A ghost sighting

[Andrew Paquette]

EDITED after talking to my source, who clarified the details. Edits in blue

For a change, I'd like to post a completely natural, in-the-field, spontaneous report of a ghost sighting. The purpose is to put on the record what they look like for the sake of conversation.

I was at my local comic book store last week, on December 13, to buy some comics. I went again on the 19th, to buy some more. On the second visit, the owner of the store, Anthony, told me, "I don't believe in ghosts, but I saw a ghost after your last visit." The ghost was of a woman named Diane who died August 18th of this year at 80 years old. The woman was the mother of a friend of his. He hadn't seen her for a couple of years.

Diane did not live nearby. The store is in Hyde Park, NY. Diane lived about two hours away, in Oneonta, NY.

Anthony thought she might have been connected to me, though I did not know her. He knew her as an artist but hadn't seen her in a long time. He did not know she had died until she appeared in his store. There was something about that appearance that made him think, a) she has died, and b) this is a ghost. She had never visited his store before.

He said that after I had left the store on the earlier visit, he had locked the door to the store and started closing down for the evening. It was about 9pm. Then, Diane walked in the front door, though it was closed and locked. The bell attached to the door did not ring. Diane walked in, said, "There is a right way to do things and a wrong way," and then walked out, again, through the closed and locked front door. "I saw her walk straight through the door." He checked the door to be sure it was locked, and it was.

I asked Anthony if she looked "normal" to him. "No, she didn't. She looked younger and healthier than I've ever seen her. I'm used to seeing her as a seventy-plus year old woman. When she came to the store, she appeared to be in her fifties and had plenty of strength or energy." I clarified that I wanted to know what tipped him off that she was a ghost, and if that was related to her appearance. "What tipped me off is that she looked like Diane but twenty or thirty years younger. it was weird. Other than that, she looked like a normal person. She cast shadows, and was not transparent or blurry."

So that's my ghost report for the year, coming from a person, Anthony, who says he "doesn't believe in ghosts."

 

[north]

does Anthony see other ghosts?
Why dont you believe in ghosts?

 

[Andrew Paquette]

does Anthony see other ghosts?
Why dont you believe in ghosts?

I believe in ghosts, Anthony doesn't. This is the first time he's seen one, according to him.

 

[David Bailey]

Maybe the next time you go to the store, you should ask him if he found the message - "There is a right way to do things and a wrong way " meaningful in his particular situation - maybe assuring him that you don't need to know why it was meaningful.

 

[Andrew Paquette]

Maybe the next time you go to the store, you should ask him if he found the message - "There is a right way to do things and a wrong way " meaningful in his particular situation - maybe assuring him that you don't need to know why it was meaningful.

On my first visit he addressed that question. He thought it was random or meaningless. I doubt it was but only he would know.

 

[north]

I believe in ghosts, Anthony doesn't. This is the first time he's seen one, according to him.

that is interesting that despite his belief he had that experience. very nice that he shared it.

 

[Andrew Paquette]

One of the reasons I decided to share this is to counter the narrative from skeptic communities that don't understand what real psi experiences look like. They look like this. They are spontaneous. They are often unique to the experience of the percipient. They rarely involve any causative action from the percipient. They are often alien to the beliefs of those who witness them.

Multiple experiences in the same person's life (such as my dreams and waking psi) are unusual. Despite that, the rest of the pattern is similar. The only well-documented exception to this that I know of are clairvoyants who purport to communicate with the spirits of the deceased. I don't doubt that many of these are frauds, though am hesitant to try and estimate how many. The point is that most psi does not resemble a magic trick, unlike the claims by debunkers such as the recently released James Randi.

 

[front243]

I have had a poltergeist experience. They are somehow "attached" to people with traumas or psychological problems.

I saw a figure once. It was a certain well-known deceased hollywood actor. Completely real looking. I live in Denmark in Europe. You should think he would appear in, well, Hollywood or something.

Poltergeists are tricksters. I don't think it was that person's ghost but a trick cast upon me.

