38 What are some theories of what ghosts are/why they exist? (Folklore / Ghost Stories)
Description
This article is from the Ghost Stories FAQ, by obiwan obiwan@best.com with numerous contributions by others.
38 What are some theories of what ghosts are/why they exist? (Folklore / Ghost Stories)
There are many theories of what ghosts (if they indeed exist) are.
Some people believe that ghosts are the residual energy left behind by
an emotionally strong person or event. This theory holds that more
energy/electrical impulses are expended during periods of high stress
or excitement, and that the energy lingers for a long time.
Freud thought that ghosts are actually the visions of people who
are afraid of death. In this sense, ghosts would not be real at all
but rather a projection of our subconcious mind.
A somewhat plausible theory is that ghosts are telepathic images.
That is, a sensitive person would pick up past vibrations from the
area they were in and witness an event or person as it appeared many
years ago. This would also explain instances where a person sees a
loved one at or near the moment of the the loved one's death, since
the loved one could be unconsciously projecting their thoughts to the
receptive person.
Ghosts might also be the result of time slips, if time is nonlinear.
An event that happened in the past might be seen briefly in our time
because of a fluctuation in time/space.
On his show -Mysterious World-, Arthur C. Clarke has speculated that
our minds might play images to our eyes (the same way our eyes relay
messages to our brain, but in reverse), almost like a movie screen.
In this way ghosts would be bits of our imagination come to life.
Continue to:
My Books
