release_the_bats wrote:
Fnord wrote:
Every single claim of paranormal activity that I have ever personally looked into has been a case of ignorance, delusion, or outright fraud. While I believe in the possibility, I have yet to experience a paranormal event in person, or examine "evidence" that could not be explained as a normal event or trickery.
This is pretty close to my own thoughts on the matter.
I do not
believe in anything paranormal, but I am open to the possibility that one of more of these phenomena
could exist.
In fact, the idea of some paranormal phenomena existing sparks my imagination - I enjoy thinking up various possible scientific / realistic explanations for these things. But that is all daydreaming for the sake of recreation, and I do not confuse it with reality.
I think I am similar with this, being quite skeptical about this as well, first of all, if there are ghosts, what are they? people often assume to be poeple who died, that implies the existence of a soul or spirit inside each of us, a separate entity from the body that can exist outside of it and can perceive without the body, from a scientific and naturalistic point of view, that seems impossible.
Depending on the belief system, some argue to be either demons or/and angels and nothing more, given that the concept of angels and demons seem to come from ancient mythology, perhaps that could be under debate, it can be argued that those assumptions could have been based on such stories or beliefs learned which would be the interpretation of any unknown event.
Why not stating that ghosts are time travellers or living people visiting us from a parallel universe, or why not stating that they are fifth dimensional living creatures, stepping in to this 3d land? why would that sound far-fetched comparing to spirits, demons, etc, if it does?
The pyschological factors are to take in mind considering what makes us feel in a state of fear or feeling something to be creepy in some situations, depending in our perception when it is related to a certain belief system, it seems that believers are more likely to interpret any unknown event as such than nonbelievers and also how susceptible someone is towards it.
The darkness for example, usually darkness is associated with ghosts and the paranormal, the less you see your surrounding by darkness the more vulnerable you feel and the more you will be scared, and I see this as a psychological factor with horror, add complete silence to darkness, and there you have an effect.
_________________
?Everything is perfect in the universe - even your desire to improve it.?
Last edited by greenblue on 09 Dec 2008, 8:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.