Ghostly powers
In honor of Halloween coming up, I thought I’d pick a spooky subject. *g*(And yes, for argument’s sake, I’m going by the assumption that ghosts do exist).
I’ve stated before that I really enjoy the Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International shows, and yeah after Jill mentioned it, I started to DVR the “A Haunting” shows on the Discovery Channel. Coincidentally, while I was setting up the DVR, I ran across a new show that was just starting up on the Discovery channel called Ghost Lab. Ghost Lab is pretty much a ghost hunting show that uses different technology to try to see or interact with ghosts. I thought their idea of “era cues” was interesting. Also Cartoon Network also has a teen version of Ghost Hunters. Anyway, hmmm, do we see a trend here: Ghost hunting seems to have exploded on TV. I’m enjoying the variations because each one seems to bring something slightly different to the field.
Of course, I’m a skeptic first and my brain is constantly trying to debunk. For instance, I’ve always wondered, why do ghost hunters always investigate in the dark or very low light? I mean, other than the obvious–duh, ghosts are probably easier to see. But what I’m getting at is: why do ghosts seem to be more active at night? And the other question I had was: why do ghosts feed off negative energy? I think the answer to these two questions goes hand-in-hand. People are apt to become more frightened in the darkness and when people become frightened their bodies prepare the “fight or flight” phenomenon, where adrenaline pumps, heart rate goes up, etc. In other words, they’re exerting more energy. Ghosts need energy to make themselves seen, make things move and such and “fear energy” is probably one of the ways they get it.
But, after watching tons of shows and reading a couple books, one question has always nagged at me. People talk about smelling cigarette or cigar smoke. They talk about hearing footsteps or seeing things move in a room. My brain can wrap itself around the fact that a residual spirit might keep its essence with him/her, ie, the way they smelled and the way they looked when they were alive. Even the sounds of footsteps are based on an individual, but, and here’s my big BUT…what about sounds, like hearing a piano play in castle with no piano or the sound of a canon shot at an old civil war sight? How does that happen? How can ghosts create sounds outside of themselves?
At first, I thought maybe that it’s sounds the ghosts remember from their past, and they can make you think you’re hearing what they heard by putting it in your mind. But then there have been cases where more than one person heard it at the same time AND the sounds were caught on a recorder, which is outside of the mind.
So, what do you think about how ghostly sounds manifest? Theories anyone? Let’s have a fun discussion and in the process you’ll be helping me with my research. You never know, I might just write a ghost story next… 
P.S. Today’s a busy away-from-the-computer day, so my answering will be sporadic but I will respond once the dust settles. Have at it!
22 people have bellied up to “Ghostly powers”
Hello Patrice! Great post! My absolute favorite show is Ghost Hunters. I’ve been watching them since their very first epsiode aired. You make some very good points and I’ve wondered about them, too. Along with the piano sounds, exactly how to ghosts manifest their voices so that we hear them? Obviously, they don’t have vocal cords anymore, so how are those voices produced? Especially with intelligent hauntings where the ghost is answering the investigator’s questions. It’s a very fascinating topic and I enjoy learning more about it. Have a great day!
Hmmm, I hadn’t thought of the vocal chords angle, but I figured that it was part of the original individual.
I love ghosts, and Ghost Hunters is one of my favorite shows! I would think that the reason we can hear them goes along with why ghosts can sometimes move things, open doors, etc. The ghost isn’t able to do these things without some kind of energy or life force. But maybe with enough energy, it project things to happen, such as doors opening, or smells to omit, or sounds to be heard. Maybe…
I do think that ‘energy’ is the key.
First, I don’t believe in ghosts…though I’ve had several experiences that they would conveniently explain
Be that as it may, my problem is somewhat the opposite of yours: I have no problem with the thought that, if they exist, ghosts are some kind of residual energy signature and would therefore reasonably be able to manipulate electromagnetic frequencies for sights and sounds. This might even permit the sensation of touch, and certainly the ‘cold chills’ sometimes reported. But where the blip do the scent chemicals (smoke, floral, etc.) come from?
=A
Good point. Hadn’t thought of it like that. I think Jill’s explanation about wood holding the smell is an interesting theory.
