The Ghost Of Abraham Lincoln

[naomi24]

This was mentioned on an edition of The Chase so I looked it up and sure enough some very distinguished people claim to have seen arguably the USA's most famous president, including Winston Churchill who, having just got out of the bath happened upon the apparition, and still naked, spoke to Mr Lincoln saying, ' "Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage."   Lincoln, it is said, smiled softly, as if laughing and disappeared.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln%27s_ghost

 

Well?   What say you?  Possible - or not?

[DDIL]

I personally don't believe in ghosts and feel there may be a more rational explanation, but who am I to tell someone they didn't see it.

[albaqwerty]

Yes, it's possible.

There are more things, etc, etc, Horatio.

[Ken4155]

At the risk of sounding like a stuck record;

Billions of people have gone before us and, if ghosts really exist, we'd be tripping over them every day.

As you can guess, i don't believe in them and i'd only change my mind if i saw one.

[naomi24]

Oh come on, Ken.  How could you trip over a ghost?  Your foot would go straight through.  Crying here.  That really made me laugh.

[youngmafbog]

I'm with Ken.

Even if not tripping over them so many have passed surely we would be seeing them hourly or more?

[vulcan42]

It has been said that Winston enjoyed a tipple while bathing.

[Old_Geezer]

Who told you they all stick around their home planet perpetually ?

[Ken4155]

My disbelief stems from the fact that the vast majority of sightings take place in darkened rooms and with only one person (2 at a stretch) to witness this.

Never see any at a football match or a Rolling Stones gig.You'd think  Brian Jones would make the odd appearance 😉.

[pastafreak]

Aren't ghosts supposed to be restless spirits. Those who died suddenly or horrifically...they have unfinished business or are angry over their sudden departure. That's probably a very small % of deaths...therefore we aren't over run with 'ghosts'.

I've heard the stories of Lincoln in the past. Think I saw a documentary also.

[Ellipsis]

Ghosts, like gods, exist only in human minds ...

[jackthehat]

I think there is something in it.

Vibrations, or time-slips, or emotional imprints left on/in the atmosphere.

I've witnessed things myself and heard credible stories from others.

Ghosts are in every tradition in every part of the world since humans started to gather and speak.

I wonder if we'll every get to the bottom of it all?

[naomi24]

//Aren't ghosts supposed to be restless spirits. //

 

People have all sorts of explanations for them.   A bible-thumping Christian of my acquaintance swears they come straight from the Devil - but then he thinks Harry Potter emanates from the same source.  I tend to think there's a more rational explanation - nothing to do with religion or the so-called supernatural - but rather something quite natural.   We just haven't discovered it yet.

[naomi24]

Like Jack, too many odd things have happened in my life.  I have no option but to believe that odd things happen.

[Old_Geezer]

The universe, like gods, exist only in the human mind ...

[ImLostAgain]

I've never believed in them, until I saw one. It had to be, there was no other explanation. And yet deep down I *know* they can't exist.

[Ellipsis]

supernatural
adjective - (of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature; "a supernatural being"
noun - manifestations or events considered to be of supernatural origin, such as ghosts

I believe in science, therefore I do not believe in supernatural things.  I do believe that individual people can see/hear/smell/taste/touch things that they cannot explain, but all of those things come through those individuals own senses that can be enhanced or altered in certain circumstances. If you see and hear a ghost, how do you know that ghost is in the physical world rather than in your mind?  You use science ... 

If you go to a Derren Brown live show, you will see things that you could never explain in a month of Sundays, things that are easier to explain by magic than by any rational means, and yet they are not supernatural.  Derren Brown creates apparently supernatural situations that are in fact man-made, but if he wasn't telling you he was doing it then you'd wonder what the heck had happened ...

See also the James Randi One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Million_Dollar_Paranormal_Challenge

[naomi24]

I agree, ellipsis.  Nothing is supernatural which is why there has to be an explanation for things we can't currently explain.  I have my own experiences and I've sought explanations - without success.  Some things defy explanation.  Therefore, I don't believe that everyone else who reports odd occurrences is either a liar or delusional.  Many I would say are mistaken but by no means all, although that said I think some people want their experiences to be supernatural and so don't look hard enough for a rational explanation as I do.  By the way the James Randi challenge no longer stands.

[Ellipsis]

Yes, James Randi is dead. Mind you, why should that stop him? 😉

[naomi24]

No reason.  His foundation lives on.

[Khandro]

That there are ghosts is correct, I know because I read it in A Christmas Carol.