Normal brain functions, such as seeing patterns, make us more likely to believe in the supernatural.
Comment: You've done a nice job rationalizing ghosts away. They are real, and science can't explain them. When you see one, don't ask a scientist. They are not figments of the imagination. There is more going on in this wonderful world than is taught in school. I am a scientist.
Comment: You've done a nice job of rationalizing away something that does exist. When you see a ghost, science won't help. Your faith should be solid, though.
Comment: I dont believe in ghosts and spiritual world,though sometimes things happen and leave me with questions.i believe what you hear from people make you want to believe they exist esp those who believe and believe only on that,i would say "when you imagine something and think about it for a long time it registers in your subconcious mind and become real to you"
Comment: Most phenomena happens around us have their own scientific reasons unless we refer them to what is called supernatural events. In fact supernatural events are those which we couldn???t find any explanation for them. Believing in some supernatural events doesn???t necessarily means you???re a skeptic person.
Comment: I do believe in ghost and spiritual world, but If someone pay me to wear the sweater had been worn by a notorious murderer I would do it. I think in each religion, we have a different beleive for our god. As a catholic person I beleive that my body is being protected by Jesus.
Comment: I think that people should read a very interesting and provocative book called The Timeless Mind by English author and artist Kathleen Fraser.
Comment: Ghosts, seriously? If you want to see something scary, check out the profit increases after a hotel appears on some lame "Most Scariest Hauntedest Places" show.
Comment: test
Comment: Continued...and Jehovah God (Psalms 83:18)the almighty, creator of this earth and all the heavens (1 Cor 8:5,6) whom we pray for his will to be done and his name be sanctified in the "our father prayer" @ Matt 6:9-10 and his only begotten son Jesus Christ who is a separate entity from God (Col 1:56-16), not part of a Triune God as most religions teach incorrectly, and who didn't found the Catholic Church, rather Christianity! Halloween???s roots, although not found in the Bible, can be traced back to a pagan origin. The pre-Christian Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all celebrated a festival for the dead. These ancients believed that on these occasions the spirits of the dead returned; therefore food was left for them and lamps were kept burning so they would not lose their way. Continued...
Comment: Continued... and Jehovah God (Psalms 83:18) the almighty, creator of this earth and all the heavens (1 Cor 8:5,6) whom we pray for his will to be done and his name be sanctified in the "our father prayer" @ Matt 6:9-10 and his only begotten son Jesus Christ who is a separate entity from God (Col 1:56-16), not part of a Triune God as most religions teach incorrectly, and who didn't found the Catholic Church, rather Christianity! Halloween???s roots, although not found in the Bible, can be traced back to a pagan origin. The pre-Christian Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all celebrated a festival for the dead. These ancients believed that on these occasions the spirits of the dead returned; therefore food was left for them and lamps were kept burning so they would not lose their way. Continued...
Comment: test
Comment: If someone is oppressed or possesed by a demon or demons, they need to go to a Catholic Priest, who will initially help them and if needed he will refer them to an exoricist priest assigned by the Bishop of their particular Diocese. The Catholic Church was instituted by Jesus and commissioned by Him, and has been around for 2000 years. Since the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus, it alone has the authority given by Christ to expel demons. While Protestant "Bible" churches may help in some cases by invoking the holy name of Jesus in prayer, they lack the Saramental authority of the Catholic excorcist priests who work under the commision and authority of a Bishop, the successors of the Apostles.
In the gospel of Matthew our Lord said "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it". Although all Christians have the truth to a more or lesser extent, only the Catholic church, founded 2000 years ago by Christ Himself , has the fullness of the Truth. The Deposit of faith, instituted and given by Christ ,subsists fully within the Catholic church.
So, if someone is besieged by evil spirits, the Catholic church is where they need to go for help.
Comment: test
Comment: My mother always told me of a time in her childhood when she moved to Colorado for a yr or so with her aunt, uncle and cousins. They would be working there ad as part of the contract hy were given a house to live in during their stay. From the moment they arrived the man who was giving them the keys to the house, warned them in a joking way about how they house was suppose to be haunted after a family was murdered there.I scared them a little, but the huge house with the enormous yard around it took that all away.As a matter of fact, the property was so big that the next house may have been about a mile away.To make the long story short, during their stay they began to experience things.One night someone knocked on the girls' door, when they looked under the door to see whose feet where there, th saw nothing as they continued to hear the knock. As soon as the adults of the house were gone, these creepy things continued to happen. One day while the children were alone in a restroom underground doing chores, they heard the dishes moving from upstairs and the radio turning on and off. You see, they wanted to do their chores asap every time they were alone so that they could then run out of the house and wait for their parents there.It was just too scary being in there alone. Well the day that they were in the underground restroom it only got worse.They heard footsteps coming down the stairs..and soon someone trying to go in. They yelled and screamed, crying and waling as far back as they could from that door. Before you know it they were all huddled in a tub chanting "cross cross, let the devil leave and Jesus come".. repeatedly they said this and suddenly..it stopped.For months my mom and her cousins experienced things similar to this, and of course her aunt never believed them. That is until the day they packed and left. Ill have u know my mother and her cousin wore clothes they found boxes in the attic.. boys and girls clothes.. maybe thats why they were upset...haha jk... ANYWAY.. they were driving away from the house excited they were leaving this horrific place.. my mom's aunt was sitting with the children in the back of a truck with a camper over it.. the kid began to wave at the house saying"bye house. we'll never see you again"...suddenly four figures appeared at the window.two adults and two children..they were white glary figures that just stood there and waved at them.This is when the aunt believed and knocked on the window so her husband would stop and go back... but they never did. Till this day, when my mother watches
horror movies with "ghost" figures...she gets goosebumps...she swears that is exactly like the ghosts she saw. Either way... I feel this wasn???t a family who still hung around... just the devil wanting us to believe that.
Comment: now..this article makes sense in my opinion and I can see how it can make sense in many cases, The thing is that it is not in all cases. While I dont believe that one can linger around on earth after death, I do believe there are evil spirits who can sometimes deceive us into believing we have seen a loved one for example. In the bible there is a story of a king who visited a medium to speak to a dead friend in order to get info....story goes that in the end he discovers that he had really spoke to a demon disguised as his friend. I believe this is so even today.It is the devil's job to make us believe in the things God does not want us to believe.. in this case God is clear about what happens to our conscious when we die... it ceases until judgment day. This things we experience are part of the devil's strategies to get us to believe and sometimes even trust these spirits. How many cases have we seen where people commit the most horrible crimes or suicides based on hearing voices that say the should do it for the glory of God?..........continued
Comment: Cont'd...
