I guess my question is, Does anybody give you a hard time because you believe in ghosts/spirits?
My husband is very supportive of me with my quest, so to say. And my daughter is very much like me, she believes in them. She isn't afraid of them, just very curious. My brother tells me that everything has an explanation. There are no spirits..when we die we just wink out. Our spirit and soul goes no where. My mom thinks anyone is crazy that thinks there are ghosts roaming in the world.
For example:
My maternal grandma lost her husband and daughter within 6 months of each other. Grandma was telling mom a couple days after my aunts funeral, that she came back to her, was calling her name. I think my Aunt wanted Grandma to know she was ok, not to be sad, and to go on. Grandma left the livingroom light on for weeks, just in case she wanted to visit her again, make the place feel homey. Anyway my mom totally made fun of her and told her she was dillusional (sp). I thought that was cruel. But that is just the way mom is.
I guess I kinda rambled on, just wondering how you deal with people that make fun or are just plain cruel to people that believe....thanks in adavance...Deb

Hi moonspirit, =) First let me say good for your husband, to stick by you like that. I have got one of those rare guys also!! I think that most of us who believe in the spirit world at one point or another get razzed . I just try always to remember that some people are afraid of the unknown and they tend to make fun of what they don't understand. You can't change the one's whos minds are shut to what this universe has to offer. Just continue to feel what you feel and NEVER let anyone tell you any different. I have been a believer in the unknown since I can remember and I am 39 yrs old and I still believe strongly. I still have yet to capture something on film but, they always say good things come to those who wait =P . Please always keep the faith (even though sometimes it is hard).

Moonspirit,

Yeah I can definitely say that people make fun of me or think I'm crazy for going looking for ghosts.. I kinda feel funny too when I tell someone that "I went to this haunted place" afraid they'll think a wacko. I feel funny but then I think... if they think I'm stupid for believing or going ghost hunting then forget them cause I think it's fun and interesting and that's all that matters! A couple of my friends think it's totally wierd but they still love me lol! Someday.... they will believe! MWAHAHAHA!!! j/k

The hard part is getting someone to go ghost hunting with you since it's not safe to go alone. You kinda have to bring someone! I recently have stopped talking to one of my good friends cause well, I found out she isn't really a good friend. She used to always go with me though and now I'm trying to find someone else who will go! and that's tough! I wish some of you guys lived closer!!!

You and kitchenwitch are very lucky that your husbands are supportive. Do they go with you guys ghost hunting??

My husband has gone with me the only time I went on a ghost hunt. We walked to the local cemetary, about a mile away...it was nighttime. I have been there during the day with my daughter. We said hello as we walked in and said we were only there to take a few pictures, nothing showed up in the pic's except blackness. We plan on going back when we have a better camera. I would love to find someone local to go ghosthunting with, my husband is gone alot, due to his job, and I don't want to take my daughter at night with me in case something would happen. I have found that most of the people in the mid-west are closed minded to unexplained things. NOT me!!!!
I have gotten pictures here in the house of a few things, but I think it would be soooooo cool to get an evp.

I've always been pretty quiet about my beliefs as far as volunteering information unless I know the person really well. I'm pretty careful who I say something around, and I watch for some social cues to let me know if the person is receptive to discussing anything paranormal.

For instance, a few months ago, I was in a local cafe/antique shop. As I was paying for a purchase, the owner was looking over my shoulder. I heard a noise, and she commented with a sigh, "I just saw a teacup fall and roll across the floor, I suppose it is the ghost again." I started talking a little to her, and she told me they had some odd things happen, especially in the kitchen area of the restaurant. I in turn, told her that I had heard of other buildings in the area that were haunted. At that point, she looked embarassed and changed the subject quickly. I haven't brought up the topic again.

I am fortunate that I grew up with people who did believe in ghosts, spirits and the unknown. So, my beliefs, and things I saw and experienced where accepted by my family. I am also fortunate to be married to someone, who although has never experienced anything himself, realizes that with that much evidence, there is something to the "whole paranormal thing." He's been a great ghost hunting partner!

