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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask why people believe in ghosts and other supernatural nonsense?

291 replies

BowieFan · 23/10/2016 14:25

I just don't get it, I really don't.

There has been no scientific evidence of any genuine psychics or people who can contact the dead (and trust me, people have poured millions into trying to find genuine ones) and yet people still believe this rubbish. How do mediums still make money when it's obvious all they're doing is cold reading?

There's never been a single clear sighting of a ghost or any photographic proof of one.

I really feel sorry for the people who believe this nonsense - they must be lacking something that they feel they have to rely on something that doesn't exist to get answers in their life.

OP posts:
PinkSparklyPussyCat · 23/10/2016 16:15

That was in reply to OP's post at 16:08 - slow typing!

CivQueen · 23/10/2016 16:16

I've never seen anything or particularly believe in anything.

But I'm not ignorant enough to think we have discovered everything there is to know about space, time or the universe.

I'm also not a nasty piece of work. So I don't feel the need to belittle the intelligence of someone who believes in something so don't.

Why does this feel like a brexit thread? Grin

Scaredycat3000 · 23/10/2016 16:16

Where to start?

Science is based on some experiments are observable by us facts and evidence.
All Supernatural beliefs religion is a supernatural belief is lack of evidence, you need faith and nothing more.

Supernatural beliefs cause a lot of damage, from organised religion to the psychic hitting a nerve with a lucky guess. And given that almost every school in England has to provide daily worship of a christian nature it forced on us as parentsif your school isn't they are breaking the law.

As for all the professionally offended, sorry your faith privileges are disappearing, it must be tough suddenly realising quite how many people are laughing at you, that doesn't make us GF's pointing out facts.
We're trying to move to a better place where our differences are accepted by each other not thousands of years old prejudices, people who need help get evidence based help rather than a chat with a con artist and our dc are taught facts in school, not fiction as fact.

Original poster
BowieFan · 23/10/2016 16:17

StillSayingClassySanDiego

I genuinely do feel sorry for vulnerable people who are drawn into these things and who believe what they're told. I'm sorry, but it's generally true that most people visit psychics with a motive - to contact someone specifically or to find out about something in the future.

Like I said, if you want to believe, that's fine, but when it's impacting other people like the examples above, I get annoyed by it. I also don't like psychics who charge money - that's just immoral in my opinion.

OP posts:
Elphame · 23/10/2016 16:18

I've seen many things that I cannot explain and thank you but there is nothing missing in my life!

As for unintelligent? Well even Mensa has an official pagan group which is active and has run for many years.

amicissimma · 23/10/2016 16:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
BowieFan · 23/10/2016 16:22

CivQueen

And I don't believe we've discovered everything either. But there has never been any specific evidence of any supernatural activity whatsoever.

It's the reason why I am still steadfast in my belief that there has been or is alien life in this universe somewhere. We have scientific evidence that there are other planets capable of sustaining life, and thus there is more of a chance of alien life existing. We've found fossilised bacteria on Mars as well. That is why I believe in extraterrestrial life but not ghosts. There's not been a single shred of evidence in thousands of years about Ghosts, but we've had a few bits of evidence about other planets sustaining life in about 50 years worth of time.

OP posts:
Original poster
BowieFan · 23/10/2016 16:23

Elphame

I haven't called anyone unintelligent. I said that they are lacking something in their life, which is true. Most people go to psychics with a motive for visiting and wanting to speak to spirits.

OP posts:
LunaLoveg00d · 23/10/2016 16:23

I think anyone who believes in ghosts and other "wooo" crap should take a look at the following online course:

think101.org/

It goes into great detail about why we think in the way we do and explores biases and other topics like conspiracy theories. It's very interesting.

I think the main problem with mediums and the like is that people are scared of dying and want to think there is some sort of after life where you float around in a white dress leaving a message for someone whose name starts with C, or possibly G about a dark haired stranger and a lottery win. Mediums are simply people who are excellent at cold readings and making Barnum statements which suck people in and convince them that the medium is speaking to the dead or predicting the future. Why on earth great Aunt Ida who couldn't predict the next day's weather when alive should suddenly be able to tell how many kids you'll have or where you'll move house to now that she's dead is never addressed by these people.

It's just crap which preys on the gullible and vulnerable.

StillStayingClassySanDiego · 23/10/2016 16:24

I went on a ghost walk with colleagues Friday night, as I said I am open minded but probably slide towards sceptic in all honesty, this walk didnt alter my thinking.

Some of my colleagues are absolutely convinced they've had experiences . Who am I to tell them it's all bollocks and they're 'lacking something in their lives'.