The Celtic order of Druids worshiped Samhain, lord of the dead, as well as a sun-god to whom the horse was sacred. Using a lunar calendar, the Celts divided the year into two seasons???the dark winter months and the light summer months. On the full moon nearest Nov 1, the Celts celebrated the festival of Samhain, meaning ???Summer???s End.???
It was believed that on the festival of Samhain, the veil between the human and the supernatural worlds was parted and spirits, both good and evil, roamed the earth. The souls of the dead were thought to return to their homes, and families would put out food and drink for their ghostly visitors in hopes of appeasing them and warding off misfortune. Thus, today when children dressed as ghosts or witches go from house to house demanding a Halloween treat or threatening a mischievous trick, they unwittingly perpetuate the ancient rituals of Samhain. Jean Markale comments in his book Halloween, histoire et traditions (Halloween???History and Traditions): ???In receiving something in their hands, they establish, on a symbolic level that they do not understand, a brotherly exchange between the visible and the invisible worlds. That is why the Halloween masquerades . . . are in fact sacred ceremonies.???
Comment: Cont'd...
Comment: Cont'd...
Since people believed that the barriers between the physical and supernatural realms were down, they thought that humans were able to cross over into the spirit world with ease. Samhain was therefore a particularly auspicious time to unlock the secrets of the future. Apples or hazelnuts, both viewed as products of sacred trees, were used to divine information concerning marriage, sickness, and death. For example, apples with identifying marks were placed in a tub of water. By seizing an apple using only the mouth, a young man or woman was supposed to be able to identify his or her future spouse. This divination practice survives today in the Halloween game of bobbing for apples.
Samhain was also characterized by drunken revelry and a casting aside of inhibitions. ???Traditional values, if not flouted, were reversed,??? states Markale. ???What was forbidden was allowed, and what was allowed was forbidden.??? Halloween still reflects this spirit today, which no doubt accounts to a great extent for its increasing popularity. Commenting on this, The Encyclopedia of Religion describes Halloween nowadays as ???a time when adults can also cross cultural boundaries and shed their identities by indulging in an uninhibited evening of frivolity. Thus, the basic Celtic quality of the festival as an evening of annual escape from normal realities and expectations has remained into the twentieth century.???
Comment: Cont'd...
Samhain was also characterized by drunken revelry and a casting aside of inhibitions. ???Traditional values, if not flouted, were reversed,??? states Markale. ???What was forbidden was allowed, and what was allowed was forbidden.??? Halloween still reflects this spirit today, which no doubt accounts to a great extent for its increasing popularity. Commenting on this, The Encyclopedia of Religion describes Halloween nowadays as ???a time when adults can also cross cultural boundaries and shed their identities by indulging in an uninhibited evening of frivolity. Thus, the basic Celtic quality of the festival as an evening of annual escape from normal realities and expectations has remained into the twentieth century.???
Following the potato famine in the 19th century, Irish immigrants took Halloween and its customs to the United States. From there it has returned to Europe in the past few years.
Church representatives in France have expressed concern over the decline of these traditional Catholic holidays in favor of Halloween, seeing it as a sign of the ???paganization of society.??? For Stanislas Lalanne, spokesman for France???s Conference of Catholic Bishops, Halloween ???distorts the meaning of life and death.??? The bishop of Nice, Jean Bonfils, stated that ???this festival and its rituals have nothing to do with our Mediterranean and Christian culture,??? and he warned Catholics against ???the most important festival of Satanists the world over.???
Comment: Cont'd...
Commenting on the French abandonment of Catholic traditions for such pagan festivals, Hippolyte Simon, bishop of Clermont-Ferrand, notes: ???It is as if French society were looking for a kind of civil religion capable of replacing Christian symbolism.??? He writes: ???At Halloween the dead are imitated and their ???ghosts??? come back to frighten us and threaten us with death. On All Saints??? Day, in contrast, we affirm that the departed are alive and that we are promised to rejoin them in the City of God.??????Vers une France pa??enne? (Toward a Pagan France?)
In a similar vein, Carlo Maria Martini, cardinal of Milan, Italy, urged Italians not to abandon Catholic holidays, declaring that Halloween is ???alien to our tradition, which has immense value and must be continued. All Souls??? Day is a celebration that belongs to our history. It is the moment in which hope for eternal life unfolds, a moment in which the Lord makes us understand that there is more to life than that on earth.??? Many sincere Catholics no doubt feel the same way. Yet, is the distinction between Halloween and All Souls??? Day as clear-cut as these comments would lead us to believe? What does a close examination of the roots of these Catholic holidays reveal?
Comment: WHY CAN'T I POST THE REST OF MY COMMENT I STARTED EXPLAINING THE ORIGIN OF GHOSTS???
Comment: Whay can't I post something????
Comment: For those interested in viewing a true life encounter......
Discovery Channel - Series : A Haunting "Casa de los Muertos" - a documentary on one of Guitarist Eddie Benitez's hauntings in Arizona.
Nov 17, 2007 Saturday - Disc Channel - 4pm EST
Nov 27, 2007, Tuesday - Disc Channel - 2pm EST
Gold Album Jazz "Mystery Man", Eddie Benitez; his first concert was at the Madison Square Garden in front of 20,000 fans of Latin/Jazz. Also, performing with such greats as Barry White, George Benson, and more... to be on Discovery Channel, premiering his extraordinary life.
"Fans claiming to see angels on stage"...., Legendary guitarist Eddie Benitez played in a private show in Phoenix AZ, this was the topic of discussion by several people in attendance after the show in 2003.
The mystery of Eddie Benitez started in 1976 when he signed with Fania/CBS records, with his first release "Nightlife" at age 14, 6 months later another hit, "Essence of Life", both went gold as he performed/mentored with legendary stars, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and many others, throughout his young music career.
His performing career came to a sudden halt when Eddie was diagnosed with Hodgkins at a young age of 23. This changed his life forever as he survived the cancer and took time off to reflect on life and spirituality. He continued to write music over the years. His music is a blend of Smooth Jazz, NewAge, and Latin written from his heart that filled with love, passion, and devotion. Throughout his life, Eddie has had many spiritual visions while overcoming a heart attack and an unexplained 3 day coma. Eddie was under investigation for massive healings in his Florida home. "There is no healer, but faith in God, Christ and in yourself" Eddie told the investigators.
One of Eddie's spiritual hauntings was documented and recreated for the Discovery Channel series "A Haunting" - Casa de los Muertos". The special show will be featuring Eddie's music from past to present. Collaboration with Reknown guitarist, Paul "Sequence Ferguson" on a couple of Eddie's new tracks. His son, Julian Sosa will be portraying Eddie's oldest son in the show.
Dec 2008, New CD "Lover's Never say Good-bye" to be released. The new hit single, "They Cry" available for download.
