Many people believe in ghosts. This is a common belief in cultures worldwide. People think that when someone dies, their spirit continues to exist in another world. Ghosts are a popular topic, and many people find them fascinating.
It’s not just for fun, however. A 2019 survey by Ipsos showed that forty-six percent of Americans actually believe in ghosts. This means a significant number of people think ghosts are real. Moreover, only seven percent of the same group said they believe in vampires, reported Live Science.
Around eighteen percent of Americans say they’ve either seen a ghost or felt as if one were in their presence, according to a study by Pew Research in 2015. But why do so many people claim to have such experiences with the afterlife?
One reason could be something called “pareidolia.” It’s a tendency our brains have to see patterns, especially human faces and shapes, in things that are not very clear.
Stephen Hupp, a clinical psychologist and professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, explained this to Live Science in an email.
He said that sometimes we look at clouds and see faces or figures in them. Likewise, when we’re in a dark house, we might see shapes and shadows that seem like ghosts.
Ghost clubs in Victorian England
People have been trying to communicate with spirits for a long time. For instance, in Victorian England, it became fashionable for upper-class ladies to hold séances in their sitting rooms after enjoying tea and crumpets with their friends.
Even prestigious universities such as Cambridge and Oxford had clubs dedicated to the search for evidence of ghosts. In 1882, the most important group in this field, the Society for Psychical Research, was founded.
OTD: In 2004, we followed some plumbers-by-day, paranormal investigators-by-night, into some of the most haunted places. "Ghost Hunters" was definitely all 100% real, bro. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Gue48A9Il8
— Abe from Timehop! (@abe) October 6, 2023
A woman named Eleanor Sidgwick played a significant role in this group. She was an investigator and later became the president. You could say she was one of the original female Ghostbusters, reported Live Science.
In the late 1800s in America, many psychic mediums claimed they could talk to the dead. However, some of them were later proven to be fakes by skeptical investigators such as Harry Houdini.
Difficult to scientifically evaluate
One challenge in scientifically studying ghosts is that many different things are said to be caused by ghosts.
This ranges from something simple such as a door closing on its own to more complex things like losing one’s keys, feeling a sudden cold spot in a hallway, or even seeing a vision of a deceased family member, according to Live Science.
When sociologists Dennis and Michele Waskul talked to people who had experienced encounters with ghosts for their book Ghostly Encounters: The Hauntings of Everyday Life, they discovered something interesting. Many of the people they spoke to were not entirely sure if they had actually come across a ghost.
They remained uncertain because what they had experienced didn’t match the typical idea of a “ghost.” Instead, these individuals were convinced they had encountered something strange and unexplainable—”something inexplicable, extraordinary, mysterious, or eerie,” it was often said.
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