I’m sure most of us have read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark as kids and that might have been our first encounter with the idea of ghosts. These weren’t real stories and that may have been your last time believing in ghosts; to you, it can be a childish belief to scare the gullible. Some people continue to believe in ghosts from that point forward. However, there are a few that are skeptics, suddenly have an encounter with the paranormal, and their belief comes back. So the question is, are ghosts real?

Ghost chillin’ ; Photo by fotografierende from Pexels

45% of Americans believe in ghosts according to this YouGov survey taken in 2019. Many people believe for various reasons such as believing in life after death, it’s exciting, there’s recorded proof, or because of personal experience.

  • Believing in life after death can come from your cultural background or religious background. When we are faced with our own death as a result of someone close to us dying, we can feel scared of what comes after death. It’s a question that every human has tried to answer and some explain it with life after death. Your spirit will hang around after your body expires and this can help with the loss of a loved one as well. If you believe they are still with you from the other side, it can bring comfort to those who have lost someone who means a lot to them.
  • Thrills and chills from believing in ghosts is another reason why people believe. People can be drawn to the unknown because it scares them and they like that! It’s why we want to watch scary movies or go sky diving; it’s simply a form of entertainment. Ghost hunters also describe liking to help out lost spirits by interacting with them.
  • Proof has been recorded by numerous people by photo, video, and audio recordings. Photos of orbs, light, or apparitions have been caught by numerous people not intending to. Devices like spirit boxes, EVP recorders, and thermal cameras have detected beings not visible to the naked eye.
  • Personal experience also comes into play when believing in ghosts. Some people claim to live in a haunted house or have in the past where they have heard footsteps or knocking that have no explanation. If their homes aren’t haunted, they could have worked at a place that is or saw something late at night while driving home. These experiences range from sightings, to hearing voices, and even being physically touched by someone who was not in the room.

People are always trying to explain what is going on in the world because it’s just our nature to. Believing that your loved one is hanging around after they’ve passed is comforting for some people in the grieving process. Others, like myself, believe in ghosts because it’s a thrilling and entertaining.

Photo by Gabby K from Pexels

While it’s great to keep an open mind to the paranormal, it’s equally as great to have a skeptic mind. Not every bump in the night is a ghost; or is it?