Ghosts Probably Exist

I will analyze Pro’s arguments before getting into my own. Argument from TV Pro presents the argument that if ghosts exist, we should see TV shows about them. Since we see TV shows about them, they must obviously exist. However, this argument contains a hidden premise. The premise is that what’s on TV must necessarily be the truth. This has not been demonstrated, so the argument is not sound. Furthermore the argument commits the fallacy of affirming the consequent. Ghosts existing are not the only way for there to be ghost shows. Confirmation bias can easily be in effect on the creators of the show. This means they are not necessarily fake, but are the result of a type of McGurk effect. These shows can in fact be hoaxed, but Pro asks “why would they post fake TV shows on air”. The answer is simple. Ratings. Does anyone want to watch an hour of people running around in the dark only for them to find nothing at all? Of course not. That would be immensely boring. The argument is refuted Argument from Experience Next, Pro cites an article from a ghost researcher, who basically concludes that the best explanation for various ghost encounters are that ghosts exists. We must keep in mind, the best explanation must be a parsimonious one. This means a natural explanation is preferred. We must first think about our perceptions. Are they reliable? Neurologist Dr. Steve Novella says [1] You cannot trust anything you think you see or perceive. There are simply too many flaws in the ways our brain constructs these perceptions. Our perceptions are not passive. In fact, our brains actively construct a picture of what is going on around us based on a tiny fraction of all the sensory information that’s coming in, which introduces many opportunities for distortions and error. This can happen to anyone, even trained pilots. Such as the story last year where a pilot mistook Venus for an airplane. He even took evasive maneuvers [2]. This is because he saw something and his brain made the assumption of an airplane. We cannot escape it. I can prove it to everyone right now Look at the picture below. Are squares A and B a different color? Of course they are, right? Wrong, squares A and B are the exact same color. Your brain perceives everything around square B and assumes it’s a shade of white, instead of a shade of gray. Take a look at the square but with two gray bars to the left and right of it. If you’re completely skeptical, download the image and put it into paint (or any other photo editing software) and put square B next to square A. Hallucinations are something that can easily happen. Something as simple as not getting enough REM sleep can cause hallucinations [3]. Some people who have no psychological problems whatsoever are actually predisposed to hallucinations [4]. Suggestion alone can cause you to hallucinate [5]. I contend that these ghosts experience can be easily explained by suggestion. This can explain initial sightings, but these stories can become flawed overtime through our memory. Our memories work like our perception, constructing it together. To quote Dr. Novella again “Human memory is utterly flawed. Like perceptions, memory is not a passive recording; instead, our memories are constructed entirely by our brains. In fact, they’re tied together with everything that we think and believe with our internal model of reality. .. There is a false assumption that all problems with memory are associated with recall. Some memories never form; in other words, we may experience something but never consolidate it from short-term into long-term memory. Memories also degrade, fuse, and morph over time. ” [6] We’ve heard the term seeing is believing, but it seems that believing is seeing. Suggestion, flawed perception, and flawed memory are at the apex of ghost experiences and is not sufficent for deducing the existence of ghosts His other sources include ghost photography. However, those can easily be explained by multiple exposure. Ultimately, we’ve seen very little evidence in support of ghosts. I will now present a powerful argument against the existence of ghosts The problem of Interaction Ghosts have been defined as the immaterial spirit of a person that can interact with us. We can hear them, see them, ect. However, consider what it means to be seen and to make a voice. To be seen is to have your light reflected and enter the eyes of another. To make a sound is to produce compressional waves. If ghosts interact with reality, see us, hear us just like we see and hear them, then they must have light reflecting, noise making, and receiving capabilities. Simply, a ghost must interact through reality by a shared property. However, interacting via a shared property means these ghosts must be a part of the same substance as you and me. They cannot be some spiritual non-physical thing. This means ghosts are an incoherent concept and cannot exist. [1] Novella, Steve. Your Deceptive Mind. A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Lecture 3. P. 28 in guidebook. [2] . http://www.foxnews.com... [3] . http://www.ninds.nih.gov... [4] . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... [5] . http://www.sciencedaily.com... [6] Novella, Steve. Your Deceptive Mind. A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Lecture 4. P. 35-36 in guidebook.