Stories of ghosts can be found in cultures all over the world, but are ghosts real? Some believe in supernatural entities, but don’t support the idea of disembodied spirits or ghosts. Are there any scientific proof of ghosts? What’s the difference between a real ghost and a spirit? Let’s find out!
Do people believe that ghosts are real?
If you do believe that ghosts exist, you are not alone. In fact, ghost stories have existed for thousands of years. Many ancient cultures had different believes regarding the term “ghost” itself. Today, in our modem world, we might think differently about the existence of ghosts, but it is a topic that is very intriguing.
So do ghosts really exist? What is the opinion among people? Let’s share a few findings.
- A poll from Gallup supports that 32% of Americans believe in real ghosts. The poll also revealed that the younger generation have a stronger belief in ghosts. In real life, many might not have seen an actual ghost, but the belief is strong between the ages of 18 and 29. That very same age group represents 45% of those who think that ghosts are real.
- Another poll from The Huffington Post questioned one thousand adults – if they believe that ghosts are real. A total of 45% answered that they believe in ghosts.
- A poll from CBS dating back to 2005 shows that 45% of Americans believe that ghosts are real.
- A 2016 study conducted by Föreningen Vetenskap och Folkbildning (VOF) in Sweden, was discussed on the website of the Swedish national public TV station (SVT). According to the survey, it shows that 37% of the Swedes believe in paranormal activities, and a total of 16% percent believe that ghosts really exist. On SVT’s very same article, they also have their own poll with 18k+ voters of which 16% state that they certainly believe in ghosts. Another 27% state that “there is more than the eye can see”, which would probably mean that they are quite open in considering the existence of ghosts.
- In 2013, The Harris Poll surveyed 2250 adults during a whole week. One of the questions was: Are ghosts real? To that question a total of 42% answered that they believe in ghosts.
- In the UK, a survey from Yougov.co.uk published in 2016 shows that around 27% of roughly 12,000 surveyed believe that ghost are real and that they truly exist.
- La Nacion published an article in 2012 stating that 21% of Costa Ricans believe in ghosts. Unimer conducted the poll asking a total of 1200 people.
As you can see, the polls and surveys clearly shows that many support the idea that ghosts are real, but the majority seem to be non-believers.
The belief that real life ghosts exist may have increased over the last decade, which might be due to the explosion of the internet and the interest in paranormal TV shows and movies. You will find lots of TV productions from all over the world with the aim of showing real ghosts. The large number of paranormal reality shows is an indicator that people are eager to learn about wheter real ghosts exist or not. Examples of popular paranormal TV shows include Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, The Dead Files”, Haunted Collector, Most Hunted UK, Celebrity Ghost Stories, Paranormal Witness, A Haunting, Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, and The Haunted.
The main focus of the paranormal reality shows is to answer one simple question: Are ghosts real or not?. The beauty with these type of shows is that the viewers can judge for themselves as they see supernatural activities caught on camera.
Are there any scientific proof of ghosts?
The best evidence of ghosts lies in a deeper understanding of metaphysics; the philosophy that uses a broader concept to define reality. Our ”reality” is based on how we perceive the world, based on our five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Not all people can use all of their five senses, but most can. This is also true when it comes to our ”sixth sense”. Just because not everyone has developed their intuition, it doesn’t mean that we don’t all have this gift. Haven’t you had a ”gut feeling” about something where you just ”knew” something to be true, but you had no proof to show for? That’s what intuition is all about, and we all have some degree of intuition. Intuition is difficult to explain if we keep believing that we only have five senses. However, there are people who have developed their intuitive skills and are able to translate a vibration so they can translate this vibration with their eyes, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell. Isn’t that interesting? This means that they are able to perceive the spirit world as something ”real”, and from their perception, the ghosts are real because they are able to see the ghosts and communicate with them. What is more real than that? This is their personal experience, but what about real evidence of ghosts? Are there any solid scientific proof of ghosts?
Here’s where it gets tricky. You see, there is no universally accepted definition of what a ghost really is, making a scientific research of ghosts impossible. Is a ghost a shadow or material? Do real ghosts slam doors? Should the definition be that ghosts are real only when they can get physical? Are the ghosts real only if they can throw objects across the room – like we call a ”poltergeist”? Should the investigation of ghosts be based upon the belief that ghosts are ”lost” on their way to ”the other side”, or that ghosts are ”telepathic entities” that you can project into this world from your mind. As long as the definition of ”ghost” is unclear, no scientific proof of ghosts is possible.
Spirits vs real ghosts?
So what’s the difference between a spirit and a real ghost? Let’s see how the spiritual medium James Van Praagh explains this distinction.
According to James Van Praagh, the spirits have passed over to the light and exist at a divine vibration. A real ghost on the other hand, is stuck between our earthly dimension and the spirit world. This happens most often when the death is sudden. It can also happen and if there is some ”unfinished business” that needs to be taken care of.
We mentioned earlier that there are still too many contradictions to the definition of ”ghosts” – what real ghosts are, what they do, how they act, how they appear, etc. However, there have been many TV-shows lately that are based on finding out whether or not ghost are real. The best evidence of ghosts must be the ones that are caught on camera, wouldn’t you agree?
