Our senses and "proof" of ghosts?

There are so many out there who desire for proof ghosts, and things that are just flat out not normal! Not only do we like to be entertained here on ATS, but some people just *really* want answers.We have here a message board to discuss these topics and prove each other wrong etc. When someone asks for "evidence" on these boards we are limited only to what the internet and these boards allow for. Lets take a look at a few things that may not be evidence, but perhaps an in-depth analysis of our senses into the unknown via the internet! Note: This could be lengthy..

We, as human beings are limited to a certain amount of senses.

Touch, sight, sound, taste, and smell. (and possibly esp??)

If we apply our senses to explain Ghosts etc, we are limited by only those we can use *here*.Since we are indeed on the internet, we can only utilize 2. Sight and sound. (possibly esp?? Creepy!) The other 3 can only be explained via tesimony from others, and in our case only by documentation avaliable on the internet.

Lets start by doing the usual, put up links of pictures and videos then leave it up to you to decide if they are real or not! I'm only going to post a few on each "sense" but anyone who wishes to add to this collection are definately welcome! (you will have to click the links to view because I have not yet learned how to embedd images or videos) Here are some of my favorite ones:


Pictures: (sight)

www.yourghoststories.com...

angelsghosts.com...

www.proofparanormal.com...




I like older pictures of ghosts because the claim of them being "doctored" or photoshopped is much harder to prove given the technology at the time. However, there is almost always a group that claim the picures are double exposures, cigarette smoke or fakes in some fashion.


Videos: (sight)
(I'm not spending much time on this because videos are almost always easily cast aside as CGI)

www.metacafe.com...

www.trutv.com...

www.youtube.com...

Thermal video:

www.spectralreview.com...


The third video is obviously the most famous on youtube, and there is a part 2 and 3 floating around as well. Some of the videos have been debunked but it's entertaining at least!


Ok, so we've posted the usual pictures and videos and most people especially skeptics are usually not moved too much by them. Unfortunately, other than finding videos and visual "proof" to post on the boards there just isnt any way to prove anything without a doubt since our resources are limited. Lets take a look at the other senses and see what we can find as documentation to show that not only can ghosts be seen, but heard, felt, smelled and even sensed!


Sound:
Heres some very eerie "evps". (electronic voice phenomenom) and heres a link that pretty much sums up what they are. en.wikipedia.org...

I hate to use youtube as a source, because some people believe almost everything on youtube is a hoax. However, there are a few good ones out there!

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...

Unfortunately, most evp sites I have encountered, don't offer the wav files as embedded on the page, but actually make you save the file to your hardrive, like this site here:

www.ghost-investigators.com...

The show "ghosthunters" have picked up some interesting evps, however I won't post that here lol.
If you are interested in evps just do a search in google, you will find tons of sites that talk about the subject.

So what about touch and smell?

All I can do is provide links that provide their explanation about the subject through various sites and personal testimony. Since anyone can search for this, I'll just post a few.

There are certain smells that are associated with ghosts, and it's pretty easy to distinguish which ones are good and which ones are bad. Sometimes they are associated with "residual" ghosts that have supposedly lingered as "imprinted" in a particular time, repeating itself like a record. I've had my own personal experience with smelling something before a loved one died.


www.associatedcontent.com...

Personal testimony:

www.yourghoststories.com...

www.ghostsofamerica.com...

Taste: I can only assume that taste would be associated with whatever smells are present at the time, however I don't have any references to taste associated with ghosts. If you have something to add to this subject, please do!


Touch:
Ghosts can touch you? Well, this is another sense that supposedly can be affected by a ghost. The only way to prove that however, is to have it happen to you. I can say, "omg a ghost tapped me on the shoulder once!" And you'd probably say "yeah right!" However, there are MANY claims that feeling cold/hot/panicky are an indication of a ghost nearby.


ghosthuntingsecrets.com...



Sense?

Animals are well-known for their ability to "Sense" things...they act weird just before a storm and theres also a theory that they can sense ghosts as well..

paranormal.about.com...

People also have been known to "Sense" ghosts, tho some people think you have to be "sensitive" in order to do this. I'm not sure to be honest. I think if humans can sense ghosts, then everyone can. I've never persued it because well, I think it could be dangerous and theres not much point in it. I'll bet if one did persue it tho, they would probably learn how.

www.legendsofamerica.com...

