ghosts,demons, spirits. do you believe in them and do the scare you?

[kakihara]

i thought about this after i posted the bigfoot thread. ghosts. they  creep me out. i think its the idea that scares me, or the idea of a spirit that wants to do you harm. maybe its because they could be anywhere at anytime. i try not to think about them or believe in them. i wonder why ghosts are scary? theyre just people, or at least they used to be. they might be p**sed off or sad or whatever. ive had a couple of experiences and been in a couple of places that ill never forget. thoughts? opinions?

[schmendrik]

I have a fascination with both real-life ghost stories and fictional ones. I would like to believe it's true and to have an actual experience. But I've never had anything close to an experience that didn't have a simpler explanation.

I guess my standpoint is that I think it would be pretty cool if it were true, and that if I ever did actually have a ghost experience I hope I'd keep my wits about me. But I guess I mostly don't believe they're true.

One thing that bugs me on "ghost hunter" websites. You see a lot of claims of ghost photos, and then you see pictures of "orbs". I'm sorry, "orbs" are nothing. Dust. Bugs. Camera reflections. It always irritates me to follow a "ghost photo" link and read breathless accounts of orbs.

[3mnkids]

I believe in them. We had more than a few odd/scary things happen at our old house. I took a picture of my sons room and once I got it developed there were faces on the wall. It scared some of my neighbors so bad they refused to come back in my house.

[indianasmith]

As a person of fairly orthodox Christian faith, I believe the souls of the dead go to either heaven or hell.  Period.  I do believe that intense emotions can sometimes leave "psychic echoes" that sensitive individuals could pick up, and mistake for hauntings.  I also believe in demons, which can easily impersonate the souls of the departed in order to manipulate and deceive mankind.

I also think the "Ghost Whisperer" is one of the most beautiful characters on television.

[LilCerberus]

Gallery 5 was Richmond's first fire house & police station.

No ghost stories (yet), but let owner Tom Robinson get started, & he'll tell you some stories about the place.

It still has the original window, where a condemned man once took his diamond ring & cut circles in the glass.

What gets me, is that the downstairs toilet is right underneath where the gallows used to be, with the trap door still in the ceiling... And I've always had a very weak bladder.

[Eyesore]

 When I was younger and living in a small town in Oklahoma, out of nothing but boredom, some friends and I used to go out at night and explore old areas, looking for evidence of the supernatural. All of the places that locals considered "haunted", just didn't pan out. There were a couple of really odd things that happened, but I couldn't say that it was supernatural or paranormal based on noises or feelings or a darkness in the sky. But...a friend of mine and I had something happen where we witnessed something for about 20 seconds or so, that travelled inches from us that I can't explain, but I believe science probably can!

I've also slept a great night's sleep in ghost towns here in the south west that from reliable stories from people I trust; well, I shouldn't have been there after sundown!

I think I'm a paranormal void....

[WingedSerpent]

I went on a Ghost tour here in Cleveland.  I took some pictures that seem to show some "orbs".  Really interesting stuff.

[ER]

I don't think there's a supernatural, but there is the preternatural, meaning occurrences that are natural in origin which we don't yet understand. In the face of a mystery people create myths to explain them, and have throughout time. I wouldn't mind seeing Sylvia Brown tarred and feathered and think her ilk are shameless cons. I also think tall tales, fibs, jumping to conclusions and a fifteenth can of beer chugged while partying down by the old abandoned house at 1 AM explain the origins of most ghost stories people tell.

All that said, I'd be in denial if I didn't acknowledge that in my own life I have had experiences that defied logical explanation. I think most people have had those sorts of moments.

This is a good topic, by the way.

[Jack]

I don't think there's a supernatural, but there is the preternatural, meaning occurrences that are natural in origin which we don't yet understand.

I guess that's about the way I feel too.  It's no fun to believe that there's nothing going on in our day-to-day lives that we don't already fully understand.  It's much more interesting to think there's at least a tiny amount of mysterious stuff going on.  Though attributing it to demons and ghosts doesn't seem very logical, at least not in the scientific sense. 

[Trevor]

Since my Dad passed on in 2008, I have felt a presence in my bedroom almost every night. The strongest feeling that he was there happened in Cape Town in March this year - that was his home town.

[Psycho Circus]

Of course ghosts exist!

[The Burgomaster]

I don't believe in them and therefore they don't scare me.

[ghouck]

I don't believe in them.

[InformationGeek]

I believe in ghosts, demons and spirits (Especially after having a little encounter with ghosts in past).  I am a person who believes in lots of supernatural stuff and I have no shame in saying it.

I also believe in aliens, but that is a whole another topic.

[Rev. Powell]

No, I don't believe in them.  That's one reason why I like to watch movies with those kinds of supernatural creatures in them, though; in order to have the pleasure of suspending disbelief.