Ghost Adventures: Science or Pseudoscience?
The misunderstanding of paranormal activity as scientific has been an ongoing topic of popular discussion. There are several ghost-hunting shows on television that claim to solve mysteries of unexplained noises as ghost activity. Have these popular ghost-hunting shows led you to believe that the appearance and communication of ghosts are real? Or is it simply the power of suggestion? Ghost hunting falls into the field of pseudoscience because it actually uses no real science to make its claim. The idea of ghost sightings and communications is a fascinating topic and I hope to better understand how popular shows like Ghost Hunters sways people to believe real science has solved the mystery.
Communicating with ghosts dates back to 1848, with
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How do we know if their investigation has conclusively solved the mystery of the unexplained energy? It is very easy to mistake their evidence such as static on the EMF, a flash of light or being touched as real. The static could simply be interference in their equipment, the flash of light could be a reflection, and sounds are often justified by plumbing noises. Additionally, when the investigator gets a cold feeling, or is overtaken by a feeling of sadness, there is no scientific way to prove that their feelings are connected to ghost activity. Simply using high tech equipment does not equal scientific evidence. There is no proven research that ghosts emit electromagnetic fields that could be picked up on EMF machines, or that ghosts cause temperature drops and make noises. Furthermore, the history of a tragic death does not scientifically determine there will be ghosts. There are no hard-core statistics of actual discovery or solved cases of ghosts. These television experts are employing pseudoscientific methods rather than actual scientific
“The strange thing about the paranormal is that no matter how often [a person proves] it, it remains unproven” (Chopra). Given personal experience and evidence by professionals that have dedicated their lives to find answers regarding the paranormal and the afterlife. There will always be skeptics so long as there are humans with their own thoughts and opinions. Despite what skeptics say,ghosts exist; there are several eyewitness accounts, religious traditions, and traditional cultural stories that support the paranormal.
The legend of the Ghost Children of San Antonio dates back to the first half of the 20th century, with the majority of accounts placing its origins within a period extending from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. The story is based on a supposed freak accident involving a school bus full of children. As the story goes, the school bus stalled over a set of train tracks and was subsequently hit by an oncoming freight train, killing everyone on board the bus. (Weiser) Not soon after this grisly event, it was said that, should anyone park their car on the very same train tracks and place the gears in neutral, the car will roll uphill (seemingly defying gravity) off of the train tracks to a safe distance away. According to legend, the ghosts of the dead children from the bus accident push one’s car to safety (seemingly uphill) so they may avoid a similar fate. (Mikkelson)
Mediums claimed to be intermediaries between the living and dead”) (McCarthy). Soon after Doe and his Aunt Tillie had begun to participate in the use of the Ouija board, Aunt Tillie passed away.... ... middle of paper ... ...
In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet’s father is intended to be seen as a real ghost. Around 1600, when the play Hamlet was written, many people believed in mystical creatures like witches, monsters, and most importantly: ghosts. With so many people believing in these characters, it makes sense that Shakespeare portrays the ghost of Hamlet’s father as a real figure. Many examples support this, such as when the guards in Act I scene i see the ghost, which proves it’s not just in Hamlet’s imagination. But some people can not see the ghost, such as Hamlet’s mother in Act III scene iiiii. Hamlet sees the ghost but she can not. This could be used as evidence to say the ghost is not real though. Shakespeare shows us though this information, the high complications oh having ghosts in a story.
Radford, Benjamin. "Are Ghosts Real? Science Says No-o-o." LiveScience. N.p., 19 Jan 2013. Web. 13 Nov 2013. .
My Surbaban Pittsburg, Pa HAunted House. (2014, April 24). Retrieved from Your Ghost Stories: Http://www.yourghoststories.com
The origin of ghost encounters has been dated back to the early times in history. According to the History Channel, “in the first century A.D. Pliny, the Younger recorded one of the first ghost
A ghost is a soul that appears as a dead person or is against a living person. Most people still believe in ghosts even though they have not seen one. The first sightings of ghosts date back to 856 A.D (Stories, 2014). Ghosts mostly make loud noises and disturbances to let people know that they are in the midst. In the first century A.D., the great Roman author and statesman Pliny the Younger recorded one of the first seen ghost stories in his letters, which became noticeable for their bright story of life during the peak of the Roman Empire. The world around us has become more technical with the findings and history of ghosts not cited correctly (Stories, 2014)). The place ghosts come from or occupy varies depending on their spiritual abilities. Ghosts feel more comfortable in a place that is unrestrained and enables them to move freely (Zamora, 2014).
There are many theories as to how someone or something becomes a ghost. This is called Paranormal which means beyond normal and scientific name is parapsychology, which means study of interactions between living organisms and their external environment that seem to transcend the known physical laws of nature (Britannica, 147). In 1920, Dr. William McDougall was the first scientific psychical who research about Paranormal Activity (Stefanik, 2000). According to Stefanik, Paranormal experiences often seem weird, uncanny, or unnatural. Typically they are quite rare but there are a few exceptional "stars" such as who have regular paranormal experiences and may show seemingly consistent paranormal ability (Daniel, 2004). Different types of scientists who researched about paranormal activity was spiritualists. The scientists accepted paranormal to be real. There are believers and nonbelievers about the paranormal phenomenon. Discussion about parapsychological phenomena has assumed emotional overtones, unsuitable to scientific discipline, and outspoken but contradictory opinions are still voiced (Cauz, 2010, p.147)
The Nelly Butler hauntings is referred to as the first recorded ghost story in American history (LiBrizzi 5), and possibly the most exciting hauntings to date as there are still many unsolved mysteries. The apparition appeared on more than 30 separate occasions to over 100 witnesses in Sullivan, Maine, just over fifteen years after the American Revolution (5-6). Although the Nelly Butler apparition is one of the most convincing ghosts of all time, it was subject to suspicions of fraud. These claims turn out to be groundless as the evidence reveals the ghost to be genuine.
Ghosts, as with any other misunderstood group or people, have been preyed upon by others without understanding. The lack of knowledge about ghosts and haunting activity has led people astray as to what they really are. What Hollywood and television portrays is very inaccurate and cannot be relied upon as truthful. They show these spirits of the dead as being evil in nature, filled with malice and harmful intent. But that this is not the case. The field of paranormal activity is amazing. It has caught the imagination of people from every walk of life. It has always interested me and has influenced me to pick this as the topic for my research. Through this research I wish to uncover the truth about the existence of ghosts. I also wish to correct the wrong notions that people have about ghosts and enlighten non-believers.
Are ghosts real? That is the question that most of society deliberates day after day. The true definition of a ghost is a soul or spirit of a deceased individual that can appear in visible form or other manifestations to the living. Ghosts are of the most common paranormal belief in the world. Most people believe in ghosts because of a personal experience, whether that was seeing or sensing an unexplained presence. Who wouldn’t want to believe that our beloved family members are looking for us?
For many years, people have debated whether or not spirits are real. Some people get scared at the fact that there might be something unknown lurking in their house in the middle of the night making their footsteps known to everyone in it. Maybe that person feels watched upon or feel some kind of presence in their home, or even sees shadows moving their way through rooms. Different people around the world have their own opinions based on religion and experiences when talking about angels, demons, and the spirits that have life after death. New technology is getting closer to detecting these energies happening in the world today. The history of haunting dates back many years, and more people want to get involved because of the new technology.
century, ghost hunting is almost as scientific as physics. Ghosts are now normally categorized into one of three groups: a residual haunting, a spirit that lived as a human , or a spirit that never lived as a human (Killen, 1).
Whether we choose to believe in the paranormal or not, we all have to realize that