Ever seen a 'ghost'?

[mad4city]

Well, something's going on. Too many, otherwise reasonable (and often, hitherto sceptical) people have experienced the phenomenon to some degree for it to be dimissed as entirely imagination and superstition (although those things undoubtedly are partly in play).

I sometimes wonder is the phenomenon a form of energy that we don't quite understand.
For example, most of us will have been in an empty football stadium at some stage and don't tell me that there isn't a presence/ energy/ charge/ whatever your having yourself to be experienced on those occasions. The great Irish sports writer, Con Houlihan, described the sensation we feel in an empty stadium as 'the ghosts of the living' I don't believe he was speaking literally obviously but rather using poetic licence.
Similarly, churches, schools and (straying into Hammer Horror territory here but indulge me for a second, please) graveyards possess this "energy" (for want of a better word) when empty, too.
All are venues of life changing/ defining/ edifying moments and all get linked with the supernatural to varying degrees. Are we releasing some energy that we don't understand at such times? Do those sort of places somehow trap that energy?
F**k knows!

It's a half-baked theory, I know but well, there's more far-fetched out there - and I do recognise that it's only wildly surmising upon the same random speculation regarding this supposed "energy" to try and explain why scenes of violent death are so often linked with ghostly experiences. So, I'll step away from defending the whole theory now until I receive my quantum physics degree - and the only place I'm getting one of those is if they start giving them away in lucky bags. It's kind of what I lean towards instinctively as an explanation, though.

That said, I posted a tale about a dream I had earlier in this thread about a conversation with my deceased aunt, from which I woke up and knew the exact time of her husband's (my uncle) passing that night; and I have no idea how I could've done that. It might have been my mind playing tricks combined with a remarkable co-incidence or the supernatural or some other "energy" we don't understand. I don't know. All I know is it actually happened and it proves nothing conclusively, either way.

 

[Bluemoon115]

It's one of those things that many people won't beleive unless thau have seen one, those that have seen one are unshakable in their belief

And yes I have seen a couple

I've seen and experienced everything people have said in this thread, and while when the happened (in my teens) I suspected something, there's rational, normal explainations for all, tricks of the light, imagination running wild, pareidolia (the most common one around).

I mean, in the non too distant past, what we would now describe as severe mental illness (schizophrenia, multiple personality syndrome, etc) was blamed on spirits and ghosts. Terrible, evil human acts were passed off as possession by ghostly spirits. We now know that this is bollocks. The number of poltergeist sightings has mysteriously decreased since the wide distribution of video/motion capture technology. Everything that's only evidence has ever been human eye witness accounts has been proven to be...not magic.

Just like Scooby Doo, whenever there's anything scary like ghosts/vampires/zombies/Michael McIntyre, just pull back the mask, and it's never real.

 

[Davs 19]

People die everyday but people only ever seem to see ghosts from certain decades, like victorian women, roman soldiers or ww1 soldiers. You never get a seventies ghost with flairs and a tank top or an eighties yuppie ghost with giant shoulder pads . why do they have clothes anyway? Does fabric have a spirit that dies at the same time as the person wearing it? What happens if you died wearing fancy dress? Destined to ever wonder the earth dressed as banana man.
Also why do you only see them in spooky locations, old houses or castles or on a desolate Moor, never on a tropical beach, walking down market Street or sat watching city.

They're always either human or old family pets too I've noticed.
You never see ghost cows or sheep roaming round farms, or ghost pigeons shitting on statues.

How do you know ?

Exactly ;.)

 

[Manchester_lalala]

People die everyday but people only ever seem to see ghosts from certain decades, like victorian women, roman soldiers or ww1 soldiers. You never get a seventies ghost with flairs and a tank top or an eighties yuppie ghost with giant shoulder pads . why do they have clothes anyway? Does fabric have a spirit that dies at the same time as the person wearing it? What happens if you died wearing fancy dress? Destined to ever wonder the earth dressed as banana man.
Also why do you only see them in spooky locations, old houses or castles or on a desolate Moor, never on a tropical beach, walking down market Street or sat watching city.

This is exactly what I say to people. Why don't we see cavemen ghosts, ghosts from 1000 years ago and so on. It's always the little girl in a black dress which looked like she died in the 1900's.

I'm not ruling it out, neither am I willing to convince myself they may actually be true. I used to work in a bar a few years ago. Me and this lass where cleaning the glasses, then taking them on trays from up downstairs to upstairs. We started to put the glasses on the shelves behind us, while having a little chat to each other. As the last glass was picked up, we both turned the other way from the two trays. As we turned back to put the trays under the bar, they was both spinning slowly, as coming to a stop. I don't have a clue what happened there, but she was freaked out. As we both saw it, we both couldn't of being seeing things, so that's the only incident I can't explain. As a few of the staff where very spiritual, they decided to do a ouji board one night after lock up. Turned out it was a guy called Fred who used to live in a bedroom which was now the kitchen. After that, all the staff was convinced they could hear footsteps, seen stuff on the cctv screens, speaking and all that stuff. Once it's in your head that the place is haunted, your brain fucks you about.

I won't believe it until I've seen one.

 

[shadygiz]

People die everyday but people only ever seem to see ghosts from certain decades, like victorian women, roman soldiers or ww1 soldiers. You never get a seventies ghost with flairs and a tank top or an eighties yuppie ghost with giant shoulder pads . why do they have clothes anyway? Does fabric have a spirit that dies at the same time as the person wearing it? What happens if you died wearing fancy dress? Destined to ever wonder the earth dressed as banana man.
Also why do you only see them in spooky locations, old houses or castles or on a desolate Moor, never on a tropical beach, walking down market Street or sat watching city.

haha, dont remind me of that again ;p

 

[Two Gun Bob]

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[Bluemoon115]

People die everyday but people only ever seem to see ghosts from certain decades, like Victorian women, roman soldiers or ww1 soldiers. You never get a seventies ghost with flairs and a tank top or an eighties yuppie ghost with giant shoulder pads . why do they have clothes anyway? Does fabric have a spirit that dies at the same time as the person wearing it? What happens if you died wearing fancy dress? Destined to ever wonder the earth dressed as banana man.
Also why do you only see them in spooky locations, old houses or castles or on a desolate Moor, never on a tropical beach, walking down market Street or sat watching city.

