• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

My Ghost Story

tsig said:
Obviously the snake is your familiar and you are a powerful mage.:jaw-dropp
Click to expand...


You guys are reading too many comics, or werewolf magazines. Or whatever the latest craze is. :hypnotize

The snake was the highlight of a series of problems in about six weeks of daily issues. Among other things I got bitten by a spider, stung by a scorpion, infested with ants, had a bat fly into us while sleeping, had a strange insect that looked like a brightly colored bird knocking at the window in the middle of the night. Nothing supernatural at all (I mean that). But why everyday! Day after day! A little odd.

I have been thinking about the remarks as to how my memory may be at fault.

I do not have total recall. I remember key points. Just which of the points do you think I may not have properly remembered?

The 1960's. I cannot tell you what year, or what I was reading, or just how late it was. I do remember the features of the house, and we stayed there for a couple of years. I did not count steps.

Why did I think it was a ghost? You tell me what you would think if you are in Africa with riots and burglaries, and security is a priority. The house was locked. Then one hears the unmistakeable sound of heavy footsteps starting at the front door. What would you guys as teenagers think?

Can you imagine me going to my mother in the morning and saying "Mom. I think I need a psychiatric check-up. I was certain I heard footsteps in the house late last night. But because it could not have happened, I must be hallucinating."

And even now, the best you (or I) can do is to say I fell asleep, and imagined the episode. But this means that my memory of the next day has to be explained. As does the reason I may have imagined what I did.

Say my memory is faulty. Just how much has to be "filled in" or altered until it becomes "mundane"?

Oh well. I am not out to convince anyone. I thought I might get a couple of concessions that the mysteries of the universe are still beyond our capacity to nail down, and because of that the probability for the supernatural cannot be stated as being zero (or so small that it does not matter).

I also thought I would get a bit more in the way of possible (specific) explanations of these phenomenon. If not the supernatural then what?
 
PartSkeptic said:
I also thought I would get a bit more in the way of possible (specific) explanations of these phenomenon. If not the supernatural then what?
Click to expand...
http://patient.info/doctor/Hypnagogic-Hallucinations.htm

Hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations are visual, tactile, auditory, or other sensory events, usually brief but occasionally prolonged, that occur at the transition from wakefulness to sleep (hypnagogic) or from sleep to wakefulness (hypnopompic). . .

•A telephone interview of nearly 5,000 people aged 15 to 100 in the UK[2] showed that 37% of the sample reported experiencing hypnagogic hallucinations and 12.5% reported hypnopompic hallucinations. Both types of hallucinations were significantly more common among subjects with symptoms of insomnia, excessive daytime sleepiness or mental disorders. Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations were much more common than expected . . .
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Maurice Ledifficile said:
Cool stories.
Click to expand...


Thanks. Living them is way cooler of course. My whole life is one series of unusual happenings that I would not say are supernatural. Family and people who know me all remark about this. One guys summed it up when he said "Every week-end you come into the office and tell us what happened. No-one I know of has anything near to the things that go on in your life."

Don't be envious. The highs were great, but lows and the bad times would have been hard for most people to handle. I got accused on attracting chaos because of the blow-ups around me. Luckily I was grew up thinking that this was nothing out of the ordinary, and I was used to it.
 
PartSkeptic said:
Thanks. Living them is way cooler of course. My whole life is one series of unusual happenings that I would not say are supernatural. Family and people who know me all remark about this. One guys summed it up when he said "Every week-end you come into the office and tell us what happened. No-one I know of has anything near to the things that go on in your life."

Don't be envious. The highs were great, but lows and the bad times would have been hard for most people to handle. I got accused on attracting chaos because of the blow-ups around me. Luckily I was grew up thinking that this was nothing out of the ordinary, and I was used to it.
Click to expand...

I have no reason to believe a word you say. It's just more stories. The "cool" part is just an online meme I chose to perpetuate. Your stories are no cooler than anyone else's.
 
PartSkeptic said:
The snake was the highlight of a series of problems in about six weeks of daily issues. Among other things I got bitten by a spider, stung by a scorpion, infested with ants, had a bat fly into us while sleeping, had a strange insect that looked like a brightly colored bird knocking at the window in the middle of the night. Nothing supernatural at all (I mean that). But why everyday! Day after day! A little odd.
Click to expand...

Could it be that you started anticipating something and then counting every happening as important? How many natural interactions have you had since that you just did not care about?

