Do you Believe in Ghosts?

[Patricia A]

For you..but for some,who have some pretty bad memories,it is kind of comforting..I think back to the end of The Shawshank Redemption,where they say,the Pacific has no memories..I find that kind of comforting as well,maybe someday will find my way there to that beach..

I find your assumption that I have no bad memories kind of...but not really...offensive. I don't want to put much weight on this, and I have never mentioned it before, but I was orphaned at the age of 16 (mom dead at 13, dad at 16) and became a ward of the state of Massachusetts. Even before my father's death (drank himself to death) I was placed in the custody of the state in Grafton, MA, in a home of about five other foster kids that were mentally...not up to pace with me. I didn't belong there.

Despite the last three years of my father's shortcomings while he tried to get over my mother's death, I was still, in a weird way...loved. I was not like these other orphaned kids. At least, I didn't think so at the time...now, looking back...I wonder.

The other kids told me, when I went to court, that everyone came back. No one ever picked them up. I told them I wouldn't see them again, and sure enough, my mother's sister came to court and claimed me for foster-specific. I went on to live in beautiful Sutton, MA, in a nice home for the next year or so, before my father passed away at UMASS.

But what do you consider bad memories? I dunno if I even consider these bad memories, just my life. Again, not really offended...but...what the f**k?

It sounds to me, not that anyone asked, that you two are kind of saying the same thing.
You both are emotionally invested in this. Maybe you were on the same boat? Aren't we all?

 

[TheRedQueen]

Some may consider this preachy. I don't mean it that way, I'm only sharing my opinion, but if the non-religious want to skip this I won't be offended.

Spoiler

My stepfather was an evil, sadistic bastard. And he got away with a lifetime of abuse. He got to die peacefully, with his family all around him, and he never had to answer for the things he'd done.

I really hope God exists. Because that means my stepfather will have to answer for his sins. Forever.

I've done a lot of really stupid things, very hurtful things, and a lot of things I'm extremely ashamed of.

I hope God is real, because it means I've got a second chance. I can learn from my mistakes and do better. And maybe someday, if I stand, if I'm true, I can hear the words, "Welcome Home. I'm proud of you, Daughter."

There is so much hopelessness in this world. So much darkness and despair.

I really hope the White exists to counterbalance all of that. To give us a ray of light and hope when we need it most.

And most of all, I hope Heaven is real. Because who doesn't want answers? I'd sure love to know the why behind a lot of stuff. Forgive me for saying so.

 

[Patricia A]

Some may consider this preachy. I don't mean it that way, I'm only sharing my opinion, but if the non-religious want to skip this I won't be offended.

Spoiler

My stepfather was an evil, sadistic bastard. And he got away with a lifetime of abuse. He got to die peacefully, with his family all around him, and he never had to answer for the things he'd done.

I really hope God exists. Because that means my stepfather will have to answer for his sins. Forever.

I've done a lot of really stupid things, very hurtful things, and a lot of things I'm extremely ashamed of.

I hope God is real, because it means I've got a second chance. I can learn from my mistakes and do better. And maybe someday, if I stand, if I'm true, I can hear the words, "Welcome Home. I'm proud of you, Daughter."

There is so much hopelessness in this world. So much darkness and despair.

I really hope the White exists to counterbalance all of that. To give us a ray of light and hope when we need it most.

And most of all, I hope Heaven is real. Because who doesn't want answers? I'd sure love to know the why behind a lot of stuff. Forgive me for saying so.

It sounds like a huge ball of corn, but love is real. If you believe in Christianity, it tells you God is Love. Most religions say that, I'm not sure if they practice what they preach, but that's a discussion for some other time.
I didn't make it up to fit into my hypothesis, but the most powerful and creative force in the universe is love. If you look at science, it tells you that nurturing, educating but not coddling environments provide the stongest specimens. That's love.
I know it sounds like a load of crap, but history, science and what ever creative forces out there tell us it's so. Or at least they give us that impression.

 

[TheRedQueen]

It sounds like a huge ball of corn, but love is real. If you believe in Christianity, it tells you God is Love. Most religions say that, I'm not sure if they practice what they preach, but that's a discussion for some other time.
I didn't make it up to fit into my hypothesis, but the most powerful and creative force in the universe is love. If you look at science, it tells you that nurturing, educating but not coddling environments provide the stongest specimens. That's love.
I know it sounds like a load of crap, but history, science and what ever creative forces out there tell us it's so. Or at least they give us that impression.

