What are your thoughts on the origin of ghosts?
- Wasif Ahmed
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What are your thoughts on the origin of ghosts?
For me my religion (Islam) gives a reason for paranormal activity. What are your thoughts on this topic? Please do share.
Thanks!!!
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- gali
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- Wasif Ahmed
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- DK4me
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Not sure if every spirit can manifest to people who are still alive or what the purpose of those manifestations are.
- gali
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I never encountered one myself...wasif_ahmed wrote:Gali, not believing in paranormal activities is fine but then how do you explain the ghostly encounters which many people have experienced? Read the 'Do you believe in ghosts?' forum on this topic, the weird encounters written about in that forum can only be explained through something ghostly.
I posted on that thread as well. Anyway, I don't believe in ghosts/ghostly encounters , and I think they are just a trick of the mind based on all the stories we heard about them.
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I have to agree with gali here. I've never experienced it myself, and I also think it's a trick of the mind. Not trying to disrespect those who believe, but just like them, I'm expressing my thoughts.gali wrote:I never encountered one myself...wasif_ahmed wrote:Gali, not believing in paranormal activities is fine but then how do you explain the ghostly encounters which many people have experienced? Read the 'Do you believe in ghosts?' forum on this topic, the weird encounters written about in that forum can only be explained through something ghostly.
I posted on that thread as well. Anyway, I don't believe in ghosts/ghostly encounters , and I think they are just a trick of the mind based on all the stories we heard about them.
As a Catholic, I believe those who have passed (their souls) are resting until the Lord comes and rises those who are worthy for Heaven while others are left in a state of slumber, of sorts.
Even if I don't believe, I do find the thoughts of others interesting. This is a very interesting question! Thank you for sharing.
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- DATo
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gali wrote:I don't believe in ghosts, paranormal activity, or anything of the kind. I think it is just superstitions.
I totally agree with @gali. I think the origin of ghosts came about in prehistoric times when people dreamed of clan members who had died. We all know how vivid dreams can be but today we understand that they are not an aspect of reality. Prehistoric man had no such understanding. I can imagine someone from that period of history waking up after having a dream of someone who died and thinking that person was still living in some other plane of reality which intersects our own and is trying to communicate through him to the tribe.
Extending this idea I also believe that this was probably the origin of religion as well. Ugg dreams of someone who has died. He tell the others about it. They conclude that Grog was trying to communicate with the tribe from the place he now exists in death. Since he came to Ugg they decide that Ugg has special powers to communicate with the dead and elevate him to the status of shaman, the precursor of "priest". Ugg invents rituals and attempts to communicate with Grog publicly (prayer). Ugg has "impressions" that Grog is telling him where the clan will find water, or shelter, or animals to hunt. If the tribe finds what Grog tells them they will find their beliefs are reinforced, if not, it is because Grog is angry with them because the clan is doing something he does not approve of. In either case the shaman is validated. Future generations learn of Grog and in time his memory is elevated to the status of a god. QED.
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- gali
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DATo wrote:gali wrote:I don't believe in ghosts, paranormal activity, or anything of the kind. I think it is just superstitions.
I totally agree with @gali. I think the origin of ghosts came about in prehistoric times when people dreamed of clan members who had died. We all know how vivid dreams can be but today we understand that they are not an aspect of reality. Prehistoric man had no such understanding. I can imagine someone from that period of history waking up after having a dream of someone who died and thinking that person was still living in some other plane of reality which intersects our own and is trying to communicate through him to the tribe.
Extending this idea I also believe that this was probably the origin of religion as well. Ugg dreams of someone who has died. He tell the others about it. They conclude that Grog was trying to communicate with the tribe from the place he now exists in death. Since he came to Ugg they decide that Ugg has special powers to communicate with the dead and elevate him to the status of shaman, the precursor of "priest". Ugg invents rituals and attempts to communicate with Grog publicly (prayer). Ugg has "impressions" that Grog is telling him where the clan will find water, or shelter, or animals to hunt. If the tribe finds what Grog tells them they will find their beliefs are reinforced, if not, it is because Grog is angry with them because the clan is doing something he does not approve of. In either case the shaman is validated. Future generations learn of Grog and in time his memory is elevated to the status of a god. QED.
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- zero_macabre
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Ghosts could just be superstitions, like gali mentioned, or fictional 'characters' that really don't exist. Well, about the ghostly encounters that others have had, it could just be their own mind scaring them. They could just be scaring themselves.
- DK4me
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None of the "ghosts"(or what I believe were spirits of people who are no longer "living" in the same plane or time for that matter) seemed to be able to communicate verbally with her.
At least one of these "ghosts" was former family pet. I personally believe animals as well as humans have souls that existed before they inhabited a physical body(conception or birth) and continue to exist after they leave that physical body(death).
- Scott
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I respect those who do believe in ghosts, especially those who have their own personal anecdotal experience to go on which I don't share.
It's completely normal and reasonable for two different reasonable people to have different beliefs on a question such as this. That's especially the case considering each person has different personal experiences using as evidence. Different evidence easily and very reasonably leads to different conclusions.
"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." Virgil, The Aeneid
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