Have you ever seen a ghost?

Bugsy2 · 07/04/2006 11:24

No, grew up in a house, part of which dates back to 1150, other bits were tudor & others victorian. Don't believe in ghosts. Figment of the imagination.

serenity · 07/04/2006 11:40

Not 'seen', but the flat I lived in as a child was haunted (allegedly!) and I have very vivid memories of something there. I remember my Mum finding me hiding in the broom cupboard, because I knew there was someone in my room I couldn't see.

I'm not convinced by the idea of ghosts, but I'm open to the idea that strong emotions or some traumatic event can leave some weird spiritual or electrical imprint, which can then be picked up by people open to it.

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 11:41

yes.

SaintGeorge · 07/04/2006 11:48

yes

SleepyJess · 07/04/2006 12:10

You are not open to the possiblity that they may exist, Bugsy, which makes you less likely to see one

Serenity, I think the 'imprint' thing is a separate issue to that of actual 'ghosts'. As I understand it, the imprint does not involve an actual entity or soul.. it is just a 'recording' (which makes more sense if you can view time as a loop or continuum rather than a linear experience) whereas 'ghosts' that you can actually interact with are possibly earth bound spirits or souls (not necessarily 'stuck' but here for a reason, if only temporarily).

People believe many different things about this subject however. And some choose to believe nothing at all. But it's worth considering that just because you can't physically see something does not mean it does not exist. This is a fact obviously.

Bugsy2 · 07/04/2006 12:33

Surely if ghosts genuinely exist, then I would see them whether I believed in them or not SleepyJess.
The house I grew up in was apparently haunted, which given its very great age, would make sense to some people, but none of my family or anyone else who has stayed in it has ever seen or heard anything ghostly.
I think it is just humans trying to make sense of things outside their understanding. Have never, ever seen any scientific evidence to convince me that a ghost might exist. If other people want to believe, I am not going to suggest that they shouldn't - it is their choice.

Rhubarb · 07/04/2006 12:39

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suzywong · 07/04/2006 12:40

sleepyjess
can you give us an update on your house? You had a fascinating thread a while back

NatalieJane · 07/04/2006 12:50

I am not sure I believe in ghosts, but my DH believes that he did see 'something'.

When he was younger, he started to work nights as a security guard at an old house somewhere or other, he said as he was doing his rounds one night he came to the bottom of the big outdoor staircase leading up to the front door of this house, he said it was pitch black but he could see what he describes as a detailed shadow of a soldier in full World War 1 get up sitting on these stairs, he says himself he could have completely imagined it, but that he could now describe the uniform in detail as though he himself were wearing it.

Who knows what is out there? - if anything?

gegs73 · 07/04/2006 12:54

Not seen, but have felt the presence of 'something/someone' on a number of occasions. I am one of the most matter of fact/down to earth people I know so really not trying to imagine something for the sake of it. Try not to dwell on it or go into it too deep as people can get obsessed by that stuff

Rhubarb · 07/04/2006 12:55

The fact that he can describe the uniform in detail leads me to believe that he has elaborated on it in his memory since. If it was dark and this figure was in the shadows, he wouldn't have seen much. And let's face it, if you meet someone for the first time for just a minute, and then have to describe what that person is wearing, most of us would fail. But he has kept this memory in his head as being unusual and since then his brain has elaborated on it.

Vev · 07/04/2006 12:57

I think it's a case of - if you can't see it - it's not there!

I woke up one morning and saw my nan-in-law's face - it wasn't how I would have imagined seeing a ghost - it was a cameo of her face smiling at me - I wasn't in a dreamlike state I was wide awake. It didn't frighten me and it wasn't until I read someone's description of seeing a spirit that I realised that must have been what I saw. It was only a couple of months after she'd passed and apparently she was still "living" in the house she'd lived in when alive, according to the new owners. She used to go and speak to their little boy when he was in bed, who described her just as she looked like and he'd never met her. If they said they were having a brew, they'd go to put the kettle on and it was already turned on.

We've also stayed in a few haunted places but never actually seen anything. I think we're looked after and protected from seeing things we're not ready for.

Pagan · 07/04/2006 12:58

No but ex DH swears Room 4 of his mother's old hotel was and this is verified by his mother and his sisters and the family dog.