The "God is love" verse is one of the ones that kept me believing when all I wanted to do was give up. I finally decided to break my faith down to the basics, down the very most fundamental practices, and you know the answer I found? Love each other. That's it, that's all. Everything else flows from that. It sounds easy, but...hehe...it ain't. At least not for me. But it's still a beautiful concept. Because what if I'm right, and idiots have been messing it up for centuries? Christianity isn't this big, scary thing. It's just loving each other. Or respecting, if that's easier, though it means the same thing.

And at heart I'm a homicidal nymphomaniac. I cringe to think of the kind of person I'd be without such a strict moral compass. It's a tough battle, some days, making the two halves of myself get along...and no, I don't talk about that every day. It's a bit personal, wot?

 

[Tery]

When I lie in bed and wonder about what might come next, I'm torn between two hypotheses. 1). We blink out like a light, nothing after, and 2). *something* of our consciousness remains. In support of the latter, I fall back on what I learned from physics. Energy can't be gone, just changed into a different form. Our brain is one big electrical cell, our nerves are sparks of electricity. How can that energy just go away?

In his writings, Neil Peart pointed out what a huge loss it is when someone dies. Everything they are, everything they know is suddenly gone. Of course, they can pass wisdom down but it's not the same. I would hate to think that those spirits disappear forever.

 

[Patricia A]

The "God is love" verse is one of the ones that kept me believing when all I wanted to do was give up. I finally decided to break my faith down to the basics, down the very most fundamental practices, and you know the answer I found? Love each other. That's it, that's all. Everything else flows from that. It sounds easy, but...hehe...it ain't. At least not for me. But it's still a beautiful concept. Because what if I'm right, and idiots have been messing it up for centuries? Christianity isn't this big, scary thing. It's just loving each other. Or respecting, if that's easier, though it means the same thing.

And at heart I'm a homicidal nymphomaniac. I cringe to think of the kind of person I'd be without such a strict moral compass. It's a tough battle, some days, making the two halves of myself get along...and no, I don't talk about that every day. It's a bit personal, wot?

LOL I love you!!!

 

[Patricia A]

When I lie in bed and wonder about what might come next, I'm torn between two hypotheses. 1). We blink out like a light, nothing after, and 2). *something* of our consciousness remains. In support of the latter, I fall back on what I learned from physics. Energy can't be gone, just changed into a different form. Our brain is one big electrical cell, our nerves are sparks of electricity. How can that energy just go away?

In his writings, Neil Peart pointed out what a huge loss it is when someone dies. Everything they are, everything they know is suddenly gone. Of course, they can pass wisdom down but it's not the same. I would hate to think that those spirits disappear forever.

Energy can't go away, never could. Fascinating.

 

[GNTLGNT]

...I am in love with the term "homicidal nymphomaniac".....

 

[GNTLGNT]

....I do believe in ghosts, spirits, wraiths-whatever....be it residual activity or "intelligent haunting" and demonic or benign.....all manner of energy surrounds us, so I don't think it that far-fetched that some souls or entities can latch on to it and use it to drive paranormal investigators into a froth or just clumsily bump around somewhere....I have had a spirt speak to me personally, when I was the only one present and recording with no electronic manipulation or fakery...I have personally observed an empty staircase while a loud and unmistakable set of footsteps advanced toward me...plus other events...so while I respect anyone's right to be skeptical, I come down firmly on the side of the paranormal......

 

[no bounce no play]

This reminds me of something my brother said a while back. He's a staunch militant atheist, so I assumed he'd also disregard a belief in spirits and ghosts. Turns out that's not the case. He believes it's quite possible that hauntings might be real.

I found that profoundly more distressing than if there was nothing after we die. The idea that there is life after death, but no higher power, no heavenly paradise, just an eternal existence as a disembodied spirit wandering aimlessly around graveyards, abandoned farm houses and condemned sanitariums...

I've thought that too. I don't want to mindlessly wander after I die repeating some mundane action for all of eternity. I would only want to return if I was aware of what was going on around me. I wouldn't mind being someone's guardian angel but there's so much suffering in the world I don't guess there is such a thing.

I'm not sure what to think about poltergeists.

 

[mjs9153]

I find your assumption that I have no bad memories kind of...but not really...offensive. I don't want to put much weight on this, and I have never mentioned it before, but I was orphaned at the age of 16 (mom dead at 13, dad at 16) and became a ward of the state of Massachusetts. Even before my father's death (drank himself to death) I was placed in the custody of the state in Grafton, MA, in a home of about five other foster kids that were mentally...not up to pace with me. I didn't belong there.

Despite the last three years of my father's shortcomings while he tried to get over my mother's death, I was still, in a weird way...loved. I was not like these other orphaned kids. At least, I didn't think so at the time...now, looking back...I wonder.

