May 3, 2015
In the realm of the paranormal, ghosts are the average, garden-variety cryptoid. They are not mythic, like the Loch Ness Monster, nor are they the cause of mass hysteria, like UFOs. And Sasquatch is much, much sexier, with its come-hither eyes. Ghosts are an afterthought, In fact, in the family of psychical research, ghosts are the sheet wearing little brother. But are they real? Do they exist? Can I as an unpaid blogger, make money off them? Let’s find out.
The first ghost
It has to be assumed that the first ghost was probably the first dead caveman. Unless you think that dinosaur ghosts existed, and wouldn’t they be extinct anyway? That’s a question for sillier minds than mine. Anyway, the first cavemen was probably a very confused soul, pun very much intended. Maybe not funny, but intended.
DYING CAVEMAN: Oook! Ook ook! Ack! (Dies)
And that’s it. Since there were no other caveman ghosts to tell him to go to the light, he probably ended up wandering the world for the rest of time. He’s probably in your house right now, trying to make fire in your toilet. (Watch out.)
Ghosts of the Classic Era
When was the Classic Era? This author dates if from 1941 to 1971, the dates of publication of Classic Comics. Ironically, Classic Comics only published one ghost story. (A Christmas Carol.)
The most interesting and well-documented ghost story to come out of this era was undoubtedly 13 Ghosts. This is the true story of a man named Zorba who inherited a house haunted by- wait for it- 13 ghosts, in 3D. For some reason, one of the ghost was a headless lion tamer and his lion, which inexplicably did not count as two ghosts. Did the circus ever stop by this house? The catch was that ghost hunters wishing to explore the haunted house could only see the ghosts with the aid of special glasses which were only sold in theaters. This made it difficult for legitimate researchers to search for ghosts since they rarely had time off during the day to stop by the theater. Well-known ghost hunter Martin Milner, knowing that a fortune was hidden in the house, tried to swindle Zorba by wearing a rubber mask. (This case certainly lacked the thrills of the Amityville Horror.) By sheer coincidence, Martin Milner went on to star in a movie called 13 Ghosts, a children’s film about haunted numbers.
Civil War Ghosts
These are the lost souls of the 173rd Ghost Regiment, the only group of fighting ghosts in the entire war.
So get to it. Are ghosts real?
Um sure, why not?
To learn more about ghosts, stop by your local cemetery and spent the night there. Kids, always get your parents permission before fooling around with the supernatural.
Mr. Blog's Tepid Ride 
Seriously, I don’t know if I believe in ghosts or not. When I was a kid, I was brought up in a strongly religious background where I was taught that you either went to heaven as a reward for a relatively virtuous life or else you would tend the Devil’s BBQ ( If you spent your life in idle pursuits ), but you didn’t hang about hassling the living, or your friends & loved ones, trying to reassure them that you still existed, but you just couldn’t be touched.
Cemeteries….. The final resting places ? I have an acquaintance who says that the dead wouldn’t hang around where their corporeal remains were deposited, but rather places that they frequented while alive. Bummer hanging around a place where other people come to mourn, cry, etc…… Although I’m sure they’d like the flowers.
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I do believe in ghosts, though I’ve never had any kind of ghostly experience. I agree about cemeteries. Why would a ghost haunt its grave when it could haunt Hooters? 🙂
I feel similarly when I see memorials on the side of a road to car crash victim. While I feel sorry for the victim, I’d think the better place for a memorial would be where the person spent his life, not where he died.
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I have never had a bona – fide paranormal / haunting / occult experience. The town square in the small town where I live now advertises itself as 1 of the most haunted in the U.S. ( tm ? ), yet, after hanging out there after 12 a.m. I never experience anything.
After I die, I want a wake at a really nice bar, so I can haunt a classy place. Like Hooters. 🙂
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I’ve never seen a thing in any of the “haunted” places I’ve visited.
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Possibly confirming my parents’ belief that you zip on over to an afterlife, depending upon your depth of belief & the kind of life you’ve lived, or you get another life / incarnation – or the cheerful idea that maybe we go nowhere, basically everything stops when we flatline.
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There’s only one way to find out…
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I’ll wait till well after my 99th birthday. At least that’s my plan……
Seriously, I have several little theories about ghosts. They involve quantum theory & the multi – verse, different ” pocket universes ” & wormholes, rather than dead people popping up from beyond the grave.
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I don’t rule out any of those ideas but I tend to think they are far too theoretical at the moment. The same theories are advanced for UFOs and Bigfoot, but I usualy think the simplest theory is the most likely.
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& they’re also ideas that have been used by science fiction before, I’m pretty sure…..
I need access to the Large Hadron Collider !
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Are ghosts real? Ask Florence Cook, my favorite charlatan ever http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cook
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This is new to me, thanks for pointing it out! Its right in that meaty era for psychic, clairvoyant, and other mystical frauds. Great, mostly fake, photos came out of this era. Love the pictures of “ectoplasm” coming out of people’s mouths (and other orifices!)
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What about that fake who had the show on the Sci – Fi Channel ( forgot his name ) who got really called out for saying he could contact the spirits of several people who died in the WTC attacks ? I can’t believe people are that gullible, even today.
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And what makes ir worse is that it is so easy to pick out and disprove the majority of the fakes.
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I kinda thought that that Syfy series ” Ghost Mine ” was a fake, even though it was good entertainment. ” Paranormal Witness ” may be fake but their retelling of accounts of supernatural events still raises goose bumps. The mark of a good story – teller.
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Syfy leaves a bad taste in my mouth in general, so I never watch anything on that channel.
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BBC America had a better line – up of fantasy & sci – fi, but my apartment building changed from Comcast to Direct TV, so – more BBC or BBC America. I’ve never forgiven Syfy for dropping Doctor Who & even Merlin.
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I meant ” no more BBC or BBC America “, unfortunately. Direct TV has better servce, but Comcast had a bajillion channels in its basic line – up.
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BBCA is great but I never have time to watch.
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I only have a few series that I really pay SERIOUS 100 % attention to – Crime dramas ( CSI, NCIS, Bones ), medical series ( Like HOUSE ), some comedies that aren’t completely lame, & a few fair to great science fiction / fantasy shows. Everything else = white noise & jibba – jabba.
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