25-05-2003 09:39									#1
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Ghosts 'all in the mind'

quote: A chill in the air, low-light conditions and even magnetic fields may trigger feelings that "a presence" is in a room - but that is all they are, feelings. This explanation of ghosts is the result of a large study in which researchers led hundreds of volunteers around two of the UK's supposedly most haunted locations - Hampton Court Palace, England, and the South Bridge Vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr Richard Wiseman, of the University of Hertfordshire, and his colleagues say their work has thrown up some interesting data to suggest why so many people can be spooked in the same building but provides no evidence that ghosts are real.

This interesting study confirms the skpetic's contention, that ghosts are nothing but just tricks played by one's mind.

	25-05-2003 10:01									#2
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Does this explain some of the interesting light phenomena people encounter, such as glowing spheres and such?

	25-05-2003 10:03									#3
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Glowing spheres?

	25-05-2003 10:11									#4
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A good many people claim to have witnessed glowing spheres, sometimes more than one, in places said to be haunted. There have also been a lot of photographs captured of these spirit whatever thingies, though any photograph's authenticity is immediately suspect.

	25-05-2003 10:17									#5
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Those glowing spheres, if they exist, should be a rather definitive proof of the existence of ghosts/souls. So far, though, as you said, nobody could provide undisputed evidence of these spheres.

	25-05-2003 10:55									#6
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UR, how do we know they are ghosts and souls though if they do exsist. one is assuming thats what they are if they see them. if you document them then its definitive proof they are glowing spheres of light, nothing more.

	25-05-2003 10:58									#7
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the amount of people died would indicate that there should be at least trillions of ghosts floating around. A bit unrealistic Id say.

Unless you say u need some special dumb reasons. Like you have to think that u're not dead or some really gay ones.

	25-05-2003 11:48									#8
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Zero:

the thing i never understood about ghosts is that they are always found on battlefields, forts, or old buildings and are, in the US, always from the Civil War era or the Prohibition era...

if ghosts existed, then people would be seeing them in the streets of ever major city all the time and from all time periods...

i think the fact that we don't is proff that ghosts do not exist.

	25-05-2003 12:04									#9
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"the amount of people died would indicate that there should be at least trillions of ghosts floating around. A bit unrealistic Id say."

[devil's advocate] Not nessecarily. Just because some people become ghosts doesn't mean all people do. It could simply be that there is something special we don't understand about those who do become ghosts.[/devil's advocate]

	25-05-2003 12:09									#10
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[devil's advocate #2]Besides, even if everyone who dies becomes a ghost, that doesn't necessarily mean we would be able to see them. It could be just a tiny minority who are visible, or choose to become visible. [/devil's advocate #2]

	25-05-2003 13:24									#11
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It's scientifically proven that human cells emit large amount of energy (in forms of EM waves) before the body finally shuts down. Could ghosts come from people whose cells emitted extra-ordinary amount of energy?

Also, science is still in its infancy. Of the 4 fundamental forces, only electro-magnetic force is well understood and characterized. We still know very little about the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and the gravitational force.

	25-05-2003 14:29									#12
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Psalm 46:10

	25-05-2003 14:49									#13
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what's the difference between strong nuclear force and weak nuclear force?

	25-05-2003 14:50									#14
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IIRC, strong nuclear force is what holds atomic nucleii together, while weak nuclear force is what holds protons and neutrons together (or the other way around, I'm not entirely sure).

Last edited by GeneralTacticus on 25-05-2003 at 15:11

	25-05-2003 15:34									#15
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It's surprising that the South Bridge Vaults are considered haunted, I mean, they're just underground storage rooms, how many people could have died in them?

	25-05-2003 19:36									#16
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Generally ghosts go a huntin' when they've died a bad death or were betrayed or something like that. I don't think too many people died well on Civil War battlefields.

	25-05-2003 23:25									#17
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quote: Originally posted by Lord Merciless It's scientifically proven that human cells emit large amount of energy (in forms of EM waves) before the body finally shuts down. Could ghosts come from people whose cells emitted extra-ordinary amount of energy? Also, science is still in its infancy. Of the 4 fundamental forces, only electro-magnetic force is well understood and characterized. We still know very little about the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and the gravitational force.

actually we know a lot about all of these

there are still some questions to be answered (like quantum gravity)

but the standard behavior is decently understood

Jon Miller

	26-05-2003 01:13									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Jon Miller actually we know a lot about all of these there are still some questions to be answered (like quantum gravity) but the standard behavior is decently understood Jon Miller

Depends what you mean by " a lot".

	26-05-2003 01:27									#19
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quote: IIRC, strong nuclear force is what holds atomic nucleii together, while weak nuclear force is what holds protons and neutrons together (or the other way around, I'm not entirely sure).

