Why Some People See Ghosts While Others Don’t, According To Science

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You would be surprised at how many people report sightings and apparitions of ghosts. However, some people are more prone to make these reports than others. For example, some studies show that almost half of widowed elderly Americans see a hallucination of their departed spouse. So are they are real or they just hallucinations we dream of during emotionally intense periods?

That’s a hard question to answer because the definition of seeing ghosts can depend on the person. If we a define it as “sensing a presence” then it can be as simple as a feeling rather than an actual sight. Thsi can happen in all kinds of states like when you’re awake, or asleep, and when you’re grieving or just focused enough to notice. In all cases, science can now explains why ghosts can be seen by some people, and not others.

The Fear Of Ghosts Itself

woman in black dress standing in front of trees

darksouls1 / Pixabay Via canva

darksouls1 / Pixabay Via canva

Some people are scared of the paranormal. It’s not necessarily the ghosts themselves that make them feel uneasy, but the meeting of the unknown and the possibility of something they don’t understand that defies the laws of nature as they’ve come to understand it. For that reason, these people don’t particularly enjoy darkness, thunderstorms, or horror stories. However, the brain is funny that way. It’s possible that it’s the fear itself that tricks the mind into interpreting certain events as “paranormal.’ This could be because the mind is already oriented towards that risk. Think of it like when you go do a presentation and work yourself up so you forget all your lines.

On the other hand, those who don’t give much thought to ghosts, aren’t opening themselves up to the possibility of seeing them. So chances are, even if ghosts are real and have shown themselves to them, these people likely brushed it off with a more rational explanation.