YuckYuckEwwww · 23/10/2016 16:28

But there has never been any specific evidence of any supernatural activity whatsoever

well there has been lots of scientific explainations of things that were previously thought to be supernatural

they found a type of cloud formation over the bermuda triangle that causes gusts of wind downwards which explains planes and boats going missing potentially

Original poster
BowieFan · 23/10/2016 16:28

StillStayingClassySanDiego

You don't have to but me personally, I'd say to them "well I'm glad you got something out of it but to me it could be explained as XXXX"

I'm sick of repeating this but it's true - most people who are believers have lacked something in their life at some point, which is why they turned to supernatural beliefs - to find what they were looking for. People turn to religion for the same reasons.

OP posts:
Original poster
BowieFan · 23/10/2016 16:30

YuckYuckEwwww

Yep, hence why I believe science. It wasn't that long ago that women having periods was seen as being linked to the Devil somehow!

OP posts:
YuckYuckEwwww · 23/10/2016 16:34

Science is by definition open minded because it's about constantly testing to disprove what's come before

superstitions and supernatural and religious beliefs are the opposite of open minded - they're about defending old/historic beliefs

spankhurst · 23/10/2016 16:36

I believe that existence is too complex for us to understand. I think that science is very good at explaining certain aspects of a vast whole. But I would never sneer at those who believe or are interested in other aspects.

Original poster
BowieFan · 23/10/2016 16:38

spankhurst

And where have I sneered at anyone? I said I feel sorry for them because more often than not, fraudsters are taking advantage of people and their vulnerabilities.

OP posts:
gillybeanz · 23/10/2016 16:40

I don't believe in mediums, the famous ones are quite often revealed to be charlatans, when they die.
It's horrible getting money from vulnerable people, pretending to be something you're not.

However, I believe in ghosts as I've had 2 experiences that despite trying my best, could not rationalise any other way.

flumpybear · 23/10/2016 16:48

I'm a complete non believer but like the silliness and discussions surrounding it...... and then my mum died. My mum who always said she'd make it thunder and lightening when she died as her mum died and there was a huge storm and our house got hit (this was in the 1980's so was a child) ..... literally 20 Minutes after she died, on the other side of the world (and I couldn't visit as I had an ebf newborn and a three war old with a broken leg) I'd just heard by phone from my brother that she'd died and there was an almighty storm over my home
Town, the storms hung around for days .... now that's weird!!!
I had told her before she died not to hit my house with lightening-- !!- it was really odd though because she was very strange and always thought she was going to die and spoke about it every time I saw her and often on the phone ... weird!! That really knocked my thoughts and now I'm a bit more open not much!!--

Guavaf1sh · 23/10/2016 16:52

Humans are inherently illogical. Probably as a result of needing to take things on faith to survive in prehistoric days. It cannot be so easily undone and lots of nonsense exists and will continue to be made up and believed. The wrong beliefs of tomorrow will be different to those of today and will be the results of personal and societal pressures. Astrology, homeopathy and religion are very important currently. All nonsense of course. Personal experience is not evidence of course not but due to our inherent irrationality we will make it such. The brain is overactive and makes a lot up. Charles Bonnet syndrome is fascinating and is an inkling I feel into why people believe in ghosts. Or rather they don't until they get such an experience. We are flawed animals, that's why

deathandtaxes123 · 23/10/2016 17:11

The world's in the state it's in because people can't just accept that someone else believes in something different to them.

Nobody needs your pity because you don't believe in the supernatural.

Original poster
BowieFan · 23/10/2016 17:14

Deathandtaxes123

No, the world's in the state it's in because we have to let everyone have their "opinions" and nobody is allowed to challenge them.

I can accept that people believe other things to me, but there are cases where there is absolutely no scientific basis for what they believe.

OP posts:
Mouseinahole · 23/10/2016 17:17

I believe in ghosts because I have seen one. It was unexpected and I didn't have a camera. I didn't realise she was a ghost until the following day.
I am lacking nothing thanks!

Scaredycat3000 · 23/10/2016 17:20

The world's in the state it's in because people can't just accept that someone else believes in something different to them.
No, the world's in the state it's in because the worlds two biggest evangelical supernatural faith systems religion are at it again. The problem here is the evangelical part, that's really not the same as wondering why a person believes in imaginary things.

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 23/10/2016 17:20

Ha. This thread rinds me of when a medium 'read' me on here. It was the usual bland platitudes 'there's something nagging away at you, you push it to the back of your mind, but you are strong enough to deal with it when you are 'read' kind of crap. She slipped up when she told me to think about my relationships at work ... someone with blonde hair. Thing is, I work from home and my only colleague is a tortoiseshell cat.

Muskateersmummy · 23/10/2016 17:25

I'm a believer, having had experiences and being very sensitive to the feel of a space, I am a very strong believer. There is nothing lacking in my life, I'm just open to the possibility that there's more out there.

I do think there are lot of dubious people out their who take advantage of vulnerable people but that doesn't mean all mediums are dodgy.

I think once you experience something, it kinda changes your mind. I was always open, but experiences in the recent past have made the belief stronger. Don't feel sorry for people like me, I am pretty comfortable with my beliefs