Do you believe in ghosts?

[DVS]

c did. She scored 800 on her verbal SATs and was the daughter of a preacher and had 4 years at a bible college. She had no reason to lie or make things up. I was with her for 18 months and have so many stories. Most are her stories. The only thing I saw with my own eyes was her cat obviously seeing something unseen in the corner of the room.

Both of my experiences with those from the afterlife were of this kind of thing. Both of my parents came for a short visit with us (their children), shortly after their deaths. We like to think these visits were as they were on their way to heaven.

When my mother came to visit my sisters, one of the family dogs was first to notice. She kept looking up into the corner of the room, and wagging her tail. It looked just like she saw somebody she knew up there.

I've often thought about researching this, but never have had the time. Why is it that animals can see spirits that we sometimes can't. And what does the corner of a room have to do with it? Is there some sort of doorway in corners that allow a spirit to visit the living?

On the animal part of the question, they are more sensitive to many things. They can tell when you feel a certain way and they act differently when a tornado or an earthquake are about to happen. Animals can sense your fear. Ever tried to get a horse to do what you want it to? They can tell when you don't know what you're doing. So, with this ability to sense energy changes like they can, it makes sense that they would be able to see spirits, too.

But, it's the corner of the room thing that I still question. No, not all spirits are "seen" in the corners, but enough are that it makes it worth the research.

I also don't think you need to believe in God or heaven to see spirits or ghosts. They are there, in my opinion. It doesn't matter to them if you believe or not. I think you are just more likely to let an experience go without thinking about it. Maybe you choose the rational that your mind is maybe playing tricks on you, rather than accept it as something else.

It's just like talking to a living person. You can shut them out, too. Have you ever day dreamed in class? Or, have you ever been pulled back to reality by your mother grabbing your arm and asking, "Are you listening to me?"

Athiests die, just like the rest of us. Some people believe hauntings are the non-believers that are lost without a path to heaven. They need to be shown the way. I'm just thinking out loud here. I don't know all of the answers. But, spirits are there. Open your mind to the possiblity.

 

[lushlucid]

Athiests die, just like the rest of us. Some people believe hauntings are the non-believers that are lost without a path to heaven. They need to be shown the way. I'm just thinking out loud here. I don't know all of the answers. But, spirits are there. Open your mind to the possiblity.

Intersting thought.

 

[Sprinkles22]

Yes, I definitely believe in ghosts. And am usually spooked and anxious by unusual manifestations.

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

I fought the notion of ghosts my entire life. Even when I had the most unusual experience in a friends rental property in another state . There had been no prior discussion yet something just registered with me as being out of kilter with my perceptions of the environment. When my friend returned and I told her she laughed. She was well aware of the 'situation' and wasn't at all surprised I had picked up on it. I still didn't buy it but there was a seed of doubt I guess.

It's the next part that makes me want to believe ......

The morning my mother died, she 'came to me'. Under the same roof, in the family home as was her wish and a significant part of a team providing palliative care for her. My accommodation was in another wing that was bridged by an extensive hallway and reception area.I'll be clear I was asleep but this was is my recollection as if it was 'real'.

My mother was walking down the hallway to me , she was in the same gown we had dressed her in the night before. The nurse on shift that night was walking beside her. She didn't show the ravages of cancer any longer, she was back to the amazing beauty that she always had been prior. She spoke to me, told me she was okay now, that I was not to worry about her any longer , she held my hands in hers and I 'felt' it. I was so reassured. I didn't care the concept fought some kind of recognition of the facts. I was calm, there was such a strong sense of grounding, that all was exactly as it should be .

I know this sounds like so much fabrication but it's my truth. Right at the end of this tiny vignette I felt my father put his hand on my shoulder. He was waking me to tell me she had only now just passed . I sat up, walked down the hallway to her room and climbed into bed with her and just held her. We hadn't been able to do that for some time. Absolutely everything caused her pain prior, even bumping the bed slightly . It happened on auto pilot and I was the only one lucky enough to have had such a gift.

I still don't know about these things. I am however and will always be, eternally grateful for those moments , what ever they were.

 

[WriterDom]

I fought the notion of ghosts my entire life. Even when I had the most unusual experience in a friends rental property in another state . There had been no prior discussion yet something just registered with me as being out of kilter with my perceptions of the environment. When my friend returned and I told her she laughed. She was well aware of the 'situation' and wasn't at all surprised I had picked up on it. I still didn't buy it but there was a seed of doubt I guess.

It's the next part that makes me want to believe ......

