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Ghosts

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steveb | 21:37 Sun 18th Aug 2013 | Science
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I would never normally consider posting a question about ghosts in this section but I think I'll get the best answer here.

I do not believe in any supernatural phenomena, however I was speaking to some members of a family we have known for years and was very surprised to find that 3 adult members of this family did. They claimed that each of them had independently seen the ghost of an old man in their bathroom, and various other seemingly paranormal events, objects moving, noises etc.

I didn't know what to say to them, I completely do not believe in these type of events yet I consider these people to be completely honest, sane and genine.

Noises and other minor events can generally be explained by logical means, but can anyone offer an explanation for actually seeing ghosts, particularly people seeing the same ghost?

Any suggestions would be greatly received, it's almost enough to make me question my own beliefs.
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People can be wrong, the eye in particular is untrustworthy, let alone the brain. Various studies have demonstrated, anyway, that we can be fooled, seeing things that are not there and not seeing things that are. Moreover there is no way for these people to know that they have seen exactly the same "ghost", and it's likely that there was a certain amount of...
22:23 Sun 18th Aug 2013
I would have great difficulty explaining the contents of this thread to anyone outside of AB.:-)

Al.
I wouldn't even attempt it, al ;-)
@naomi

//I never dismiss other people's claims out of hand. I can't. //

Myself likewise. I do not doubt for a minute when a person describes something in the sky which they are unable to explain away as being of human origin - the very definition of UFO. I only begin to question if there is any tendency to associate the thing with extra terrestrial life. I am one of those who is happier to await a "White House lawn" incident.

;-)

Phone: If they can hack into people's webcams, I'm sure they can spoof a call from a given number. The flaw in that theory is that it presupposes 1) someone who knows you has hacking skills; 2) they know your house's number; 3) they know your guest's mobile number

Was the ansafone recording silent/obscene/abusive? You said it was "appropriate to the occasion", which I found slightly cryptic.

"No practical jokers present"
Okay but, if one was present, they'd hardly want to spoil it by admitting it, would they?

I can't prove there was one: you can't prove there wasn't.

I apologise for "a bit theatrical" - that was just my take on marble hurling. I recall one story on some TV show where they used to throw the marble back and it would be thrown again, over and over... coming from somewhere high on the shelving.

Which was the last generation of kids to play with marbles? 1970s? 80s? 90s???
I am going to give up trying to follow this thread which is making me wonder if I am loosing my marbles.

Al.
It's when I stop wondering that the I begin to worry. :o/
I have noticed that twice a year all my watches and clocks are out by an hour except the radio controlled one. So obviously poltergeists don't operate in the electromagnetic spectrum....
For what it's worth, Naomi, I've been thinking about those incidents on and off, and not reached any profound conclusions. But then this shouldn't surprise either of us, as I don't have enough information about the events.

I would like to move on very much, but I feel you owe me an apology. Quite a few apologies, actually.

"I never dismiss other people's claims out of hand. I can't."

Surely it depends on what the claim is?
jomifl
I have noticed that twice a year all my watches and clocks are out by an hour except the radio controlled one. So obviously poltergeists don't operate in the electromagnetic spectrum....
21:06 Fri 23rd Aug 2013

Now so sure about that Jom, in fact, that's the first place I notice a disparity between the hour and the time the Sun came up. :o/
I wish I had so much time in my life to waste on semantics. Shame on you for wasting so much of your precious time talking cobblers.
Who're you talking to Z?
Everyone who's contributed more than 5 replies. Life's too short Jim. But not as we know it.
Fair enough. At the moment I have too much time on my hands! That should end soon though.
Good. AB is an intellectual black hole. The gravity of the question tends to distort normal (whatever that is) discussion.
That's six posts Zac!
First decent laugh I've had in this thread!
Needs must Kawasaki.
Ps.....you're AB it sad for counting 8-)
Pixie, //Out of interest, what do you put your experiences down to? You mentioned "haunted." Are you thinking poltergeist activity? I'm wondering how you think it works physically.//


We've already said that people term these things 'ghosts' for want of a more appropriate word. 'Haunted' comes into the same category. I have no idea what causes these things to happen - but I don't believe in the 'supernatural'. That's another convenient word - as is 'poltergeist'.


Hypognosis, the recording was a piece of music appropriate to some happy news we'd just received which wasn't yet widely known. There are no practical jokers.


To the rest of the latest contributors. Knowing full well that my posts would meet with derision, I expected nothing less - but perhaps you should ask yourselves why I would expose myself to your ridicule for no reason?
Could there have been a hoaxer at work?
No.

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