Most of my other experiences related to the poltergeist episode were knockings from the wall, something that sounded like a large dog walking across my living room. I was also touch by an invisible human figure. The figure could also pass through me (I felt its silhouette passing through me). So, apparently it can both touch and pass through as it likes.

I only accidentally discovered in literature that it was a poltergeist and not a ghost.

That was incidentally my introduction to the Skeptiko podcast. I have a scientific background and I like that Alex took the parapsychological angel.

 

[Eric Newhill]

I have had a poltergeist experience. They are somehow "attached" to people with traumas or psychological problems.

I saw a figure once. It was a certain well-known deceased hollywood actor. Completely real looking. I live in Denmark in Europe. You should think he would appear in, well, Hollywood or something.

Poltergeists are tricksters. I don't think it was that person's ghost but a trick cast upon me.

Most of my other experiences related to the poltergeist episode were knockings from the wall, something that sounded like a large dog walking across my living room. I was also touch by an invisible human figure. The figure could also pass through me (I felt its silhouette passing through me). So, apparently it can both touch and pass through as it likes.

I only accidentally discovered in literature that it was a poltergeist and not a ghost.

That was incidentally my introduction to the Skeptiko podcast. I have a scientific background and I like that Alex took the parapsychological angel.

Not sure that there is such a clear cut distinction between a poltergeist and a ghost. Nor the definition of poltergeists that you offered.

About a month after my father died, my wife and I began experiencing poltergeist phenomena in our home. At first neither my wife and I were sure that there was anything "real" happening. Most of the phenomena were on the periphery of perception. However, over the second month, the phenomena became undeniable. Loud bangs and thumps downstairs at night (sounded like someone picking up the furniture and dropping it). The sound of heavy footsteps upstairs when we were down stairs. Knocking in the walls that hadn't happened in that house before or after that summer. Objects disappearing and re-appearing in strange places (one example is my wife's Rolex watch, that she rarely wears - and hadn't for some time - and always keeps in a jewelry box in her closet, showed up inside a barn boot amongst a pile of old barn socks and gloves by the side door). During this time my father showed up in some intense dreams as well with various messages.

After a couple of months of almost daily/nightly occurrences we were getting pretty spooked (no pun intended) and we had pretty much put 2 and 2 together. We were both still skeptical and playing the null hypothesis, but it was getting more difficult to keep up.

A long time online friend who has an interest in the paranormal recommended a medium that he had found to be excellent (I think most mediums, psychics, etc are frauds, delusional or pretty weak at best). We set up a meeting with the medium using fake names, from computers at the library and provided no traceable personal information. We made a trip to the medium's house. We used a rental car, etc so the medium, if a fraud, wouldn't be able to have a confederate do a last minute run of our plates. The medium turned out to be excellent; exceeding my most highest expectations of what a good medium might be able to do.

I knocked on the medium's door at the appointed time and she ushered us in. Without either my wife or I saying a word except perhaps "Hello", the medium began to tell me that my father's spirit had been waiting for us and he was in a hurry to get started. There was no fishing, guessing and no feed back by us. It was just my father giving a lecture as if he was literally in the room. The medium assumed his personality, body language, word choice, etc. Much highly detailed personal info was given by the spirit. Stuff that no one could know except him and me (and my wife in some cases). This was material that no fraud would dare guess because it was idiosyncratic/unusual info that most certainly could not generally apply to people.

At any rate, my father took credit for all of the poltergeist activity. He accurately described what had occurred and a couple of things we were not aware of, but checked and found to be true when we returned home. Again, very specific and we did not ask the medium about any of it. In fact, my wife and I were stunned and pretty much just sat there, except for a few times when I replied to my father's spirit by way of defending my self against some of his accusations and criticisms (he had been a trial lawyer and before that a semi-pro boxer and a Marine and he always busted my balls, This wasn't a love and rainbows reunion in the least bit) The poltergeist activity spontaneously came out as a natural extension of what my father's spirit was saying. He wanted us to know that it had been him all along. My father's spirit said that he had been trying to get our attention and he was glad it had finally worked and that we were now talking. He was angry at me for ignoring him for so long.

