Are Ghosts Real? (a poll)

[trappedslider]

Today it's "aliens." Two hundred years ago it was "Fairies."

and next month it's "Alien Faries"

Q: "Hey CleverNick, do you believe in ghosts?"
A: "Should I?"

That's my stock answer for ghosts, aliens, North Dakotans, angels, sasquatch, and other cryptids.

 

[Autumnal]

I’d like an agnostic option.

I’m this way with so many things. “I don’t know…”

“…but I don’t think so.”
“…but it seems likely.”
“…and I really can’t even guess, thanks to so little evidence[1]/so much conflicting evidence.”

[1]: For this purpose, evidence includes personal accounts and other forms of anecdote, because it’s bad to start off too quickly applying strict lab procedures while evaluating if there’s any kind of there there and if so, what kind of there it might be.

 

[Zardnaar]

I would say no. Fear of dark and over active imaginations. Monkey brains.

 

[ART!]

To paraphrase Tolkien: maybe what's important isn't what's real, but what's important.

 

[jian]

It doesn’t imply anything. Only a person can imply something. You infer what you want from it.

Well, I’m sorry to have to disagree. It’s quite permissible to say that a fact or phenomenon implies something despite not being a person and not having intent. The OED supports my interpretation, if that’s of any help.

(of a fact or occurrence) suggest (something) as a logical consequence.
"the forecasted traffic increase implied more roads and more air pollution"

 

[jian]

I’m this way with so many things. “I don’t know…”

“…but I don’t think so.”
“…but it seems likely.”
“…and I really can’t even guess, thanks to so little evidence[1]/so much conflicting evidence.”

[1]: For this purpose, evidence includes personal accounts and other forms of anecdote, because it’s bad to start off too quickly applying strict lab procedures while evaluating if there’s any kind of there there and if so, what kind of there it might be.

Yes, I just don’t think we have the evidence one way or another to say whether ghosts exist. Sure, it’s unlikely (more or less unlikely than the existence of a teapot in orbit around the Sun? Who knows) but I don’t know they don’t exist, so I’d like to state that.

 

[Umbran]

I guess my thinking is that it does me no harm to allow for the existence of ghosts (however defined) or fairies or whatever.

It is fine to keep an open mind, just not so open that your brains fall out.

 

[MGibster]

All of the thousands and thousands and thousands of claims are conveniently one-time deals which can't be replicated and for which no form of evidence can be provided because reasons.

In 1984, I saw a documentary about a startup business in New York that hunted ghosts and imprisoned them. The founders were three scientists, though one of them had theories that were the worst kind of popular tripe, his methods were sloppy, and his conclusions were highly questionable. i.e. He was a poor scientist. But still, these ghost hunters were using nuclear devices, but they got shut down by an overreaching Environmental Protection Agency.

 

[briggart]

In 1984, I saw a documentary about a startup business in New York that hunted ghosts and imprisoned them. The founders were three scientists, though one of them had theories that were the worst kind of popular tripe, his methods were sloppy, and his conclusions were highly questionable. i.e. He was a poor scientist. But still, these ghost hunters were using nuclear devices, but they got shut down by an overreaching Environmental Protection Agency.

I heard that followup investigations uncovered that ghost reports were due to hyperglycemia induced blurred vision following widespread marshmellow overdose.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think I should mention that Spiritualism is an officially recognised religion (at least in the UK). Ergo, criticising it's beliefs are against this forum's rules on the discussion of religion.

IMO, it doesn't matter if someone's beliefs are objectively "True". One thing you learn by studying Physics is that we all believe things that are not true all the time. What is important are the actions those beliefs lead to. If the beliefs lead to kindness, tolerance, humility, empathy and generosity they are positive. If they lead to selfishness, arrogance, hatred, intolerance, cruelty or violence they are negative.

As Physicist Terry Pratchett said:

YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES. "So we can believe the big ones?" YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING. "They're not the same at all!" YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED. "Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—" MY POINT EXACTLY.