I've been bitten by a scorpion within a week of being in surgery, a week after almost putting my hand on a snake, shortly after chasing baboons from my kitchen, shortly after storm damage, shortly after my car battery died... Oh yeah, those big black biting ants that claim my driveway. They're fun.

(Let's not forget the vast army of fungi and bacteria that are trying to murder me every second.)

So what? My story is not significant like yours; there's no tint of magical spirits slipping about unseen.

Can you imagine me going to my mother in the morning and saying "Mom. I think I need a psychiatric check-up. I was certain I heard footsteps in the house late last night. But because it could not have happened, I must be hallucinating."
Click to expand...

Why would I think that?

And even now, the best you (or I) can do is to say I fell asleep, and imagined the episode. But this means that my memory of the next day has to be explained. As does the reason I may have imagined what I did.
Click to expand...

Was that the best? I don't recall. Maybe there were actual feet attached to the steps? Who knows? All the mundane options are vastly more satisfying than spooks. Including this one: there will never be an answer.

Oh well. I am not out to convince anyone. I thought I might get a couple of concessions that the mysteries of the universe are still beyond our capacity to nail down, and because of that the probability for the supernatural cannot be stated as being zero (or so small that it does not matter).
Click to expand...

Well, you tried. Go to just about any other place in the world, they'll accommodate you. This forum is the resistance.

The mysteries of the universe are many. Some are within human capacity, some await new ideas, new technologies, new positions in space.

Here's the thing, and you know it: Drinking imaginary water will not slake your thirst.
 
PartSkeptic said:
One guys summed it up when he said "Every week-end you come into the office and tell us what happened. No-one I know of has anything near to the things that go on in your life."
Click to expand...

They were being polite. Here's a translation, "I don't believe you and I wish you'd stop inflating your ego all over the place."

:dqueen
 
Donn said:
They were being polite. Here's a translation, "I don't believe you and I wish you'd stop inflating your ego all over the place."
Click to expand...
I have no trouble believing him. PartSkeptic is hypersensitive to coincidences and anything that could be conceivably be considered out of the ordinary, so of course he notices them all the time. As you have just illustrated, such things happen to you occasionally too. They happen to everybody occasionally. We usually don't notice them, or if we do we shrug them off as no big deal. Because we don't attribute any significance to them it doesn't even occur to us to consider a supernatural explanation. We might sometimes mention an odd experience to a friend or relative, but we don't tell all and sundry so we don't get a reputation for telling weird stories as PartSkeptic has. I guess we all like to have something that distinguishes us from the crowd.
 
Pixel42 said:
I have no trouble believing him. PartSkeptic is hypersensitive to coincidences and anything that could be conceivably be considered out of the ordinary, so of course he notices them all the time. As you have just illustrated, such things happen to you occasionally too. They happen to everybody occasionally. We usually don't notice them, or if we do we shrug them off as no big deal. Because we don't attribute any significance to them it doesn't even occur to us to consider a supernatural explanation. We might sometimes mention an odd experience to a friend or relative, but we don't tell all and sundry so we don't get a reputation for telling weird stories as PartSkeptic has. I guess we all like to have something that distinguishes us from the crowd.
Click to expand...

I believe he believes it too. I was standing-in for his audience — admittedly with my bias — who, when I've been in such audiences, roll their eyes and cannot wait to change the subject and steer the bore off.

I've mentioned a person who's into pet psychics, and every other stripe of woo. Being in the same room is tough; not only on me. People actually sigh with relief when released from the sessions — like troops escaping a Sergeant.

Only my ire speaking, I'm sure.
 
PartSkeptic said:
You guys are reading too many comics, or werewolf magazines. Or whatever the latest craze is. :hypnotize

The snake was the highlight of a series of problems in about six weeks of daily issues. Among other things I got bitten by a spider, stung by a scorpion, infested with ants, had a bat fly into us while sleeping, had a strange insect that looked like a brightly colored bird knocking at the window in the middle of the night. Nothing supernatural at all (I mean that). But why everyday! Day after day! A little odd.

I have been thinking about the remarks as to how my memory may be at fault.

I do not have total recall. I remember key points. Just which of the points do you think I may not have properly remembered?

The 1960's. I cannot tell you what year, or what I was reading, or just how late it was. I do remember the features of the house, and we stayed there for a couple of years. I did not count steps.

