Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Coffee + TV = Ghosts, Scientists say

ghost I recently came across two articles that caught my attention. Why, you may ask? Both mentioned the words “scientists” and “ghosts” in the same headline. But, before you get too excited, they didn’t say, “Scientists Prove Ghosts Exist.”

One article from Cold Spot: Paranormal Research and Investigation Unit, and the other from UK’s Glasgow Daily Record, suggest that when people see ghosts they aren’t actually seeing anything – although for two different reasons.

The Glasgow Daily Record reported that coffee drinkers (ie. those who drink more than SEVEN cups of instant coffee a day) are more likely to hallucinate and hear non-existent voices.

On the other hand, the Cold Spot article disclosed a study conducted by University College London, which suggests that when people see ghosts they’re simply “filling in the blanks” with their imagination.

I don’t doubt that either explanation is possible, but I don’t know anyone who drinks seven cups of coffee a day. And it just doesn’t seem logical that more than one person could experience the same phenomena at different times if they were using their own imagination. Plus, as I mentioned in my last post, there’s more to any experience than just what is seen.

If ghosts are a figment of the imagination, or the result of caffeine overdose, how have ghost stories and the belief in their existence lasted for centuries even without concrete, scientific proof? Even before coffee and scary movies existed?

The only answer I can think of is that ghosts do exist. After all, there’s no proof that they don’t.


(Image: Sci Fi UK)

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