QotD: Ghost Stories

Do you believe in ghosts? If so, have you ever seen one?

I'm not sure what I believe. My impression of our human lives is that once we die, we wink out. To me, it's never been a question of if there's a soul or if there's a heaven. I'm not religious and I believe even if there is such a thing as a soul, it is basically an essence of life that should be returned to the earth to help other lifeforms grow. What I do believe is that some life-essences have residual feelings and intentions that have not been fulfilled in life, and we see these charged electrons as things that have "remembered" their physical shapes. They take the form of their previous physical shapes because that is what they can identify as their existence. And they are insubstantial because it does take a lot of electrons to power up such a image to the still-living. So, no, I don't believe in ghosts in the traditional definition that we take ghosts to be.

I've never seen a ghost. I've heard plenty, though. Mostly from friends, about friends' friends. I only remember two instances of someone close telling me about a ghost. My friend, W, says she used to live in a condominium and her dog would just sit and stare at a corner, barking away. This happened quite frequently. She's also told me that her husband once heard her telling him to sleep and the voice seemed to be right beside his ear. The thing is, she was already asleep. In another room. So those few instances gave her the heebie jeebies and they left that place.

With all the ghost movies abound, especially after America decided to take on the Asian brand of horror with the Ring and Ju-On remakes, I'd think that my imagination would be rife. But it's turned out not to be.

Sometimes, I imagine I hear a voice as I'm walking home late at night. I imagine there are rows of the disgruntled lining the sidewalk, waiting for someone to recognise them, to hear their pleas for vengeance, or closure. Then I hurriedly tell myself that it's just me being silly, lower my head and walk swiftly past. Some places do feel 'funny' though. I get the strange sensation of being watched, or that the place is 'unclean'.

I have never seen a ghost, and I don't want to. Not even to satisfy my curiosity. I think they would look like their original bodies, but I'm afraid I'll see something that mimics their state of decomposition.