Scientific Explanations For Ghost Sightings

Do you believe in ghosts? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. Almost half of all Americans believe, according to recent CBS News poll. This conviction is an old one, found throughout history in ancient Greek culture, cave paintings in Utah from 7000 BC, and even in the Bible itself. Science is still skeptical, but the absence of proof is not necessarily proof of absence. Scientists have yet to prove the existence of black holes under laboratory conditions, but we’re pretty sure they exist in the universe. Couldn’t the same be true for ghosts? Although researchers have yet to reach a solid explanation, here are a few of the most supported theories regarding whether or not paranormal beings exist, and what they actually are.

Here are 7 Horror Novels You Must Read

Spine-chilling stories of supernatural creatures and terrors from beyond the third dimension have been thrilling readers for centuries. Whether you are a fan of frightening fiction, or a lover of literature, here are seven must-read horror novels that have stood the test of time to take their place with the classics.

Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is the enduring tale of scientific hubris. In a gloomy gothic setting, Dr. Frankenstein pursues his goal of animating a man of his own making. His efforts produce a terrifying monster so grotesque that it is shunned and driven away by the humans whose companionship it craves. Dr. Frankenstein and his monster are bound together for life in a nightmare of hatred, anger and desperate regret.

Equally well-known is the story of Dracula as told by Bram Stoker. Despite all the vampire stories that have been written since, “Dracula” is the original and the best. It tells the tale of how the unsuspecting Jonathan Harker meets the Count in Transylvania. He is puzzled by the strange psychological effect Dracula has on the villagers, as they seem to find him creepy, and even suspect him of murder. Jonathan unwittingly draws the Count back to his home where Lucy, a young woman of his acquaintance, becomes the focus of Dracula’s attentions. The suspense builds until finally Van Helsing reveals that Lucy’s terrifying illness is the work of a vampire that must be destroyed.

The third classic frightful story with which many are familiar is “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson. This tale is a scary exploration of the dark side of a seemingly normal personality. Dr. Jekyll is a bright young man interested in science and the psychological duality of the human mind. He compounds a drug that causes him to become possessed by the vile side of his nature. At first he experiences this as a lark, a way to free himself from the conventions of his time. However, as Mr. Hyde’s actions escalate to murder he seeks the asylum of his stable personality, Dr. Jekyll. Eventually he must make a choice between the best and the worst of himself.

“The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James is a classic ghost thriller in the gothic vein. It is a work of supernatural literature that allows suspense to build from a sunny, innocent beginning. A young governess is given the charge of two small children at a beautiful country estate. She soon develops the haunting feeling that all is not as bucolic as it seems. She learns that the previous governess had a dalliance with another employee which left her in a compromised state. There is the suggestion, although not explicitly stated, that the pair may have also taken illicit liberties with her young charges. Both lovers ended up dead through unclear circumstances. The new governess begins to see apparitions of the two, and she is horrified to realize that the children are aware of and welcoming to these ghastly presences. Have the children been possessed? Is it too late to save them?

The fifth title on the list is Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House”.  cters know what they are getting into and do it anyway. Dr. Montague is an investigator of the paranormal. He invites a number of people to spend the summer at the supposedly haunted Hill House to determine if the supernatural stories are true. The townspeople tell stories of family hatreds, suicide and the ghost of a sister. Two women, Eleanor and Theodora, accept his invitation, along with the nephew of the owner of the house. Creepy occurrences begin almost immediately. Doors close by themselves; loud banging sounds are heard at night; soft patterings are heard outside locked bedroom doors. The guests begin to realize that someone, or something, is trying to separate them. The house seems to have the strongest effect on Eleanor. When the others decide to send her home, whatever is in the house makes a decision of its own.

“The Island of Dr. Moreau” by H.G. Wells is not a ghost story, but it is definitely horror fiction. A man survives a shipwreck and is offered asylum on a small private island. The island is owned by Dr. Moreau, a scientist involved in mysterious biological experiments. The man is told that the island is rarely visited by outsiders, and it may be a year before he can return to his everyday life. As he rests in his quarters, he hears the piercing howls and screams of an animal in agony. The sounds become intolerable, and he flees the compound to walk about the forest. He catches glimpses of grotesque creatures that seem to be half man, half beast. Dr. Moreau confesses that his life’s work has been the attempt to humanize lower animals. Although some of his attempts are initially successful, all eventually revert to their animal natures. The dread of being trapped on the island as the doctor gradually loses control of his creations drives the rescued man to take desperate actions.

The last and most modern entry on the list is “Rosemary’s Baby” by Ira Levin. This is the story of Guy and Rosemary. They unexpectedly have the opportunity to rent an apartment in their dream building, but as they settle in and plan to start a family the dream becomes a nightmare. At first, everything is too good to be true: the neighbors are friendly, Guy is doing well in his career and Rosemary finds herself pregnant with the eagerly anticipated baby. On the other hand, a young woman in the building commits suicide, Rosemary finds an odd connecting door between her apartment and the one next door, and her pregnancy occurs only after eating a dessert with a strange aftertaste. Rosemary begins to understand that something is very wrong, and that she may not be able to turn to Guy for help.

