Ghosts and UFO's: The truth is out there

[W_L]

Hey guys, while doing research for a new short story, I came across some interesting things about Chicago and Ghost stories. Ghost stories are usually associated with horror, but I love a mixture of ghost stories that can deal with a wide variety of ideas and genres.

 

Haunted Illinois

 

Ghost are the most interesting idea and I wonder if anyone here is a believer or interested in ghost stories?

 

PS: I am about to finish my western short story; it should be posted by this weekend, it took a while to dig up my old research and some new research to get it done. It's not your traditional western; there are shades of gray, I hope it will be interesting to everyone once it is uploaded.

[Aeroplane]

You can probably guess than I am not a believer in ghosts or the supernatural.

They do make good plot devices in my opinion though, so I would definitely not dismiss any creative work on the sole basis of it having these elements in it. I'd probably go out of my way to read them, actually.

[DragonFire]

Whilst I'm quite partial to a good ghost movie etc, I think the whole thing is total nonsense. I guess seeing is believing, and as I haven't seen....I don't believe.

 

My ex used to love watching this program on Living TV called Most Haunted, where they would go to 'haunted' houses and the like. The funniest would be when the clairvoyant was possessed by spirits [JD or vodka I think] and do all the juddering movements. Never laughed so much in my life; and they were taking it so seriously.

 

http://www.livingtv.co.uk/shows/mosthauntedlive/

[Kia Zi Shiru]

I believe in them.... but yeah, I took a picture of one and also met her once. the creepy thing is that you can only see her in the picture in my room and on my computer, and not when I send it to others..... not even other places in the house.... pretty creepy if you ask me.....

 

apart from that, I don't usually believe in things....

[Tipdin]

A very, very interesting subject! My entire life has turned out to be one long ghost story so far... I do not believe in ghosts as most people would describe them, but I am absolutely certain, beyond any doubt, that there is another dimension from which departed "souls" can reach out to us.

 

I have toyed with a ghost story of my own, and it's a love story.

 

Write, writer!

[Mark Arbour]

I lump ghosts and God into the same category. Quaint novelties with no basis in reality.

[W_L]

I lump ghosts and God into the same category. Quaint novelties with no basis in reality.

 

Mark, I thought you were an intellectual. Come on, Ghosts should be something that are interesting to an intellectual.

 

By the way, my Summer Anthology entry could be considered 1/3rd ghost story and 2/3rd psychological introspection.

 

Ghost are not believed by Christians mainly as there are traditions that state souls either go to Heaven or Hell/Purgatory rather than wander the earth as spirits.

 

The Chinese and Far Eastern traditions have a full compilation of ghost and human morality tales about the issue of holding on to life, love between the living and the dead, the existence Karmic resonance (Cause and Effect Buddhist principle that entered philosophical and active practice), and the eternal spirits of human beings.

 

If Graeme responds to this thread, I would direct him to seek out some of the Far East Asian Immigrants in Australia during our Ghost day coming up in a month.

 

Officially Lunar calendar ghost day is the 7th month and 14th day. It's a festival in China, Korea, and Japan as far as I know with stories being told of ghosts, the spirit world, and famous human/ghost love stories that stretch multiple lifetimes and planes of existence. The Cowherd story comes highly recommended during this holiday.

[JamesSavik]

I have a story on my board where the main character recieves a magic item, a voo-doo candle in this case, that allows him to speak to his ghosts so that he can move on with his life. The visitation can only last as long as the candle can burn. It makes for a neat plot device and is loaded with symbolism. If I can make it work, you might see it sometime.

 

There is a great ghost-story hosted here by Kip called Tappings that I suggest anyone check out. It's grate!

[Arpeggio]

I do not believe in ghosts.....

 

..... that nightlight in my room is strictly so I can see in the middle of the night.

 

Honestly, sometimes it seems stupid that ghosts exist and sometimes it doesn't. I'm a borderline skeptic, I guess.

[Sir Galahad]

I lump ghosts and God into the same category. Quaint novelties with no basis in reality.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Phantom]

Personally I don't believe. I think that any so-called supernatural event can be explained by science or logical reasoning. Though I do believe in one exception... the Phasmatis in Apparatus (Ghost in the Machine). While not really a ghost per say, sometimes computers do weird things without the aid of a human.

