Paranormal Activity

When it comes to any form of ghosts, my boyfriend, Tyler, and I have very different viewpoints. I have grown up with religion, and it is not entirely the reason for my belief in ghosts, although it is a contributing factor. It tends to be a controversial topic, and Tyler and I have had extensive discussions about this topic. Both of us have debated the possibility for paranormal beings, and each of the arguments can be viewed below:

Kelsey- I believe that there are many stories which would explain the presence of ghosts, and that there are other beings out there, not necessarily good or bad. I have had close friends and relatives who have had personal experiences with ghosts, including my mother, neighbor, and a good friend. My friend is actually very scientific and logical, but she still believes that she has come into contact with a ghost sometime, in a very real experience. I too, am generally a very logical person, a science major in fact, but I still am open to the possibility that there are things out there not everyone can know about. Although I recognize that there are so many untrue ghost stories that can be explained in other ways, I do believe in other beings or spirits that can come into contact with the living in some way. If there is something unfinished, it seems right that that particular being can remain and resolve their issue. There are certain aspects to it that I do not accept as true, but I do accept their presence at a basic level and accept that perhaps others will not feel as I do and I could be very wrong.

Tyler- He’s very cynical and believes that because he personally has not seen something or has not encountered something that is solid proof, it cannot be real. He believes that I am not looking at things completely logically and because I personally have never had a paranormal encounter, I have no reason to believe that they exist. He thinks that once a person dies, they are gone forever and are not supposed to stay around here. It all comes down to the lack of proof and the scientific standpoint in that one cannot possibly know for certain what is not verifiable. Because I am keeping my belief on what others have told me on a topic that may or may not be real, I am not being rational about the situation. Unless one has had an experience themselves, he thinks that believing does not make sense.

Although it would seem that we would have very similar viewpoints, we really do not, and as far as this particular problem goes, it is important to understand where one could possibly be wrong. Although there is no way to prove the presence of them completely, one has to rely solely on their personal feeling that ghosts do or do not exist in order to determine their standpoint. So, because this is something that is completely based off of personal standpoint and not a matter of personal values at times, it is important that both parties understand that the other person could eventually be right, and they do not know for certain. We both have had to accept the fact that it is logic and cynicism vs. belief and experience on this issue, and it may not be resolved or have any minds changed on the matter.