My Ghost Story

[Daylightstar]

Floorboards especially get depressed when treated like doormats.

Once, when in a monastery near Moscow, we had to take our shoes off and wear soft plush slippers.
Now that is respect for floor boards.

That's probably the whole problem of the op, no respect for floor boards

 

[tsig]

Once, when in a monastery near Moscow, we had to take our shoes off and wear soft plush slippers.
Now that is respect for floor boards.

That's probably the whole problem of the op, no respect for floor boards

Was rice paper involved?

 

[PartSkeptic]

I think most sceptics would usually say that there is almost certainly a mundane explanation which was not immediately obvious, and about which (in the absence of more information) we can only speculate.

How about I say "many" skeptics rather than "most" skeptics?

And most (er.. many?) skeptics on this site are not as moderate as yourself.

Can we speculate that ghosts might be an explanation in some rare cases?

There seems to be two kinds of phenomena with regard to ghostly happenings. One is that there is no sight or sound that could be picked up with a recorder. This is common where one person can see and hear spirits but others cannot. This means the sight and sounds ARE in the person’s brain, but it could be that this is due to the influence of a ghost.

The other is that there appear to be occasions that there might be some influence on the physical world, but these are usually small and harder to claim that they are anything but unusual physical changes.

A little more extreme are highly coincidental events whose sceptical explanation is the law of large numbers even if when the odds are astronomical. Either this is the case, or we live in a universe in the mind of an Intelligent Ultimate Reality (we live in a simulation of sorts).

 

[Pixel42]

How about I say "many" skeptics rather than "most" skeptics?

And most (er.. many?) skeptics on this site are not as moderate as yourself.

Well let's see shall we. So far on this thread we have:

Posters proposing mundane explanation and/or requesting more information be gathered to discover probable mundane explanation: angrysoba, Axxman, Ernie M, AlaskaBushPilot, Mike!, Stellafane, Vixen, FramerDave, mikado, Bikewar,

Posters suggesting paranormal explanations be considered: Fudbacker, Myriad (last being facetious)

Posters suggesting the story was made up or enhanced: tsig

Posters asking (largely facetious) questions: Slowvehicle, Daylightstar

Nope, I stand by my statement.

Can we speculate that ghosts might be an explanation in some rare cases?

Only when we've eliminated mundane explanations in those cases. Which we usually don't have sufficient information to do.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

Can we speculate that ghosts might be an explanation in some rare cases?

Given the huge number of supposed hauntings that have been investigated by an army of amateur, semi pro and professional ghost hunters and paranormal investigators over the years I think it's fair to say bring some solid evidence that such things actually exist before considering them as explanations for anecdotal accounts with easily suggested mundane explanations.

 

[Daylightstar]

Was rice paper involved?

No, not at all.

 

[Daylightstar]

... where one person can see and hear spirits but others cannot. ...

How do you establish that such person actually does see an actual ghost?

 

[Ron_Tomkins]

First of all, some posters should learn that being a skeptic doesn't mean being rude to people who are honestly looking for an explanation to a weird phenomena (I'm not saying names here. You know who you are)

Alfred is clearly looking for a true explanation and not further confirmation bias. When suggested that the floorboards might have been re-settling up after he stepped on them, he said:

I think that that is the most logical answer. Certainly the structure of that part of the building is unusual. the 3rd, 4th and 5 floors were added on a few years after the 1st and 2nd were built.

So to those treating him in a condescending manner, as if he was just another deluded woo looking for confirmation bias: It's as if you're just looking to engage in a fight with someone. I suggest, go to Religion & Philosophy. You'll find plenty of people looking for confirmation bias for their beliefs in there.



No, Alfred: Is there any way you can go back there and perform some experiments by walking on the hallway floor again?
Also: Was there any chance that what you heard were in fact footsteps, but coming from the floor above?

 

[angrysoba]

I agree with Ron on all counts here. Give the man a salami!

 

[Daylightstar]

... When suggested that the floorboards might have been re-settling up after he stepped on them, he said:

I think that that is the most logical answer. Certainly the structure of that part of the building is unusual. the 3rd, 4th and 5 floors were added on a few years after the 1st and 2nd were built.

