Discussion Topic. What If We are Psychically Creating Ghosts, etc.

For quite some time now I've been thinking of ghostly things (Fall problems) and drumming up an alternative hypothesis for what ghostly apparitions might be.

What if, maybe, WE are creating the ghosts (sort of) using psychic energy.
Have you ever walked into a house and felt a creepiness to it, then later felt or saw a presence? What if your mind is creating the spectre/phenomena to fill the void of what you're expecting to happen; or, what your subconcious can read regarding the history/energy of the home?

So, basically, ghosts wouldn't reside at any certain places, but within your mind, not in a "crazy" way, and appearing when we psychically/subconsciously pick up clues and energy at any given location, allowing our brains to create the ghost.


This isn't a well put together theory, obviously, just looking to discuss it and get some input.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Something I have noticed about smart kids.. Around 3 they are fearless then around 5 they become afraid of the dark and ghost...(generalized no doubt)...

When I was 5 dear old dad asked me to go to the kitchen and get him and mom a glass of water.. I did so but as I turned the light to the kitchen on, the room adjoining the kitchen (which had the phone) was bathed in darkness.. Sitting at the desk for the phone was some woman with here legs crossed with red high heels as one leg moved up and down.. I came unhinged and went screaming back to the living room where mom and dad were... I told them what I had happened and they both took me to the kitchen and the next room to show me there was nothing except my imagination doing tricks...

My red high heeled ghost looked absolutely real to me... But after my father and mother explained to me ghost are only in my imagination (I believed them) and if I ever saw another one to blink twice and they would disappear or if they were still there to punch them in the nose.. I guess the punch them in the nose thingy scared them away for I have never seen another one !!

a reply to: Atsbhct

There's a 1915 book called Telepathic Hallucinations: The New View of Ghosts that explores this idea. You've cottoned on to something that was once in vogue among a fair few paranormalists but has since been buried and forgotten.

The author's name is (or was) Frank Podmore and the publisher was Milner and Co ltd (Halifax, UK). No ISBN because the ISBN hadn't been invented yet. You can almost certainly find it via abebooks or similar, perhaps in a cheap facsimile edition since it's long out of copyright.

I have a copy under my elbow as I type these words. Although it resists summarising, and I have other things to occupy me, I'll watch this thread and see if any posts summon up a quote or two.

ETA: Actually, if you want, I could scan the index to the book, and upload it here for you to inspect. Then if there's anything there that piques your interest, I could look it up and post it for you. (N.b., This is assuming I can upload images to ATS, which I've tried before and failed to accomplish).

a reply to: audubon

Thank you! I have some good connections here and in the UK regarding books and I would love to read it if I can get my hands on it.

a reply to: Atsbhct

I have my own theory on ghosts-multiple dimensions. Now before you start laughing hear me out.

According to some multiverse theories, there are multiple outcomes to a situation, for example you drive a car to a crossroads, while you might turn left in this dimension, another version of yourself may turn right in another dimension.

Now that could explain ghosts, in this dimension your body could be dead, but in another you could still be alive and somehow your alternate alive version of yourself could be betwixt between dimensions, not alive or dead like Schroedingers cat. Not to mention String theory hypothesizes up to eleven dimensions, so maybe ghosts inhabit one of those dimensions, a dimension we rarely see due to the craziness of quantum mechanics.

It's just a theory and it might seem batcrap crazy, but I apply science to everything odd I see, but this is just speculation.

You should look up Tulpas, (Tulpa is the singular)...


It’s an ancient theory/mythology where you create a Being in your mind to play with, they manifest, and eventually they go rogue and become burdensome (haunt people etc)...
That’s a very brief and not so great synopsis but it’s an interesting subject to look into.

I know this is not what you’re suggesting, what you’re suggesting is a rebalance of the Brain that fills in the gaps...