Visit Eddie Benitez, Julian Sosa and Paul "Sequence" Ferguson at MySpace -
http://myspace.com/eddiebenitez
http://myspace.com/juliansosa
http://myspace.com/paulquotsequencequotferguson
Comment: For those interested in viewing a true life encounter......
Discovery Channel - Series : A Haunting "Casa de los Muertos" - a documentary on one of Guitarist Eddie Benitez's hauntings in Arizona.
Nov 17, 2007 Saturday - Disc Channel - 4pm EST
Nov 27, 2007, Tuesday - Disc Channel - 2pm EST
Gold Album Jazz "Mystery Man", Eddie Benitez; his first concert was at the Madison Square Garden in front of 20,000 fans of Latin/Jazz. Also, performing with such greats as Barry White, George Benson, and more... to be on Discovery Channel, premiering his extraordinary life.
"Fans claiming to see angels on stage"...., Legendary guitarist Eddie Benitez played in a private show in Phoenix AZ, this was the topic of discussion by several people in attendance after the show in 2003.
The mystery of Eddie Benitez started in 1976 when he signed with Fania/CBS records, with his first release "Nightlife" at age 14, 6 months later another hit, "Essence of Life", both went gold as he performed/mentored with legendary stars, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and many others, throughout his young music career.
His performing career came to a sudden halt when Eddie was diagnosed with Hodgkins at a young age of 23. This changed his life forever as he survived the cancer and took time off to reflect on life and spirituality. He continued to write music over the years. His music is a blend of Smooth Jazz, NewAge, and Latin written from his heart that filled with love, passion, and devotion. Throughout his life, Eddie has had many spiritual visions while overcoming a heart attack and an unexplained 3 day coma. Eddie was under investigation for massive healings in his Florida home. "There is no healer, but faith in God, Christ and in yourself" Eddie told the investigators.
One of Eddie's spiritual hauntings was documented and recreated for the Discovery Channel series "A Haunting" - Casa de los Muertos". The special show will be featuring Eddie's music from past to present. Collaboration with Reknown guitarist, Paul "Sequence Ferguson" on a couple of Eddie's new tracks. His son, Julian Sosa will be portraying Eddie's oldest son in the show.
Dec 2008, New CD "Lover's Never say Good-bye" to be released. The new hit single, "They Cry" available for download.
Visit Eddie Benitez Julian Sosa and Paul "Sequence" Ferguson at MySpace -
http://myspace.com/eddiebenitez
http://myspace.com/juliansosa
http://myspace.com/paulquotsequencequotferguson
Comment: Posted in answer to: frodogenic???s comment @ 10/31/2007 11:41:49 PM that (That which does not belong to the natural world cannot be understood by studying the natural world)
I used to agree with you butllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;by the help of some other expositors of the Bible I know this is Not quite true???because The Principles of the Spiritual world were understood by the centurion by the things which he observed in the physical world???in that he was able to give orders and they were obeyed in the realm of his authority ???so he extrapolated??? from that that things ought to operate in the spiritual world like they do in the physical world. ie???if I give an order in the natural world it is obeyed because I am the absolute boss of 100 soldiers so I deduct /deduce from that that if you Jesus, whom I have heard by report to be obviously the absolute boss of things unseeable and untouchable, give an order to these invisible minions, they will obey you??? just as my soldiers obey me. So???only say the word he said???and I believe my servant shall be healed!!???
??? Matthew 8:7 And Jesus said unto him [the centurion], I will come and heal him.
8 [He] answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof???: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
Comment: Posted in answer to: frodogenic???s comment @ 10/31/2007 11:41:49 PM that (That which does not belong to the natural world cannot be understood by studying the natural world)
I used to agree with you butllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;by the help of some other expositors of the Bible I know this is Not quite true???because The Principles of the Spiritual world were understood by the centurion by the things which he observed in the physical world???in that he was able to give orders and they were obeyed in the realm of his authority ???so he extrapolated??? from that that things ought to operate in the spiritual world like they do in the physical world. ie???if I give an order in the natural world it is obeyed because I am the absolute boss of 100 soldiers so I deduct /deduce from that that if you Jesus, whom I have heard by report to be obviously the absolute boss of things unseeable and untouchable, give an order to these invisible minions, they will obey you??? just as my soldiers obey me. So???only say the word he said???and I believe my servant shall be healed!!???
??? Matthew 8:7 And Jesus said unto him [the centurion], I will come and heal him.
8 [He] answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof???: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goes and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my servant, Do this, and he does it.
Comment: Quite true. I wasn't saying that the supernatural can't be understand on the basis of some things we observe in the physical world. If you look into it, we think of everything in terms of the physical world. Things we can't see, we understand by comparing them to things we can see. This, however, is not science. This is logic. By study of the natural world, I meant empirical science. What the centurion is doing in the passage you cited is comparing things he can't see/experience to things he has seen/experienced. That's a connection of meaning; it's a strictly logical operation, and it's how we come by the whole idea of meaning. You could hardly understand the supernatural in any other way at all, if you couldn't compare it to things you saw and experienced. Science isn't a comparison, however; science is a direct investigation of something based on the five natural senses (which may augmented with various devices). The centurion didn't see Jesus interacting with the spirit world, didn't hear it, smell it, touch it, taste it. He thought about it and a made a deduction, purely on logic and comparison.
The point I'm trying to make is, strict empirical science can neither prove nor disprove supernatural things, because it has no method of observing the data--just like science can't prove a historical fact. A scientific truth must be observable and repeatable in experimentation. Neither of those things is true for historical fact, yet we are no less certain that there really was a Julius Caesar or a Genghis Khan, right? It's the same way with the supernatural. You've got to have other types of evidence for it. Enter experience and reason, both of which are illustrated in action in the passage you cited.
Comment: g
Comment: I come from Nepal. I do believe on the arguments provided but at the same time I have seen in mountains some shadows be fallen upon animals and humans ( as kids I have seen this). As a result not only human but also animals fallen sick. Later they needed witch doctor to cure them. how do you justify these things?
Comment: Cont'd...
The Catholic Encyclopedia defines All Saints??? Day as a feast to ???honour all the saints, known and unknown.??? At the end of the second century, so-called Christians began to honor those who had been martyred for their faith and, believing that they were already with Christ in heaven, prayed to them to intercede on their behalf. A regular commemoration began when on May 13, 609 or 610 C.E., Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon???the Roman temple of all the gods???to Mary and all the martyrs. Markale comments: ???The Roman gods left their place to the saints of the triumphant religion.???
