Spooky, eerie and haunted.

[Dionysos]

Have any of you ever felt anything resembling a really weird situation or atmosphere about a place you have been? Or perhaps a place you had been to several times without an incident had suddenly became like this to you?

I'm not asking directly "have you seen a ghost?" as that woudln't be taken seriously. I'm asking more in general, have you ever felt a presence or something that you have thought could have been something paranormal or otherworldly. Even if your logic tells you not to even think it, and you just shudder and carry on, you might have at least briefly had the thought occur.

It could just be coincidences, but I have known of some people personally who have felt uncomfortable and felt very sad about a certain spot in a place (which otherwise would just look like a normal place) and then later found out that someone had died there.

The reason I am asking is, is it possible that something non-physical is left behind in this world when someone passes on? Something that no-one can explain but exists nonetheless?




As for me I used to pretend on occassion but never really felt anything odd or anything. However I do remember one instance when I was young that really DID feel spooky. Nothing really happened, I just felt weird and everything went silent, my spine tingled really badly and I felt something moving to the right of me (not saw although I imagine something black like a shadow, I dunno whether I made that bit up or not after the event).

The situation itself was probably nothing. It was probably everything going silent that spooked me, and then perhaps a bird or something I hadn't seen just happened to brush past me and added to the atmosphere I was anticipating (though knowing how birds are terrified of people I can't see this likely without me at least seeing it). I just remember that being one of the weirdest feelings of my life.



So... I just want to hear:
a) Your opinions on this.
b) Any times you might have felt something, even if you brushed it aside without thinking too much about it.

 

[YunaChou]

I see white and black cats out of the corner of my eye ALL the time.
Also, I always feel like someone is walking right behind me when no one is there .__.;

 

[10th Doctor]

I believe deeply in stuff like this. I sometimes feel something, or even someone, and look over my shoulder, and the prescense is gone. Are these people stuck in our world, failed to complete one thing or another? Or are they something else entirely? I don't know. And in a way, I hope I never will. I think beings like this should be left alone if they want to be. However, if they need help, I think they'll let themselves be known. Who knows? Perhaps they have to certain people.

 

[Dolores Haze]

Well <.< A LOT of the time when I'm typing or looking at something a song playing on my iTunes will say that. One time I wrote 'I can't wait to see her cry' when my song went 'We cry'.. and Kira's dp had 'got your best interests written all over me' and I saw it RIGHT as my song said that.
Kinda stupid but whatever.

Creepy stuff scares the crap out of me; I'm pretty ignorant to stuff like that on purpose so I can't think of anything distinctly unusual~

 

[CassinoChips]

I know that when I die, I'm not stickin' around this hellhole.

I'm a hardcore skeptic. Until someone can show me hard evidence that paranormal activity actually took place, I don't believe in any ghosts, ghouls, specters, poltergeists, or otherwise.

That being said, I believe in the power of the human mind, and the power of fear. I'm perfectly capable of freaking myself out. Once when I was about 10 or 11, I was upstairs in my bedroom reading before falling asleep, my dad was downstairs watching TV, and my mom wasn't home. I heard a high-pitched cackle from the other side of the attic wall. I tore ass down the stairs.

 

[naruse]

That being said, I believe in the power of the human mind, and the power of fear. I'm perfectly capable of freaking myself out.

I think this is a very good point. I'm caught somewhere between being a sceptic and a believer, in so much as I don't believe a lot of the popularised tales of hauntings, UFO sightings, and other paranormal activity, but I do believe that there is every possibility that there are things out there beyond our knowledge and understanding.

I've been friends with a variety of people who had strong belief in the supernatural, including people who said they can see ghosts and a teacher who was a psychic healer. Personally, I guess I have felt what you're describing a few times, but I know myself to have an extremely powerful imagination and I know that I can quite easily create something entirely imagined strong enough to frighten myself.

That being said, my mother strongly believes in life after death of a kind. She believes that my grandmother comes to us as a red admiral (a kind of butterfly), and it's certainly true that at almost every big family occasion there have been red admirals sighted - sometimes INSIDE the house, at times when they are out of season and shouldn't be around.

 

[Sir Kenneth]

I'm a hardcore skeptic. Until someone can show me hard evidence that paranormal activity actually took place, I don't believe in any ghosts, ghouls, specters, poltergeists, or otherwise.