Why did I think it was a ghost? You tell me what you would think if you are in Africa with riots and burglaries, and security is a priority. The house was locked. Then one hears the unmistakeable sound of heavy footsteps starting at the front door. What would you guys as teenagers think?

Can you imagine me going to my mother in the morning and saying "Mom. I think I need a psychiatric check-up. I was certain I heard footsteps in the house late last night. But because it could not have happened, I must be hallucinating."

And even now, the best you (or I) can do is to say I fell asleep, and imagined the episode. But this means that my memory of the next day has to be explained. As does the reason I may have imagined what I did.

Say my memory is faulty. Just how much has to be "filled in" or altered until it becomes "mundane"?

Oh well. I am not out to convince anyone. I thought I might get a couple of concessions that the mysteries of the universe are still beyond our capacity to nail down, and because of that the probability for the supernatural cannot be stated as being zero (or so small that it does not matter).

I also thought I would get a bit more in the way of possible (specific) explanations of these phenomenon. If not the supernatural then what?
Click to expand...

It is obvious you need a total spiritual clearing. Send a check for $100 to me and when the check clears the bank your soul will be cleared of all dross.

Now would I say this if it weren't true?
 
Donn said:
I believe he believes it too. I was standing-in for his audience — admittedly with my bias — who, when I've been in such audiences, roll their eyes and cannot wait to change the subject and steer the bore off.
Click to expand...

Part apology to PartSkeptic.
While I stand by the substance of what I wrote, I regret the harsh tone and I retract the bore comment.

I'm no good at being stern. Not for long.

I hope you part forgive, and watch those cobras!
 
Maurice Ledifficile said:
I have no reason to believe a word you say. It's just more stories. The "cool" part is just an online meme I chose to perpetuate. Your stories are no cooler than anyone else's.
Click to expand...


Strange! Using a word that has a commonly accepted meaning and trying to perpetuate another hidden meaning??? :confused:

I did not accept that you believed me. That is another matter.
 
Donn said:
Part apology to PartSkeptic.
While I stand by the substance of what I wrote, I regret the harsh tone and I retract the bore comment.

I'm no good at being stern. Not for long.

I hope you part forgive, and watch those cobras!
Click to expand...


No problem. My ego is not fragile, however I do not think it is over-sized. I am confident, and know myself - my faults and my strengths. I think we are all different, and that is good for society. We all have a part to play.

Since I was not offended, there is no need for forgiveness. You are the one who has to judge yourself, and live with yourself. Having been in a number of relationships, I have learned that one cannot unsay something. I only attack people who are a serious threat to my physical well-being.

These forums are somewhat different and people can at times speak their minds.
 
tsig said:
It is obvious you need a total spiritual clearing. Send a check for $100 to me and when the check clears the bank your soul will be cleared of all dross.

Now would I say this if it weren't true?
Click to expand...


You sound like a good guy. And have an honest-looking avatar. Why should I not believe you? Where do I send the check? My bank is good for all and any spiritual donations.

Oh, wait. You were so persuasive that I nearly forgot I have already paid big bucks for a spiritual cleaning. I have to look at the fine print for the guarantee term.
 
Pixel42 said:
I have no trouble believing him. PartSkeptic is hypersensitive to coincidences and anything that could be conceivably be considered out of the ordinary, so of course he notices them all the time. As you have just illustrated, such things happen to you occasionally too. They happen to everybody occasionally. We usually don't notice them, or if we do we shrug them off as no big deal. Because we don't attribute any significance to them it doesn't even occur to us to consider a supernatural explanation. We might sometimes mention an odd experience to a friend or relative, but we don't tell all and sundry so we don't get a reputation for telling weird stories as PartSkeptic has. I guess we all like to have something that distinguishes us from the crowd.
Click to expand...


That is a start. Some credibility. Thanks.

If the afterlife exists, maybe we will meet and have a drink and chat about the good old days, but I am not sure how we find each other. Of course, it just hit me. Mental telepathy. Imagine it and it comes true.

I have a strange story that has lots of coincidences, but no supernatural connections, so I won't bore anyone with it.
 
Squeegee Beckenheim said:
As you didn't answer this question, PartSkeptic, allow me to ask you instead to define "verifiable" and "credible".
Click to expand...


Sorry about that. Verifiable is confirmation of some sort. Documented by people who are trustworthy. Credible means believable - free of contradictions, backed by honest people, lack of bias.

Not a science theorem, or legally acceptable. Just what a reasonable person would say might have a degree of truth. You tell me your best story, and why is is better than most.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom