One afternoon, as photography professor Shane Booth was folding laundry, he heard an big crash. He left his room to find his front window smashed. When he returned to his clothes, they were scattered across the room.

These were not the only creepy goings-on in Booth's house. Vases moved around the house. Pictures fell to the floor. And every now and then he would catch the glimpse of a strange old man and hear odd laughter. Booth had no doubt: his house was haunted by ghosts.

He is far from alone. A recent poll conducted by a home security company found that 49% of American homeowners believe their house is haunted.¹ The most common signs of haunting were odd voices and furniture moving on its own.

Since the Middle AgesThe Middle Ages was the period in European history that came between ancient and modern times. It lasted from about 500 to about 1500., ghosts have been seen as spirits of the dead, visiting Earth to settle unfinished business. They are often depicted as pale, substance-less, see-through versions of their living form.

Yet despite their long history, there is no evidence that ghosts exist. Scientists have long called them nonsense. As early as 1813, physician John Ferriar blamed them on optical illusions.

Since then, there have been many scientific explanations. Household mould causes us to feel a chill sensation. Poor light causes our brain to make mistakes in interpreting what we see. Slight brain damage can make us perceive objects moving.

Psychology has explained ghost sightings as a sort of protective shield. When something surprising or shocking happens, our mind searches for answers. If we cannot find any rationalLogical or reasonable. explanations, we might reach for paranormalBeyond normal scientific understanding. ones.

This could explain why there has been a surge in ghost sightings since Covid-19. Folklorist Tok Thompson says: "Many times people lost loved ones with no last contact, no funeral". The virus caused many sudden deaths, and people dealt with the shock by imagining their loved ones still be present.

Less tragically, lockdowns gave people more time to notice the noises and movements that a house makes as it changes temperature throughout the day.

For those who believe in ghosts, however, there is no point trying to explain them away. Many eminent figures have reported sightings, from Arthur Conan DoyleA 19th and 20th Century British writer, best known for the Sherlock Holmes series. to Winston ChurchillThe British prime minister during World War Two, and later from 1951 to 1955. ². Believers can argue that we do not yet have the technology³ to properly perceive ghosts. 

Yes: We should keep an open mind. For all our advances in science and technology, there is still so much we have yet to discover. The evidence today might be slim. But new findings can always emerge. 

No: Thousands of people claim to have witnessed paranormal activity. But no investigator has ever found the tiniest shred of evidence that they exist. Ghosts are simply a figment of our imagination. 

Or... Ghosts are not real in the way a person or an object is. But their persistence in culture suggests that they do have a psychological presence, existing in the mind rather than the physical world.

Middle Ages - The Middle Ages was the period in European history that came between ancient and modern times. It lasted from about 500 to about 1500.

Rational - Logical or reasonable.

Paranormal - Beyond normal scientific understanding.

Arthur Conan Doyle - A 19th and 20th Century British writer, best known for the Sherlock Holmes series.

Winston Churchill - The British prime minister during World War Two, and later from 1951 to 1955.