Are you afraid of ghosts?
Are you afraid of ghosts? Do you suffer from phasmophobia? Some people also believe that the word spectrophobia is a word for the fear of ghosts, but in reality it is a word for the fear of mirrors or of one's own reflection.
If ghosts are real and do exist, then I don't believe you have anything real to fear, except, as has been said before, fear itself. I don't believe that ghosts have the ability to harm, hurt or kill anybody. And all the Hollywood movies that depict ghosts as malevolent entities who want to make your face melt off, or your body explode are nothing more than that, fictional movies. In my opinion the film makers who make these ghost or paranormal movies have done a grave injustice to those who really do want to explore, research and investigate the supernatural and paranormal in a scientific manner.
I personally investigated a friends mobile home for potential ghostly activity and started provoking a ghost that I thought existed there. And the worst thing that happened to me was a small scratch on my neck. Was I attacked by a ghost? Or was it something I had done to myself? I really don't know, but I certainly don't remember scratching myself.
I do believe that if ghosts are real, they may be able to manipulate enough energy and matter to scratch, poke or touch someone. But I absolutely do not believe they could cause any real physical harm. I do believe that it is possible that ghosts or spirits may be able to manipulate your mind, especially if you give them an opening into your subconscious, or perhaps even feed upon your fears and exploit them for their own purposes. So my personal advice to anyone who feels their home is being haunted or threatened by any malevolent ghosts, demons or other entities would be to stand up to them, tell them to get lost, let any ghosts that may exist there know you're not afraid. Because fear is what they feed upon.
If you're a religious person, turn to your religion if you believe it will help. If you're not a religious person rely upon your own force of will and belief in yourself. There are also books and websites that may be able to give you advice as to how to exorcise or cleanse your own home of any malevolent ghosts or other negative entities that may be present. But if you do feel you are being threatened by a malevolent ghosts or other entities, do take it seriously and get the help you may need. If necessary you may even want to contact a reputable paranormal research group. My links pages have some listed and if you contact one of them they may be able to help you find one near your home.
Psychics and mediums
Psychics and mediums are people who claim to be able sense the presence of, and possibly communicate with the ghosts or spirits of people who have passed on. As far as this ability is concerned I am very open minded, but I do retain just a hint of skepticism.
If ghosts, or spirits do continue to exist after the end of life as we know it, then I also believe it is possible that some people may have the ability to communicate with these entities. How this ability would manifest itself, I have absolutely no idea. It is, in my opinion probably something related to the physiology or chemistry of the brain itself, something that gives the psychic or medium the ability to perceive elements of nature that just may be beyond the scope of the non-psychic, i.e. a 6th sense. I have also heard it said that all people may have some psychic abilities. This may be true, but somehow I have my doubts.
It may be true that some people do have psychic abilities. And some mediums may be able to sense the presence of and communicate with those who have passed on. But I also believe that the vast majority of people who make these claims, are nothing more than complete frauds, and are out only to separate grieving survivors from their money. So if you do decide to contact a medium immediately after the death of a loved one do check into their background.
The reason I mention psychics and mediums at all is simply this. If you sincerely feel you are being tormented or haunted and wish to communicate with any ghosts or spirits that may be bothering you, then I would suggest that you contact a reputable psychic. But I would also suggest that you exercise extreme caution when dealing with anyone who claims to have psychic abilities. And I would also be extremely cautious of any who charges a fee for a basic consultation. I believe that most people, who may have this gift, if real, would be more than willing to assist for a small fee if any. One piece of advice I would like to give, if you wish to contact a psychic-medium would be to first contact a reputable paranormal research group near your home, and some of these groups use psychics or mediums in their investigations.
The first thing I would recommend, if you do wish to make some sort of contact with any ghosts, or spirits who may be haunting your home or place of business would be to contact a reputable paranormal research team. Most of these teams of paranormal investigators or researchers are more than willing to perform an investigation free of charge and some also employ psychics and even clergy in their investigations, depending on the group and your personal preferences. So before you spend a bunch of money on a psychic, who may be nothing more than a scam artist, contact a reputable paranormal group, and find out what they might have to say about your particular situation. It may be that your home or place of business is not haunted at all. Your experiences may be explained by natural non-paranormal factors.
Why some may fear ghosts
- The first and probably the most common of these reasons is a basic fear of the unknown. I believe that most of us, to some degree exhibit fear, when confronted with something that we know little if anything about. And I also believe that even those who are skeptical or don't believe in ghosts or the paranormal can't be 100 percent certain that these things aren't real, and even they, whether they admit or not, probably have some degree of fear of ghosts and the paranormal. The paranormal, if real, is something that no living human being can never truly comprehend or understand or explain. Most of those who investigate and research the paranormal and supernatural would, most likely admit that there is much, that even they don't understand. And scientists, even though most of them dismiss the paranormal as nothing more than an overactive imagination can do little to squelch or calm the fears of those who do believe.
- I believe that the second reason many of us fear ghosts and the supernatural is simply, our inherent fear of death and dying. And ghosts, without a doubt symbolizes death and the uncertainty of what may come after the end of life. They, the ghosts may also represent being trapped between the realities of our earth bound existence and that of the afterlife. And I also believe they represent the fear of being left behind or lost eternally, especially if the person who exhibits this fear has some deep religious convictions and expects to be either rewarded or perhaps even punished in the after-life for their sins and transgressions.
- The third reason I think many of us would fear ghosts is humans, primal fear of the dark or of night. Our prehistoric ancestors had good reason to fear the night. Humans by nature are not nocturnal creatures and our visual acuity with its ability to discern colors has not evolved to be necessarily good at night, and many predators in prehistoric world were nocturnal and probably preyed upon primitive humans, therefore, I believe that the fear of the dark and of the night became a self-defense mechanism of human kind and that this primal fear is a basic instinct. I think this is why many people also believe that ghosts only come out at night or around 3 AM the witching hour. If ghosts are real and I believe they are then they are just as likely to be active in the day as at night, but we have come to believe they only come out at night because of our modern culture.
- The fourth and perhaps the most compelling reason for our fear of ghosts and the paranormal is Hollywood. Most of the movies that present the paranormal, depict ghosts as malevolent entities who either want to possess our souls or kill us in a most extreme and gory fashion. Very few movies have ever depicted ghosts in a positive light, but there have been some. And the ones that do depict ghosts as something other than evil spirits are basically love stories or comedies.