The morning my mother died, she 'came to me'. Under the same roof, in the family home as was her wish and a significant part of a team providing palliative care for her. My accommodation was in another wing that was bridged by an extensive hallway and reception area.I'll be clear I was asleep but this was is my recollection as if it was 'real'.

My mother was walking down the hallway to me , she was in the same gown we had dressed her in the night before. The nurse on shift that night was walking beside her. She didn't show the ravages of cancer any longer, she was back to the amazing beauty that she always had been prior. She spoke to me, told me she was okay now, that I was not to worry about her any longer , she held my hands in hers and I 'felt' it. I was so reassured. I didn't care the concept fought some kind of recognition of the facts. I was calm, there was such a strong sense of grounding, that all was exactly as it should be .

I know this sounds like so much fabrication but it's my truth. Right at the end of this tiny vignette I felt my father put his hand on my shoulder. He was waking me to tell me she had only now just passed . I sat up, walked down the hallway to her room and climbed into bed with her and just held her. We hadn't been able to do that for some time. Absolutely everything caused her pain prior, even bumping the bed slightly . It happened on auto pilot and I was the only one lucky enough to have had such a gift.

I still don't know about these things. I am however and will always be, eternally grateful for those moments , what ever they were.

Thank you for sharing that.

 

[NALA CAYENNE]

Yup. Sure do.

 

[SubKekiLee]

yes I beleive in them.. Watch TAPS ....

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

Thank you for sharing that.

My pleasure WD though it was unbelievably difficult to share, knocked me around emotionally quite a bit, earlier.

'Absolutely no regrets' and thank you

 

[His_pita]

I believe we are not alone, although I would call them either angels or demons instead of ghost.

Rebecca, how beautiful that your mom came to see you before passing on. I made my mom, promise years ago, that she would stop by and see me before she goes on to Heaven. I really believe that she will if she is allowed to dot that she will.

 

[Shankara20]

I still don't know about these things. I am however and will always be, eternally grateful for those moments , what ever they were.

Your story is very moving and reminds me of events when my father passed as well as when my first wife left this consensus reality we call "alive".

Thank you for going into that internal emotional place to share with us.

 

[EmpressFi]

I do believe in ghosts, always have. I also believe those we come can come to us in well lack of a better term, dreams... when I was in college, I went through a bad breakup and I really just wanted my dad. I had a dream that night and in it, spent the night with my dad walking around this beautiful park. He told me he was better, and happy, and then we talked about boys and how bad they are *grin*

As I woke up, I remember hearing a distinct note of music.. and just knew.. it hadnt been a dream..

I cant explain things.. things I've known or felt... it's just something I choose to believe.. I dont "see" people.. or talk to people..but I sense the feelings.. especially if touching stone...

 

[graceanne]

lol i'm the only one who said no = )

i'm also an atheist. i sort of believe that the two disbeliefs go hand in hand. usually.

Actually most Christians don't believe in ghosts. The Bible says that once you die you go to heaven or hell, period.

I, on the other hand, do believe in ghosts. Or sorta. I believe in demons masquerading as ghosts, but whatever. I am also open to options.

I believe in ghosts, because i've seen them. Lots of them. I saw my first when I was 3. We had a babysitter. She was awful. She'd lock us in this room, and ignore us except to feed us. We had to go into the basement to pee, and it was dark, dirty, and smelly. We didn't stay there very long. Once I went to go to the bathroom and I saw eyes in the corner. I said 'hello'? and a very deep voice said 'hello'. How do I know it wasn't human? The eyes were red. After that I'd pee my pants before I went down in that basement. That babysitter lost her license shortly after, and Mom found Alice, who was a God next to the other one.

I also routinely saw a ghost in the house we were living in. I had convince myself by the age of 16 that I'd imagined him, until once I was talking to my mother. She'd seen him, too. Also, when I'd have nightmares and sleep with my mom, their were two red dots that moved above her window. I knew I was safe with my mom, so I wasn't afraid.

Then we moved to Oregon. I never saw anything at my grandma's, but her back room scared the shit out of me. And I could never walk past the shop at night. The house we lived in in Estacada had a ghost. I'd see it sometimes out of the corner of my eye. And things would just move in that house. *shrugs*

Then we moved to Gresham. I dont' know if it was ghosts masquerading as demons there, or just flat out demons. The former owner was a child molester. Sometimes, late at night, my sister (who was 1 when we moved there) would start screaming for no reason. I'd go to lay her back down, and it was like walking through tapioca. I could never make her stay in her room, I'd bring her out. Sometimes I'd be walking her, trying to get her to sleep, and she'd be dozy and then look over my shoulder and jump and start screaming blue murder.

