The post in which I step into woo-woo land.
I had a conversation the other day with my son's future mother-in-law. Why doesn't my son believe in ghosts? I mean, I write about them, right? And we decided it was because he is too logically minded.
Which brings me to the thing about ghosts.
If you've been following my Epitaph series, you've noticed that spooks tend to show up. Loved ones who have unfinished business. People who have been wronged and can't find their way "home." This almost always brings about the question. Do I believe in ghosts?
I'm going to deflect the question for just a second to point out that our local ghost hunters have never captured anything tangible, even with their professional equipment. Does that mean they don't exist? Going out on a limb here and saying I don't discount the possibility. I've seen and heard unusual things that may or may not be "preternatural," which means there is no reasonable explanation for them, but there might be one day.
Before my mother passed, we had a family conversation about "the next phase." I think I tried to add some humor to the conversation and said something along the lines of "aren't you going to come back to be my guardian angel?" to which I got a resounding "NO." Alrighty then!
I do believe in sensitivity to those we love, a bond that transcends time and distance, and maybe death. I don't think of ghosts as scary and threatening, rather, I think of them as comforting. There have been moments in my life where I find myself suddenly overcome with emotion for no apparent reason. A feeling like you'd get with a hug - warm and comforting. Those aren't necessarily "ghostly" experiences, though. Well, maybe, if the person you're sensing has passed on.
I've also had those hair-raising moments - a wind chime swinging from the ceiling when there's no breeze and they don't produce any sound, a door opening and closing for no apparent reason (we're talking heavy, front entrance door, not a half-closed interior door). Ghosts? Maybe, or maybe some other as yet undiscovered rational explanation.
What about you? Have you had a ghostly encounter?
We often have Sunday breakfast at a cafe that claims to have a resident ghost, although I've never sensed anything. However, a reporter once did an article on the place and his pictures didn't come out.
ReplyDeleteHubster is a skeptic (scientist) and when we stayed with a friend who said a ghost liked to rearrange jewelry, of course Hubster set out all my earrings on the dresser to see if they'd be messed with. (They weren't).
I'm not a believer, but I won't say I've totally discounted the existence of the supernatural. But I'd probably look at scientific explanations first.
Not to say I don't enjoy the Draycott Abbey series and the ghosts that reside there.
Yes, I like the Draycott Abbey series as well. Urban legends make things more interesting--true or not. The scientist part goes along with the preternatural explanations.
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