Someone once said that every man put on this earth was condemned to die. It was a sentence that began from the very first breath we took. While some go about their day, thinking that they are living their life, there are others who realize that every second that ticks on the clock brings them one step closer to the inevitable.
Since the dawn of civilization, mankind has held firm to a belief that there is something afterwards..Something else. Although many are unsure about what happens when you die, there are others who are certain about the second act of their existence (or lack thereof).
Meanwhile, tales of ghosts and spirits have been around for as long as history has been recorded. Whether it is our fascination with the afterlife, or whether there are real ghosts that roam our earth, there is no denying that practically every human civilization has spoken of them.
So what are ghosts? Are they purely figments of our imaginations? Or is there something else that drives our belief in an unknown, spiritual realm? Logic would tell you that when early civilizations saw the bones of their dead turn to dust..They would assume that it was the end. But that is not what happened. Instead humans have been speculating and theorizing as to what happens when we die and what if anything, ghosts truly are. Below are five theories about ghosts. Five explanations. Some that use scientific reasoning to answer the question and others that are purely faith driven. So who is right? Read and decide.
1. Dead People
The most popular and widely believed ghost theory is that ghosts are the spirits of people who have passed on. Many believe that the spirit is trapped between this world and the afterlife, possibly because of sudden or unexpected death. Such events may have left the person confused, or unwilling to move on. Even the laws of thermodynamics, which are accepted as much as the law of gravity among scientists, states that “Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change form”. This ghost theory is at the root of most ghost stories and beliefs about the spirit world.
2. Energy Burn
Many theorists believe that we all leave an imprint or “fingerprint” in the atmosphere around us. Moments with high levels of tension or emotion are believed by some to “burn” the moment into the atmosphere, making it visible under certain conditions. The theory is that ghosts are simply a repeat of history, a short film that is set to repeat..forever.
Kirlian photography, discovered in 1939 by Semyon Kirlian, showed that many objects seemed to have a life force or “aura” about them. Experiments with the photography yielded some startling results. The most famous of which is the cut leaf. Kirlian noticed that if he were to take one photo of a leaf and then remove part of it for the second image, the second picture would show the missing part of the leaf. It would stand to reason that humans and other objects do in fact have an affect on the atmosphere around them. Kirlian also noticed that as leaves and other plants withered, the aura around them grew weaker.
The energy burn theory seems to make more sense when applied to cases of residual hauntings, in which the ghost seems to go about everyday business, as if it were alive. The entity is unaware of anyone watching it. The ghost displays no intelligence and is usually seen doing something rather ordinary, like walking through a particular doorway. This has many people convinced that most cases of ghosts are simply history repeating itself. A glimpse of the past that was burned into the atmosphere, for our modern and curious eyes.
4. Interdimensional Beings?
One of the more interesting ghost theories places ghosts on a whole new level..Literally. Some believe that ghosts are residents of a parallel universe. Physics supports the idea of multiple universes, that basically exist in layers on top of or next to one another. Some believe that ghosts and other cases of paranormal activity are the result of momentary “collisions” of two totally different worlds, that exist simultaneously. This would mean that ghosts are not dead at all, but living on the same planet earth in the very same year as you.
5. Demons
The second most widely held belief about ghosts and spirits is that they are not ghosts at all. Many religious people firmly believe that ghosts are demons, that have taken various forms and are nothing but pure evil. It doesn’t matter whether the ghost seems angry and objects are thrown by invisible hands, or if the ghost is that of a harmless child. They are all equally dangerous and are spawned from Hell itself. For many religions, the idea that our souls or spirits are stuck on earth is not acceptable. Seeing a vision of a loved one would not actually be that person. Instead it would be a demon in the form of that loved one. The true spirit of that person would be in the Kingdom of God and far from our earthly troubles.
So what do you think? Could any of these Ghost Theories be correct? Regardless of beliefs, Ghosts have been talked about and debated for centuries and will most likely continue to be the center of fascination for many people for centuries to come. Unfortunately, the only way for any of us to find out what truly happens when we die..Is to die.
Until then, take our poll below and let us know what you think ghosts are. (Apologies for technical problems, the poll will be back soon.)
[poll id=”7″]
