Do you?

I don't although I believe there are natural phenomena that stimulates our minds into seeing, hearing and feeling things that are not there.

No.

I don't.

I think everyone on this particular forum is more aware of "natural phenomena that stimulates [spectator's] minds into seeing, hearing, and feeling things that are not there" than most people in the general public.

That's not to say there's always a deception behind reports of supernatural phenomena. Sometimes it's just an honest mistake. Here's a story...

A long time ago, a few friends and I were playing pool. Someone (... certainly not ME!) made a wild shot that launched the red 3-ball off the table. Another walked around the table and bent down to pick up the 3-ball, but came up laughing hysterically. After he regained the ability to speak, he explained what was so funny: turns out, there was a red M&M [for foreign readers: M&Ms are candies] almost exactly where the 3-ball appeared to land, and the 3-ball was nowhere to be seen. Unconsciously, he got the strong sense that the 3-ball turned in to an M&M when it hit the ground. This sense was especially strong, perhaps, because the shade of red on the M&M was almost exactly the shade of the 3-ball. So -- same color, same location, therefore it MUST be the same object!

Of course, what really happened was that the M&M was there all along, and the 3-ball rolled out of view. He laughed hysterically because, although he knew pool balls don't turn into M&Ms, the perception was SO strong otherwise.

I imagine that the perception of supernatural phenomena by otherwise-sane people are based on their mind's similar tendency to connect dots like my friend did, but without enough skepticism to reject the supernatural conclusion they come up with.

No. But many ghosts don't believe in us either.

"I don't believe in ghosts, but I'm afraid of them."

~ Mark Twain

No.

Hmm. Kind of. Hard to explain what I mean. Here's what I believe: We live in an ocean of phenomena, of which our sensory apparati can only detect a particular range of frequencies. When, occasionally, we get a glimpse of some of the phenomena beyond those frequencies, some experience them as ghosts.

I don't believe in them, but I'm a-scared of them.

NO.

I have yet to come across a country that does not have M&M's.

Intellectually no.

In my heart, yes, on some days. I suppose I hope they are real.

The moment a "medium" comes into the picture I know it's all a scam and that people who do believe are getting in the sucker line.

Still... I'm from an Irish family and good story telling from a young age fosters an innate belief in all sorts of unlikely things. I can stop whenever I want.

Is there a 12 step program for silly beliefs you hold dear?

-Mary Mowder

Legend has it, such countries exist. Some nights... some icy, winter nights... when the moon is full, they say you can still hear whispers about such countries in the mountains if you listen carefully enough.

I believe in people who believe in ghosts...

My Irish grandma often told me about when, as a little girl in Ireland, she would walk across a certain haunted meadow. And even though she was alone, when she looked at her shadow there was another one next to hers. A tall thin man with a high hat.

Everything about her was magic.

Thanks for sharing that Story mastermindreader. That's exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about.

The open and evocative nature of that story invokes wonder.

Who would want to banish that from their lives?

-Mary Mowder

Yup, imagine no Ghostbusters....

No.


Ron

Do ghosts believe in you?

I do believe the living haunt the dead though...

What is the point of a body anyway?