The change of date to Nov came under Pope Gregory III (731-741 C.E.), who dedicated a chapel in Rome to all the saints and ordered that they be honored on Nov 1. Exactly why he did this is unknown. But it may have been because such a holiday was already being celebrated on this date in England. The Encyclopedia of Religion points out: ???Samhain remained a popular festival among the Celtic people throughout the christianization of Great Britain. The British church attempted to divert this interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as Samhain. . . . The medieval British commemoration of All Saints??? Day may have prompted the universal celebration of this feast throughout the Christian church.???
Markale points out the increasing influence of Irish monks throughout Europe at this time. The New Catholic Encyclopedia also observes: ???The Irish often assigned the first of the month to important feasts, and since November 1 was also the beginning of the Celtic winter, it would have been a likely date for a feast of all the saints.??? Finally, in 835 C.E., Pope Gregory IV made this festival universal.
As for All Souls??? Day, on which prayers are recited in order to help souls in purgatory attain heavenly bliss, this holiday was fixed on Nov 2 during the 11th century by the monks of Cluny, France. While All Souls??? Day is ostensibly a Catholic holiday, it is clear that confusion existed in the minds of ordinary folk. The New Catholic Encyclopedia notes that ???throughout the Middle Ages it was popular belief that the souls in purgatory could appear on this day as will-o???-the-wisps, witches, toads, etc.???
Unable to uproot pagan beliefs from the hearts of its flock, the church simply hid them behind a ???Christian??? mask. Highlighting this fact, The Encyclopedia of Religion says: ???The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, commemorates the known and unknown saints of the Christian religion just as Samhain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the Celtic deities.???
Comment: Cont'd...
The fact is that Halloween and celebrations like it are steeped in paganism. The apostle Paul wrote: ???I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.??? (1 Cor 10:20-22, New International Version) He also asked: ???What common interest can there be between goodness and evil? How can light and darkness share life together? How can there be harmony between Christ and the devil? What can a believer have in common with an unbeliever???? (2 Cor 6:14-16, Phillips) The Bible thus condemns the whole idea of putting a Christian mask on a pagan practice!
Also, the Bible warns against the practice of spiritism. (Deut 18:10-12) While it is true that the vast majority of those who celebrate Halloween would claim to spurn Satanic practices, we should, nevertheless, be aware that historically this holiday has close connections with the occult. Thus, it can serve as a door leading to spiritism, especially for impressionable youths. Pagan rites and traditions tainted by spiritism simply have no place in Christian worship; they are far from harmless.
Finally, there is the fact that Halloween, All Saints??? Day, and All Souls??? Day are all based on the beliefs that the dead suffer or that they can somehow bring harm to the living. However, the Bible clearly shows that such beliefs are not true, saying: ???The living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all.??? (Ecc 9:5) For that reason, the Bible counsels: ???All that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol [the common grave of mankind], the place to which you are going.??? (Ecc 9:10) Since the dead are unconscious and thus incapable of harming others or suffering themselves, we have nothing to fear from them. At the same time, prayers to help them are of no use whatsoever. Does this mean that there is no hope for our dead loved ones? No. The Bible assures us that ???there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.??????Acts 24:15.
With knowledge comes the freedom to choose. We cannot be expected to make intelligent decisions if we do not have all the facts. After considering the facts brought up, what will you decide? Will you worship the Devil? Or Jehovah God the one exacting exclusive devotion and will destroy those opposing him, including any followers of Satan because he is his enemy, either knowingly or unknowingly (Nahum 1:2) It is our responsibility then to do research to find the true religion to gain everlasting life (John 17:3) For Jehovah God wants all to be saved (John 3:17). Do you want to be?
Contact the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for a free bible study to teach you these bible truths.
25 Columbia Heights
Brooklyn, New York 11201-2483
www.watchtower.org
Comment: ..... So according to the law of physics that woud be applied here, all the objects (planets) should be spinning in the same direction as the original.. back to my, I think it's 2 planets ,spinning the opposite direction from the rest ..hmmm I wonder why,, maybe God wanted to make the big bang theory look dumb.. just maybe.
Comment: While I do agree that not every experience believed to be paranormal is. It doesn't mean every incident is our minds just making sense of something odd. The fact is, is that we are rather simple beings that have not been around a very long time and to believe we understand everything there is to understand is very closed minded. Especially when there are diseases we can't cure, our ability to space travel is barely there, and we can't even come up with a way to all live together in a civilized way. There a lot out there we have never explored and to think just because our modern science can't prove or disprove it means it doesn't exist is just pointless. Science itself states energy can niether be created nor destroyed only change form. Our brain activity is electrical impulses, essentially energy, when we die these cease. Where does this energy go? To me it's feasible that our being, or soul if you wish to call it that, moves to another state and plane of being. It lives on in another place that we do not have the technology to see or sight to try and even imagine or understand. With this plane of existence it is possible that given the right set of circumstances, this plane they are in crosses paths with ours and they can be aware of us, but us not of them, vice versa or both. Maybe too under the right circumstances we are able to tap into a portion of our brain we don't normally use and that allows us to be aware of the paranormal. All of this is my opinion, but to me is highly feasible so if you don't agree feel free to tell why, but don't just mindlessly blast me for it.
Comment: While I do agree that not every experience believed to be paranormal is. It doesn't mean every incident is our minds just making sense of something odd. The fact is, is that we are rather simple beings that have not been around a very long time and to believe we understand everything there is to understand is very closed minded. Especially when there are diseases we can't cure, our ability to space travel is barely there, and we can't even come up with a way to all live together in a civilized way. There a lot out there we have never explored and to think just because our modern science can't prove or disprove it means it doesn't exist is just pointless. Science itself states energy can niether be created nor destroyed only change form. Our brain activity is electrical impulses, essentially energy, when we die these cease. Where does this energy go? To me it's feasible that our being, or soul if you wish to call it that, moves to another state and plane of being. It lives on in another place that we do not have the technology to see or sight to try and even imagine or understand. With this plane of existence it is possible that given the right set of circumstances, this plane they are in crosses paths with ours and they can be aware of us, but us not of them, vice versa or both. Maybe too under the right circumstances we are able to tap into a portion of our brain we don't normally use and that allows us to be aware of the paranormal. All of this is my opinion, but to me is highly feasible so if you don't agree feel free to tell why, but don't just mindlessly blast me for it.
Comment: .. there is actually more to it.. you know the gases, gravity, etc... my point here is that according to the law of physics that would be applied here if such a thing happened, would say that the objects that came off of the orignal spinning object, would have to all spin in the same direction as it is...back to the, I believe 2 planets that spin the opposite direction!!!... hmm, maybe God did it that way on purpose to make the big bang theory look dumb... maybe.
