Why Do Ghosts Show Up When It's Quiet?


I grew up in a family with five kids of a wide variety of ages and temperaments. In other words, it was a constant battle. When I look back at the times I witnessed phenomenon, it seemed to occur when I was playing alone, or we were sitting quietly for a TV show or perhaps in the bedroom. We never in the middle of a really loud game of penny poker on a Friday night run into a dark shadow in the room or heard a door slam shut. It rarely came with a foreknowledge such as goosebumps, cold spots, feelings of being watched. It happened when we looked up from reading a book, tucked ourselves into bed, came up off the stairs into the hallway, walked into the house through the front door…

Perhaps this is the “Railroad Track Paradox” I discovered while doing my haunted formula last summer. I found a ridiculous amount of haunted places were near RR tracks. Why? Well, I had to consider it eventually an incidental finding. It happened that these older homes were built in towns based on RR trains that transported people and goods.

As a logic-minded person, I would assume the reason we don’t notice ghosts in the middle of arguments or lovemaking is the simple issue of attention and noise levels (well, hell, some of us are noisy in bed). Kidding aside, as hunters we deprive ourselves of light and sound as much as is possible in order to discern even the most minute changes in the environment. .We generally take note of the phenomenon when there is less sensory stimulus. However, it certainly doesn’t mean that while your teenaged daughter was making out on the sofa with the quarterback, an entity didn’t pass right by them.

It is also entirely possible that we are more receptive in our quiet moments and for that reason we are able to discern phenomenon better. This is somewhat like what occurs in the moments upon waking or going to sleep in the alpha state of mind; we are an easier receiver of communications.

I am going to follow this up with a post about the issue of sleep and ghostly sightings to help you break down whether you’re having a genuine paranormal experience or a parasomnia experience.

Comments

  1. I can't tell you how many times I have woke up hearing my name called. I will look around but no one is usually there. I do have more happen when it is quiet with the exception of the crazy stuff that happened at the Copper Queen Hotel when Mike was making us laugh. Apparently the ghosts have a sense of humor too.

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  2. I'm still on the fence as far as ghosts go--I don't know enough about the subject to have an opinion.

    However, could it be that we "see" ghosts when we're alone and things are quiet because humans are, basically, pack animals? Our imagination is trying to comfort some part of us that doesn't like solitude and quiet? (Which then causes the rationale part of our brain to freak out, because we KNOW we're alone. :) )

    That said... you once again gave me an interesting post to read. I look forward to the next one.

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  3. Hey Steve;
    I understand that completely, but admittedly, the most run-ins I had growing up involved minding my own business and being startled like hell. I wasn't feeling lonely--in fact, I was a loner and liked it that way because my sib's were a pain in the ass. Once, I was sitting beside my mother when I watched her cigarette launch itself across the room. Another time, I was walking into the kitchen when I saw the broom sort of glide walk itself several feet and then fall to the floor. My guess, if you believe that ghosts are souls, is that the only time to get someone's attention is when they sit still and are quiet. Glad you're enjoying the blog. Tomorrow morning will be a followup on the Fact or Faked premiere and the in the afternoon there will be a post on paranormal and parasomnia...

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  4. brains are too full of crap from daily surroundings to register much outta the ordinary, until concentration in quiet times leaves the bean less overwhelmed and subject to nuances missed during hubbub times....

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  5. LW;
    Yeah, I'm in agreement. The reason we get so much on a purposeful hunt is we are there to remove other stimuli and listen and watch. Things that could be there and go unnoticed are suddenly revealed.

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  6. I don't know about this. The ghost I had in my old house would always come out when I was vacuuming. Lol, I ain't joking. It might of wanted to do some house cleaning!

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  7. I'd be curious what form that ghost took. Tell me more...

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  8. LW...i pretty much agree with this theory...we live in a busy world, & most people wouldnt bother to notice a ghost...

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  9. It looked like a pirate. It was always holding a document of some kind. I know it sounds goofy, but it's 100% true.

    It was also a brand new house.

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  10. A new home in San Diego and a man who looked like a pirate holding a document...Was he always seen in the same place? Did he see you?

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  11. No, I could see him all over the house. When he seen me, he always looked scared and would float away. It was almost as if he couldn't believe I could see him.

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  12. He was in detail-not all black like a shadowperson? Shadowpeople generally think they can't be seen, but once they realize you see them, they rush away. Did he have a hat? Shadowpeople are also seen with a hat often times. Believe, I know it sounds ludicrous but there must be a reason people see the hat... Interesting phenomenon. Did you see him first out of the corner of your eye and turn to look at him full-on?

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  13. Yes, he had a very large hat and what looked like a black poncho or something. I could only see his upper half...

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  14. Baby Cakes;
    You just described the most popular of the shadowpeople--top hat and cape. Look them up--you'll be surprised how often they show up and they do not necessarily show up in places you think they would, they can be outdoors, new homes, anywhere.

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  15. I think you really nailed - when we are quiet and contemplative, we are more open.

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  16. MM;
    Yup. It's why meditation is so helpful and alpha state before sleep gives you solutions to problems...

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  17. Actually never considered that 'coincidental' aspect of these places being on RR tracks before. But other supernatural and weird sightings tend to be along RR tracks, UFOs in particular. I wonder whether electricity has some sort of relevance here... also, most RR tracks tend to follow rivers.

    As an aside, that cemetery I was at that I had told you about... my dad told me that there have been archaeological digs in a field across the street from the cemetery as well.

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  18. Andrew, you bring up a wonderful point and I will check that out because actually leylines (earth energy lines) follow waterways and if train tracks follow them too...hmm... Interesting. I had wondered at one time if iron or something could be an issue, but I never found enough compelling evidence that tracks had a direct effect.

    That cemetery with an archaeologic dig nearby--interesting! We have a cemetery here and during construction on the grounds it caused a lot of phenomenon.

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