 

[Luvkitty33]

I fought the notion of ghosts my entire life. Even when I had the most unusual experience in a friends rental property in another state . There had been no prior discussion yet something just registered with me as being out of kilter with my perceptions of the environment. When my friend returned and I told her she laughed. She was well aware of the 'situation' and wasn't at all surprised I had picked up on it. I still didn't buy it but there was a seed of doubt I guess.

It's the next part that makes me want to believe ......

The morning my mother died, she 'came to me'. Under the same roof, in the family home as was her wish and a significant part of a team providing palliative care for her. My accommodation was in another wing that was bridged by an extensive hallway and reception area.I'll be clear I was asleep but this was is my recollection as if it was 'real'.

My mother was walking down the hallway to me , she was in the same gown we had dressed her in the night before. The nurse on shift that night was walking beside her. She didn't show the ravages of cancer any longer, she was back to the amazing beauty that she always had been prior. She spoke to me, told me she was okay now, that I was not to worry about her any longer , she held my hands in hers and I 'felt' it. I was so reassured. I didn't care the concept fought some kind of recognition of the facts. I was calm, there was such a strong sense of grounding, that all was exactly as it should be .

I know this sounds like so much fabrication but it's my truth. Right at the end of this tiny vignette I felt my father put his hand on my shoulder. He was waking me to tell me she had only now just passed . I sat up, walked down the hallway to her room and climbed into bed with her and just held her. We hadn't been able to do that for some time. Absolutely everything caused her pain prior, even bumping the bed slightly . It happened on auto pilot and I was the only one lucky enough to have had such a gift.

I still don't know about these things. I am however and will always be, eternally grateful for those moments , what ever they were.

I just wanted to thank you for sharing such a personal and touching story with us. I read further down that it was difficult emotionally for you, even after you were done writing. I hope you're feeling better now, though.


As for whether or not I believe in ghosts, I absolutely do! I remember when my family was on one of our cross-country camping trips, we had stopped at a grocery store that was up on this cliff that overlooked the ocean. It was really beautiful in a hauntingly eerie kind of way. I wish I could remember what state we were in or where this was, but I was pretty young....8th grade I think.

Anyway, my two sisters and I were waiting in the car while my parents got the groceries, and I remember glancing toward the store to see if I could see them in the checkout line yet as we were getting kind of impatient waiting in the car for them. I saw that it was their turn in line right then, but what I noticed next is what, when I think back on it, I'm surprised didn't scare the crap out of me. It didn't, and instead it both amazed me and gave me a sense of comfort.

At the end of the checkout line where the bagger would typically stand, I saw an image of my grandpa......my mom's dad. I have very few memories of him because he passed away when I was very young, but one thing I do remember very clearly is him sitting in this old-fashioned, upholstered, tone-on-tone, white rocking chair at the home he shared with my grandma. it was HIS chair.....you know how men like to claim their throne Well, that was the image I saw through the window of the grocery store......my grandpa very calmly......very peacefully......rocking back and forth in his white rocking chair. I could see through the image, but it was very definitely him.

Seeing him I felt like was a message that he was happy and content in Heaven. It also gave me a sense of peace knowing that he was probably looking out for us in some way. I'll never forget that experience as long as I live. It kind of helped a little bit to take away my fear of death, though to be honest, it's still one of my biggest fears.

My best friend in high school had lots of ghost stories to share that happened in her home. One real quick one that I remember her sharing with me took place in the bathroom, of all places, at her home. She was running late for school, and as she got in the shower, she glanced at the clock on the bathroom wall. I don't remember what the time was, but it's not important. The "ghostly" thing that happened occurred a little while later when she pulled the shower curtain aside to glance at the clock again. The clock was moving BACKWARDS in time!!! Instead of fifteen minutes passing since she had gotten in the shower, the time showed that it was almost twenty minutes earlier! Freaked her out at first, but then she just figured it was her grandma, who lived with her family until she passed away, doing another "weird" thing to let them know she was still around.

Very interesting question!

 

[Netzach]

If ghosts are dead non believers can I please have someplace cool to hang out, like the Chelsea hotel or the garden at MoMa or someplace in Paris or something?

