Illustration by Cara Seccafien
Lack of scientific evidence indicates ghosts are not real
By Jessica Berget, Opinions Editor
Do you believe in ghosts? If so, you’re not alone. Ghosts and spirits are a common superstition among many societies and cultures. Stories of such supernatural phenomena are passed down from generation to generation around campfires, sleepovers, or as warnings to keep kids from walking in the forest after dark. Consequently, ghosts are one of the most widely-believed supernatural forces, with almost half of Canadians (47%) being firm believers, and one in five (18%) claiming they’ve been in the presence of a ghost.
The idea that our deceased friends and relatives continue to live among us in the spirit world is an old and frivolous one. There has been no scientific evidence to back up the fact that ghosts do exist, yet about half the population claims they do… but how, and why? Some people entertain the idea of ghosts purely because they want to get spooked. For others, it provides a sense of comfort and support that their lost loved ones aren’t really gone, but are instead watching over and guiding them. Unfortunately, this also is a cause for a lot of fear in peoples’ lives, with every creakof the floor and trick of the eyes being immediately cited as a ghostly encounter.
But let’s get real (unlike ghosts). The strange happenings people attribute to ghostly or paranormal activities, such as a door opening on its own, something falling, or seeing a dead relative when you wake up in the middle of the night, can all be explained by one crazy concept: Science.
A door opening on its own most likely means your house doesn’t have very heavy doors, or there was a draft. Things falling are just a by-product of gravity, and seeing your dead relative in the middle of the night is a classic case of sleep paralysis, or just your mind playing tricks on you. People forget how powerful the mind can be. It can make you see or believe anything, especially if you’re scared. It’s basic psychology.
I have a hard time believing in ghosts for several reasons. For one, there is a sufficient lack of scientific evidence that proves they are real in any way. If paranormal investigation is in fact a science—and there are so many shows nowadays that focuses on this very field of science—how is it that we have not found anything that proves their existence? And why does every spirit I hear about come from the Victorian era? If ghosts really exist, surely there must be spirits from at least the last 20 years. Another thing I cannot understand is the basis of what can, or cannot be a ghost. The very earth we stand on is teeming with life, and if everything that is alive has a soul, how is it that there are no animal, or even plant ghosts? If ghosts can communicate with psychics, why aren’t more murders being solved? These are the questions that haunt me, not ghosts.
In the end, the evidence for paranormal existence is as lacking as it was a century ago. If there turns out to be evidence of ghosts in the future, I would welcome it with open arms, but for now, no such luck.