Examples

despite being self closing for fire regulations, the door would open all by itself
the dog would follow DH to the ends of the earth but would not, under no circumstances, cross the threshold of that room and would stand with it's hackles up growling
lamp would switch itself on and could not be switched off again
whilst making up the bed one morning, his mother looked under it to spot a pair of feet in old fashioned, buckled type shoes (16th century type) but when she looked up there was no-one there
also, one time she was conscious of a guest watching her every move. She eventually was so unnerved by this she asked him why he was watching her. The man was apparently one of those people who can see ghosts and replied "there is a man with no head following you around"
His mother sold up and bought another hotel further down the valley. One day a couple checked in and they looked hugely troubled by something. When asked why they were flustered the woman replied that they had checked into another hotel up the valley but were so spooked in the room they had to get our immediately. Apparently something sat on the bed beside her and she could see where the bum mark was. MIL guessed that it was Room 4!

Waahhhhh! Spooky! I recently emailed the hotel to ask if old ghostie was still around. The owner replied that she hadn't noticed anything and didn't believe in ghosts anyway however the room numbers had changed because they were out of synch, ie Room 2 was missing so they changed the order. Room 4 is now Room 3 I think. Maybe that made ghostie happy so he's not bothering to haunt the place anymore but if anyone fancies trying it out - The Screes Hotel, Nether Wasdale, Cumbria and let us know what happens

Rhubarb · 07/04/2006 13:05

Pagan, if they believe it is haunted, then I guarantee they will see something!

NatalieJane · 07/04/2006 13:09

Yes Rhubarb you are probably right about my DH, he says something similar. :)

jampots · 07/04/2006 13:18

i think ive seen one or part of one in my dining room. Ive posted about it previously. It was a shoulder and right arm and looked formed (obviously as I could tell it was a shoulder/arm combo) but misty. It was moving towards the hall and it was as though I'd caught it before it finished disappearing

expatinscotland · 07/04/2006 13:19

i was a complete and total non-believer when i first saw a ghost, in my late 20s.

gegs73 · 07/04/2006 17:26

We moved into a house which was sold to us by an old lady who had lived there for about 30 years and who went into a nursing home. I came home from work one night and had a very strong feeling that someone was stood in the hall next to me. I said in a loud voice go away - sad I know - and moved into our living room still with a strange feeling. We got married a few months later and on meeting the vicar and telling him where we lived he said that he knew the old lady who had lived in our house and she had died right around the time I had the feeling. Sounds silly now writing it down, but maybe she had gone to see the flat she had loved one last time. Also had experiences like vev where I have woken up 3 different x and seen a smiling face - two of them the same person - looking at me

SleepyJess · 07/04/2006 17:47

Bugsy, some things don't have a scientific explanation.. most scientists will admit that. And I do understand what you mean when you say 'if they existed I'd see them regardless of whether I beleived..' but since I have learned more about spirituality, I feel that this is probably not that case. As Vev said, it would seem probable that there are some things we are prevented from seeing... although some susceptable will see them anymay.. much to their horror initially, in some cases.

As Shakespeare said (wise chap that he was) "...there are more things in heaven and earth, (Horatio), than are dreamt of in your philosophy...."

Suzywong, what thread about my house? My housing dilemma??! Because nothing ghostly has ever happened here! (TF!!) Or do you mean my mum's house? Can't remember whether I have posted about it on MN or not..

SJ x

GarfieldsGirl · 07/04/2006 17:51

In my old house ds1 became very unsettled at night, and nothing would calm him down, after a couple of months i woke up one night to see a tall man in a grey jumper looking over his cot and a few months after that I felt dp getting out of bed one night, I rolled over, he was still in bed and a tall man in a grey jumper was by the side of the bed. The lady who had lived there before was there for over 60 years until she died and I know she slept in the other bedrom with 3 locks on it, so I think that must have been her husband.

A couple of years before that I was working in a nightclub, my bar was next to the fag machine, one night a pint that was right in the middle of it just fell on the floor, this spooked me a bit, but I put it down to the bass and forgot about it until a couple of weeks later when the same thing happened but this time we'd closed so there was no music, nobody near it, and that gglass was away from the edge, but others stayed on there that were much closer.

jampots · 07/04/2006 18:13

We have one of those smoke angel things on our landing light and if you switch the light on and off within a couple of seconds it emits a bleep. Well last week when dh was on nights I woke up to it bleeping which bothered me a bit

chipmonkey · 07/04/2006 18:32

I specifically keep my eyes closed if I go into the bathroom at night so that I don't see ghosts.

SleepyJess · 07/04/2006 18:35

In case you should see a ghost in the buff Chipmonkey???!

chipmonkey · 07/04/2006 18:41

It would be too shocking!

SleepyJess · 07/04/2006 18:42

"I'm so afraid I'll see a ghost.. it's the sight that I fear most... I'd rather have a piece of toast.. and watch the evening news..." la la la etc!