Thanks, just putting in my requests early. I'll probably wind up on the one train or stuck in the purgatory version of the basement of the WTC forever on my way to work in the land of the dead...my only scary premonition type of experience, I'm sad to report, were a string of apocolyptic WTC dreams. I temped there in college, and I remember dreaming repeatedly about being in them while they were falling down on me in 1996.

Possible coincidence, but it really is the only time something felt revealed to me which I was woefully unprepared to entertain as possible.

 

[graceanne]

I envy people who have good ghost moments. All of mine were terrifying.

My mom took care of her grandma in the last month of her life (she didn't want a stranger taking care of her). She says when my great randma died in the night, quietly. Mom went in, and she was halfway out of bed, and had a very happy, peaceful look on her face. Mom, to this day, thinks that my great uncle bernie (who died at 18 years old in WWII) came to take grandma-great to heaven.

 

[graceanne]

If ghosts are dead non believers can I please have someplace cool to hang out, like the Chelsea hotel or the garden at MoMa or someplace in Paris or something?

Thanks, just putting in my requests early. I'll probably wind up on the one train or stuck in the purgatory version of the basement of the WTC forever on my way to work in the land of the dead...

I'm getting a giggle here, imagining a dead dom hanging around a hotel. Talk about too much fun in the afterlife.

 

[Netzach]

I'm getting a giggle here, imagining a dead dom hanging around a hotel. Talk about too much fun in the afterlife.

True, I can hope. Maybe if I'm good I can revisit the fun job instead of the commuter ones. I just imagined heaven being some powered corporate beaurocracy fueled with purgartory people at shitty desk jobs. I have my suspicions where I'd fit in.

 

[DVS]

I envy people who have good ghost moments. All of mine were terrifying.

My mom took care of her grandma in the last month of her life (she didn't want a stranger taking care of her). She says when my great randma died in the night, quietly. Mom went in, and she was halfway out of bed, and had a very happy, peaceful look on her face. Mom, to this day, thinks that my great uncle bernie (who died at 18 years old in WWII) came to take grandma-great to heaven.

I wasn't there to see it, but my sisters said the last couple of hours before my dad died, he was pointing towards different parts of the ceiling and smiling. They figured it was friends and family who had gone before him, coming back to escort him into heaven.

Although my dad didn't mention any names, I'm sure some could. My sisters couldn't see these people, because they were his angels. But I'm sure they were real to my dad.

I also don't really believe in hell. Well, I do, but you've got to be pretty fucking bad to be cast into hell. Those who don't believe aren't seen as bad people. That kind of personal choice isn't a bad thing. As long as a person doesn't spend their life being really selfish and hurting to others for personal gain, I don't see hell being in the picture. Hell is for the truly evil.

In my opinion, hell is for those who have caused real torment in another person's life, for the fun of it, or for personal gain...or someone who caused terrible physical pain to someone for those reasons...such as rape or murder, etc. And, most of those people are given a second chance to repent in some way, at the time of their death.

The idea of hell as we know it was created by the old time Christians to scare people into being good. I know it says things in the Bible, but I'm very much an individual when it comes to my beliefs.

There are some things I just don't see as existing as I was taught. Some things handed down through generations like the "fire and brimstone" version of hell just don't fly with me, unless you are truely a wicked, evil person.

 

[Tabea]

I am a Christian and like most Christians I do not believe in ghosts.

But maybe all the ghosts have taken up residence in the States. Although there are a lot of rather old buildings in Germany I don’t know anybody who believes in ghost.

 

[graceanne]

I wasn't there to see it, but my sisters said the last couple of hours before my dad died, he was pointing towards different parts of the ceiling and smiling. They figured it was friends and family who had gone before him, coming back to escort him into heaven.

Although my dad didn't mention any names, I'm sure some could. My sisters couldn't see these people, because they were his angels. But I'm sure they were real to my dad.

I also don't really believe in hell. Well, I do, but you've got to be pretty fucking bad to be cast into hell. Those who don't believe aren't seen as bad people. That kind of personal choice isn't a bad thing. As long as a person doesn't spend their life being really selfish and hurting to others for personal gain, I don't see hell being in the picture. Hell is for the truly evil.

In my opinion, hell is for those who have caused real torment in another person's life, for the fun of it, or for personal gain...or someone who caused terrible physical pain to someone for those reasons...such as rape or murder, etc. And, most of those people are given a second chance to repent in some way, at the time of their death.

The idea of hell as we know it was created by the old time Christians to scare people into being good. I know it says things in the Bible, but I'm very much an individual when it comes to my beliefs.

