[sarah_20pgn]

Is it true that small children sometimes can see ghosts?

[sarnian]

Sarah

Nobody can see ghosts, because ghosts do not exist.
So the answer to your question is : no, that is not true.

[black111madonna]

Yes it is true I have seen ghosts when I was a small kid and I could even talk with my passed grandfather when I was 6.
There is even some scientific evidence why small kids are able to see ghosts because of their state of consciousness:

The rhythm of the energy of the brainwaves in frequences in C.P.S. = cyclus per second
BETA = 14 or more cps awakeness /outside consciousness
ALPHA= 7-14 cps/sleeping and awakening/inside consciousness
THETA = 4-7 cps between sleeping and awakening/subconscious
DELTA = less than 4 cps sleeping / alterconscious

It seems that in the development from child to adult the brains will produce more Beta waves. The parts of the slow ALpha and Theta waves will decrease equally. Research proved that too much Beta waves is due to stress,
pressure,(those are the ADHD type of children and most adults, which have more Beta waves) while the slower Alpha waves have a more healing influence at the body and the psyche. There is a link between paranormal powers and very slow brainwaves. Theta waves are produced between the fase of sleeping and awakening and in deep relaxation. In this state our mind is working mostly with images and no thoughts.

Children do not have a lot of Betawaves but almost only Theta waves, they are in a sort of permanent meditation state which make them live intensly and aware.

[Fr_Chuck]

It is true that they believe they do.

Of course my young children often "saw" pretend dogs, pokeman and space aliens.

[Alder]

Well, you've certainly gotten a good range of answers so far. black111madonna brings up an interesting issue about brain waves. I've touched on that in other posts, comparing our brains to a car radio. Turn the dial to a different frequency, you get different signals, but only our society pretends that those signals are not "real." In most other cultures, in Asia and Africa and the Pacific Islands, and in indigenous cultures of Australia and North and South America, as well as country or "folk" practices in the British Isles and Europe, the experiences we have in meditation, trance, drug and dream states are believed to be as real as the experiences of "normal" waking consciousness.

If you are ever in Vancouver, B.C. they have a delightful "World of Science" museum there, endless enjoyment for kids and adults. They have a game called Brain Ball, in which two people sit at opposite ends of a table and put on headbands with electrodes. In the middle of the table is a clear tube with a ball inside of it. As you start generating more alpha and theta waves, and fewer beta waves, it pushes the ball toward the opponent (I never figured out if it worked on magnets or air pressure or what to move the ball).

Anyway, it turns out that I am the Brain Ball master. I played it a number of times, and nobody could beat me. I have a condition which doctors call narcolepsy (but which I choose not to see as an illness), that allows me to slip in and out of a dream state quite easily. One doctor I discussed it with suggested that if they could make a drug so everyone could do what I do, we wouldn't need an internet. He was one of those more open-minded doctors who accepts that the places we go in dreams may be entirely real, and that dreams may be the gateway to all kinds of psychic abilities and phenomena. I told him it was a good idea, but had some side effects. Doing what I do requires one to have a much more slippery definition of "self" and of "reality" than most folks are comfortable with.

Anyway, just as madonna said, children often find it easy to slip into a state where they can experience things that the adults of this culture might be unable or unwilling to perceive. As Fr. Chuck pointed out, that has a lot to do with their ability to imagine. No matter what level of awareness we are on, we get bombarded with a bunch of inputs, and have to use our imaginations to put it all together into a coherent pattern. Most people don't like to admit they do that during normal waking consciousness, but we do. We see a little of this or a little of that, and let our imagination build the bits into cars and trees and buildings and people. The same thing happens in trance and dream states. Our imaginations put what we experience into symbolic forms that make sense and have meaning to us. That's helpful, but we also have to be willing to see beyond the form, to recognize that our interpretation of experience may be no more than that, although we do know that something real happened. This is one reason it's so useful to give our imaginations as large a vocabulary of symbols as possible. I think it's a wonderful thing to teach kids all the grand old stories, the world mythology, the folklore and fairie tales from every culture you can find. Children who grow up that way are better able to make sense of a complex world.

BTW, Fr. Chuck, did you know that pokemon are actually just a re-imagining of a very old Japanese concept, the "kami" of the Shinto tradition? So pokemon are real, if you accept that the nature spirits Shinto priests honor are real.

[posey_84]

Yes I believe in my opinion children can see ghosts/spirits. This is because children to a certain age are very open minded and lack the cynicism adults have. This is why if you tell a child a fat guy in a red suit comes down your chimney once a year they totally buy it- because there minds are innocent and open to anything. They don't see it as unreal or bizarre. If a adult sees something out of the cornner of there eye or sees a figure or watever they immediately dismiss it and close there mind off as they've been taught through there lives that these things don't happen, whereas a child is open to the possibilities. Xxx

[NeedKarma]

Not my kids.

[black111madonna]

To needkarma:

Well Im not surprised since you don't seem to be open to it!

[NeedKarma]

Ok. Better for me and my kids. :)

[sarnian]

Sarah, nobody can see ghosts, because ghosts do not exist.
So the answer to your question is : no, that is not true.

Peacekelsey disagrees: This is a very close minded answer, for a question that you don't really know the answer to.

Strange than that not even one scientific research has ever positively shown the existence of ghosts to be based on reality. Or that children have anything more than a lively imagination!

If you want to believe in ghosts: fine. But don't call a sceptic approach to ghosts closed minded.

[black111madonna]

Sorry Sarnian try to read better it is scientifically proven that children have more than a lively imagination. I have seen ghosts but OK you won't believe that quess you just have to wait till you become one yourself!

[mudweiser]

I'm not sure about ghost.. because when I think ghosts I think Casper or the white sheet over your head type of thing.

I do believe in: good spirits and bad spirits, or demons and angels.

I've seen bad spirits through my life. I've felt their presence and even felt their touch.

My daughter is only 2 so I can't really say yes to your question but I've seen her babble to somebody, hand over toys, and it just basically seems like she's interacting with someone--- maybe her just playing but you never know.

Well that's just my opinion.

Sarah

[sabrewolfe]

Hey Peacekelsey, Sarnian did answer the question. How is that closed minded? Just as Fr_chuck said, children think they see a lot of things that don't exist.

[black111madonna]

To Sabrewolfe:

I disagree he did not answered the question, by the way he was speaking for everyone by saying noone can see ghosts well speak for yourself Sarnian... that's a closed minded answer and let others speak for themselves.
As far for Fr_Chuck believes and thinks that a person can live inside the belly of a whale for 3 days... is reading a lot of things that don't exist and he thinks its OK for him to tell his own believes to his children and not believe theirs.

Children today just have no rights we should be their guiding lights, they're living in this world of indoctrination ruled by superiors of our civilization. To their wondering mind the world seems so unkind, while damage is done young spirits will be gone. Who are we to decide what's wrong or right.. its our responsibility to be their guiding lights!