To be honest I think that those who have passed over are just living their lives and that sometimes are reality and their reality just overlap and we see traces of each other… or smells or sounds.
I have had someone lay next to me on my bed … twice. I have fallen asleep on the sofa to have someone band the back… right next to my ear waking me up. We have heard people walking up the stairs and in the rooms upstairs…. I have had the door handle go down and the door opened to my office. (My house has alot of spiritual activity as you can guess lol)Spirits are probably making sounds all the time but we only get brief snips on very rare ocassions.
Hmmm…overlapping realities. Interesting theory.
Oh, good. I’m not the only one who’s had a ‘ghost’ crawl into their bed. Actually, I knew I wasn’t because the girl in the dorm room across the hall from me at the time had the same thing happen. She smudged with sage and chased it away. I didn’t. Thought it would be rude after it saved the life of my best friend. It was a…very active dorm.
=A
Wow! Well its happened 3 times with me. I just ask them to please go away because Im tired and would like to go to sleep. And that trying to communicate with me when im going to bed isnt the best time to do so lol Im prob sound like a freak if anyone could hear me lol
I have to admit that I find Ghost Hunters corny too (even though I love it). My husband thinks it is the CRAPPIEST SHOW THAT EVER CRAPPED but I do not share his opinion.
Though I don’t know why they turn the lights off either.
I guess ghostly sounds could be attributed to psychic memories of that particular location/time? As far as the smell of cigars/cigarettes, I think I saw a ‘debunk’ episode somewhere in which they showed that wood tends to absorb smells, esp when people rub wax into the wood. And when it gets hot (in summer, in the sunlight), the wax embedded in the wood melts a little and releases the scent, or something like that. So people with old furniture or wood paneling smell smoke long after the smokers have left.
(I could be explaining that all wrong but I promise I’m not making it up!
This idea of the wood absorbing the smells makes sense.
Ghost Hunters used to be one of my favorite shows until it became so very clear to me that one of the members was faking things.
Was that during last year’s Halloween episode? I didn’t see it but am now wondering if that’s the one where you felt things were being faked.
Yup, that’s where I figured out how faked things were, and it wasn’t with the jacket pull, either.
The “ghostly” voice telling them “You’re not supposed to be here” was nothing more than a replay of the exact words Jay had called out not five minutes before, when they thought a real person was in the area.
I think it’s the memory of the sounds the ghosts remember.
When they do footsteps, it’s creepy.
Yeah, the footsteps also have the added creep factor of sounding like they’re coming toward you…yet you see nothing!
There’s a fantastic book called “Will Storr vs The Supernatural” in which he follows “real” ghost hunters and self-proclaimed “Demonologists” (even does a stint on the UK’s “Most Haunted”. He also delves into the science of what might be the afterlife. Really fascinating stuff It’s gut-bustingly funny and unexpectedly scary in parts. One of my all time fav books
Thanks for tip on that book. Sounds interesting.
Interesting topic.
Fascinating topic. I admit, I’m a skeptic, but ghost stories are great fun. So are those ghost hunter shows.
As for the sounds… To record sound, a sound wave must vibrate the diaphragm in a microphone which is then converted to an electric signal and then– Oh sorry, I geeked out. Anyhey, you need a physical sound wave to get a recording. Which if they really do have such recordings *shiver* the sound must exist in our time and space. It’s right there with you. So what else is right there with you? (I need to go turn on a few more lights.)
Static images and repetitious sounds are like little ghostly snapshots of the past that somehow got stuck in the present. It’s like a twisted time travel scenario or one of those bizarre physics theories (worm holes, cosmic strings). Hmm, now I’m wondering how those cold spots that people supposedly experience in ghost sightings factor in.
To sum up, science failed me…I haven’t a clue. I think I’ll just embrace my skepticism…and leave the light on beside the bed tonight.
Hmmm, you’ve given me lots to think about…interesting concept of a localized worm hole.
The ghost hunting field have explained the cold sensations as the entity trying to absorb energy around it so it can either manifest, touch the person, make something move, etc.
Re: Science. Yes, I think the ghostly powers leave us scratching our heads more than nodding “yes”.