...

Sure, as he already stated in the op:

... Now logically I could attribute this simply to the old floors and joists settling back into place after I walked over them.

But I have never heard that happen that loudly or for that long after you stopped moving.
...

So, Alfred_Packer, even though you said it's the most logical answer, would you also say it's the most likely correct answer?

 

[Ron_Tomkins]

No, Alfred:

By the way, I meant to say "now". Also, "Alferd", not "Alfred" as I originally misread.

 

[Daylightstar]

Same with me:

...
So, AlfredAlferd_Packer,...

 

[Alferd_Packer]

I'm going with "B".

He most certainly made up the part about being so scared of structural failure he had to run away and then conceal that major safety issue from the client.

He really put himself in a bind with that embellishment, and evading the point since I made it is the only alternative to admitting it wasn't such a big deal when it happened.

From Alfred Packer


lol. "Longer" area and "wider" area mean exactly the same thing in this context - meaning the boards will depress more as compared with a floor directly laid on subfloor. It has nothing to do with size or dimension of the room. It has to do with the span, which is zero when laid on subfloor and something positive when laid on a joist designed to create a dead air space for soundproofing.

The result is what you just claimed as the most logical answer.

So why didn't you report to the client that you were worried about structural failure if it really was true that you were worried about structural failure?

Or would you like to confess that you weren't worried about structural failure and only used that as the excuse with us as to why you needed getting out in a hurry...

The span is from side to side, not the long way down the hall. The hallway walls on the 4th floor below are load bearing walls so the floor joists run crosswise and the span is less than 20 feet.

 

[Alferd_Packer]

Some of these things do repeat (not for me though). Perhaps if you went back?

Not possible at the moment.

 

[Alferd_Packer]

Perhaps because you didn't walk the exact same line as the first time.

I probably didn't, but I don't see how that would have mattered.

 

[Alferd_Packer]

No, Alfred: Is there any way you can go back there and perform some experiments by walking on the hallway floor again?
Also: Was there any chance that what you heard were in fact footsteps, but coming from the floor above?

At the moment, no. I will probably be out at that building again at some point, but I have no idea when.

I was on the top floor, the attic, actually.

And I am positive I was the only person in that wing.

 

[ComfySlippers]

We lack sufficient information. You should return to the school and investigate the creepy locker room further, as soon as you can round up a few friends.

You'll need a jock, a hot red head, a somewhat cute, but frumpy girl with brains and glasses, oh, and a Great Dane with an insatiable appetite. Bonus points if you have a van already.

An awful lot of trouble to go to when it's obviously all down to Old Man Withers from the haunted amusement park.

Then again if Daphne's tagging along I suppose it's okay.

 

[Daylightstar]

Alferd_Packer, would you be so kind to address the quote below, please? Thank you

...
So, AlfredAlferd_Packer, even though you said it's the most logical answer, would you also say it's the most likely correct answer?

^{STrikethrough+correction by Daylightstar}

 

[MostlyHarmless]

I don't quite get the layout of the building. Is the old locker room directly over the open gym area? The first thing that popped into my mind is those heavy climbing ropes in high school. If they were attached in some way to the floor you are on, perhaps you set up a resonance and got them swinging for awhile.

 

[Nucular]

First of all, some posters should learn that being a skeptic doesn't mean being rude to people who are honestly looking for an explanation to a weird phenomena

Having just read through this otherwise interesting thread, I absolutely agree.



AlaskaBushPilot, Alferd did not claim he was an

"extreme" skeptic.

nor, indeed

the superman of skeptics

Instead, he used the term

extremely skeptical person

I think maybe you could have asked Alferd what he meant by the term he used, rather than galloping off with your own very concrete usages.

Also, if you're in the business of lecturing other people on how to be a 'proper skeptic', I'd avoid making psychic claims while you do it, e.g.:

He most certainly made up the part about being so scared of structural failure he had to run away and then conceal that major safety issue from the client.

and

The fact he embellished in the very first sentence [my emphasis]

Reasonable, but debatable (and somewhat aggressive), speculations on your part; but no True Skeptic(TM) would mistake such supposition for absolute certainty in such a way, would they?