The other kids told me, when I went to court, that everyone came back. No one ever picked them up. I told them I wouldn't see them again, and sure enough, my mother's sister came to court and claimed me for foster-specific. I went on to live in beautiful Sutton, MA, in a nice home for the next year or so, before my father passed away at UMASS.

But what do you consider bad memories? I dunno if I even consider these bad memories, just my life. Again, not really offended...but...what the f**k?

Sam,first let me say I am very sorry if I gave offense,because that was not intended,at all..what I was responding to was the final line,where you said you find it terrifying,so all I meant was that it may be comforting for other people.Not trying to make it personal,at all..perhaps I said it badly,typed it without much thought about how it would make you feel,and again,I offer my apologies..

As for me,lots of bad memories,mostly to do with death,both natural ones and violent ones..and other things,not comfortable with posting on here..that is why I liked the final lines of Shawshank,the movie version,kind of comforting.Don't get me wrong life isn't all bad,most is very good,but seen my share of the bad,maybe more than some folks,less than others,I guess.

Don't mistake my ill chosen words for intentional affront,once again,I am sorry..

 

[sam peebles]

Yeah, no mistake on your part. Apology accepted though unnecessary. I really meant no offense taken. It was a stupid post (from me) and unlike myself.

If it means anything, I also apologize. Didn't mean to hijack a thread so innocent as the belief in ghosts. Let's just get back to the topic on hand...

 

[sam peebles]

Wanna read some cool paranormal (admittedly fictional) stuff?

Check out SCP Foundation.

Go to the menu on the left and click Top Rated Pages. Read a few. A lot of them are just...amazing. Some are horrifying, but some are jokes, and they're usually the best ones!

 

[Lepplady]

I've seen waaaaay too much weird shi... stuff to believe that the paranormal doesn't exist.
I look at it this way: I believe that there's more going on than our human little brains can conceive of.

 

[Neesy]

This isn't a ghost story per se. My sister kept one of the clocks from my mother's apartment after mama passed away. It still works but the chime only goes off when it wants to. It'll go months without chiming, then it will chime when my sister calls me, or I call her and we're chatting. It will chime at least once when I'm over at her house visiting for the weekend. The night my sister's last grandkid was born it chimed.
Just a thing.

Reminds me of Bag of Bones - gave me a bit of a chill down my spine.

 

[not_nadine]

....I do believe in ghosts, spirits, wraiths-whatever....be it residual activity or "intelligent haunting" and demonic or benign.....all manner of energy surrounds us, so I don't think it that far-fetched that some souls or entities can latch on to it and use it to drive paranormal investigators into a froth or just clumsily bump around somewhere....I have had a spirt speak to me personally, when I was the only one present and recording with no electronic manipulation or fakery...I have personally observed an empty staircase while a loud and unmistakable set of footsteps advanced toward me...plus other events...so while I respect anyone's right to be skeptical, I come down firmly on the side of the paranormal......

Once I had call my sister in the middle of the night.

 

[not_nadine]

She said, "Right now, stand up and say outloud - You are welcome here but not in my room"
Everything stopped. Then I heard the footsteps. Coming all the way up to the third floor, my loft. Rattled the doorknob and footsteps went away.

Then the party started again.

Sister stayed on the phone the whole time.

 

[not_nadine]

Oh, while I'm at it. Some college kid said to me, 'Hey!, I know you! - your picture and the the stories and newspaper articles about that house were shown in my class today!"




(not that story, others by others)

 

[muskrat]

My uncle Ronnie, bless his soul, usta tell a tale about a drinking buddy of his who'd take the two of em out cruising, and they'd wind up at the tracks where his buddy's sister was supposed to have been hit by a train. Said buddy would get out of the car, walk the tracks about a quarter mile, come back an hour or so later. One night my uncle followed him, hanging back so as not to be seen, and listened. It seems he indeed heard his buddy conversing with some raspy feminine voice, and could hear a slow, dull,thump of what he imagined was the ghost lady's undead heart.

Least that's the story he told us kids, used to scare the crap outta me.

 

[not_nadine]

Oh, deleted the part where I could hear them. Clinking glasses and smell perfume. Went on all the time.
My niece used to stay with me. We would hear, it became quite normal. Sometimes scary, not much

Now she was about 6 years old. Lower two floors housed an elegant restaurant that was furnished period style and researched for former owners. Was hospital during the Civil War. on and on.
(dreams I had bout that) I digress.

She was 6 or so. We walked in like we always did.

Suddenly she is crying - jumping on me and pointing at a portrait of a former owner that was just hung in the foyer.

"Aunt Nottie!!! That's the man that was in our room last night!!"