Now, I know this has nothing to do with our senses, but I figured it's interesting so why not throw this in. Then there is "ectoplasm". I guess it's not just in Ghostbusters?? lol. I havent really looked into this too much but it seems like this is the only thing close to pysical manifestation of some type of "remnant" left behind by a ghost?

www.answers.com...


Conclusion? It is documented that Ghosts have been seen, touched, smelled, felt, and even "sensed". Videos, pictures, evps (sounds), written documents, personal tesimony, thermal images, ectoplasm etc. The fact of the matter is, with all these things said, no skeptic will likely believe unless it is experienced on their own. I know that may seem like some kind of cop-out, but if one cannot be open to the paranormal based on the resources we have here, then theres no other way of convincing!

Ps: Any new pictures, articles, videos, sounds etc are welcome!


[edit on 18-7-2009 by Wookiep]

Ok, in the theme of the original post, here are two links to images that may or may not be real photos.

i144.photobucket.com...

and

www.ghostvox.com...

one is photoshoped, the other is, according to the site, an actual orb photo.

This is to show how easy it is to be taken in by someone.

This, by no means do I imply that all orbs are fakes. In fact, I think some may actually be genuine. The problem is that they are so easy to fake that an orb photo just isn't considered to be convincing evidence of any type of paranormal activity. In addition, dust, water vapor, insects, etc. can be mistaken for orbs.

Pretty much, anything that can be posted on the internet can be faked. There is really only one way to "prove" any type of haunting to most skeptics and that is to take them on an investigation where they can experience things for themselves.

reply to post by soontide


Thanks for the pics, tho I don't really get the one with the dog.

Pretty much, anything that can be posted on the internet can be faked. There is really only one way to "prove" any type of haunting to most skeptics and that is to take them on an investigation where they can experience things for themselves.

lol yeah I pretty much agree and did already have that in my conclusion.

[edit on 18-7-2009 by Wookiep]

The one with the dog has a small orb that the dog seems to be looking at. It's just a bit hard to see, but it's there.

Originally posted by soontide
The one with the dog has a small orb that the dog seems to be looking at. It's just a bit hard to see, but it's there.

ok, I'm not able to see it, but I'm sure if it was blown up something could be shown. I'm more intrigued by the date in the corner, I can't make sense of it! lol

Perhaps I'll bump this up closer to Halloween?

Hey guys! I'm kinda new to this. My friend took a picture of what could be a ghost at a haunted bridge in Ohio. I think I can see it. Here's the link below:

agenttruth.com...

reply to post by Wookiep



Hi we cannot trust our senses! I wrote a thread year or so ago on it You might be interested to read some of the info relating to our eye shutter speed etc

Energy, Colour and Our Senses

Originally posted by Thurisaz
reply to post by Wookiep

 

Hi we cannot trust our senses! I wrote a thread year or so ago on it You might be interested to read some of the info relating to our eye shutter speed etc

Energy, Colour and Our Senses

Well, that is certainly an interesting thread! It makes me think of things that just rack the brain for instance: What if green looks different to me but to you it's totally different? lol. I know that wasn't the point of your thread however.

Thanks for the thread, a good read and s+f! I'm not sure if it covers all the senses here tho.. or adds any credence to the argument of proving ghosts exsist. Senses are all we have, if we can't trust them, then whos to say we can trust our intuition? When offering What_we_have as "proof" on an internet web site, (with limited resources) then we have nothing to offer as proof of anything!



[edit on 5-8-2009 by Wookiep]

bumping this up in light of halloween coming soon. so no-one has anything to add??

I'm not sure why there is a quest to prove or disprove.

I beleive, so that's all that matters.
I don't really care who else beleives or not, I'm not interested in proving it to anybody else, much like religion really.

I'll leave the proving to others, probably people trying to make money.

Bah ATS! alright I won't try to bump this anymore. If anyone has a link to another board that's more interested in this stuff please u2u me! peace!

reply to post by Wookiep


Happy Halloween month!

I am very interested in this stuff. I have done a lot of research into the subject matter because I always research to death anything that scares me in hopes that it will scare me no longer. Sharks, for example, I demystified them for myself. Still won't go swimming in the ocean, but now I see how pretty they are.

I have my own theories but not sure if I am ready to post them on the Internet for everyone to poke at.

Originally posted by A Fortiori
reply to post by Wookiep

 

Happy Halloween month!

I am very interested in this stuff. I have done a lot of research into the subject matter because I always research to death anything that scares me in hopes that it will scare me no longer. Sharks, for example, I demystified them for myself. Still won't go swimming in the ocean, but now I see how pretty they are.

