Do you believe in: Ghosts?

      Many people say that ghosts aren't real. They come up with their own unique ways of explaining how something that should have never been possible happened.

When someone sees, feels, or hears a ghost...

...Scientists say they didn't have an experience with a ghost because they are not real. Then they explain the possible causes for why we believed we had an encounter with a ghost :

• radiation
• vivid imaginations
• sleep deprived
• crazy
• there was a draft
• someone else must have been there
• drunk or under some type of influence

      And the list could go on and on and on forever, but I would rather not continue to look through the views of people who are so set against ghosts. After all, how do they know that ghosts are NOT real? Yea, that's my question. I would love it if a scientist could 100% prove to me and everyone else out there who has had the impossible happen to them that ghosts are fake. I'm sure that would go REALLY well: they call us all crazy, half of the world's population rebels, and a war would break out. <-- Now some people would say that was a threat, but it is just a reflection based on what I have learned about humans and our past. Whenever someone disagrees with something we say or do, we start fighting, others learn about our fight and take sides, and if you are popular or well known, a war could possibly break out. Yea, way to go America!

      Anyways, back to ghosts, I personally believe that ghosts are real because I saw a shadowed figure chase me down a hallway and I have gotten lost down a hallway because it led to another hall that wasn't there the morning after when I went to go explore again. Numerous times I have had a door-handle start moving around as if someone was trying to open the door, and when I opened the door, no one was there. I have been slapped by a ghost, or as scientists would say, I wasn't slapped by a ghost. Clearly the handprint that was left on my cheek after it stung like someone had slapped it was from no one - and I know what you are going to say, I left it there myself, but I placed my hand over the handprint because I had that same thought, but the handprint mark on my cheek was much larger than my hands. My friend has had her doors in her house slam shut or go flying open, and no draft of air could do that! I sometimes hear footsteps in the attic above my bedroom, but there is no one up there, I have checked. They weren't little scurry-sounds of a mouse or rat, either, these footsteps sound like boots walking down a wooden hallway. Oh, and last - but never least - a friend and I decided that the ghost we had encountered before was following us, so we lit a candle and told the ghost that we were going to ask it a series of yes or no questions. All it needed to do was make the flame move up and down if it's answer was yes and move the flame from side to side if it's answer was no. We proceeded to ask it questions, and after every question the flame would move either up and down or side to side. Now, I know what people who believe ghosts are fake would say: our breath was moving the flame, but we were facing away from the candle and there was no breeze in the room.

      Now, if you still don't believe in ghosts and you think that scientists are right: there are perfectly reasonable explanations for what I have experienced, then please, by all means - enlighten me. I would love to know why these things happen!

      Happy Hauntings, Alyssa Hellenbrand.