Are ghosts real?

We may have heard bump-in-the-night noises and maybe smelled weird smells. And, thanks to our obsession with haunted houses, we have probably all seen ghost movies, too.

You might assume your house is haunted if you think you see shadowy figures that look like people or feel you're being watched. You might feel a strange sensation on the back of your neck, maybe feel cold spots in a room, unusual noises, drained electronics, and lights that turn on or off on their own.

Is there anybody there?
In many traditional accounts, ghosts were often thought to be deceased people looking for vengeance, or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life. The appearance of a ghost has often been regarded as an omen or portent of death.

There are many scientific explanations for these fears, and scientists have suggested that what we think are ghosts might actually just be our brains playing tricks on us. Apparently, this is perfectly normal and results from small errors in the way our brains interpret information from the environment when we are scared.

So what about Ouija Boards?

Tool of the devil or harmless family game—or is it really a glimpse into the non-conscious mind? Originally it was marketed as ‘The Wonderful Talking Board’ in an American toy shop, describing a magical device that answered questions about ‘the past, present and future with marvellous accuracy’ and promised ‘never-failing amusement and recreation for all the classes,’ and a link ‘between the known and unknown, the material and immaterial’. How good that original marketing was! Spiritualists increasingly believed that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living, and reportedly used a talking board very similar to the modern Ouija board. In 2001, Ouija boards were believed to be symbols of witchcraft by fundamentalist groups in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and were ceremoniously burned. Religious criticism has expressed beliefs that the Ouija board reveals information which should only be in God's hands, and thus it is a tool of Satan.

Supernatural and paranormal beliefs associated with Ouija have been criticised by the scientific community and are characterized as ‘pseudoscience’. The action of the board can be most easily explained by unconscious movements of those controlling the pointer, a psychophysiological phenomenon known as the ‘ideomotor effect’.

Weaknesses

Well, if you think you have a ghost, here are a few ‘expert’ tips to get rid of them. Open your windows to let in some fresh air and sunlight, and burn lavender or sage incense to infuse your home with a fresh, lively scent, and apparently, deep-cleaning your house can exorcise any paranormal energies lurking there.

You might want to tell the ghost to push off and leave you alone. It sounds obvious, but sometimes the most direct approach might be helpful. Your ghost may not realise it’s unwelcome in your home, so telling it to leave may be effective.

Ghosts can supposedly be repelled by salt and can't cross a line of it. Some ‘ghost-busters’ use rock salt to dissipate natural ghost spirits, while shooting the person with salt (please don’t try this at home) is supposed to break a ghost's possession of a person supposedly ‘possessed’.

Attention seekers!

Personally, I think we should just ignore them. They just want attention, and if you start reacting to creaking floorboards or unexplained whispers, your ghost may feel encouraged to continue scaring the bejeezus out of you. Pretending it doesn’t bother you might send a message to your ghost that they should give up.

There is not one study that proves the physical existence of ghosts— and it’s been a topic of conversation among experts for generations, some touting laws of physics that can’t possibly be broken and others finding the flaws in fact.

Even if you're terrified of ghosts, ‘faking it 'till you make it’ may help you become less afraid of your ghost over time - ‘If you don’t believe, you won’t receive’. Now that’s funny, as I used to tell my kids that about Santa Claus.

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan