Current Events > Belief in ghosts is tied to education level

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Solid Snake07 posted...

You're not going to convince them if they think they've got a good reason to believe in something, even if they don't. In fact it seems to be a product of human nature to solidify someone's beliefs if you back them into a corner and they feel like their beliefs are under assault. That's when people easily fall into things like confirmation bias.

That's my point. It's a pretty common phenomenon, and there's no real solution to it. It's just kind of a thing that happens, and it will probably happen in various forms for the entirety of mankind's existence.

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This isnt surprising. In fact I think (based on experience with these kinds of people) this correlation extends to shit like astrology and other bullshit spiritual beliefs.

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Well yeah. Religion is basically the same thing and funny enough, the chart trends the same direction.

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Correct_Facts posted...

I have a bachelor's degree and I believe in ghosts.

Clearly not in statistics.

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If you're a ghost are you stuck where you died? Stuck where you lived? Where you have strong emotions?

Or can you just float around watching stuff?

Can you meet up with other ghosts if so? But then how would you contact your ghost friends? Are there ghost inventors who made ghost smart phones and social media? Imagine the social media from ghosts who can watch living beings without them knowing.

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Background_Guy posted...

Why is it okay to make fun of people for believing in ghosts but not for believing in other spiritual/religious stuff? It's all the same.

When people debate whether ghosts exist there's usually a very specific set of characteristics associated with them. The more specific the claims you make, the easier it tends to be to "disprove" and the easier it is to make fun of people for believing it.

I know it seems dumb that if you make really vague claims about a higher power that you're made fun of less, but I think it's generally the way things work out. It's the same reason that vague conspiracy theories are criticized less than specific ones.

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it would be cool if ghosts were real, but they are not

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Ghost just don't haunt NERD LOSERS, that's why none of the smart people see any.

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Arcanine2009 posted...

is it tied to religion as well?

It is. For example, Catholicism does not believe in ghosts since their dogma states that all souls go to their reward or punishment immediately after death. Rather, they believe in demons pretending to be ghosts to prey on people's sympathy.

There used to be a Discovery channel paranormal drama called "A Haunting." I could immediately tell hardcore Catholics were behind the production because every story of a ghost haunting ended up being a demon and a Catholic priest was brought in to perform a minor exorcism.

DrizztLink posted...

Ghost just don't haunt NERD LOSERS, that's why none of the smart people see any.

I follow the Paul Mooney reasoning behind ghosts not existing. It's awfully convenient that just about every ghost that is reported is white. If there were really ghosts, white folks would be fucked from all the slave ghosts and genocided Native Americans out looking for revenge.

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Ghosts definitely exist. They're sexy cyborgs that work for government special forces.

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BB mofo posted...

follow the Paul Mooney reasoning behind ghosts not existing. It's awfully convenient that just about every ghost that is reported is white. If there were really ghosts, white folks would be fucked from all the slave ghosts and genocided Native Americans out looking for revenge.

But this ironically is a pretty ethnocentric argument. To make it, you have to ignore all mythology about spirits and ghosts from non-white societies. >_>

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Njolk posted...

honestly quite embarrassing for an adult to believe in ghosts

You keep them ghosts with pointy sticks away from me.
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Whenever I'm listening to (allegedly) true crime/horror stories, I always skip anything talking about supernatural stuff.

Half of those stories are fake, but the ghost stories are always 100% bullshit.

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Kim_Seong-a posted...

But this ironically is a pretty ethnocentric argument. To make it, you have to ignore all mythology about spirits and ghosts from non-white societies. >_>

I feel Mooney's argument could be expanded to non-white cultures. Humanity has been fucking over each other over in the most grizzly and ghastly ways since before recorded history. There would be a hell of a lot more ghosts out there, especially angry ghosts who would be a problem for this society. Hell, there are some cultures who take precautions in their funerary rights to appease the deceased so that they don't become a danger to the living.

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A lot of vengeful spirits are usually tied down to one location.

It's vampires and ghouls that are the problem.

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Those are the cutest little ghost.

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cjsdowg posted...

Those are the cutest little ghost.

They're sexual deviants. They lack pp so they use a stick.

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HS diploma only, here. I don't believe in the paranormal at all

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The fact that a show as stupid as Ghost Hunters was able to be in syndication for so long really speaks about our society.

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Prestoff posted...

The fact that a show as stupid as Ghost Hunters was able to be in syndication for so long really speaks about our society.

The only thing it speaks to is how cheap "reality" shows are to produce now a days.

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I really like ghost vids. Nukes is always a treat each week. Some are really spooky but they aren't real. A persons mind is crazy and can create all kinds of odd feelings and "sights".

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Gobstoppers12 posted...

Provided it's a sincere belief, yes. Your example is clearly intended to be silly, but there are plenty of people who sincerely believe in similar notions that are not 100% impossible.

I don't think ghosts exist, personally, but I don't want to write off the possibility, either.

And that makes those people insane. Delusions and a disconnect from reality are symptoms.

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E_S_M_Z posted...

This one time, I was in a 100 year old home and left the door open behind me a crack. It closed on its own.

This one is usually tied to windows not properly sealing, or in newer homes the use of central air. Instead of having air compression in a sealed environment the air is free to move and flow, which can cause doors to close. In my case whenever I turn on the central air all the doors in the house start to close if they were left open due to the flow of air; good way to mess with someone if they're high, as they'll be convinced a hoard of demons is after them or something...

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Its complicated. Clearly there is something going on with the phenomenon, although Id most likely attribute it to something mental.

It it would be a lot easier to discount it if I hadnt met someone who is highly educated who firmly believes in ghosts due to them seeing one. Again, probably mental, but still. You wade out into the its a mental thing and you are quickly in a gray area.

there are way more good reasons to believe that ghosts aren't real than there are any reasons at all to believe that they are real

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My dog barks in a direction and I see nothing. Ghost ?!?

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Anything is possible but I've stayed at a few supposedly haunted places over my life and didn't experience anything.
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i want to fuck them ghost

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DuneMan posted...

This one is usually tied to windows not properly sealing, or in newer homes the use of central air. Instead of having air compression in a sealed environment the air is free to move and flow, which can cause doors to close. In my case whenever I turn on the central air all the doors in the house start to close if they were left open due to the flow of air; good way to mess with someone if they're high, as they'll be convinced a hoard of demons is after them or something...

Fun story, I have an overstocked bar in the corner of my living room. Often at night, I heard a strange, consistent clanging noise from it, but nothing is actually moving when I go to examine it.

I later figured out the AC vent was directly above it, and since I always crank down the temperature before I go to bed, that was doing it, lol. Moved a couple bottles another millimeter apart and it stopped. I think AC is likely responsible for a lot of modern ghost tales, lmao.

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PiOverlord posted...

My dog barks in a direction and I see nothing. Ghost ?!?

A dog's senses are far more keen than a human's. Just because you don't see anything doesn't mean that a dog's enhanced senses can't detect things. For example, dogs see color considerably differently, and can see dead people who are invisible to the human eye. Humans invent silly ideas like "He must see a ghost!" to explain why their dogs are seemingly barking at nothing, when they're actually just barking at zombies and poltergeists.

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i don't believe in ghosts but i believe in superstition.
mainly the bad luck thing on friday the 13th.

i doubt it was coincidence my gamecube. computer and TV decided to break down on that day.
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If ghosts are real then why is Ray Ray the crip not haunting the local liquor store ?

Been tons of people killed in gang violence to warrant some ghosts of the hood yet no one has ever seen a thing.

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Its all bullshit

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