I guess for the most part, I'm very cautious about saying anything to anyone unless I know the person pretty well or, they initiate a conversation on the topic.

I have started keeping things to myself. That is why I like this board so well, I am able to talk about my belief's. It's great to share it with people that don't think you should be in a mental institution. Speaking of mental instituions....I think it would be awesome to go on a ghost hunt at an abandoned one.

You should come to New York and go ghost hunting with me at the old abandoned Buffalo mental insitution. I can't get ANYONE to go there with me cause it's so super creepy!! Here is a link with some pictures of it:

http://www.paranormalghostsociety.org/asylum.htm[/URL]

I am careful who I tell things to also. Basically only my friends... unless like you said they initiate it.

I wish I lived closer, because I would go on a ghost hunt there in a split second. The only mental instituions we have here close are still up and running. The one closest to us is the Madison State hospital. I was there once, not as a patient LOL, but I had to pick up some copies of medical files. The place was HUGE.
I think the first place I would want to explore in a place like that would be the basement...OH WOW can you imagine the energy you would feel there?

Oh yeah, I have encounterd many people who think I'm nuts or want to know what I"m smoking I am also cautious about who I tell what to but not nearly as much as I used to be. There was a number of years I kept much to myself. I have also come to realize like Kitchenwitch that it is that fear of the unknown that fuels the naysayers. I have to be honest I still even hesitate here a bit. Not because I feel ppl here won't believe or understand it's just that I'm a little conditioned for that type of reaction.

My hubby is supportive and believes. He never had thoughts of ghosts or the paranormal much before meeting me but was open to what I had to say. It was solidified for him though with the activity that happened in our former home. Most but not all of our close family believes to some degree when it comes to ghosts. Still get the "I have a logical explanation for that or it was just your imagination" from time to time. My folks didn't believe our former home was haunted until they too witnessed some things first hand, nor did 2 non believing friends who now believe. Since the folks have become more open to the ghostly discussions including hearing of things that happen in this home. I think it still frightens them some though so sometimes I hold back sharing. Friends - some do and some don't. I posted on another thread of a boss I had once that told me never to speak of it as others would think I was unstable and that would jeopradize my job.

I have had and do have things happen outside of just ghostly activity in my life that I've started to share a lot more of. I find others are more open to that then the ghost stuff. I guess because I or others can validate it.

It's funny though if you relate an experience but say you read it or heard it from a well-known ghost-hunter or psychic ppl seem to have a little more open reaction then if you say it happened to you.

The Buffalo Mental Institute has catacombs! There are a couple reasons why I haven't gone there yet.
1. noone will go with.
&
2. there are a lot of bums that hide in there and people have been killed!!

Cat- I can't believe your boss told you that! That's kinda rude... I can see what they were saying though and were basically looking out for you.

Well, the bum's would scare me more then any ghost I would stumble upon. I have told my daughter a few times, It isn't the dead people I am afraid of, it's the living people that do.
I have only had a belief of the paranormal for a few years now. I never made fun of or belittled people that did. I figured people have the right to believe in any thing they wanted to.
I wanted to thank everyone who responded and gave me their imput.

People who give you a hard time are in denial. Everyone who lives experiences weird things. One of my friends who used to give me a hard time about anything he couldn't see or touch had strange experiences of his own.
Everyones post here is good but I especially liked what Carrie said. Look for clues from those who would be accepting. Use your instincts and senses to figure it out too. I've often found that I feel the need to take the chance on occasion with certain people. Some people are just waiting for some else to broach the subject. They too are afraid to be looked at weird or called names.
One of my brothers is a Baptist and anything related to ghosts is a no-no and he'll tell you so. One of my sister's is a Baptist too but she's recently become open to ghostie stuff. It's hard to tell who is open and who isn't. All walks of life can be closed to the topic and all walks are open to it. The subject of ghosties is universal to mankind. It's always been throughout history.

I'm glad you made your way to this board. =) And everyone else. =) =) =)

[ August 10, 2004, 07:33 AM: Message edited by: nakis ]

I'm called crazy all the time but thats another matter :-P, All I can say is that there is nothing wrong with a little scepticism, after all it would make a bigger impact and make you feel alot better if something you beleived in was proved to be right and the sceptics where wrong :-). Just ingore the sceptics and keep beleiving, after all they are our own beliefs not thiers.