I have my own theories but not sure if I am ready to post them on the Internet for everyone to poke at.

Happy halloween month to you! Please post em here! no-one else is willing so why not??

reply to post by Wookiep


*sighs* here goes...

I believe that the Universe is alive and that the Universe is G-D. I think this physical world is like living inside of a boat floating on the water, the boat is hard and dense and this hardness prevents us from being one with the water. I think sometimes we get a leak from the Universe and that leak is what people perceive as "ghosts".

That is the best way I can explain it and it really isn't a good explanation.

reply to post by A Fortiori


I think thats pretty awesome and I've never thought of it like that. Seems a great way to put it tho. Most people don't look at the "grand" scale, but that's grand, and I appreciate your post. It really makes you think...


[edit on 3-10-2009 by Wookiep]

reply to post by Wookiep


Wow. You didn't think that was weird? I sort of had a revelation of sorts awhile back...while, um, um, well, I had a revelation and that was what I "got" out of the whole thing.

Proof is really having it happen to you... anyone can say a string moved the curtains in my post I just made : www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Wookiep


I think we've all experienced the "supernatural"( I won't say 'paranormal' because I think it is all "natural" so supernatural fits for me). We will "debunk" what we see because we've either a) decided that there cannot be anything beyond what a man in a lab coat told us in college, or b) we're too afraid that there may be something beyond what a man in a lab coat told us in college, or c) we like to feel in control; have closure, and leaving something "yet to be determined" is next to impossible for most humans. They would rather call it "nothing" then say "I don't know".

Be it strange sounds in the house ("it's settling" or "the cat") or a curtain moving ("wind", "air conditioning", or "the cat") we will not just leave the matter without some "explanation" even if that explanation may be wrong.

I have personally debunked my speakerphone turning on in undergrad and voices coming through our phone when we hadn't made a call or the phone hadn't rung. I debunked the tape on the bottom of my posters in my room coming undone (not the top tape) and then the posters waving. I debunked seeing my cat in the house when she was outside, I even chased her down the hall and she kept turning corners. I debunked my mother calling my name. Basically, I can always come up with something so that I am not left without an answer.

What you get on threads that deal with this topic is a lot of people who "believe" and a lot of people that will stretch to fit an explanation. This is why I don't post on these a lot.

Originally posted by A Fortiori
reply to post by Wookiep

 

I think we've all experienced the "supernatural"( I won't say 'paranormal' because I think it is all "natural" so supernatural fits for me). We will "debunk" what we see because we've either a) decided that there cannot be anything beyond what a man in a lab coat told us in college, or b) we're too afraid that there may be something beyond what a man in a lab coat told us in college, or c) we like to feel in control; have closure, and leaving something "yet to be determined" is next to impossible for most humans. They would rather call it "nothing" then say "I don't know".

Be it strange sounds in the house ("it's settling" or "the cat") or a curtain moving ("wind", "air conditioning", or "the cat") we will not just leave the matter without some "explanation" even if that explanation may be wrong.

I have personally debunked my speakerphone turning on in undergrad and voices coming through our phone when we hadn't made a call or the phone hadn't rung. I debunked the tape on the bottom of my posters in my room coming undone (not the top tape) and then the posters waving. I debunked seeing my cat in the house when she was outside, I even chased her down the hall and she kept turning corners. I debunked my mother calling my name. Basically, I can always come up with something so that I am not left without an answer.

What you get on threads that deal with this topic is a lot of people who "believe" and a lot of people that will stretch to fit an explanation. This is why I don't post on these a lot.

I think you're right, most people would rather cast the unknown in some type of catagory that makes it seem logical to them, because it makes them uneasy. And that's fine.. I'm not in that catagory tho, and many aren't. We can't get answers unless we discuss the possibilities. What would people do if they woke up tomorrow and learned that ghosts are real? Maybe that's why it has been kept hidden.


It's good to hear that you have 'debunked' yourself on many levels. I have a cat and she's crazy! With that said, I know her sounds and most people know their pets pretty well. It's easy to chalk it up to the animal tho when we don't know the answers.

I don't mind if people don't believe, thats their loss...it's kinda sad actually. To each their own. I wish we could get past the 'what ifs' and 'does it exsist??" to more open conversations about things we arent debating are real, but rather what do we make of them, and how can we protect ourselves in the event they can harm us?