[Benji]

Personally I don't believe. I think that any so-called supernatural event can be explained by science or logical reasoning. Though I do believe in one exception... the Phasmatis in Apparatus (Ghost in the Machine). While not really a ghost per say, sometimes computers do weird things without the aid of a human.

 

.......Ghosts nonsense!! I guess I'll believe it when I see it!!! UFO's on the other hand!!

[Mark Arbour]

.......Ghosts nonsense!! I guess I'll believe it when I see it!!! UFO's on the other hand!!

 

Yeah, I'm with you on UFOs. There definitely have been flying objects that are unidentified.

[W_L]

Personally I don't believe. I think that any so-called supernatural event can be explained by science or logical reasoning. Though I do believe in one exception... the Phasmatis in Apparatus (Ghost in the Machine). While not really a ghost per say, sometimes computers do weird things without the aid of a human.

 

That's explained by chaos theory in a controlled system. Computer theory is interesting.

 

It's odd that people believe in UFO's and aliens, but they do not believe in ghosts. UFO's have fascinated people for just as long as ghosts have. Stories of strange flying objects have been around for centuries; they use to be associated with Angels and God/Gods. Aliens have become focused in the mid-20th century and onward.

[DragonFire]

Yeah, I'm with you on UFOs. There definitely have been flying objects that are unidentified.

I think that was Krista's shoe heading for Eric's head!

[Mark Arbour]

That's explained by chaos theory in a controlled system. Computer theory is interesting.

 

It's odd that people believe in UFO's and aliens, but they do not believe in ghosts. UFO's have fascinated people for just as long as ghosts have. Stories of strange flying objects have been around for centuries; they use to be associated with Angels and God/Gods. Aliens have become focused in the mid-20th century and onward.

 

Well, if you break it down, believing in UFOs is a litmus test on whether you think we're alone in the Universe; is their intelligent life out there? An existential follow up is "are we intelligent?" but that's not the issue here.

 

Believing in ghosts, that's the litmus test for belief in the supernatural.

 

My votes: UFOs - Yes, Ghosts - No.

[Benji]

Well, if you break it down, believing in UFOs is a litmus test on whether you think we're alone in the Universe; is their intelligent life out there? An existential follow up is "are we intelligent?" but that's not the issue here.

 

Believing in ghosts, that's the litmus test for belief in the supernatural.

 

My votes: UFOs - Yes, Ghosts - No.

 

.........I mentioned this sometime before, but a group of us kids had camped out in our yard and all saw something (A bright object) that moved at incredible speeds and angles. This was in Barstow, Calif. circa 1965

Edited June 11, 2009 by Benji

[W_L]

I actually like both, UFO's are interesting for the social ramifications of first contact. Ghosts are interesting for continuity of existence.

 

It does not need to separate down scientific lines as ghosts and UFO's can mutually exists in scientific order. There is nothing stopping our universe from having alien life forms and spirits of deceased people around.

 

I will say that famous line of Chinese Empiricist Zhuxi in his Essay, "No Ghost", "If you believe it, there will be, but if you don't, there will not." It's a famous line in philosophical notions for eastern philosophers, the cornerstone for belief systems and ideals. Reality is based on each individual under this notion rather than the view based on society or religious practice.

[Phantom]

.........I mentioned this sometime before, but a group of us kids had camped out in our yard and all saw something that moved at incredible speeds and angles. This was in Barstow, Calif. circa 1965

 

You sure it wasn't an Eric after a bottle of tequila? LOL

 

I agree about UFO's... they exist, but sometimes it's just military aircraft...

 

My mom told me a story of when I was younger and we lived on an Army base (it was either in Texas (Fort Hood) or Arizona (Fort Huachuca) and how she was woken up one night by B-2 Stealth Bombers and she thought we were being invaded by aliens until she called my dad and he told her what they were.

 

That in mind, there was one time I was at Mcguire AFB with my dad and we noticed something weird in the sky. It looked like a dark speck but it moved around like crazy, and figuring that it was a UAV or something, we didn't pay any attention till they locked the base down and we heard two fighter jets fly (most likely from another base since it's a 15min flight from the cloest base that has fighter jets) overhead. ABout an hour after the lockdown, my dad asked an MP what happened and the MP wouldn't say except that an unknown voilated the airspace above the AFB.

 

So yes, there is a difference between UFO and extraterriestrial UFO's

[blksantos]

I don't believe in ghost.