That being said, I believe in the power of the human mind, and the power of fear. I'm perfectly capable of freaking myself out. Once when I was about 10 or 11, I was upstairs in my bedroom reading before falling asleep, my dad was downstairs watching TV, and my mom wasn't home. I heard a high-pitched cackle from the other side of the attic wall. I tore ass down the stairs.

I'm much the same really. The house my girlfriend and I live in is not exactly new and has seen better days, which means that as soon as the wind starts playing up just a little bit outside, you get all sorts of creepy sounds from the doors, windows, and the attic. I'm from Denmark where it gets a lot colder than it does down here in Australia, so the house I used to live in was a lot more bunker-like than what I currently live in. Not being used to all these sounds probably doesn't help one bit

I've never experienced anything myself, but my mother and her siblings claim to have. It was a couple of years ago when my paternal grandmother was in the hospital about to die. The doctors had put her in an induced coma to spare her the worst of it, and my mother and her siblings were all there late at night to say their goodbyes. All of a sudden a breeze blev through the room and moved the curtains ever so lightly. They didn't claim that it was a ghost or anything, but they did think it seemed very strange. It was late at night during the winter, so the windows were shut. As was the door to her hospital room.

 

[Shu]

I don't believe in the paranormal to be quite honest, it makes me cry a little inside know that people get paid good money for these ghost hunter television shows. All you need is a camera with night vision and such, and you can make anyone believe anything these days.

I am from Nashville TN, where the civil war was alive and well back when. (Battle of Nashville) We have found multiple cannon balls, bullets and badges - but I have never seen or heard anything ghostly. When I was little, the only thing I was afraid of was burglars who persist on killing people brutally as well. So whenever we heard loud banging noises as kids, me and my bro would grab a knife and sit upstairs in the den with a good vantage point.

I do however believe in the human psychology as well as karma and signs. I believe there is spiritual work in the world that people can not comprehend until they experience it themselves. It all depends how much you let yourself go and commit and follow the signs.. that really attribute to seeing what I mean. Otherwise.. I'm not religious at all.

 

[Serah]

I would be a skeptic if I hadn't grown up in a haunted house and experienced all of these things for myself. The house that stood before our house back then was burnt down to a crisp. It killed the entire family that had lived in there. This was a long time before my time, but I've seen the old newspapers and heard the stories from my grandparents. Anyway, the house I'd lived in as a child was built over the burnt remains of that home. Sad thing is, is that we lived out in the country. Nobody knew the house was on fire until it was too late, from what I was told. Anyway, there were always things happening in that house.

The most vivid memories I can recall are times when me, my mother and my sister would leave the house to go grocery shopping or what have you, and we'd come home and walk into the kitchen and every single cabinet door in the kitchen was standing wide open. It happened quite a lot. I can also remember being in bed asleep and in the middle of the night the microwave would turn on all by itself. Another one I can remember was being in the bathroom doing my hair and the door slammed shut on it's own. That scared me SHITLESS. I hauled ass into the living room and refused to go back in there. Our staircase was terribly creaky when somebody would walk up and down the stairs and there would be plenty of nights I'd be lying in bed, my parents were in bed and my sister was too and the stairs would just start creaking as if somebody were walking up or down them.

The one I can remember most of all was one night me, my sister and my parents were all downstairs in the family room watching TV. My sister and I had those huge body pillows and we were laying on the floor. I saw something out of the corner of my eye on the staircase and I looked over and smoke was just billowing up the staircase. It didn't smell like smoke in the house at all and I KNOW it wasn't my imagination. I turned to tell my parents and sister what I saw but when I looked back, it had vanished. There were also plenty of times I felt like I was being followed around the house and I can also remember going up the stairs and it sometimes felt like there was a small hand in the middle of my back or on my shoulder. So yeah, I think I've had enough experiences to believe that the paranormal does exist. That there really are people out there who are struggling to move on and can't.

Also Shu, to your comment about ghost hunters on TV, not all of that is true. I watched Ghost Hunters Live last year where they were literally taking the camera around before any editing had been done. It was all live, just like when you watch New Years Eve live, and a lot of crazy shit happened while they were filming so it's not all fake. So anyway, yes I do believe. I really don't care what people think about me for believing but I know ghosts exist. I know that there are people still in this world that can't move on. It's sad really. Sometimes I wish people would have a more open mind on this.