Fake or real ghost footage?
If you do not believe in ghosts, a solid evidence to support the existence of ghosts would be to get hold of authentic and real pictures of ghosts. There are probably thousands of ghost photos that have been taken before and after the existence of computers. Unfortunately, the use of computers attracts many hoaxers who will fake images with the use of photo editing programs. However, there are many serious people out there that claim that their images are real. Several ghost investigators do also claim to have taken real ghost pictures. The series of images below will definitely make you think. See for yourself – do you think these are real photos of ghosts or not?
1. Ghost behind soldier
This photos is from the Wowrld War I era. In 1919, a squadron at the HMS Daedalus training facility decided to make a group photo. Behind one of the soldiers you can see an image to what is believed to be a ghostly figure. It was said that it resembles an air mechanic who had two died two days earlier.
2. Church Ghost
This photo was taken 1975 by a family who visited the Worstead Church in Norfolk, which was empty at the time. The man decided to take an image of his wife who is sitting praying , but when the photo was developed, they saw a white lady sitting behind her. The lady in yellow was interviewed years later by express.co.uk.
3. The Greencastle Lady
This set of images are taken from an investigation by Guy Winters at the O’Hare mansion in Greencastle, Indiana. When the images were captured the the ghost wasn’t seen, and it was only after the film was developed that the ghost was discovered. On the bottom right is an analysis of the image showing what looks to be a figure of a skull, which is present on the film’s negative.
4. Ghost in window
This image comes from Ravenna, Ohio. The owner of the house experienced lots of paranormal activity. At one point, an image was taken from the outside of the house. To their surprise, they could see to what seem to be a face of a little girl.
Real ghost videos caught on camera
As mentioned earlier, ghost photos are relatively easy to manipulate with the right program, but videos of ghosts are a bit more difficult to fabricate. Many hotels and shops are nowadays using CCTV (closed-circuit television) for surveillance and security purposes. Amazing things have been caught on CCTV videos, such as unexplained phenomena moving furniture in vacant rooms, items in stores floating and falling off the shelves, ghosts appearing as shadows, and much more. We have gathered a sample of what for many are convincing of real ghosts and paranormal activity. See and judge for yourself – are these real ghost videos or not?
Seeing is believing – Where to find real ghosts?
Some would say that seeing is believing. If you are one of those that can only be convinced by actually seeing a real life ghost, you may want to take up ghost hunting. You could then take photos or record a video of a real ghost encounter. That experience and material would serve as proof of ghosts really exists, not only for yourself, but also to show for the non-believers. While this might be easier said than done, you would probably need to do a few things first. Not only will you need to have good equipment for your investigation so that you can capture the best evidence of ghosts, but you will also have to know the location of where ghosts are said to be spotted.
If you are brave enough to snap a real ghost on camera, we can give you a few examplest of some of the haunted places in the U.S. that you can visit to collect evidence of ghosts.
The Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana, is the perfect place to start your investigation for real ghosts. This place was built in 1797 and is one of America’s most haunted places. Visitors have witnessed moving furniture, a piano playing by itself, real ghosts appearing and disappearing in photographs etc.
The Amityville House at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York is a haunted house where you mightget real ghost footage of the six members of the DeFeo family that was murdered here in 1977.
The Cassadaga Hotel is situated at the center of the town of Cassadaga which lies in Volusia County, Florida. It is famous all over the world for its supernatural activity, and many psychics and mediums live here. No wonder that Cassadaga is called the “Psychic Capital of the World”. So, if you are a skeptic, you must visit this place to see for yourself if real ghosts exist or not.
The Chelsea Hotel in New York City is worth a visit if you want to find proof of ghosts. This infamous hotel was built in 1884 and has been a home to musicians, artist, and writers over the years and visitors have seen real ghosts of Thomas Wolfe, Dylan Thomas, and Eugene O’Neil.
The extravagant Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, is also worth a visit if you want a chance to make a video of real ghosts. This Victorian mansion have secret passageways and is rumored to have been built for the ghosts themselves!
So, now you know a few places of where a real ghosts may manifest. But what type of gear should you use?
What gear is needed to detect real ghosts?
If you want to get real pictures of ghosts, here are some tips that can come in handy. The most important equipment for a real ghost hunting is a high quality full spectrum digital camera with night vision that can see visible, ultraviolet, and infrared (thermographic) spectrums of light at the same time. You will also need an advanced digital audio recorder to catch sounds/voices from the ghost/s. If you want to be a serious ghost hunters make sure you get a good infrared thermometer. The reason for this is that whenever there is a real ghost present, the temperature usually drops very rapidly. Furthermore, an Electronic Magnetic Field (EMF) detector is a must for serious investigators of paranormal activities. Apparently there is a strong fluctuating EMFs at a haunted location, and this instrument can detect fluctuations in the electromagnetic fields over different frequencies.
Ghosts, are they real?
So, are ghosts real or do you still have doubts? This is a question that you will have to answer for yourself. The best way to get solid proof of ghost is to have an open mind and do your own investigation. If you are really curious, visit a haunted place, and maybe you will be able to take your own real ghost video clips and photos. Your own experience will be your best evidence of ghosts!