Do you believe in ghosts?

This is a good poll question to start out this board. I do believe in ghosts and other paranormal beings.

What to others here think?

I do. I have been on a few hunts and have tried different things including the whole meter readers - and want to make my own ghost box. I have encountered a few in my day and feel I can speak freely here about it.

I have only had one visual of a ghost, the rest were voices. All which have given me my share of jeepers creepers.

I have been visited in the form of lucid dreams by departed family members, but I have not had a ghostly visitation. I put this post up for two reasons:

1. To get an idea of who believes in ghosts

2. To figure out how to do a poll question!

In all seriousness, this area has always fascinated me. I have many friends who claim ghostly happenings and do think there is something to it.

I find it to be strange to encounter them. It leaves you with this feeling of "did that really happen?"

I have visits from dead relatives in my dreams as well.

Mine aren't lucid dreams when this happens. No I take that back, I have had 1 lucid dream with a dead cousin.

But the others, it is usually my favorite grandma and my dad who visit me. And these dreams are just different from your usual crazy mixed up dreams. They have an entirely different feel to them.
I have never even thought of them as a ghostly visit though, but it is an interesting concept, I'll have to give that some more thought.

But I said yes, I believe in ghosts. I have heard things over the years and been in a few houses where unexplained things have happened. Doors opening and closing by themselves, locked doors. It was so frequent in one house, that it became habit to double check the front door to make sure it was securely shut and locked, you could pull on the door handle and the door would not budge, then later it would open with a bang and slam into a wall. This same house had a lot of activity in the basement and in the bathroom. Water turning itself on and doors opening as well.

Another house I was in alot the lights would turn themselves on and off.

I once woke to see a man standing next to my bed and then he faded. Three days before that a neighbor across the street had killed himself.

Never did really talk to him or see him but it does make me wonder..

Brad Steiger has written numerous books about ghosts and many usually deal with protective entities whom watch over children (and some adults).

I also wonder if they could be a version of what can be called a guardian angel. I believe there are spirits and entities much like the Christian versions out there looking out after us.

I was once told as a child that, "those that love us, never leave".

I think this is true.

My wife has seen her beloved Jack Russell, many times.

I have a deceased cat I swear sits on the end of my bed in the early hours of the morning. She and I were very close. I still miss her and it's been over 12 years.

One kitty I had when I was young often shows up in my dreams. When I lived in an apartment I could swear I had a cat sleeping on my bed even though I had no pets then.

I do think the spirits of animals stay with us.


Bastet Cat Goddess

Well I've seen something that might have been a ghost, twice. Both of them in the same house which is supposed to be haunted. One looked like a blonde child, the other a man in a black coat or cloak. People who's stayed in the house have said they've seen an elderly man in Victorian clothing sitting in the living room!

I've also been visited by cats, one of which wasn't even my cat!

Before my dad died I had several dreams in which he'd died, including one where I could see him walking around the house, some of the family came to pay their condolences (one of whom in real life had passed away), two of them where telling me they could sense my dad's presence in the house. That was seriously surreal!

Since he passed away (two years ago) I've had several dreams that he was in.

Ghost/spirits can contact you in different ways, I I believe that some can communicate with the living vocally. I have had experiences where I hear messages from the non living. Although I don't think I have always been receptive to them.

It might be that some of us attract ghosts of cats and dogs who visit us.

Many of those cloaked figures could be guardian spirits or versions of angels sent to watch over people.

Just my own reasoning, but I feel the animals spirits my wife has experienced are simply friends.