I also think that deep down even most sceptics have witnessed something that they can't explain and denounce it as an act of imagination or the such. Keep on believing like the rest of us here :-), I also think that sceptics as different degrees of belief. Some maybe totally against a notion another may only be mostly against a notion but still make an exception to keep possibility open to themselves so they aren't wrong :-P

I agree , People who make "fun" of you or "razz" you are either afraid of the topic or in denial. My husband has went with me several times, but is still a semi sceptic. I used to feel weird when I told people about ghosthunting but now I don't. They can believe what they believe , I'll believe what I know .

[ August 10, 2004, 09:28 AM: Message edited by: BeckBoo ]

I also don't talk about it much. But my husband doesn't believe. So I tell him if I die before him I'm going to haunt him nonstop until he accepts it. Yeah it's being a smart a**, but if I can come back and haunt him I will just to prove I was right and he was wrong (as usual).

My brother has an answer and an explaination for everything. Things that show up on film is a camera malfunction, or the lens is dirty, or the film has a defect in it. And sometimes all that does happen, but when everything is functioning correctly and the lens is nice and clean and something still shows up....dollars to donuts a spirit or ghost has been caught on film.
I was raised to believe once you die...that is it. Growing up I thought, that sounds boring and senseless. That is how I believed for many of my 40 years, once you died that was it....that was the end of your exsistance. So when things started happening that was unexplained, it took me awhile to even except it. Now I accept it with open arms. I examine all my pictures very closely, if I hear a noise I investigate it. I have a picture of me and my hsband that was taken a few years back, it turn out nice so we had it enlarges and framed, it has sat on top of the china cabinet for quite awhile. Every morning for the past week, it is laying face down. I sit it back up and sure enough it is laying face down the next morning. Well, I moved it today..just curious if it will end up face down again. So I guess I am conducting my own investigation.
I have quite a few people that I would like to come back and visit when I pass...Just to look at them and say...Can you prove me wrong now??? LOL

Everyone is intitled to believe or not to believe what they wish. However, I don't make fun of people for their beliefs, so I expect the same consideration in return.

I don't talk about my belief in the paranormal to everyone....as Carrie said...I will usually feel a person out or only discuss it if it's brought up by someone else. Luckily my husband lived in a home when he was younger that was haunted. Apparently, when he, his Mother, or sister would come home...furniture would be moved with no one having been in the house. So he's had enough experiences to know that these things are possible.

I agree that some people that don't believe are just afraid of the unknown. Or don't want to admit that maybe they've experienced something that actually can not be explained. Then I think there are those that just don't believe...for no apparent reason other then it's just not something they can see happening.

Either way, I am always careful about discussing it. I have gotten into a discussion with more the one person who's reaction was pretty much like "You actually believe in that kind of stuff?" My response is always, I believe that there are definitely things out there that have no scientific explantaion.

As far as people making fun... on them for not being more open minded!

Thanks to everyone who responded to my question. I keep things to myself anymore, when it first started happening to me, I guess I was like a little kid wanting to share my "news". But I have learned who I can and cannot tell. I am very fortunate that my husband is supportive and my daughter is right there beside him. I should have a whole lot to share come Sunday, having people in to investigate Saturday evening. Should be interesting to see what they get....thanks once again!

I keep pretty quite about what i see and hear with spirits. My boyfriends knows I do and is very open about the whole thing. The only other person that knows is my best friend. I told her about a spirit in there home before she even told me about the things that happened. I have to argee with everyone, people are scared of what they dont know. If anyone makes fun of anyone about that, not only is that disrespectful it shows they have a closed mind. It's ok to be skeptical (sp) on somethings, but you dont have to make fun of that person just because you dont see what they do.

I agree, green witch, making fun of someone because of what they do or don't believe in is very direspectful. The only people I really discuss this with is my husband, daughter and people here on this board. I have walked into peoples houses and felt something out of the ordinary but kept it to myself because I knew these people just weren't into believing.