 

[Ewan]

I'm with CassinoChips on this one.
I don't believe for the simple reason that there isn't any evidence for the paranormal. Everytime these sorts of claims have been scrutinised, they fall apart because the reasoning behind them is just ridiculous. We know how powerful the mind can be and we know how unreliable footage is these days, even if it's supposed to be unedited footage (I don't buy the people who say those sorts of things).
There are people out there who really think they have been abducted by aliens. I don't see the paranormal as any different. The really sad thing is (to me atleast) is that people believe this stuff for the wrong reasons (<--- just my opinion) and that many can be exploited by con artists who say they can speak to the dead and perform other paranormal acts.

 

[DLFlux]

Nothing really stands out, though I know I've been in situations where I've been spooked out for no real reason, other than just the atmosphere. It's pretty strange how quickly it can come and go. I have alot of fucked up dreams and have just gotten used to them over the years, but the whole thing of spooky atmospheres of the feeling of being watched/followed when nobody is around is pretty difficult to get used to, it is odd.

I'm not really sure if I make anything of it though, may just be all in the mind, but ya never know.

 

[Amizon]

I've always had an open mind and never been sceptic about anything because, as they say, anything is possible.

When my great aunt died four and a half years ago, I used to see this strange light in my old bedroom for weeks. It stopped for a while, but maybe it could've been my imagination. Then when my granddad died, which was two and a half years ago, that light kept appearing. It was always in the middle of the night when the lights were off and I couldn't sleep. Then one day I went to visit his grave on my own and quite literally broke down into tears. But then I could've sworn I felt a hand on my shoulder and I was convinced someone was behind, comforting me. Yet when I turned around, no one was standing there.

To this day, I either think it was a spirit or my own granddad comforting me over my grief. That grief still runs on today, but it's kind of made me thought about the paranormal and the possibilities it possesses. I've even watched Most Haunted Live and felt the strange changes in atmosphere at the time, such as getting absolutely freezing and feeling dizzy. I've even had dreams where I think I can see my dead relatives, who are just smiling at me. Believe it or not, but the paranormal has been quite on my mind since these two relatives died especially. I've had both grandparents on my dad's side of the family die separately - nana in the mid 90's and granddad in 2001 - but never really felt much emotion after they died. It was only years later that I only started grieving for them.

 

[Six]

I'm really open minded, when it comes to things like this. Can't say I believe, can't say I don't. I'm open for it. Of course it's possible.

Who are we to say it's not?

I guess, this means I do believe in it. I've had my share of experiences when I was young, mom had told me to shut up. She doesn't believe in it. Or rather, fears it I think. I can't say I'm scared of it, 'cause I'm not. It's just another new thing we're not used to. Why be scared?

Those shows on TV do have the added drama on it, to make it more appealing for Television, but this doesn't mean that, just because it's fake on TV, it's fake in real life. If you'd believe that, the media has your mind in a lock, I think. =/

So with that summed up, yeah, I do believe there's those "certain things" out there. For all we know, We're the ones weird for ghosts.

Call me crazy, but it's kinda true.



Just because you can't prove it, doesn't mean it's not there.

 

[Shu]

Aye, like I said, it's hard for me being a skeptic, hence I try not to voice my opinion because most people are so dead set on it.

Like I said "signs", a lot of people don't believe in them, but I firmly do because of my own life. Hence how I could believe you have seen what you have seen.

Now the ghost hunter's bit was because of the actual show (not the live version) they will throw in effects as in a light blinking from a distance and tell you the following: "It was a little boy who used to be chained down here."

I usually face palm myself, but like I said I think this show in particular is more of an entertainment bit than real footage. Why? because you never see them keep the camera in one spot, it always has to turn very slowly right before something occurs which leaves me thinking... well you could pretty much fake whatever at that point.

All you need is a couple of people manipulating ghosts and using Final Cut Studio on a MAC to put in the sounds/visual effects.

I hate my opinions, but I think they are primarily do to "me" in particular never experiencing the paranormal.

 

[Serah]

I'm with CassinoChips on this one.
I don't believe for the simple reason that there isn't any evidence for the paranormal. Everytime these sorts of claims have been scrutinised, they fall apart because the reasoning behind them is just ridiculous. We know how powerful the mind can be and we know how unreliable footage is these days, even if it's supposed to be unedited footage (I don't buy the people who say those sorts of things).
There are people out there who really think they have been abducted by aliens. I don't see the paranormal as any different. The really sad thing is (to me atleast) is that people believe this stuff for the wrong reasons and that they are exploited by con artists who say they can speak to the dead and perform other paranormal acts.