As you scan through this list of frightful selections, there are a few questions that may spring to mind.

Q: What about the horror master Edgar Allan Poe?
A: Poe is known for his short stories and poems, not novels. A couple of other notable writers of short stories in this genre are Guy de Maupassant and Ray Bradbury.

Q: Are there any titles in this category that are considered modern classics?
A: There are many very scary selections that have been written more recently, such as “The Amityville Horror” and “Pet Sematary”.

Q: Should I read the books, or just watch the movies?
A: Read the books. You can catch the movies later, but what your mind can create is more complicated and more frightening than anything Hollywood can put on the screen. 

Summary
This list of seven classic horror novels to read before you die includes selections from early gothic novels to terrifying tales set in contemporary culture. Reading these books will give you a sampling of monsters, ghosts and a demonic baby. Reading these books will also give you seven examples of outstanding writing by authors who were not only masters of the genre novel, but of the written word.

What Is The Difference Between Ghosts And Spirits?
Have you ever contemplated what the difference was? Are they the same thing? Are they words that co-inside with each other or is there more to it than just semantics? Let’s take a closer look at the definitions of each and try to make some sense out of the difference.

Definitions

The definition of a ghost is the following: a dead person’s soul, a disembodied spirit imagined, usually as a vague, evanescent or shadowy form, wandering among or haunting living persons. Looking at this, one would get the impression that a ghost is a troubled person that has died and who may be trapped between earth and a greater place, creating trouble for people who are alive.

Now let us take a look at the definition of a spirit
: a supernatural, non-material being, especially one inhabiting a place or an object. Reading this definition, the feeling is of someone that is invisible but still here. The definition does not say that they are going anywhere, but that they are inhabiting a home or an object.

What Do Ghosts Do?

The common assumption is that they are known to haunt houses. There is a lot of documentation and information out there that humans have felt and seen apparitions in their houses, usually during night, when it is dark outside. They aren’t always evil though. There are many stories of people who just see or hear things, without an explanation.

Paranormal activity is thought to be trapped souls doing things to catch our attention. These souls are named poltergeists. They are known to cause objects to move in an attempt to scare people and as a means of showing their anger with being trapped. Things may fly off of shelves or fall onto the floor without a human anywhere near them. This activity is common in homes that are thought to be haunted.

Are they trying to get our attention? Or are they so upset that they are stuck here that they feel they need to haunt us until they get where they are going?

They are thought to be troubled and trapped between realms. They are here because they may have some unfinished business to attend to before moving on. However, they may be unaware of this and are feeling they are imprisoned and unsure of how to proceed. Because of this they often haunt homes and do the paranormal things out of anger or fear.

Spirits – What Is Their Story?

They have a different story. They are thought to be invisible souls that are still here after death has happened. No one really sees them though. They are felt. They are people that are still here but not to been seen or to have haunt you.

After death they can stay here to watch over family and friends. They are here for a purpose. Unbeknownst to the living, they may be trying to give them guidance through subtle hints that can be given without being seen.

They have already seen the light of the other side, any higher power. They know already what is out there. They are here to help us and are hanging around to give us signs to help us through.

What Can I Do To Help?

If you have felt a presence in your home, you may be afraid. You might not know who or what you are dealing with. What should you do?

Try to relax and call out to the presence to see if you get any results. If things move around and you feel an anger in the air, try to calm the ghost by letting them know that you understand their pain. Tell them that you are friendly and wish to help.

You may have to live with the presence for a while until they find what it is that they are looking for. There are hunters of the paranormal that you could call to come and help, if you are very scared. A paranormal specialist can be found with a quick search on the internet.

Will They Show Themselves?

There are stories of some sightings. Usually an apparition or a foggy shadow. This is very spooky if you witness it. It may involve mirrors. The best thing to do is continue to be calm, and to let them know you are not a threat.

How Can I Make Them Go Away?

After awhile you may luck out that they have finally found the answer to their problem and they will vacate on their own. If it goes on for some time, you might want to hire the service of a paranormal hunter to help determine what you are dealing with and to give you pointers on how to have them move on. They have electronic devices that can let you know if your home is affected or not and where they are vacating. They may be able to help.

If it is a visiting loved one however, you may feel that presence your whole life. And that is someone who you know, that wants to look after you, not to have you feel haunted in the night. So you probably don’t want that to go away at all. That is something you should cherish.

Summary

Any information obtained through stories or your own viewing should be passed around to others so they are aware of the differences. A lot of people are scared of hauntings and they don’t understand what they mean. They are also afraid of the feeling of someone being there with them, and that might be the spirit they feel.