So there is an instance of poltergeist = ghost = familial spirit

 

[Charlie Primero]

My father's spirit said that he had been trying to get our attention and he was glad it had finally worked and that we were now talking.

Have you considered the possibility that this was not really your Father, but instead a malevolent inter-dimensional entity?

 

[Eric Newhill]

Have you considered the possibility that this was not really your Father, but instead a malevolent inter-dimensional entity?

My father was a malevolent inter-dimensional entity. So what you're proposing would be redundant.

Seriously though, it did cross my mind, but I reject the idea.
1.For what purpose would the entity put on that charade? My father stated his reasons and they made sense based on what his perspective would be.
2. Such an entity would have to have access to lots of historical very personal information. How would that work?
3. Seems too complicated
4. After I talked to my father (in spirit) the nature of the poltergeist phenomena changed from disturbing to humorous (that was a suggestion that my wife and I made to him)
5. After I followed through on what he wanted, the activity ceased (a couple of months after the seance)
6. Three years later my mother in law died and we went to the same medium who made very high quality contact with her (she had been an ardent atheist and we were interested in what she would have to say, if anything. She admitted she was wrong and stated that the afterlife was really quite beautiful and that she was learning a lot). At the end of that seance, the medium said that my father had shown up and wanted to know if it was ok to speak (exhibiting a change in attitude right there). I said "yes" and just briefly "hello" and that he was pleased with what I had done (listed some details). He seemed in much improved mood and generally, character. That seems totally incompatible with the malevolent entity hypothesis. It seems totally compatible with a gruff tough man who had been learning to be better in the afterlife.

 

[Charlie Primero]

My father was a malevolent inter-dimensional entity. So what you're proposing would be redundant.

1. For what purpose would the entity put on that charade?

Just to be mean, or perhaps psyop you into something.

2. Such an entity would have to have access to lots of historical very personal information. How would that work?

Some propose that spirits have access to a complete historical record of everything that has happened everywhere. Some call this the "Akashic Record". Sound reasonable to me.

3. Seems too complicated

Not for them.

5. After I followed through on what he wanted, the activity ceased

Interesting. If you don't mind, what specifically were the things he wanted you to do?

6. ...That seems totally incompatible with the malevolent entity hypothesis. It seems totally compatible with a gruff tough man who had been learning to be better in the afterlife.

I agree. Interesting.

 

[front243]

I see your experience as a ghost experience. I don't distinct between ghosts and poltergeists based on the usual patterns as seen in for instance the Poltergeist movie (moving furniture, knockings).

 

[Eric Newhill]

5. After I followed through on what he wanted, the activity ceased

Interesting. If you don't mind, what specifically were the things he wanted you to do?

He knew I was doing something illegal in the state I lived in (though not in most other states. It involved firearms). He said I was lucky so far, but I would get busted and ruin my career (it was nothing harmful to others, immoral, etc - just illegal under super liberal governance of my state). I was also drinking too heavily at the time at that pissed him off. Third, he wanted to tell me something about my son, who had recently suffered a head wound in Afghanistan and who ended up having serious disability issues, impulse control issues and had become generally dangerous to himself and others. There were courses of action he wanted to convey relating to those topics.

 

[Charlie Primero]

There were courses of action he wanted to convey relating to those topics.

Interesting. Thank you.

I also have drank too much at times.

Cops I go fishing with here in Texas are buying illegal DIY suppressor kits for their AR's as fast as funds permit.

My hope is that people are so angry about the election theft they begin ignoring the absurdly Byzantine Federal ATF regulations in such great quantity that those regs become de facto moot.

 

[Eric Newhill]

Interesting. Thank you.

I also have drank too much at times.

Cops I go fishing with here in Texas are buying illegal DIY suppressor kits for their AR's as fast as funds permit.

My hope is that people are so angry about the election theft they begin ignoring the absurdly Byzantine Federal ATF regulations in such great quantity that those regs become de facto moot.

IMO, The lefties are going to force a lot of trouble by introducing harsh gun laws.

