Anyone ever seen a ghost?

[NickFitz]

ISTR that there's a theory that these supernatural phenomena are actually recordings of past events being played out on some kind of ethereal videotape. There was a TV drama about this made back in the 70s by Nigel Kneale (of Quatermass fame). can't remember what it was called but it scared the hell out of me when I was a kid.

T. C. Lethbridge, an archaeologist from Cambridge University, was a great proponent of such theories. After his retirement in the late fifties he published a number of books on the subject which are worth looking out for. It's very likely that Nigel Kneale drew on Lethbridge's work, which was enjoying great renown in what came to be known as the Earth Mysteries movement at the time you speak of: Lethbridge believed there to be a definite connection between ley lines, Earth energies associated therewith detectable by dowsing, and those manifestations that were called ghosts.

By corollary, he concluded that spirits did not walk the Earth; it was just that we could under certain circumstances access the perceptions of others that had been imprinted on our surroundings, and that the perceptions so imprinted were likely to be ones associated with strong emotions such as terror - hence the fact that people often experience such emotions when experiencing these "action replays", for the imprint is (according to his theories) of the experience in all its human aspects, not merely of the sensory perceptions.

He also argued that this might be why certain places gain a reputation for being haunted, and many witnesses report similar phenomena in such places: where one person saw a real "lady in grey" in a context that made a profound impression upon them, they would leave an imprint of that experience on their surroundings. Later, when some person in a suitably sensitive state picked up on that impression and saw the "lady in grey" whilst also experiencing the profound emotions of the original person, yet all the time knowing that said lady was not in fact present and having no reason to experience such emotions, this itself would have such a profound impression as to leave its own mark on the surroundings; and so a feedback mechanism would establish itself, and others would later go through the same process.

I offer no opinion as to the validity of Lethbridge's theories, but he is a sufficiently interesting writer that I read a number of his books when I was in my teens, and have a couple on my shelves that I have since picked up in second-hand bookshops. His earlier ones are the best; towards the end of his life he started drifting off into some rather weird ideas involving evolution - he wasn't against evolution, but he developed some ideas concerning the teleology thereof, and of course there is no teleology of evolution

[eliquant]

T. C. Lethbridge, an archaeologist from Cambridge University, was a great proponent of such theories. After his retirement in the late fifties he published a number of books on the subject which are worth looking out for. It's very likely that Nigel Kneale drew on Lethbridge's work, which was enjoying great renown in what came to be known as the Earth Mysteries movement at the time you speak of: Lethbridge believed there to be a definite connection between ley lines, Earth energies associated therewith detectable by dowsing, and those manifestations that were called ghosts.

By corollary, he concluded that spirits did not walk the Earth; it was just that we could under certain circumstances access the perceptions of others that had been imprinted on our surroundings, and that the perceptions so imprinted were likely to be ones associated with strong emotions such as terror - hence the fact that people often experience such emotions when experiencing these "action replays", for the imprint is (according to his theories) of the experience in all its human aspects, not merely of the sensory perceptions.

He also argued that this might be why certain places gain a reputation for being haunted, and many witnesses report similar phenomena in such places: where one person saw a real "lady in grey" in a context that made a profound impression upon them, they would leave an imprint of that experience on their surroundings. Later, when some person in a suitably sensitive state picked up on that impression and saw the "lady in grey" whilst also experiencing the profound emotions of the original person, yet all the time knowing that said lady was not in fact present and having no reason to experience such emotions, this itself would have such a profound impression as to leave its own mark on the surroundings; and so a feedback mechanism would establish itself, and others would later go through the same process.

I offer no opinion as to the validity of Lethbridge's theories, but he is a sufficiently interesting writer that I read a number of his books when I was in my teens, and have a couple on my shelves that I have since picked up in second-hand bookshops. His earlier ones are the best; towards the end of his life he started drifting off into some rather weird ideas involving evolution - he wasn't against evolution, but he developed some ideas concerning the teleology thereof, and of course there is no teleology of evolution

strange then that no-one ever sees a ghostly 'imprint' of a boss being axed to death in the work place (say from the 1940s in an old office used today); we see what we want to see and these visions do not get 'passed on' to other people I am pretty sure.

