Ghosts, Demons, and Specters. Oh My!

Why is it exactly that when we are alone in the dark, we can become so apprehensive? Why do we get jumpy when walking around corners? But most importantly, if ghosts do exist, why are we so afraid of them?

Firstly, it’s very important to take notice that a lot, if not almost all, of this behavior is learned and taught, and possibly even passed down in cultures through tales of strange sightings or creatures. What with all the violence and scary movies within popular culture, a new system has grown and flourished - the real idea of life after death, “evil-type” ghosts, and mythic demons that can possess a person or terrorize others (thank you Paranormal Activity 1, 2, and 3!). In fact, polls have been taken in several cases, about things such as who believes in ghosts and/or life after death, how many have claimed to have personally seen ghosts or had some sort of experience with this, and even go into who (between men, women, and different age groups) specifically believe The polls say that about 48% of people do believe in ghosts, leaving the other 45% saying they don’t. This source also concludes that women and people under 45 are more likely to have had any sort of ghost encounter or believe in ghosts than men and people over 45!(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/29/opinion/polls/main994766.shtml)

Through this, another fundamental question arises: what, coming from the standpoint of there not being any such thing as ghosts, causes us to experience some of the symptoms we often mistake for some sort of outside force or ghost-like being? The main reason is the psychological phenomenon called “Pareidolia, or where the brain perceives random stimulus as specific or significant” (http://www.thehauntedinternet.com/pareidolia.html). For example, when you look up at clouds in the sky, and the longer you look, the more you start to notice what looks like recognizable shapes or patterns-that’s the Pareidolia phenomenon at work! This is thought by scientists to be a survival technique utilized by our ancestors, in which we sense things that may or may not be there, and run (such as from a dangerous animal) in case of attack. Even if there turns out to be nothing there, at least you are still alive!

In a manner more relevant to today, many use this, though possibly subconsciously, as a way to cope with the death of a loved one or someone near and dear to the heart. One may greatly miss them and wish to see them again, so sometimes the brain goes so far as to make one “see what they want to see”, due to the emotions a person may be experiencing. It’s true - the brain is a powerful thing, but many don’t realize just how powerful it has the potential to be, and how much it can control what we think might be a haunting!

Now, this is not to say that ghosts definitely don’t exist. It is always possible that some are actually having some sort of paranormal experience, but it may not happen for other people. The simple fact of the matter is that we may never know! Phenomenon such as a ghost sighting or simply “that creepy feeling” are extremely difficult to prove through science, and so even harder to explain to a skeptic.

And really, who knows? Those feelings that you might get in the dark or in a creepy area, or those odd sounds you might hear out of nowhere have the potential to be real, but we have only logical judgment to rely on! Until someone creates a machine or device to give the final word to this, I’ll be staying away from my basement at night!