I've always enjoyed a drink, but I was going overboard at times during that period. My father had a stoke that left him paralyzed and unable to eat. Despite our differences, I had to watch him die and that was rough. Simultaneously, my son, as an Army officer (1lt) was on a stupid hopeless mission in Afghanistan getting rocketed and mortared from Pakistan every day. I would see reports of KIA in the province in which he was and then sit up all night wondering if that car would come down the driveway. Then, when it didn't, feel a guilty relief because I knew it was coming down someone else's driveway that loved their son just as much. Then he was wounded and evacuated. Meanwhile the poltergeist activity had commenced and I still had to be performing at a high level at work. That's the excuse for the excessive drinking.

Anyhow, you can see that despite the harsh methods that seemed like a poltergeist, the spirit was actually not malevolent. His intentions were actually good.

 

[atone]

EDITED after talking to my source, who clarified the details. Edits in blue

For a change, I'd like to post a completely natural, in-the-field, spontaneous report of a ghost sighting. The purpose is to put on the record what they look like for the sake of conversation.

I was at my local comic book store last week, on December 13, to buy some comics. I went again on the 19th, to buy some more. On the second visit, the owner of the store, Anthony, told me, "I don't believe in ghosts, but I saw a ghost after your last visit." The ghost was of a woman named Diane who died August 18th of this year at 80 years old. The woman was the mother of a friend of his. He hadn't seen her for a couple of years.

Diane did not live nearby. The store is in Hyde Park, NY. Diane lived about two hours away, in Oneonta, NY.

Anthony thought she might have been connected to me, though I did not know her. He knew her as an artist but hadn't seen her in a long time. He did not know she had died until she appeared in his store. There was something about that appearance that made him think, a) she has died, and b) this is a ghost. She had never visited his store before.

He said that after I had left the store on the earlier visit, he had locked the door to the store and started closing down for the evening. It was about 9pm. Then, Diane walked in the front door, though it was closed and locked. The bell attached to the door did not ring. Diane walked in, said, "There is a right way to do things and a wrong way," and then walked out, again, through the closed and locked front door. "I saw her walk straight through the door." He checked the door to be sure it was locked, and it was.

I asked Anthony if she looked "normal" to him. "No, she didn't. She looked younger and healthier than I've ever seen her. I'm used to seeing her as a seventy-plus year old woman. When she came to the store, she appeared to be in her fifties and had plenty of strength or energy." I clarified that I wanted to know what tipped him off that she was a ghost, and if that was related to her appearance. "What tipped me off is that she looked like Diane but twenty or thirty years younger. it was weird. Other than that, she looked like a normal person. She cast shadows, and was not transparent or blurry."

So that's my ghost report for the year, coming from a person, Anthony, who says he "doesn't believe in ghosts."

I believe it, its a hologram of somebody's consciousness; that's what a ghost is IMO. Try the book Ghost Physics , great scientific theory on ghosts , probably what Christ's apostles saw IMO. Theory being matter and energy are the same, and when we pass we are pure energy, but if we think back and are aware in this energy state we revert back to matter , be it a smell, kinetic energy, a hologram, touch etc .... via higgs-Boson Particle ; we never die ; we just change states of being much like an ice cube melting . time and space are an illusion .

But that's my take on it, might not be yours

 

[front243]

I believe it, its a hologram of somebody's consciousness; that's what a ghost is IMO. Try the book Ghost Physics , great scientific theory on ghosts , probably what Christ's apostles saw IMO. Theory being matter and energy are the same, and when we pass we are pure energy, but if we think back and are aware in this energy state we revert back to matter , be it a smell, kinetic energy, a hologram, touch etc .... via higgs-Boson Particle ; we never die ; we just change states of being much like an ice cube melting . time and space are an illusion .

And I should mention that it is much more than a visible hologram. I have been touched by these beings. So at least my nervous system in my body responds to them as well.

 

[atone]

That would be considered kinetic energy .

 

[atone]

with that said start taking some pictures etc ..... get some video evidence, would be cool.