But... The mind is a powerful tool.
Be careful if you go down this path (with Tulpas).

a reply to: Atsbhct

It should be setup where when people yearn for other people to get 'ghosted' (blown up etc), then the doomed should come back and haunt the bloodlusters.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

No laughing from me. I like your theory. We need something more than what's out there more on the subject. The current popular thought that ghosts are spiritual beings isn't really providing any evidence that I personally find striking.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Hahahahaha.

a reply to: Hazardous1408



I've heard of Tulpas, and I think they're an extension of this theory. I think a lot of the people who get caught up in that are greatly influenced by their research previous to creating their "Tulpa", so it goes to a really weird/ dark place. Where as, when a child creates an imaginary friend, there's little to no pretense, they're working on their imagination and let it go when they exhaust the fun of it

a reply to: Atsbhct

I think that trying to classify all so-called ghost sittings as having a single cause may be fruitless. I believe "ghosts" is a classification for a lot of different paranormal experiences that we just don't understand. My house was built in 1870. My wife and I bought it 15 years ago. My immediate family and visitors have had several experiences here from sensing another person, to full body apparitions, to interactions (only occurring with children and the "ghost" is a little girl). I think there are several different causes for the different aspects of it. There's a tall shadow seen quite often on the first floor that I feel is unrelated to the little girl upstairs. The banging around, footsteps, missing or moved items, all could have different causes as well.

The fact that others visiting have experienced these things without prior knowledge, to me, shows that it is not solely due to the consciousness of the observer. So I think your idea of picking up on some sort of energy could be spot on for some of the manifestations.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Yes a child’s imaginary friend wouldn’t have many traumas to manipulate the mind via the subconscious like an adult’s Tulpa...

But very similar indeed.


Imaginary friends always remind me of the film Drop Dead Fred...
Which always reminds me to take my meds, lol.

I agree a child's imagination can run pretty wild.
To this day, I can remember clearly seeing Pinocchio outside the house one evening.
Not a cartoon either, but a full, real to life, adult sized Pinocchio .
I also had intense dreams with him in it also that terrified me for some reason.

But I remember trying to explain to my mother and grandmother what I saw. But all I was met with was my crazy imagination explanation.
When your a kid it's hard to put the words to what you experienced, in a coherent explanation.
All I was saying was Pino. Was outside the house and of course they thought I was talking about the cartoon version.

Still have no rhyme or reason as to what I saw. It looked real, but it
Must have been my imagination.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Plenty of copies on abebooks.com - mostly facsimiles, as predicted, but some originals. From a quick skim, looks like an average modern reprint will cost you less than $10, with free shipping. Happy reading!

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice

Had a fiddle, and here's the index to Podmore's Telepathic Hallucinations. Only a short book, as you can see.





Hopefully this gives you some idea of whether it's relevant to your line of research.

ETA: right-click on each image and "open in new tab" to get full size (Mac users, you are on your own here, and have no-one to blame but yourselves.)

Some instances, yup.. .we likely cause them...

Others, and perhaps more than half, are a combo or just a certain geographical location... our sensory apparatus and something local to the geographical location, that is.

It's been posited some emotions can imprint themselves upon certain environments... recurring sightings of: ancient to more modern soldiers marching, battlefields, aerial dogfights, haunted residences with "recorded" unintelligent hauntings, etc., back up that idea.

So ...it's likely both us and environment and sometimes a combo, and disembodied consciousness, too, imo.

a reply to: Atsbhct

What if, maybe, WE are creating the ghosts (sort of) using psychic energy.
Have you ever walked into a house and felt a creepiness to it, then later felt or saw a presence? What if your mind is creating the spectre/phenomena to fill the void of what you're expecting to happen; or, what your subconcious can read regarding the history/energy of the home?

if you smell smoke did your mind light the fire?

a reply to: intrptr

If I think of smoke, my mind can create a sense memory

a reply to: Atsbhct

Well yeah could be that's like a Tulpa