 

When in the future I see one, I'll that statement above. But they are interesting enough to talk about. Telling one to a bunch of scared kids camping on the woods would be fun.

[Mark Arbour]

.........I mentioned this sometime before, but a group of us kids had camped out in our yard and all saw something (A bright object) that moved at incredible speeds and angles. This was in Barstow, Calif. circa 1965

 

Everyone sees strange things in Barstow.

[Benji]

Everyone sees strange things in Barstow.

 

...

[W_L]

You sure it wasn't an Eric after a bottle of tequila? LOL

 

I agree about UFO's... they exist, but sometimes it's just military aircraft...

 

My mom told me a story of when I was younger and we lived on an Army base (it was either in Texas (Fort Hood) or Arizona (Fort Huachuca) and how she was woken up one night by B-2 Stealth Bombers and she thought we were being invaded by aliens until she called my dad and he told her what they were.

 

That in mind, there was one time I was at Mcguire AFB with my dad and we noticed something weird in the sky. It looked like a dark speck but it moved around like crazy, and figuring that it was a UAV or something, we didn't pay any attention till they locked the base down and we heard two fighter jets fly (most likely from another base since it's a 15min flight from the cloest base that has fighter jets) overhead. ABout an hour after the lockdown, my dad asked an MP what happened and the MP wouldn't say except that an unknown voilated the airspace above the AFB.

 

So yes, there is a difference between UFO and extraterriestrial UFO's

 

I've heard about the experimental Aurora project with hypersonic atmospheric speed research beyond Mach 5. I think if ET's would rather not make first contact with human beings i.e. formal relations as we are far too hostile and territorial at this stage in our development. Perhaps, they might try indirect contact or simply observation. UFO's and maybe rare occasions one time alien abductions would make sense in a scientific way.

 

I guess, I am skeptical in some ways on the potential of human beings with technology i.e potentially a great amount of UFO's are secret project. I still believe more than a few reports were possible alien visitations, just not the majority of reports.

 

I am also skeptical with the prejudicial observation in the Scientific Theory/Method that has as some believed become a religion onto itself.

 

I guess when it comes down to it, you can say this core belief, "I am skeptical of any ingrained belief system that has become an absolute institution in human consciousness".

[Former Member]

ha ha possessed clairovants we got a show here called "Rescue Mediums" and these 2 women go into peoples homes and find ghosts and its all "Step Into the light" and sometimes the ghosts will over power 1 of the women, last time the girl fell down into the wall bumped her head. And the fat girl just stands there as her friends on the floor. Sooo fake. There was soo many sectioned delay her friend coulda helped her not fall down "Mary where is your spirit guide Captian Peter" (totally making up these names here but it's like that) "Where is he mary? Mary have him help you" Bogus!

 

One show that does freak me out a bit is Paranormal State. That 1 girl had a ghost that was drowning her clawing her back everything. Other shows just show broken down homes and say "this is a house where a man killed his wife and it's haunted" kinda deal.

 

Ghost's i do believe in. Ever since i was little i've believed in ghosts. My Grandma's house i hate being there by myself because growing up we were always told about back in the day how people would have funerals in there homes. Where here 2 couches are on each wall. There was 2 coffins at one point for 2 of my great uncles. The older grandkids always told me if i was to go into the basement or the attic "Watch out for uncle Peter" and Elmer or Helmer. Dutch Names. My 1 cousin will not stay in the upstairs bedroom because he swears he seen our great grandma up there. The upstairs bedroom doesn't scare me at all. I would love being able to talk to ghosts unless they were pyscho creepy ones. One of my favorite shows is Ghost Whisperer. I'm weird in that ghosts and the like fascinate me. Pretty bad when i was 4 my favorite tv show and movie was Beetle Juice. So even since then i've had that fascination with Death.

[Tipdin]

Gosh, a lot of you people have disappointed me. You don't believe in God, ghosts, UFO's of anything else that isn't made of concrete.

 

You have limited your world to such a tiny place.

 

I would be interested in knowing WHY people are so uncomfortable with possibilities they can't explain?

 

Can one believe in suspended belief? I have no clue if there REALLY is a God or if there REALLY are ghosts or if there REALLY is such a thing as an honest politician or lawyer, but hey! I believe in the possibility of the option at least.