Comment: The comments posted here seem to be an excellent illustration of the subject matter in the article. Some people are more likely to recognize patterns than others, and a study has shown that those people have more dopamine in their system. Increase the dopamine level, increase the propensity to see patterns. Some posters, who seem to tend not to believe in the supernatural (tend not to see patterns as readily), read the article and take it at face value, commenting that it is an interesting article about a scientific study. Other posters, who seem to be believers in supernatural phenomena (see patterns more readily), read the article, and see a pattern of language that threatens their beliefs, or attacks their religion. Everyone read the same article, yet there are two camps, based on whether or not one saw, or thought they saw, a message that may or may not be there. Only the author knows whether the article supports belief or skepticism, but I would certainly love to see data on the dopamine levels of the people who commented on the article, to see whether they support the findings of the study mentioned.
Comment: I think that Psychology in its current state has not been able to explain certain phenomena as best as it should. For instance if we make the assumption that there is an unseen state of matter like air, but which is intelligent probably higher than our cognitive boundaries, the issue of spirituality becomes much more scientific and a reality.
For instance we do not see air but we feel and even hear it blow around us. By any spec of probability if that airmass should posess a certain level of even human intelligence, let the Proffesors of Psychology tell us how their present level of science can explain such a phenomenon.
It is critical that scientist do not condemn what they are not able to proof through physics and biology. It may be their own scewed cognitive ability which they acquire in schools which leads to the perception they have.
Comment: Here is something to consider.. everything that begins to exist must have a cause (a creator), while something that just exists does not have to have a cause..example:God! Our minds just can't fully grasp the idea of something being eternal or how such a thing could even be..and that's simply because the things that closely surround us usually have a beginning and an end. Even then, a gaze at the sky and contemplation on the universe, or even at our solar system should leave us thinking, dont u think?..not the most intelligent man or the most advanced technology could ever replicate anything close to what we see in our solar system... it is something incredible that must have some great intelligence behind it..hint hint: GOD!!
Also the bing bang theory..along with the human evolution theory is just a ridiculous theory people came up with.. perhaps they wanted attention... who knows.On a serious note there is a reason not all he planets rotate in the same direction.. Ill get to that in a minute. First of all we are all familiar with the big bang theory that says that the first bit of matter that started the whole bing bang theory was spinning..spinning so fast until the planets or whatver else exploded off of it and thats is why the planets continue to spin/rotate today.The
Comment: TRY PRAYING TO GOD TI LIVE ON HIS TIME IF HE OR SHE LETS YOU, YOU WILL BE SURPRISED THAT TIME SLOWS DOWN TO ABOUT 3/4 TIME. iTS COOL AND ANYONE THAT BELEIVES IN GOD CAN DO THIS.
Comment: i HAVE HAD UP TO A DOZEN EXPERIENCES THAT REALLY WOULD BE HARD TO EXPLAIN. iF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING AWESOME PRAY TO GOD TO LIVE IN HIS TIME AND IF HE,SHE WILL ALLOW IT YOU WILL SORT OF MAGICALLY FEEL THAT YOU ARE SLOWLY DOWN TO A DIFFERENT BEAT OF TIME. GOD DOES NOT HURRY THINGS ALONG LOL
Comment: To bhavna: I think the articale is dealing mainly with supposedly paranormal experiences that involve lapses due to normal errors brought about by our perceptions, hence the involvement of patterns. For cases of people actually "seeing" these things, as in the "I-see-dead-people" sort of thing, I can't help but feel a little bit skeptical. That is with me coming from a private SECTARIAN university.
To chauling: The enthymeme somewhere near line 3 conceals an error. No offense there. I just can't see why people see science as something that attacks them when all that scientists try to do is help them.
Comment: I come from Nepal. I do believe on the arguments provided but at the same time I have seen in mountains some shadows be fallen upon animals and humans ( as kids I have seen this). As a result not only human but also animals fallen sick. Later they needed witch doctor to cure them. how do you justify these things?
Comment: To bhavna: I think the article is only dealing with paranormal experiences involving perception, hence, patterns being involved. When it comes to poeple supposedly "seeing" them, as in dead on, "I-see-dead-people" experiences, I can't help but feel little bit skeptical. That is with me coming from a the College of Science of a private SECTARIAN university.
Comment: gorgeous, aesthetic, balanced, infinitely orderly universe is a lol. The universe has little rhyme or reason to it. Personal taste has always been a matter of opinion anways. The stories in the bible were falsified after people sharpened the skill known as " Critical thinking". My co-worker believes the earth to be 5000 years old. Thinks dinosaurs were alive with us but died. Thinks the Grand Canyon was made by the big flood. Believes in Adam and Eve and all that freaking BULLSH!T. I would rather have people simply believe in a Creator then to follow any organized religion which follows a book that is changed more then M.Jacksons skin color. I think when people stop taking ancient text literally and open their freaking eyes and open their minds they might see how things actually are.
Comment: Science, my friend, is why we describe the universe as gorgeous, aesthetic, balanced, and infinitely orderly. It's simply not true that it has little rhyme or reason involved. Any scientist worth their salt will tell you so, no matter what they believe. The numerous laws according to which nature behaves, the incredible cooperation of your own body, the wonder that is your own brain, are all beautiful and orderly.
As for the Bible; have you taken a look at the evidence for the other side? I assure you, it is there. One thing you will not be able to argue is that the text has significantly changed. The methods of preserving the Bible were much too thorough for that, as I'd be happy to explain if you're willing to hear. Archeology has supported Biblical history too many times to count.
Critical thinking and science are not incompatible with the Bible. Neither is every word in the Bible intended to be taken literally. Genesis 1 can easily be read as compatible with evolution, just as easily as with strict creationism. Why? Because it's poetry. The point is, God is the one responsible, however he did it.
Your argument is attacking a straw man that is far more ridiculous and far less subtle than actual Christian doctrine. If you're going to object, the intellectually honest thing to do is to find out exactly what you're objecting to. Christianity has a lot more to recommend it intellectually than you might think; don't judge the whole concept based on one person.
Comment: A reply to Afro-cuban...WOW you have some major issues-you claim to be a christian-man and a man of god and so spritual-yet you are filled with so much hate and anger for white people? I mean it was an article that someone wrote,her own opinions..which she is entitled to..and you go all racists...what is that about? I think maybe you need god in your life...which you claim to have but yet i dont feel the love of a christian..but I am a white woman maybe it was meant to be felt by people like me...for whatever reason you hate the white race maybe you should take a long look in the mirror and see where the devil is really hiding because i think he is in you!!! I will pray for you as should everyone else in this world,God knows you will need it my friend....
Comment: When science climbs the mountain of knowledge, it will find that religion was sitting there all along. We just have to wait patiently for Science to confirm all what religion has been saying for the past hundred years.