There are some things I just don't see as existing as I was taught. Some things handed down through generations like the "fire and brimstone" version of hell just don't fly with me, unless you are truely a wicked, evil person.

I personally believe that who goes to heaven or hell is between them and God, and not my business. There are a lot of 'believers' who probably won't go.

 

[FurryFury]

I don't believe in ghosts because, to be honest, this shit scares me. I haven't read the rest of the replies on this thread because this shit scares me.

I do believe the spirit of my Dad was still with me after his death for a very short while. I'm glad I got to experience that before it left. That wasn't scary.

I tell ghost stories but I hate them. They violate the precept of take the listener on a journey but safely bring them back home. They also feel unfinished. I get paid to tell em sometimes though.

 

[im_a_voyeur]

Yes, I believe in ghosts/spirits/whatever you want to call them. I also believe in angelic and demonic spirits as well.

I remember being told to be careful when hearing your named called by an unknown presence and not to respond because you could open yourself up to possession.

There was a period of time that my house back in Chicago was "haunted". I'm hesitant to call whatever presence that was in my home a ghost. I was told by my neighbor across the street that our neighborhood overlapped another plane that was criss-crossed to our dimension and that there were times our worlds were open to each other. (Yes, I know this is super crazy hippy talk here, lol.)

I never saw an actual ghost but I definitely could feel a strong presence in our house. I would walk into a room and I could feel some sort of energy there. It wasn't positive or negative energy, it was neutral, I guess. I was never scared of it or felt that I was in any danger. This would happen several times and in different rooms over a course of a few months.

One night, I was about to walk into my bedroom and as soon as I looked in there I felt the presence again. This particular time it was incredibly strong and it made me feel really uneasy. Not sure if I felt this way because it was so strong or if it was because there was something negative about it. I peeked my head into the room and looked into my hamster's cage. She was on her hind legs, perfectly still staring at something in the room. I slowly walked in and went to her cage. All this time she is still staring off like she was hypnotized. I opened the cage and grabbed her and quickly left my room. After a few hours, I went back and checked and whatever it was was gone.

The last time I ever felt anything in that house was when I was having a slumber party for my birthday. (I honestly can't recall how old I was at the time.) That night I could hardly concentrate on my friends because I felt the presence was there and it was hard to ignore. I didn't say anything to anyone because I wasn't in the mood to have my friends tease me. The next morning, we were lounging around in the family room and all of a sudden there was a decorative piece that was hanging on our wall that started spinning really fast and then dropped on the floor. It happened really quickly and only a few of us saw it. As soon as it was over, it was like a weight had been lifted off of me and I knew that the presence was gone. I felt great! We talked about what happened briefly and everyone thought it was really strange but no one was really scared. From that moment on, I never felt the presence or any other presence in our home.

The last experience I had with a presence (yeah, I really don't like to use the term ghost, I see) was at Marquis' home. We had been dating for a few months and every so often, I would feel a motherly presence in the room. I have no clue if it was his mother who had passed (I had never met the woman) but I know that I felt an energy that was very nurturing and loving which seemed very motherly so I assumed it was her. At one point I did tell Marquis and he didn't believe me. He even said at one point that he thought I was trying to manipulate him emotionally. I ended up feeling bad that I ever told him but I thought it would have been comforting to know that she visited from time to time. I sometimes wondered if the experience was more for my benefit then for his which makes absolutely no sense at all.

I've been sensitive to psychic energy since I was a child but I've mostly tried to close that part off because its not something that I like to delve in. I don't want to open myself up to things that I don't have control over.

In response to this statement by Grace:

Actually most Christians don't believe in ghosts. The Bible says that once you die you go to heaven or hell, period.

I thought Christians believed that when people died they were in a "sleep state" of sorts and that people didn't go to heaven until judgement day. I haven't read the bible in ages so I could be way off base. I always thought people wanted to believe in an instant ticket to heaven because it was more comforting to them and made them fear death less.

 

[lushlucid]

Bump.

 

[@}-}rebecca----]

Just a quick thank you to Pita, my Fu and Luvkitty for their comments.

Everyone whom posted shared some amazing insights to belief & experience.

This is not a thread I wish to linger in though, yesterday was enough

 

[catalina_francisco]

I voted earlier in the week, but didn't have time to post. I believe, though I tend to think of it more as spirits than ghosts...that word conjures up too much baad Hollywood for me to embrace it. I have felt things before and I believe we do not walk this earth alone. I don't have all the answers but I am certain this is not all there is to our entire existence in the pages of the universe and whatever lays beyond.

Catalina