Ghost Busting: 10 Psychological Reasons Why We See Ghosts
š» Are you curious on why some people see ghosts?
Do you believe in ghosts or the paranormal?
If so, have you ever seen a ghost or witnessed any spooky activity?
If you answered āyes,ā you are not alone. One in three people in the UK believe in ghosts!
The belief in ghosts is seen in all cultures and goes back a millennia.
Iāve experienced some strange things during my time. Things that I just canāt explain.
I grew up in an old Victorian house, with lots of dark rooms, high ceilings, hidden nooks, a steep staircase, and long narrow corridors. It had this whole haunted vibe to it.
With my psychology hat on, let us dive into some of the scientific reasons why some of us might see ghosts and even experience paranormal activity!
Ten Psychological Reasons Why Some of Us See Ghosts š»
Here are 10 psychological reasons why some of us have paranormal experiences. Iād love to hear your thoughts on this too.
1. Electromagnetic frequencies and infra-sounds
Electromagnetic frequencies and infra-sounds are all around us. Just like other animals, we are highly sensitive to the environment. Our brains can pick up on things we may not always be aware of.
Changes in electromagnetic fields or low sound frequencies, infra-sounds (*1) are sounds below the normal range that humans can hear.
Although our brains try to make sense of this background noise, other senses may try to extract this data. Sounds have been known to cause slight vibrating with the eyes leading to distortion and potentially strange shadows.
An example of this was experienced by staff at Coventry University in the UK. Black blobs and feelings of unease and anxiety were being reported.
One staff member noticed that during the timing of these strange encounters slight vibrations were being picked up by the equipment they were working with.
Upon closer investigation, it was found that the āsilent fanā was in fact given low-frequency sound waves of under 20Hz. This sound might not be picked up by our ears, but our other senses were noting it.
Once the fan was switched off the strange black blob disappeared, and staff stopped reporting the feelings of unease and anxiety in the lab!
Optical illusion caused by sound waves and electromagnetic fields and our sensory systems trying to interpret data can cause paranormal experiences.
2. Stress, Trauma, and Brain Injury
Sometimes ghosts can be created when there are processing issues within the brain. These can be caused by stress, traumatic experiences, or medical problems such as tumours or strokes.
A neurologist investigating a womanās epileptic seizures discovered that when he applied an electrical current to a certain part of the brain the lady felt that there was another unearthly pressure lurking in the room.
Other studies have shown a link between traumatic experiences and extra-sensory perception and possessions.
A study (*2) concluded that stress can cause people to report paranormal experiences. Traumatic stress was linked to experiences such as possession and extra-sensory perception.
3. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
In the 1920s a family reported paranormal experiences occurring in their home (*3), strange noises, bells ringing, and disturbances in sleep. The children became pale and withdrawn. They started getting mysterious illnesses and headaches.
Things got worse when the children would report seeing strange sightings and then the adults started to see things too.
Further investigations showed that these experiences were in fact hallucinations, triggered by a carbon monoxide leak.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be deadly, so the family were very lucky to make it out of the house alive!
4. By the Power of Suggestion
That house, you know the one on the end of that road. Did you know itās haunted? If you look up at the window there is a young boy dressed in Victorian ware watching, you.
Now, next time you walk past that house you may feel a little spooked. Do you dare look up at the window or keep your eyes on the path ahead?
Some people believe in ghosts when they have been primed. If you are told by others, especially if itās multiple people that a house or other space is haunted you are more likely to report a spooky experience happening there.
Take for example an experiment done in the 1990s. Around 20 people were touring an old theatre. Half were told that the place was haunted and presented with spooky tales.
The other half were told that the building was under construction and made to feel comfortable and relaxed.
I bet you can guess the group who reported paranormal experiences!
5. Mouldy Experiences
Mould can add to a spooky experience a little more than you think!
Ghosts are often spotted in older buildings, which are more prone to dampness and mould.
Spores produced by moulds have been known to impact mood and cause cognitive problems and hallucinations.
It can also impact physical health and cause breathing difficulties and issues with balance and coordination.
A group of Undergraduates in New York (*4) have been investigating some of the most haunted places in the area. One thing all these haunted places have in common is mould.
6. A Coping mechanism
The loss of a loved one can be a deeply traumatic experience.
As we have previously learned stress and trauma can lead to some spooky experiences.
Often, people who have lost someone report being visited by them. This can be caused by a coping mechanism of the grieving brain, but what it doesnāt explain is people see relations visiting and then getting the call!
This was an experience my father had back in the 1970s. He woke to see his grandmother standing by his bed watching over him. As he sat up and turned the light on, she vanished.
The next morning, he got the call to say she had passed. The time she passed was a similar time to when her apparition had appeared by the bed.
7. Sleep paralysis
Paranormal experiences are common during sleep paralysis.
Sleep paralysis is a sleep disorder, that can be triggered by stress. It has also been commonly reported in people with Covid19.
This phenomenon occurs when you start to wake up before your body is ready. So, you get stuck in a limbo-like state of being half awake and half asleep.
A majority of scares tend to occur whilst we are in our beds making sleep paralysis a potential cause of ghostly experiences.
8. Pareidolia
We are hard-wired for pareidolia- to see faces.
Sometimes we see faces where there are no faces. Itās a way of our brains trying to make sense of the data it is perceiving around us.
āWe are primed to see faces in every corner of the visual world. Pareidolia is often the logical explanation for most religious or UFO sightings. This has led to a lot of money changing hands from strong believers, who claim these appearances are evidenceā. ā David Robson, Psychologist
9. Problems with eyesight
Seeing ghosts? When did you last get your eyes checked?
Spooky shadows can sometimes be rooted in medical issues and eyesight (*9 & 10) issues can be another cause of ghostly experiences.
I read a story year ago about how a lady had started to see ghost-like black mist following her around. She could see it out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned around there was nothing there.
A visit to the opticians saved her sight.
The black mist simply vanished after a small operation to correct her vision.
10. Substance Misuse
As we have seen hallucinations can be triggered by many different things from stress, trauma, and other mental health conditions to brain injury or medical issues. Hallucinations can also be caused by mould and poisoning.
One thing we havenāt mentioned yet is substance misuse. Interestingly some of the most haunted buildings in the world tend to be pubs, clubs, and hotels.
Key Takeaways
I like to keep an open mind, but there are a lot of reasons some of us might see ghosts and itās not always related to our mental well-being.
As our sensory systems try to make sense of the data all around us sometimes things go wrong, or we can be primed into believing something that isnāt real.
About 75 to 80 percent of paranormal experiences can be easily explained by science but there is still that odd 20% that remain unanswered.
š What are your thoughts on ghosts? Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
References:
3. A True Tale Of A Truly Haunted House by Albert Donnay (ghostvillage.com)
5. Seen a ghost? Then you may have inhaled toxic mould | Daily Mail Online
9. What are āGhostā Images and What Causes Them? (nvcofny.com)
10 Warning signs of age-related eye problems (allaboutvision.com)
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