Ghosts - Real or Imagined?
©2004, by Aisling D'Art
It may surprise you to learn that I'm a skeptic about hauntings and "ghost stories."
Well, I am.
I've been interested in the paranormal since childhood. I'll use the word "ghosts" for this, so everyone knows the category of phenomena that we're discussing.
And, I'm always eager to hear others' opinions, with hard evidence or innovative theories. I'm curious about unexplained phenomena, and I'll consider any fresh outlook on the subject. I believe that there are answers that we just haven't found yet.
We know only one thing: There are things that people experience that we cannot easily explain with normal, scientific laws.
I focus on what people call "ghosts." I do not study UFOs, vampires, and so on.
I have several theories, some of which may explain what happens at "haunted" locations:
- Something in the environment may disorient people. This could include high EMF levels (already measured
at many haunted sites), high ionization (also measured at some sites), very low vibrations/sounds (detected by
scientists in the UK in recent ghost studies), and so on.
It's possible that these unusual but normal phenomena disorient people so that they interpret slightly unusual events in paranormal terms.
In other words, although I've experienced things that I cannot explain except as "ghosts," I'm willing to believe that the incident was a hallucination, the contagion of suggestion, etc.
- Or, the phenomena may be real, but have another explanation. If someone traveled through time from the
early 19th century to the mid-20th century and saw the lights in a room turn on when a single switch was
flipped, they might decide that it was magic or sorcery.
Likewise, phenomena such as floating figures or baffling sounds may be real, but there may also be a simple, non-ghost explanation that we haven't discovered yet.
Even orbs in photos may be a weather phenomenon that hasn't been identified. For example, a teacher at Artfest 2004 offered the suggestion that orbs seen indoors may be related to ball lightning. That sounds extreme, but she recommended a book about odd weather events, and I'm eager to read it. It may be a partial answer.
- Then again, hauntings may be real. I'm not ready to leap to that conclusion, but in some
cases, it seems the only answer.
As Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes said, "When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
In many cases, there are no other explanations. Perhaps entities linger here, or visit from whatever's on the other side. And, for some people that's a very comforting and intriguing thought. For others, it constitutes a "good scare."
This is a very emotional issue, and often reflects an individual's personal spirituality. And, as such, it's difficult to talk about in a group setting without misunderstandings.
I never want to discount or trivialize people's experiences. I'd never suggest that someone is making it up, or has mental problems. Many very stable, rational people have experienced things that sound bizarre when the story is told. And, in time, they may find normal explanations for these events.
But, having done considerable research in this field, I'm also very aware of contagion of suggestion. For example, existing "ghost stories" can influence people's perceptions. On a ghost hunt, a sharp intake of breath can cue others to look for something unusual, or interpret normal phenomena in a paranormal context.
That said, most serious ghost researchers are well-balanced, and often skeptics. Some of the best ghost research groups in the US are led by off-duty police. Responding to emergency calls, these officers have encountered phenomena that--so far--can only be described as "hauntings."
We don't know what causes hauntings. So far, nothing can be proved.
I would never suggest that a meaningful encounter with what seems undeniably a "ghost" is anything less than real. These stories are too vivid to be discounted.
But, in general, you won't hear me say that all ghosts--or ghost stories--are real. In fact, I believe that there are probably a variety of natural phenomena causing the myriad events that we've categorized as hauntings.
That said, some of these stories--and a few of my own experiences--completely baffle me. If they aren't ghosts, there are some wild phenomena that science has not addressed yet.
And that's why we go on ghost hunts: To see if we can find some of these answers. I encourage an open mind and healthy skepticism. And, I urge ghost enthusiasts to use scientific approaches to ghost investigations. That's how we'll solve some of these mysteries.