[EternalOptimist]

being scientifically minded, I want to know what this 'imprint' is. How can it be measured, what happens if the surroundings are partially destroyed, does the lady in Grey lose half of her impact ?

What has always puzzled me about ghosts, is if they can walk through walls, why cant walls walk through them? i.e. why dont they get left behind when the earth moves through space.

Some of these ghosts occurred hundreds of years ago and millions upon millions of miles away

[wobbegong]

being scientifically minded, I want to know what this 'imprint' is. How can it be measured, what happens if the surroundings are partially destroyed, does the lady in Grey lose half of her impact ?

What has always puzzled me about ghosts, is if they can walk through walls, why cant walls walk through them? i.e. why dont they get left behind when the earth moves through space.

Some of these ghosts occurred hundreds of years ago and millions upon millions of miles away

Good point, taking it to it's logical conclusion, why don't they fall through floors, or even the earth? Are they subject to gravity, if so the core of the earth could be choc-a-block with spooks.

Also some ghosts of animals have been reported over the years, you know the sort of stuff, headless man on a horse, a black dog on the moors, so if animals have ghosts, why are there no ghost dinosaurs, or insect ghosts. "Ooooh creepy, I saw a phantom earwig, it just crawled across the floor towards me and disappeared! Aaaarrrrggghhhh!"

[RichardCranium]

if animals have ghosts, why are there no ghost dinosaurs, or insect ghosts. "Ooooh creepy, I saw a phantom earwig, it just crawled across the floor towards me and disappeared! Aaaarrrrggghhhh!"

I have long since lost count of the times I have said "Now where did that bloody great spider go?"

[MrMark]

Good point, taking it to it's logical conclusion, why don't they fall through floors, or even the earth? Are they subject to gravity, if so the core of the earth could be choc-a-block with spooks.

So far as I'm aware, ghosts occur in the place where they met a gruesome death. So, if a wall or building has been erected in the time since their death, the ghost does not recognise the barrier as it didn't exist then, and so can be seen to pass through walls. The ghost however does not fall through the floor or Earth precisely because they didn't die beneath the earth.

Problem with this explanation though is this: Why are graveyards so frightening? There shouldn't be any ghosts there at all!

[wobbegong]

So far as I'm aware, ghosts occur in the place where they met a gruesome death. So, if a wall or building has been erected in the time since their death, the ghost does not recognise the barrier as it didn't exist then, and so can be seen to pass through walls. The ghost however does not fall through the floor or Earth precisely because they didn't die beneath the earth.

Problem with this explanation though is this: Why are graveyards so frightening? There shouldn't be any ghosts there at all!

So the sky above "Ground Zero" and Lockerbie should be peppered with spooks then?

[MrMark]

So the sky above "Ground Zero" and Lockerbie should be peppered with spooks then?

Well yes, if the theory is correct. Must be why no-one's ever reported seeing a Lockerbie ghost - must be true!

[jimjamuk]

My little lad passed away in our house in 2003 and for a while now my wife and I catch my daughter who is now 4 having conversations and playing with him. Other imaginary friends come and go depending on new friends at school but the lad she plays with she insists is a boy with the same name as our little lad

Dont really know what to do when it happens - do you try to put her off doing it or treat it as if its just normal?

as for ghosts I'm a bit of a fence sitter but the wife insists that there is something in our house....

[NotAllThere]

...Other imaginary friends come and go depending on new friends at school but the lad she plays with she insists is a boy with the same name as our little lad

Dont really know what to do when it happens - do you try to put her off doing it or treat it as if its just normal?

<...snip...>

Probably just a grief processing mechanism - so long as it doesn't get morbid.