There are several reasons why people believe in the existence of ghosts. One of the most significant reasons behind this believes is culture. Most of the cultures believe that there is life after death. Such cultural beliefs therefore emphasize that once a person dies, his or her spirit continues to live in another world. Essentially, this constitutes to believe the existence of ghosts. However, not all societies have the same beliefs. Some find it difficult to accept strongly the existence of these ghosts. On the contrary, research reveals that most societies across the world believe in the existence of such ghosts. The paper, therefore, explicates the main ideas why people believe in the existence of ghosts.
According to Shermer “They are in our minds. All experience is mediated by the brain, which consists of about a hundred billion neurons with a thousand trillion synaptic connections between them” (Shermer 3). Thus, this is a clear indication that the existence of ghosts rests primarily on an individual’s mind. Most people have been fooled by experience and thoughts of the existence of these ghosts. However, this might not be true. This is because there is no experimental or documented evidence of this existence (Rice 96).
Another reason people believe in the existence of ghosts is written books and journals. Several scholars, researchers, and authors have published numerous arts concerning ghosts. Most of these works promote the claim that ghosts exist. People who read these books, therefore, are left with a strong believe that ghosts are real. However, it is a difficult task to approve or condemn such claims. It is only the role of the reader to judge and comprehend accordingly. In addition to the above, ghosts are associated with devil acts. It is a fact that there is increased devil and criminal acts in the society. Acts such as murder, bad dreams and so forth are associated with ghosts (Shermer 5). People, therefore, claim that ghosts are responsible for these actions in the contemporary society.
Furthermore, religion plays a crucial role in such beliefs. According to Myers, “Some conservative Christians believe ghosts are not spirits of the dead at all but are actually “wicked demons dispatched by god’s infernal adversary, Satan, to deceive and to do harm.” Thus, this clearly indicates that the ghosts are Satan’s agents. The strong religious belief in the existence of Satan essentially supports the existence of ghosts. This is because the Satan cannot conduct the demonic and devilish acts alone. The ghosts act as his agents across the globe.
Finally, there are several movies that support the existence of ghosts. It is a fact that there are several fans of films across the globe. This is primarily the young generation. For instance, horror movies use several scenes whereby the ghosts play huge roles. These ghosts are associated with normal human experiences that are not desirable. This is inclusive of murder, kidnapping, and harmful actions. Despite the fact, these scenes are fake it leaves most people with a strong conviction of the existence of ghosts (Rice 98).
Lastly, there are increased problems in the current society. Each day most people are faced with numerous problems. Such problems include murder, rape, bad dreams and related acts. Therefore, most people are faced with the challenge of finding the real cause of such undesirable acts in the society. However, most of them are left with no option but to associate such actions to ghosts. This is because they are spirits that cannot be seen by the normal eye. As a result, there is an increased conviction that ghosts are real. This claim can only be approved or rejected based on an individual’s comprehension and judgment.
- Rice, Tom W. “Believe it or not: Religious and other paranormal beliefs in the United States.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (2003): 95-106.
- Shermer, Michael. Why people believe weird things: Pseudoscience, superstition, and other confusions of our time. Macmillan, 2002.
- Shermer, Michael. The believing brain: From ghosts and gods to politics and conspiracies—How we construct beliefs and reinforce them as truths. Macmillan, 2011.
- “The Logic behind an Investigation – St Charles Ghost Tours.” stcharlesghosts.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2016