They're always either human or old family pets too I've noticed.
You never see ghost cows or sheep roaming round farms, or ghost pigeons shitting on statues.

I was picking up a fare from a remote farmhouse.
It was daft o clock in the morning and the wind and rain was lashing about my beaten brow
I knocked their old heavy wooden oak door to no avail
After the third knock and absolutely soaked to the skin I discouragingly made my way back towards
my taxi cab.
I was then that I alerted to a shadowy figure from the corner of my eye and quickly wiped the rain
from my weathered face.
The shape did not change but was moving along slowly across my field of vision.
As it came within 5 meters I could now make out a disturbing shadowy shape that appeared to
sport a curly tail, intermittently casting incandescent shadows over over it's muddy paws.
Head held high now and coming to an abrupt halt as it realized and sensed my very presence.
The grunting stopped and nothing could be heard save for the howling moorland wind and
torrential lashing of cloud dew that ricochet like bullets from some ancient battlefield
down onto the meadow below
Silence was now deafening
I could just make out upon its rear hind leg a metallic like chain that had a large spherical
ball attached.
Moving toward me know with an urgency and speed unbecoming a farm animal in the presence of
humanoid company.
I reached out to steady it but uncharacteristically it trotted straight through me as if it had no
form or substance that could be associated with earthly creatures.
A coldness and deep chill not brought about by the ravages of the night transfixed my very being.
The pig had now disappeared and all that remained was an emanating smell of back bacon
and a sickly stench of gammon.
The unnerving scenario that had just unfolded was was quickly disturbed by old Mr Johnson who had
answered my call and was making his way out of the farm house to the relative safety of my cab.
On the way to journeys end I explained what had just transpired.
Turns out his farm used to be used as a slaughterhouse for the pork industry.
This pig had not yet made the transition to the other side and was trapped inbetween worlds
The farmer used to keep the pigs still before stunning by use of a metal ball and chain.
I now only eat beef and the very smell of bacan butties send shivers down my spine.
I hope this pig finds eventual peace and can find a way to make it's transition to the other side.
This is a true story and the first time I have had the courage or resiliance to discuss it.
Rip pepper.

I think you're telling porkies there.

 

[Davs 19]

They're always either human or old family pets too I've noticed.
You never see ghost cows or sheep roaming round farms, or ghost pigeons shitting on statues.

I was picking up a fare from a remote farmhouse.


It was daft o clock in the morning and the wind and rain was lashing about my beaten brow
I knocked their old heavy wooden oak door to no avail
After the third knock and absolutely soaked to the skin I discouragingly made my way back towards
my taxi cab.
I was then that I alerted to a shadowy figure from the corner of my eye and quickly wiped the rain
from my weathered face.
The shape did not change but was moving along slowly across my field of vision.
As it came within 5 meters I could now make out a disturbing shadowy shape that appeared to
sport a curly tail, intermittently casting incandescent shadows over over it's muddy paws.
Head held high now and coming to an abrupt halt as it realized and sensed my very presence.
The grunting stopped and nothing could be heard save for the howling moorland wind and
torrential lashing of cloud dew that ricochet like bullets from some ancient battlefield
down onto the meadow below
Silence was now deafening
I could just make out upon its rear hind leg a metallic like chain that had a large spherical
ball attached.
Moving toward me know with an urgency and speed unbecoming a farm animal in the presence of
humanoid company.
I reached out to steady it but uncharacteristically it trotted straight through me as if it had no
form or substance that could be associated with earthly creatures.
A coldness and deep chill not brought about by the ravages of the night transfixed my very being.
The pig had now disappeared and all that remained was an emanating smell of back bacon
and a sickly stench of gammon.
The unnerving scenario that had just unfolded was was quickly disturbed by old Mr Johnson who had
answered my call and was making his way out of the farm house to the relative safety of my cab.
On the way to journeys end I explained what had just transpired.
Turns out his farm used to be used as a slaughterhouse for the pork industry.
This pig had not yet made the transition to the other side and was trapped inbetween worlds
The farmer used to keep the pigs still before stunning by use of a metal ball and chain.
I now only eat beef and the very smell of bacan butties send shivers down my spine.
I hope this pig finds eventual peace and can find a way to make it's transition to the other side.
This is a true story and the first time I have had the courage or resiliance to discuss it.
Rip pepper.

I think you're telling porkies there.

It's a crackling tail though.

 

[Two Gun Bob]

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[MCFCTrick]

Yes and a few other things that could be classed as paranormal, I have a theory about many sightings in that they are kind of memories etched into the landscape not all of them though

This is a well known theory. That traumatic or very emotional events, can somehow, like old video tape, be 'recorded' into the fabric of buildings and even the ground itself. And gets 'replayed' to those that are receptive or on the same 'wavelength' kind of thing ....

One example of this I hear about often, ie, 'sightings' is in the cellar and old tunnels of one of my wife's pubs, The Mount on the outskirts of Wigan. It is an old country pile, and was at one time a nunnery and children's home (ran by nuns) ..... It's known for just before dawn 'sightings' of the nuns waking the kids and getting them out of bed .... Never saw anything down there myself, but it sure has all the hallmarks of 'spooky' .... maybe playbacks happen to some ....