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Why Do People Believe in Ghosts?
thantlantic ^

Posted on 09/05/2014 11:01:29 PM PDT by chessplayer

In June, Sheila Sillery-Walsh, a British tourist visiting the historic island-prison of Alcatraz in San Francisco, claimed that she captured an image of a ghost in a picture she snapped on her iPhone. In the frame of what was otherwise supposed to be a picture of an empty prison cell was a blurry black and white image of a woman. The story, which was printed in the British tabloid the Daily Mail, featured on the Bay Area's local KRON4 TV station and mocked by SFist, isn't the first time the Daily Mail has claimed that strange images have come up on smart devices.

Normally, a paranormal story wouldn’t catch my attention, but a few months before the story came out, a Spanish friend of mine named Laura showed me a weird image she found on her phone while I was traveling in Madrid. The photo, taken on her iPhone while on a trip to Ethiopia, shows a boy looking down at leaves he is holding in his hands. Seemingly superimposed onto the boy is another image of the boy, hands in a different position and eyes looking straight at the camera.

Laura was convinced she captured an image of a ghost.

Then a few weeks later I discovered an image of a man in the background of a photo I took with my own iPhone. The picture was taken in my apartment and the man, whom I can’t identify, was not actually in the apartment at the time.

Recent surveys have shown that a significant portion of the population believes in ghosts, leading some scholars to conclude that we are witnessing a revival of paranormal beliefs in Western society.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: afterlife; ghosts
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To: discostu
Of course you never said you are superior! DUH!!!!!! You SHOWED that you think you are superior.

Read back on your posts and read the responses to them. I am obviously not the only one who understand that you THINK yourself superior to people who believe in ghosts because -- AS YOU HAVE STATED REPEATEDLY IN DIFFERENT WAYS -- you understand that people who believe in ghosts are behaving irrationally, seeking comfort, wanting to perceive themselves as "special" and "living forever" and that is why they interpret these things as "ghosts" instead of what you assume are simply mis-read average phenomenon. Different words, SAME POINT.

Come on. Be responsible for your own positions and stop trying to weasel out of them. You INSULT people when you tell them they didn't really know what they saw but YOU do because you "understand" their "psychological need" to believe something you reject -- something you reject because you've never experienced it.

141 posted on 09/07/2014 10:26:13 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: grania

God made man with Body, soul, and spirit.

Jesus Christ in His humanity, was perfect, the second ADAM, with a body, soul, and human spirit.

The soul composition includes the mind, memory, self-consciousness, conscience, mentality, heart, thinking and volition. It is identified with the person. Jesus Christ was judged on the Cross (focus on His human soul, His Divinity wasn’t so judged).

The thinking part of man is composed of 2 parts, the mind and the heart.

Many Old Testament verses refer to the life being breathed into Adam, with no discernment between spirit and soul.

New Testament passages such as 1stCor 2:14 speak of discerning between the ‘natural man’ and the “new man”, the born again believer.

1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The new Christ nature of a born again man is synonymous with the human spirit.

Heb 4:12
(12) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

1Co 15:42-58
(42) So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
(43) It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
(44) It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
(45) And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
(46) Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
(47) The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
(48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
(49) And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
(50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
(55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
(56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
(57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

In re: to Jesus Christ’s ascension. When He died on the Cross, He first was judged, then he suffered a spiritual death or separation from God the Father in His humanity. This is shown when He exclaimed, “Why have you forsaken me!”

He still had a soul in his body; he still was perfect but became sin for us. He was judged for us and paid the penalty of sin.

He then exclaimed, It is FINISHED (once and for all)! indicating all payment had been rendered to God propitiating His wrath, atoning for all sin, and He then gave up the ghost (human spirit) back to God the Father, from whom it had been created (human spirit). The human spirit went to heaven as it remained incorruptible. The soul descended to Hades, specially to Abraham’s Bosom, also known as “Paradise”, the dwelling place of Old Testament believers before the payment for sin had been made. His body went to the grave (in the tomb).

Three days later, as prophesied, the spirit returned to the body, the soul ascended to the body on earth, and the body was raised immortal in the First Resurrection.

He was witnessed for exactly 40 days in HIs resurrection body on earth, then ascended to the third heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father, and 10 days later began the Church Age.

The human spirit identified with the ‘new man’ is a life created by God the Father and placed in us by God the Holy Spirit. It is incorruptible. This is not the same as our soul.

In re: to ghosts, there may be other issues at hand. (To be continued).


142 posted on 09/07/2014 10:26:19 AM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: Finny

Quote where I said I was superior. Go ahead. Otherwise you’re a liar. It’s just that simple. I haven’t insulted ANYBODY. You’re the one doing EVERYTHING you accuse me of. Quote me saying it, admit your mistake, or we all know you’re just a pointless liar.


143 posted on 09/07/2014 10:29:07 AM PDT by discostu (We don't leave the ladies crying cause the story's sad.)
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To: Cvengr

Thank you for that excellent information about the body, soul, and spirit. It makes me wonder if perhaps some people just might be more in tune with the human spirit than others are.


