane. .

So your university was built on Australia?

Still killing Indians? :P

[lordsmurf]

"Native American" or "First Nations" ... get with the times. :P

[pyrate83]

I am not a believer. (at least not in the light of day) I could be wrong, but I doubt it. It is fun to let yourself believe for entertainment if you will. And it it would be great if there was someplace to go after death, but I have seen no proof. Unfortunatly if and when I do find proof, it will be too late for me.

My wife however believes in anything ( she did after all marry me) It may be her proximity to me that caused the biggest "ghost scare" that I ever had. Late one night in our old house, that my wife and mother inlaw insist is haunted, a weak child like voice was heard in a somewhat unused room. My wife looked at me to see if I had heard the sound and I had in fact heard something. I was not about to give in to being haunted so I teased my wife a little about it and laughed it off. A moment latter there was the sound again! Like the mew of a kitten or the very frail voice of a small girl child just like you would hear in a movie. Again I let it ride figuring it to be the wind or an animal outside the house or anything rational, just unknown. My wife is almost in tears by now and looseing her color fast. So being the big bad burrly construction worker that I like to think that I am, I am starting to get pissed off that a full grown woman, and a trained nurse at that, would be so afraid of a sound.

Again I hear the voice! Yes it is a voice! And it is not outside of the house! I bolt up out of bed and turn on the light, I quickly go to the spare bed room and turn on the light in there to have a look. I see nothing out of place and quickly check out the bathroom that is in that room. I check out the windows and anything that may be outside of them. Nothing. I admit that about now I was a little on edge myself and my old lady was ready for a room with rubber wallpaper. My heart was pounding and my mind was not working quite right. I knew that I had heard a small childs voice say "Come play with me" Being that I don't believe in ghost I wanted an answer and now! I mean WTF! I ain't all that crazy.

Well I ain't Sherlock Holmes and I can't figure it out. My heart beat has returned to normal and it is late and time to go back to bed. Just as I turned off the light in the spare bed room it happens again! I about shit myself! I got a cold shiver in my spine so bad that I thought I was being dunked into ice water! I turned the light back on and looked down to see a toy laptop that belongs to my kid. The damb thing had setteled down into the toy box and been turned on by accident! It is one of those interactive toys that prompts the child to push buttons and solve or answer questions.

Great story zapper! I've got another good one but it's late so I'll post it tomorrow sometime.

[vitualis]

Me too. That is why I dont entertain any creationist theories. However,100 years ago cold hard science did not know of black holes. What hard evidence has been presented that refutes their(ghosts)existence? If someone suggests to me that our universe is a sub-atomic particle in another universe's matter, I dont feel it is impossible. I just wouldnt agree with it until it was proven.

What hard evidence is that these "experiences" are actually the disembodied consciousness of a dead person, aka, "ghosts"?

Ockham's razor

What evidence is there that when I switch on a light bulb it is actually the flow of electrons that turns on the light? Surely it could just be a magic pixie that uses magic to create light and then DECEIVES me into thinking that it doesn't exist and that there is something called "electricity"?

It is extremely unlikely that ghosts, spirits (Holy or otherwise), demons or angels exists. Indeed, I don't think that they exist at all in any real form except as memes in human mythology.

Haven't people been able to be revived after all brain activity has stopped?

Yes. Because they were revived soon enough such that brain tissue had not been irreversibly damaged.

Regards.

[gummyAvenger]

My dad listed out several details about the truck and its engine that he wanted and my mom said she wanted a red truck. Then they prayed about it together. Soon after they were looking at ads in the newspaper. They didn't see anything for $300, but they did see a truck for $500, so they went to see the guy who was selling it. It was a red truck and every single detail that my dad had listed was featured in the truck. When they talked to the owner, he told them that he hadn't been able to sell it and he figured it was because the price was too high, so he told them they could have it for $300 (they didn't even mention that price to him!). You've got to admit, there's no way that could all be coincidence.

How is that different from someone else just deciding specifically what they want and finding it?

If you decided that you wanted to find a red truck of a specific make with a specific engine and specific interior options and specific other features... all for $300, would you be able to just go out and find it?

[northcat_8]

I'm not a believer in ghosts either...except Casper...he's cool.

But I will say that 2 nights ago, before I went to bed I noticed the oven was turned on, so I turned it off. My son said he woke up and went to get something to eat around 2:30 am and noticed the oven was on, so he turned it off... ...I asked my wife and daughter if they turned it on...they said "No".... now I don't know how it turned on all by itself but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the dog...Jesus Christ Fokker, it doesn't even have thumbs

[VCDHunter]

My dad listed out several details about the truck and its engine that he wanted and my mom said she wanted a red truck. Then they prayed about it together. Soon after they were looking at ads in the newspaper. They didn't see anything for $300, but they did see a truck for $500, so they went to see the guy who was selling it. It was a red truck and every single detail that my dad had listed was featured in the truck. When they talked to the owner, he told them that he hadn't been able to sell it and he figured it was because the price was too high, so he told them they could have it for $300 (they didn't even mention that price to him!). You've got to admit, there's no way that could all be coincidence.

How is that different from someone else just deciding specifically what they want and finding it?

If you decided that you wanted to find a red truck of a specific make with a specific engine and specific interior options and specific other features... all for $300, would you be able to just go out and find it?

In under 10 minutes - my mate is selling a ford transit for £250.

[gummyAvenger]

If you decided that you wanted to find a red truck of a specific make with a specific engine and specific interior options and specific other features... all for $300, would you be able to just go out and find it?

In under 10 minutes - my mate is selling a ford transit for £250.

I didn't say you couldn't find a Ford for under $300.
You've got 1 (maybe 2) out of at least 7... I'm betting it's not red and doesn't have a v6 engine. It's a van, not a truck. It's £250, not $300 specifically... etc.