Comment: People say all sorts of stupid things constantly. 27 people admitted to killing J.F.K. many many years after the incident. DO YOU BELIEVE THEM!?
Comment: i totally agree with the arguments above...but but but many people even claimed that they saw ghosts with their own eyes or they have experienced a supernatural incident.....so how can we explain this???
Comment: i totally agree with the arguments above...but but but some people even witnessed that they saw ghosts with their own eyes...so how can you explain this???????/
Comment: A Reply to TranceManiac. You tell me that somthing created everything because thats the only "logical" explanation. Yet you supply no logical thoughts. If creation was "staring at me in the face" I would believe it. Science does not disprove God, science does however disprove the bible. And if you credit your own words at all please answer me one question! WHO CREATED THE CREATOR?
TranceManiac quote: For everything created there is a Creator
Comment: No matter which way you cut it, there has to be some sort of starting point--an ultimate Cause. You can't say it was the Big Bang; where did that come from? Why did it bang anyway? If you heard an explosion and I told you it just happened for no reason, you'd call me an idiot. Somewhere along the chain of cause and effect, there has to be that ultimate Cause. We can debate what it is all day long. But things as orderly and beautiful as our universe don't just happen. When you see a beautiful painting, you do not assume that it simply came to be; it is completely obvious that somebody painted it. When you see a gorgeous, aesthetic, balanced, infinitely orderly universe, why would it not make sense to suspect somebody of having made it?
Science, by the way, doesn't disprove the Bible. The Bible is a matter of history, literature, and the supernatural, none of which science has much of anything to do with. The only science significantly involved in Biblical study is archaeology, which, far from disproving it, has confirmed its historical claims repeatedly.
As for who created the Creator--he/she/it isn't created. Therefore has no creator. Like I said, at some point there has to be an ultimate Cause. You can't just take it back infinitely; which is what you're forced to do if you're going to explain everything with science (we're back to the question of what caused the Big Bang, what cause the thing that caused the Big Bang, and so on).
Comment: Correction: pardon me for using the term "class" with the error of equivocation in my comment before this. I should have used the term "course" in place of "class" the second time around.
Comment: Perhaps, this study's findings are meant to help those far too often judged by the mental health profession as having lost their marbles, and in need of psychiatric intervention. The results of this study, according to this article, seem to be, instead, that the human mind is made to do these things. That one is not "abnormal" but rather "normal". That the human mind is meant to do these things.
Comment: Boo! to you too. There is more to life than physical reality. There is also emotions, concepts, laws, essenses, continuity, beliefs and imagination. From physical reality, we perceive physical "things".
We see a particular horse and it is a physical entity but there is also the concept horse that is the essense of a horse. It contains the attributes of what we would recognize as a horse. While a physical horse is the product of nature, our concept of a horse is a product of our perception. Through what we peceive, we are able to change reality from raw materials to "things" we create. Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. This means that nature uses the same rational process to create a horse as we use to create an automobile. Much of the physical world in which we live is a product of our imagination. Without the products of nature, we could not exist. Life is a binary system of physical and metaphysical reality. The ghost in the machine is just as real as is the machine. We need to give credit where credit is due.
Comment: Science does not know much about the brain. It is said we only use a small fraction of our brains. Look how long it took them to realize that people were suffering from depression, when in the past thay just claimed those people were nuts.Many people suffering from depression were given shock treatments. Spirits and many other uneplainable things in this world do exsist. I have had many starnge unexplainable things happen since i was a child. I have my recently deceased father contact me. I was not thinking about him to contact me, it just happened. Most people do think it was just their imaginations at first, but when they get over the shock or i can't believe feeling they realize it did indeed happen. Most people who never had anything unexplainable happen to them do not believe. Only when it happens do they believe.
Comment: The color spectrum, radio waves, x-rays, interference on electronic devices from the sun, these are all FORMS of energy that cannot be seen and yet they exist...... What will it take for one to think that a "ghost" might be present? Parapsychologists bring in electronic tools that clearly measure changes in the physical world around and within an area of supposed ghostly phenonmenon. What other- than a ghost will explain these changes when ALL other explanations are exhausted? Explanations like open windows, heaters, air conditioners, gas leaks etc.. when those explanations are ruled out at what point does one throw in the towel and say, from a scientific standpoint, there is no explanation for this energy being here and yet there it is. Hence the possibility of ghost could be considered. It's about being open-minded, psychologists and scientists are expected to remain open-minded about possibilities, otherwise the premise for their existence as scientists and psychologists is lost. Scientists to need to remain about minded about any hypothesis that would explain a situation. Refusing to remain open and considering possibilities is a travesty to the study itself.
Comment: As a little girl living in old seminary housing in Philidelphia while my father earned his degree, each night I went to bed anxiously awaiting the arrival of an old woman who came out of a circle in the wall above my bed. She would lean forward over me and say she had something to show me. I would then dream of past times and places, of women in long dresses and soldiers from the civil war. The dreams were often frightening with people being chased and murdered. My mother said that as a child I suffered night terrors, during which I'd be sitting up in bed with eyes open screaming for her, but unable to see that she was there trying to console me. I didn't mention the old woman while living in Philidelphia. Because my father was in the military, we moved to Mississippi, where my parents bought a house. Each night I went to bed at the new house looking for the old woman to come out of the wall, but she never came. Perplexed, I asked my mother, "Where is the old woman who comes out of the wall? She doesn't come at this house." It was with great relief that I realized that she wasn't here. The night terrors were gone as well.
Comment: Frost845 : The tools are staring you in the face.. It's called creation.. For everything created there is a Creator.. If you can't explain where everything came from, it makes perfect sense to me that there was a Creator that created everything you see and know here in this world.. You just don't want to see the obvious answer because you may think it's too simple of an explanation for such a complex designed creation..
Comment: Sharon Begley writes that skeptics, when given L-Dopa, saw more patterns. Dopamine, aside from "fueling a sense of reward", is also involved with the brain centers that control our ability to move smoothly. These, in turn, are connected to structures that assess our spatial environments (i.e. the patterns and objects around us, including words and faces) and plan how sequences of movements can be carried out in those environments. L-dopa, the precursor to dopamine, is also used to treat Parkinson's disease, to help regulate motor activity. So, It is not conclusive to say that the experiment shows that believers have higher levels of dopamine and therefore are seeing abnormal amounts of patterns (indeed, this could only have been tested if there was a control group, one that neither was intense in belief or skepticism); instead, it points towards another possible hypothesis: are skeptics deficient in assessing their spatial surroundings because they have lower levels of dopamine than the average human and therefore, are not as aware of their environment?
