Posted: May 13, 2010 4:06 pm
I believe people experience "ghosts". I doubt anyone denies that people have spooky experiences. I however believe some such experiences represent "real ghosts" -- ghosts that are in some sense objective entities: that they stand independent of the observer, and i do not believe that any current naturalistic explanation, for example infrasound, underground water, gauss variation, etc, etc, accounts for some aspects. These independent entities often appear to display intelligence, possibly self awareness, and be reactive to their environment, leading me to suspect they may represent some form of discarnate intelligence, or a human consciousness operating remotely. I hope that is reasonably clear.
In short "I believe in ghosts". I would draw from the literature, my research, and philosophical arguments - my main texts are probably
Evans, H (2002) Seeing Ghosts: Experiences of the Paranormal, London, John Murray
Green, C & McCreery, C (1975) Apparitions, London, Hamish Hamilton,
Gurney, E, Myers, F, Podmore, F (1886), Phantasms of the Living, Society for Psychical Research, London
Hart, H.. (1956). Six Theories About Apparitions, ProcSPR, 50, 153-239
McCorristine, S. (2007) "Dreaming While Awake: The Evolution of the Concept of Hallucination in the Nineteenth Century" in Forum: The University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture & the Arts, Special Issue 1.
Salter, W.(1938) Ghosts and Apparitions. London: G. Bell & Sons
Sidgwick, E. (1885). Notes on the Evidence collected by the Society for Phantasms of the Dead, ProcSPR 3, 69-150
Sidgwick, E. et al. (1894). Report on the Census of Hallucinations. ProcSPR 10, 25-422
Tyrrell, GNM (1953) Apparitions, New York, Pantheon Books
Watt, C, Wiseman R, (2009) The Ghost in the Machine; An Internet Study of Haunting Experiences, paper presented at the 33rd International SPR Conference, Nottingham
West, D.J. (1948). Mass-Observation Questionnaire on Hallucinations. JSPR 34, 187-196
West, D.J. (1990). A Pilot Census of Hallucinations. ProcSPR 57(215), 163-207
West , D.J. (1995). Notes on a Recent Psychic Survey. JSPR
but I just took that list from a paper i am about to submit, so it is not inclusive. I'm happy to define the debate parameters as my opponent desires. Does that help AE?
Thanks guys, look forward to it..
j x
In short "I believe in ghosts". I would draw from the literature, my research, and philosophical arguments - my main texts are probably
Evans, H (2002) Seeing Ghosts: Experiences of the Paranormal, London, John Murray
Green, C & McCreery, C (1975) Apparitions, London, Hamish Hamilton,
Gurney, E, Myers, F, Podmore, F (1886), Phantasms of the Living, Society for Psychical Research, London
Hart, H.. (1956). Six Theories About Apparitions, ProcSPR, 50, 153-239
McCorristine, S. (2007) "Dreaming While Awake: The Evolution of the Concept of Hallucination in the Nineteenth Century" in Forum: The University of Edinburgh Postgraduate Journal of Culture & the Arts, Special Issue 1.
Salter, W.(1938) Ghosts and Apparitions. London: G. Bell & Sons
Sidgwick, E. (1885). Notes on the Evidence collected by the Society for Phantasms of the Dead, ProcSPR 3, 69-150
Sidgwick, E. et al. (1894). Report on the Census of Hallucinations. ProcSPR 10, 25-422
Tyrrell, GNM (1953) Apparitions, New York, Pantheon Books
Watt, C, Wiseman R, (2009) The Ghost in the Machine; An Internet Study of Haunting Experiences, paper presented at the 33rd International SPR Conference, Nottingham
West, D.J. (1948). Mass-Observation Questionnaire on Hallucinations. JSPR 34, 187-196
West, D.J. (1990). A Pilot Census of Hallucinations. ProcSPR 57(215), 163-207
West , D.J. (1995). Notes on a Recent Psychic Survey. JSPR
but I just took that list from a paper i am about to submit, so it is not inclusive. I'm happy to define the debate parameters as my opponent desires. Does that help AE?
Thanks guys, look forward to it..
j x