I really don't think that's very fair at all. You basically sit there and say there's no evidence when it's been filmed, proven and people have experienced it? I've not seen the claims fall apart either because they're ridiculous. It's people like you who are close-minded that shove them off as though they're ridiculous.

Now you're saying it's sad that people believe this stuff? That people really believe they've been abducted by aliens? Why would people have weird chips discovered in their bodies or markings and scars that they've never had before. Marks and scars just don't appear for no reason. Doctors don't exactly shove metal chips in your body either. Not everybody is exploited by con artists either. You're just referring to the ones who are trying to get money for stupid reasons. If you actually met and spoke with somebody in person who's experienced this stuff firsthand, then maybe you would have a different view on it. Not all of us believe in it for the wrong reasons and not all of us are stupid enough to be conned by some idiot. Sorry, but tbh your post offended me and probably anybody else who has experienced paranormal activity.

Edit: also when it comes to TAPS Ghost Hunters, they don't pick shit out of pepper and they don't mess with lighting to make you 'see' anything either. If the camera picks it up, it picks it up. TAPS are a group who try and debunk anything paranormal actually. If something happens that they can't debunk or can't explain, then what else is there?

Just because you can't prove it, doesn't mean it's not there.

QFT

 

[ZeGunner]

Well there's this road that somehoe breaks my BMX chain EVERYTIME!!
I've broke 6 DIFFERENT chains because of that road, and it never happens when I go through another road :S
It might be a coincendence, but I think its more than that

 

[Amizon]

I second what Mandi said. You basically said there's no evidence and that was the end of it. But I guess until you experience it, you're not going to believe and remain close-minded to the whole possibilities. That is quite literally an insult at all the posts that people have put in, detailing their experiences, thoughts and such ...

 

[DLFlux]

I have a theory for this sort've thing, though it's not quite all there at the moment.

It can be a case of your mind triggering a situation, for whatever reason. Consider the concept of the Farplane in FFX, pyreflies reacting to people's thoughts and forming the images of their lost loved ones. It's along similar lines of that, but ofcourse, there's no such thing as pyreflies, maybe there's something - like I don't know, spiritual energy or something, that is strong in an area. While there, your mind could react to this, and you get the feeling of being touched, or as if somebody is there etc etc. So in actual fact, there is no ghost or anything around, just something has made a part of your mind react. Which would explain why not everybody will experience it. Some don't believe in that stuff so are less likely to trigger a reaction, others think differently and so on.

You get the idea, though it's not really concrete (obviously) and really completely a finished thought on it, just a general idea I have.

Think of it as a mixture between the paranormal and just psychology.

 

[Serah]

...oh yes. My mind just triggered all those cabinet doors opening all by themselves when I'd get home from being wherever I was. My mind also triggered the microwave turning on by itself, the door slamming shut in the bathroom. Gosh, I didn't realize my mind could do all those things. I'm sorry, but people who HAVE experienced those things personally realize that it's not the mind triggering anything. When something physical happens that you can't explain, I can promise you it's not your mind unless you're telekinetic or something like that. <.< And I'm certainly not telekinetic.

 

[Shu]

But I guess until you experience it, you're not going to believe and remain close-minded to the whole possibilities.

That's the difference between nihilism and skepticism. Nihilism is more of a closed minded aspect all the way around, because nothing can be proven.. so blah blah blah. (not going down that road)

Skeptics, (hume approach rather than descartes approach) I believe things are always capable by the mind. I believe ghosts might be out there and that people are quite possibly seeing these things or hearing these things. It is my right though, to not believe them myself. I think Mage Masher's approach to handling this subject lacked tact though.

I don't think I'll ever be wavered, unless of course I experience it. It's like people being born again as Christians (sorry had to say it) - but I'll leave that there since it has nothing to do with this thread.

It is more of a faith issue. I believe we all exist and we all circumstantially see different things. I see signs.. sooooo I know a lot of people (again emphasizing this) don't know what the hell I'm talking about nor believe it. I never discuss it, because people would think it would be either insanity (i.e. what most people say about paranormal investigators) or call me a con.

So I believe people can see them and hear them, but I don't have the ability nor will I ever. So I myself will never believe in it for myself.