Comment: Supernatural - Paranormal - Positive Suggestion - Certified 5150 - ...I was raised by my Kapunas, whereas I was rasised in the belief of Akua (God) this is a good thing. I am Blackfoot and Choctaw Indian too, whereas I have been taught my tribal ways and I have a great respect for Father Sky and Mother Earth - both have the turtle as peace.
I have witnessed as many before me in my family visitations, from relatives and/or non-relatives who has departed this plane. Spirits,are not ghost and visa versa.
I have had this gift since childhood. I have seen an angel before my mother's passing and guess what? Angels do not have wings...It was us that placed wings on the angels for a more angelic acceptance. I have seen my ex-husband's spirit rise and depart in a star-burst, Back to my mother after her passing and she was taken, I placed my hand where she laid and a misty energy danced in and out of my hand, my 20 yr. old nephew started crying, he felt her spirit comfort him. When my fiance passed away I went to his home for the family gathering and the scent of coffee was in the air, (he and I are/were the only coffee drinkers). The family he was adopted into are Jewish. They have witnessed more than you can imagine when I am around, Why? because David is with me. You can agree to dis-agree but I do not think that you have the right to state what is truth or not, if you cannot back your findings.
Being able to see, smell, touch, and hear is not so unbelievable. A lot of people are not able to witness or they wish not to. I for one do not take the visitations lightly, again as with my faith in God and a believer in Jesus is a personal relationship.
Seeing patterns, lights, colors and shapes...You bet! Nothing has been set in stone. It never will either. But do not take what we have experienced and still experiencing and demean it, it is not yours to do and it is my relationship that I have with my departed one's, this has nothing to do with dis-respecting God either. And I am certainl;y not "touched" to mistake my minds process of accumlative daily jargon to mistake shapes or other forementioned as spirits.
Comment: True, science can't prove that spirits and ghosts don't exist, but rememeber this: Failing to prove that something doesn't exist doesn't prove that it exists.
If spirits and ghosts really existed I believe that everyone would know it. I mean, come on, there are nearly 7 billion people on this planet. Every single day 7 billion people live 7 billion separate lives and yet we hear very, very
little of paranormal activity. Usually when we do it's from someone on the shifty side of the fence. I think the only ones who believe in spirits want to believe it so badly that they wish it to be true.
And for those of you who talk to dead loved ones, you're dreaming. Dreams can be realistic and horrid, or realistic and wonderful. A human can reach orgasm in a dream which tells me that they can be very true to life.
Comment: L2XSRPzj
Comment: Religion has nothing to do with ghosts. Ghosts are in fact a scientific phenomenon. There is an energy that continues to exist long after a person is no longer in that location. Energy is what explains the concept of a "ghost". Some people are just more sensative at sensing that energy than others. Hence people see things that others don't. Just because we can't "see" the color spectrum of light doesn't mean it isn't there.
Comment: Thankyou edman! I just remember all three of us laying in bed one night when we saw him and we were frozen just staring up at this ghost above the bed asking eachother if we see it!
Comment: I agree with the article. We ARE likely to see things when we EXPECT them to be there. I think I heard from one of my Introduction to Psychology classes a couple of semesters ago that even perception is influenced by things such as previous experience and motivation. When our heads are filled with thoughts such as "I can't be here, this house is haunted" or "I might see a ghost here, this house is worth five generations of death," then we are likely to catch fleeting glimpses of what we came there to see.
As for saying that there is more to reality than meets the eye, I definitely agree, hands down. But sometimes we also tend to see more than only what is there.
By the way, I am not sure if I got the facts straight. It was the ONE psychology class that I took as part of my curriculum which concentrates more on biology. But more ore less, I think I remember it right. I got a fair grade.
Comment: TranceManiac. Science is used as a tool. Tools help us accomplish tasks. Evolution or in your words Evolutionists are simply people who use tools. If some large man in the sky created me and wanted me to believe in him without doubt and everlasting faith then he should have supplied me with better tools. =-(
Comment: He gave you YOU. Look in a mirror and tell yourself you, everything you think, everything you are, everything you hope, every emotion you feel, is nothing but a freak biological accident.
I think there must be a good reason that idea doesn't sit well with any of us. We all--every last man and woman that ever walked this earth--believe that we have some sort of real significance. Science and mere natural selection can't give that to us. So how do you explain our need for it? Are you going to write that off to natural selection too?
This isn't an argument against evolution; for all I know, God might have used that method to create the universe. Such a concept isn't ruled out Biblically, that much I know. What I am arguing against is a godless universe. Unless you want to trudge through life convinced that absolutely nothing you do matters and that your very existence is a pointless accident, you're going to have concede to creation in some form.
And again, you're propping up a straw man to knock down. All monotheistic, creationist religions have a considerably more sophisticated view of God than "some large man in the sky." If you're going to take on religion, take on real religion.
Comment: I would love for emetr4 to contact me at nicole8547 at hotmail because the way in which this person views life is exactly how I view life and would love to correspond some more. Excellent explanation and view.
The only true way for any individual person to think that ghosts exist is for that person who is usually a skeptic of logical rational mind, to have the experience of interacting with a ghost, whether seeing it or having the ghost torment them. Then and only then after this skeptic has had all kinds of psychological tests done on them, after the incident, to prove they are sane will they then believe in the possibity that something supernatural must have happened to them. emetr4 send me an email. :)
Comment: Do not say science is trying to prove this or whatever, because science is not your enemy here, its the simple fact that humans are trying to explain something, and many believe that there is a religous explanation, and feel as though there beliefs are being threatended
Comment: ok now this disscussion is all about people being made at others for having different ideas about things...i believe in God, i also believe in the Big Bang theory, i also believe in ghosts n the supernatural....there are reasons for everything...God is a...wats the word that im looking for? idea so 2 say. He is always on people's minds even if they don't know it. just that idea is enough to help someone develoupe a sense of right and wrong. BUT this will only work if the person chooses to believe in it. like if u were 2 raise 2 living things in different ways it will produce different behaivor. or 'conscience'. and wen someone said something about humans not developing form monkeys? hmmm how bout the word evolution? monkeys can do many of the things that we can, and are similar to us in many ways. hmm wat else. o ya, supernatural things? lets c...how bout the point of nearly the entire part of my mother's family being psychicly strong. my grandmother used 2 always know where we were without even looking for us, she would even know wen we were hurt. my grandma also would always talk to 'ghosts', and my sister also does similar things. i do have 'deja vu' often and usually it will save my life or allow me to alter something just enough so that nothing big happens. like one time me and my friends were driving around and then i remembered a dream that i recently had about us goin over a hill and then everything going black. i stopped the car and pulled off the road just seconds before a truck came flying over the hill. and my dad? he's a cop and doesn't believe in 'stuff like tat' but he does things that unexplainable. like knowing somehow that a person has a gun even thou the call is just someone walking around town. my grandma, ma, auntie, and sister also have a sort of 'healing' ability. If any of our family has a injury we will heal at a strangly fast rate. like my mother had cancer, but didn't the next month after spending a great deal of time with my grandma and auntie. another thing i just remembered or 2. my autie can find anything worth of great value to someone without even have seen the item(shes usually sleeping and says where it is without us even saying what we were looking for) and astral projection? where the soul leaves the body while the person is in a sorta sleeping state. ive only done it once and barely remember what it is i saw, but i asked my mother the next day and she said that she was at my grandmas house and that they were playing goldfish.