144 posted on 09/07/2014 10:31:48 AM PDT by grania
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To: discostu
Discostu, your ARROGANCE is on high parade:

Your last paragraph just proved me right, you want to survive death and your belief in how you will makes you special. So I take it you are an atheist? that God's promise if "eternal life" is just feel-good stuff, the same as ghosts.

Are you an atheist, Discostu? If you are, it explains your arrogant take on people who "believe" their own eyes ... er, I mean, who "believe" in ghosts.

145 posted on 09/07/2014 10:32:41 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: discostu

You SHOWED that you think you are superior. That you cannot perceive that you did so, is your problem.


146 posted on 09/07/2014 10:33:29 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: Finny

I don’t know why you’re so desperate to have a flame war. But since it’s entirely fueled by stuff YOU inserted and has NO basis in ANYTHING I wrote I’m out. You go ahead and have your flame war all by yourself. I won’t be reading anymore of your lies. Have a good day.


147 posted on 09/07/2014 10:37:11 AM PDT by discostu (We don't leave the ladies crying cause the story's sad.)
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To: discostu
Quote where I said I was superior. Go ahead. Otherwise you’re a liar.

I tell the truth, although you didn't DIRECTLY say you were superior. You SHOWED that you THINK you are superior in your words, clear as day. And I will offer TWO quotes:

Your words as to why people "believe" in ghosts. Not because they SAW and EXPERIENCED them, but because: "Because we’re afraid to die and we want to be special. Encounters with things that “survived” death in some way feeds both, it makes us special today and gives us hope that death is not the end tomorrow.

And again, YOUR words, proof that you THINK you are superior to people who "believe" in the bible's promise of eternal life and as well, YOU attach some idea of "special" to a VERY PROMISE that is open to anyone willing to take it, no "special invitation" required: "Your last paragraph just proved me right, you want to survive death and your belief in how you will makes you special."

You very obviously think that only inferior people desperate to believe they are "special" believe in ghosts or in eternal life, while YOU refuse to believe in either one because you are too smart.

Be accountable for the offense you cause by your arrogance as expressed here, and stop trying to weasel out of your own expressed opinions by way of semantics.

148 posted on 09/07/2014 10:47:04 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: discostu

You are a cowardly weenie who lacks the honesty to be accountable for his own opinions.


149 posted on 09/07/2014 10:47:37 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: discostu

ARE YOU AN ATHEIST? Do you have the courage to answer that question here?


150 posted on 09/07/2014 10:48:43 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: discostu; All
Discostu, you ignored the key question in my post while you whined that you were mistreated. ANSWER my question or else prove that you are a weenie by ignoring it:

ARE YOU AN ATHEIST?

151 posted on 09/07/2014 10:50:07 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: Cvengr; discostu
Those who are atheist, may tend to identify the reports as a form of approbation lust, such as your suggestion people want to be the center of attention.

Exactly correct.

152 posted on 09/07/2014 10:53:13 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: discostu

Don’t mind the yap dogs.
It don’t mean nothing.


153 posted on 09/07/2014 10:55:57 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Finny; JRandomFreeper

God can’t be measured. He can’t be observed. He has to be taken on faith.

So there are things which humans cannot measure nor explain.


154 posted on 09/07/2014 4:16:47 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Durus; All

There are many references in the Bible to spirits or ghosts.

1 Sam 28 - 7 Then Saul told his officers, “Find me a woman who can talk to the spirits of the dead. I’ll go to her and find out what’s going to happen.”

ESV Leviticus 19:31 - “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.

2 Kings 21:6 - 6 And he burned his son as an offering[a] and used fortune-telling and omens and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.

Job 7:9-10, Deuteronomy 18:11, Psalm 146:4, Isaiah 8:19

So its in the Bible that the spirits exist. Yes some of them are clearly demons and some are angels but from the Bible it is clear not all are. What is clear is we should trust in God and not seek out spirits or ghosts. Nor do we need to fear them.


155 posted on 09/07/2014 4:25:32 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: grania

As I understand it, and believe, God came to live in Jesus through the spirit. His spirit entered Jesus.


156 posted on 09/07/2014 9:37:46 PM PDT by VerySadAmerican (Liberals were raised by women or wimps. And they're all stupid.)
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To: Ken H

LOL


157 posted on 09/08/2014 3:31:44 PM PDT by 82nd Bragger (Count to four except when in a helicopter)
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To: Vermont Lt; fidelis; Cvengr

How about this as an image of the spiritual universe and “our” place in it?

http://www.bswett.com/00Sector.html


158 posted on 09/08/2014 4:49:24 PM PDT by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: GreyFriar

The dark side is quite a bit more restrictive than presented. Known as the Torments, Tartarus, and the Abyss, and later the Lake of Fire, it really isn’t a domain one wishes to be that well informed about,...


159 posted on 09/08/2014 8:36:18 PM PDT by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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