GHOSTS/APPARITIONS

In the early days of the Society for Psychical Research many researchers investigated reportings of ghosts and apparitions and were seeking a scientific explanation for such phenomena. Some of the psychical researchers had rejected that ghosts were spirits of the deceased and instead claimed ghosts and apparitions were not real entities but were hallucinations caused by a telepathic mechanism. Frank Podmore was a main advocate of the telepathic theory of ghosts, he discussed this theory in his book Telepathic Hallucinations (1909). Other researchers disagreed with the telepathy theory and instead advocated the widely known spirit theory of ghosts, the belief that ghosts are discarnate spirits which was most popular amongst spiritualists.[62]

The psychical researcher Thomson Jay Hudson also developed his own theory about ghosts which involved telepathy however Hudson did not claim ghosts are hallucinations. Instead he claimed ghosts and apparitions are memories or thoughtforms from the mind of the subject materialising or "projecting" themselves externally. Hudson also explained that where more than one person had visualised the same ghost then it can be explained by telepathic communication.[63] The paranormal writer Paul Roland in his book The Complete Book of Ghosts (2007) argues that ghosts are the "manifestation of people still living, proving that out-of-body experiences are not as rare or as impossible as some people might think".[64]

Ernest Holmes suggested two explanations for ghosts, that they are spirits of the deceased or a form of thought that can materialize itself then gradually fade away. Holmes wrote that further investigation was needed to prove which explanation is correct.[65]

According to (Willin, 2005) Peter Underwood favours the "electronic impulse wave theory" which claims brain waves become more active in higher stress rates and that at a certain level will produce a ghost which is a "telepathic image that is capable of being picked up by someone else" and will fade away when people are not experiencing it.[66] The parapsychologist George N. M. Tyrrell argued that apparitions and ghosts were telepathic hallucinations which emanate from the subconscious mind.[67]

Jeff Danelek in The Case for Ghosts: An Objective Look at the Paranormal (2006) wrote that another explanation of ghosts is the Stone Tape theory which claims that ghosts are collections of energy that can become stored in physical matter which can be released resulting in a display of recorded activity. According to this hypothesis, ghosts are not spirits but simply non-interactive recordings similar to a movie.[68][69] The parapsychologist William G. Roll agreed with the Stone Tape theory, he claimed that a person's mind can create an apparition from "psychic traces" left from the past.[70]

Paul Devereux claims that many ghost sightings can be explained by "earthlights", clouds of plasma being charged by strong electromagnetic fields occurring in areas of seismic activity, he claims that that such natural phenenoma "can respond to witness movement and thought". He explores these ideas in his book Haunted Land (2003).[71][72]

The spirit theory of ghosts in recent years has been termed the survival hypothesis and is advocated by some psychical researchers over the other alternative explanations.[

I have personally never seen a ghost (apart from in my dreams). I have however experienced odd occurrences such as at my ex's old old house where we were having lots of strange random weird stuff going on. :S.

I have heard of the stone tape theory and I guess this would seem more likely if certain "paranormal" phenomena wasn't or didn't appear to be "interactive" to a certain extent.

I suppose my opinion on ghosts is that it is a phenomena that for me definitely happens but the cause and reason for it is well up for debate.

I would just like to add that I find it odd that most people have no desire to stay in a building that is supposedly haunted because of fear they have for the potential of seeing a ghost and or freacky stuff!? I would love to see a ghost or any paranormal activity. I feel I would be able to formulate more of an opinion on hauntings/ghosts etc. if I were to see such phenomena.

so do you feel we can develop as a species by studying ghosts/apparitions?