Comment: Why does everyone think that Evolutionists say that humans descended from apes. They don't! Evolutionists theorize that humans and "apes" share a common ancestor. Also, nobody has all the answers. The problem with Christianity is that many people can't live without an explanation for everything so they invented God, the ultimate answer. If everyone would just admit that we are here and we don't know how or why we could stop looking for false solutions to problems that are impossible to answer. Peace!
Comment: averagejane1, simple, it was the real thing, and you did not experience anything discussed in the article
Comment: Science is humble. Religion is dogmatic.
Comment: Isn't it just as often the other way around?
Comment: Sounds logical and probably applies to most of the strange experiences people report regarding ghosts and the paranormal. Other experiences cannot be explained in this fashion but most likely do reflect brain chemistry imbalances. If you have ever dealt with Alzheimers in a family member or a person suffering with split personality, you realize just how bizzare our perceptions of reality can be. On the other hand, when you experience a paranormal event yourself..all the logical arguements fail.
Comment: When I was like 5-6 years old, my sisters and I saw the same ghost. How do you explain people seeing the same thing at the same time???
Comment: The fact is that this article is true, and i do believe we live in a world of logic, especially now more than ever. however, there is phenomina in this world that cannot currently be explained. More "religous" thinkers seem to attack "science" by pointing out that it cannot answer everything. What they are really arguing against is logic, and the ability to question our world. I don't know if humans can explain ghosts and other things similiar, but if your a more logical person and have had super natural experiences, Then it should be as evident to you as it is to me that there are many "hidden mechanisms and systems" in this world that are otherwise invisable, and I believe the explanation to it is extremely important. the entire history of the human race has unexplained supernatural and mystic ideas spread through it. for those of you who are religous, you should look for the explanation too, because the more we understand, the closer you come to unerstanding this world that we dwell in.
Comment: Or, there could be ghosts. I am pretty rational normally, but while working the night shift at an old hotel on two occasions I experienced ghosts or at least spirits of the past. Once, an old style of music was coming from a parlor (it was locked). I went in, figuring the radio was on. The room was ice cold and it went silent as soon as I entered. Wanting to prove to myself it was the radio, I turned it on. It was playing Madonna, not the old music. The other time I watched a large party going on in an old dining room in an attached building. Men in tuxes, women in ball gowns. Of course, it was 2 am and the hotel almost empty. It was some party from decades ago. Happy Halloween.
Comment: It would have helped if the journalist put in how many people were polled...7% of how many? 50 people? 1,000,000?
Comment: I think this is just people's way of trying to prove that God is non-existant.. HOWEVER, no matter what you believe: evolution, Christianity, ect., all you gotta do is ask this one question every time you say where something came from.. "Cool, so where did that come from?".. I mean, when you talk to an evolutionist, they will tell you we came from apes or whatever.. Ask, "where did apes come from", and you'll get another response, and another response, and so on, and so on.. Eventually, they get stuck.. I really don't know why it's so hard to believe that God created it all.. Just doesn't make sense to me.. So for the people who think that our brains in the reason for "seeing ghosts or spirits", they obviously didn't ask the questions, "where did that come from?" to every possible explanation as to where we all came from..
Comment: I think this is just people's way of trying to prove that God is non-existant.. HOWEVER, no matter what you believe: evolution, Christianity, ect., all you gotta do is ask this one question every time you say where something came from.. "Cool, so where did that come from?".. I mean, when you talk to an evolutionist, they will tell you we came from apes or whatever.. Ask, "where did apes come from", and you'll get another response, and another response, and so on, and so on.. Eventually, they get stuck.. I really don't know why it's so hard to believe that God created it all.. Just doesn't make sense to me.. So for the people who think that our brains in the reason for "seeing ghosts or spirits", they obviously didn't ask the questions, "where did that come from?" to every possible explanation as to where we all came from..
Comment: oh and one last comment by me science has just as much physical proof as religion does. if you look science is almost compeetly theory. We think up something we test it if its wrong then its not true but if its plausible we escalate it to almost certainly existing. I would like to remind with religon as well just because you feel moved in a certain way does no mean that a religon is true. in alot of cases it means brain washing. what i recomend to both fields is back your crap up with at least one point of evidence! or atleast somethng that can relate the two fields in some comparable manner.
Comment: I am a very logical person and I believe in God but I never was taught Bible (I come from the communist country). I believe in God because my mom believed and was able to explain to me to make me believe, too. However, it's only later in life when I went through some experiences that I really opened my mind and accepted the harmony of everything that is happening around us - it is a real material world with mass, energies, wavies, and design. It's all in harmony - I do not see why we scared of things - it's all very scientific to me - body, and soul, and GOD. The GOD is the most scientific of all as this force/spirit knows sciense way above our heads. So when people argue about science vs. God and God vs. Darvin -- it's just amazing to me because God used science to create Darvin and used theory of evolution to develop this world the way it is now. I believe this mind or spirit created this world to "maintain and manage" itself kind of "automatically" - kind of like a programmer does with well running program. That is why, I believe, some good and bad things happen to us based on our actions - we are getting from the world what we put in there. And we brake our legs if we jump from the roof (unless there is a specific plan to save this specific person from this specific jump that will change the future of the humankind, or some other reason). However, I believe that when we pray and ask God - sometimes God answers your prayers as you are asking for an individual attention and help. Otherwise, your life, ups and downs are going on with some help of some general plan of your life, your own and other peoples' deeds and willpower and desires that may change this plan, and sometimes direct help from spirits and God. We live on the 'lit up' planet in the dark space - our world is planned to be beautiful enough to enjoy it and tough enough to go through some experiences and learning in life. So, believing in spirits doesn't make me want to work less in this life (like one person before mentioned) - on the contrary, it helps me to perform better and stay on my own feet well attached to the ground!!!!
Comment: This article only pertains to the mental part of many super-natural phenomina. What I mean is that there are some things that our mind fabricates, and other things that really do exist, that we are currently unable to explain, or may never explain. I being more for reason, look for the most plausible ex