From what you've said, one could think that the weak and the strong atomic forces are the same.

	26-05-2003 03:49									#20
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quote: Originally posted by Azazel quote: IIRC, strong nuclear force is what holds atomic nucleii together, while weak nuclear force is what holds protons and neutrons together (or the other way around, I'm not entirely sure). From what you've said, one could think that the weak and the strong atomic forces are the same.

The weak nuclear force is responsible for holding Neutrons together. Neutrons are unstable outside an atomic nucleus, and will decay into an electron, a proton, and a neutrino within 10 minutes.

However, neutrons are entirely stable inside a atomic nucleus. Scientists are unable to explain why that's the case.

	26-05-2003 04:17									#21
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if you died, and became a ghost, and had the whole universe at your finger tips, would you really spend eternity in a wine basement


I suggest looking for dirty old ghoulies in the womens shower room.

	26-05-2003 10:48									#22
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Most ghosts are supposedly chained to the spot where they died as persons.

	26-05-2003 10:49									#23
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quote: Originally posted by MRT144 UR, how do we know they are ghosts and souls though if they do exsist. one is assuming thats what they are if they see them. if you document them then its definitive proof they are glowing spheres of light, nothing more.

Not 100%, but if these glowing spheres have been established to be linked with ghosts, showing the existence of these spheres would be constitute some pretty strong evidence for ghosts.

	26-05-2003 11:11									#24
	Re: The darkness of superstitions recedes a bit more Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

quote: Originally posted by Urban Ranger Ghosts 'all in the mind' This interesting study confirms the skpetic's contention, that ghosts are nothing but just tricks played by one's mind.

"...thrown up some interesting data to suggest why..."

One lab experiment and you are sold Urban. Hardly proof, is it?

	26-05-2003 14:03									#25
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As much as I can't stand religious nonsense, I remain somewhat agnostic on the question of ghosts. Granted, the notion has a certain psychological appeal given that if ghosts exist it means one CAN survive death - thus there is a certain wish fulfillment that seems to be involved.

Nonetheless, there might be something to the ghost thing. Some sort of residual magnetic effects after death? Who the hell knows.

The point is, its hard to prove the non-existence of something. Doesn't mean that I have a positive belief though.

	26-05-2003 17:45									#26
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TED:

"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

I'm not sure the relevance to the subject.

quote: The point is, its hard to prove the non-existence of something.

It's actually impossible.
You can only definitively prove the existence, or the lack of evidence for the existence.

	27-05-2003 00:13									#27
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quote: Originally posted by The Templar As much as I can't stand religious nonsense, I remain somewhat agnostic on the question of ghosts.

For me it's the exact opposite...
Anyway if ghosts exist we should be able to find them using a PKE meter... (I love that film )

quote: Originally posted by Lord Merciless Of the 4 fundamental forces, only electro-magnetic force is well understood and characterized. We still know very little about the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and the gravitational force.

If i remember well my studies the weak nuclear force and the electro-magnetic one are the same.
so, either we don't know a lot even about electromagnetic one or we know both very well

quote: Originally posted by General Crassus IIRC, strong nuclear force is what holds atomic nucleii together, while weak nuclear force is what holds protons and neutrons together (or the other way around, I'm not entirely sure).

strong nuclear force is what holds atomic nucleii together, so it makes nucleii "stable", the weak is different: it makes nucleii "unstable" allowing a lot of interesting nuclear reactions such as fusion:

no weak force -> no fusion,
no fusion -> no sun,
no sun -> no life,
no life -> no civ (Woow that's scary... )

	27-05-2003 05:34									#28
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quote: Originally posted by Angelo Scotto If i remember well my studies the weak nuclear force and the electro-magnetic one are the same. so, either we don't know a lot even about electromagnetic one or we know both very well

If you mean the Electro-Weak-Interaction.... Can you explain why the weak nuclear force and em force are considered the same?

	27-05-2003 05:52									#29
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quote: It's scientifically proven that human cells emit large amount of energy (in forms of EM waves) before the body finally shuts down. Could ghosts come from people whose cells emitted extra-ordinary amount of energy?

Didn't Einstein conclude there was an after life/soul based on energy transformations or something?

quote: Most ghosts are supposedly chained to the spot where they died as persons.

Did you find that in "The Handbook For the Recently Deceased"?

	27-05-2003 06:01									#30
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quote: Originally posted by Berzerker Didn't Einstein conclude there was an after life/soul based on energy transformations or something?

If the energy is too weak, external energy sources, such as visible light, can easily destroy its cohesion. I think that's why we don't see many ghosts wandering around.

It seems that the best way to destroy undead beings such as ghosts, spectres, and etc is to use high-intensity, high-frequency electro-magnetic waves.