There was something awesome in the thought of the solitary mortal standing by the open window and summoning in from the gloom outside the spirits of the nether world. - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Do you have a unique awareness that is completely unrelated to your five senses? Do you sometimes know things, yet you cannot explain how you know them? It is said that some individuals are so exceptionally sensitive to their environment, they can perceive what most cannot-- disembodied spirits. Perhaps, you are one of these “exceptional” people. All cultures have legends, told in hushed voices, as the tellers look fearfully around. They speak of spirits who cling tenaciously to this world. They are no longer of this earth, yet they remain among the living; sadly unaware they are dead. In the “scare you to death” movie, the Sixth Sense, this was the explanation given for ghostly visitations. According to the movie, a few “gifted” individuals are capable of perceiving these ostensibly unwelcome spirits. Unfortunately, since I missed the first few minutes of the movie, Bruce’s lack of respiration came as a heart stopping revelation to me, just as it did to poor, wretched, dead Bruce Willis. Oops, sorry, I forgot, his heart had already stopped. Are you a ghost magnet such as the mendacious, beleaguered semi-heroine of Ghost, Whoopi Goldberg?
Are spirits powerless to move on because of a thirst for revenge, a desire to protect the living, or, perhaps, because of a horribly brutal death? We have no definitive answers for these questions. Sane, responsible individuals have reported encountering these displaced spirits. Eleanor Mondale (daughter of the former vice-president) insists a ghost visited her one night at the vice-president’s house (Evans & Huyghe, 2000). It is said, that Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield did not “leave the building” when their terms expired. They are still there, alarming unsuspecting guests. Why do some visitors see the illustrious former presidents and others do not? Are you one of the special people who could see Honest Abe or feel his ghostly presence? Let’s take the test and see. Hush. Wait. Did you hear that noise?
The “Can You See Ghosts” Test
1. Have you ever known the phone was going to ring before it rang?
Yes___ No___
2. Have you ever felt a sudden chill in a room, when there was no apparent reason?
Yes___ No___
3. Have you ever seen anything that could not be explained by science and logic?
Yes___ No___
4. Have you ever felt you were being watched when you were alone?
Yes___ No___
5. Have you ever had a vision or a dream that came true?
Yes___ No___
6. Have you ever had a successful session with a Ouija Board?
Yes___ No___
7. Do you have an open mind about the supernatural?
Yes___ No___
8. Would you refuse to spend the night in a “haunted” house?
Yes___ No___
9. Do you meditate?
Yes___ No___
10. Have you retained the childlike ability, simply to “accept” new experiences without distorting preconceptions?
Yes___ No___
11. Are you more likely to make decisions using your “gut feeling” than your “thinking logic?”
Yes___ No___
12. Have you ever been told that psychic ability runs in your family?
Yes___ No___
13. Do you wear black 90% (or more) of the time?
Yes___ No___
Scoring your test:
Give yourself one point for each “yes” answer. As for question “13,” I was just kidding. I wear black much of the time…but then, now that I think about it, there was that time I was alone in my 100 year-old farmhouse, and I heard… Perhaps, I will share that in the next book.
Understanding your Score:
Scores 1 – 4
Your psychic ability has not been fully developed. Perhaps, your personality is rational and pragmatic and you prefer to see “phenomena” that can be explained by logic. However, if you are interested in improving you psychic ability you can practice meditation and open yourself up to new experiences. There are on-line sites that offer information about and guidance in the fascinating world of the supernatural, such as http://www.bitesizeinc.net/index.php/ouija.html/ , which has a virtual Ouija Board. Werner Heisenberg (Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science) wrote, “… many new elementary particles may be created from the available energy and the old particles may have disappeared…” In other words, something dies and something new is created from its residual energy. Makes sense to me. Is this a possible explanation for the presence of ghosts…if, indeed, they exist? See, logic and reason…
Scores 5 – 8
You are coming along quite nicely. Your score indicates that you are open to unique experiences and you esteem an open, inquisitive mind. You may have experienced the supernatural. Perhaps, you would like to enhance this area of your personality by learning more about spirits. Here are several fascinating sites: http://www.rockymountainparanormal.com/
http://www.torontoghosts.org/
http://www.sgvpr.org/
Scores 9 – 12
It is certainly possible that you have psychic ability. Your score is very encouraging. You, as well as the last group, may have experienced the supernatural. It would be a pity if you did not learn more about this enthralling subject and about your innate ability. Look at the sites listed and perhaps take a ghost tour, plan a vacation to spots that are rumored to be haunted and read some scholarly books on the paranormal. Good ghost hunting!
Our Guest Experts
Dr. David Oester, of the International Ghost Hunters Society was kind enough to provide this information (personal e-mail) on key character traits for a ghost hunter.
“It has been our experience over the last combined 28 years of ghost research that the people who have experiences with ghosts are those with an open mind and those with a closed mind, as in total skeptic, fail to have any experiences. It is okay to be skeptical, but a skeptic's mind is closed to anything paranormal. An open mind is the only characteristic that we have discovered. We had have over 4 million visitors to our site and all of them with experiences if married, and their spouse is closed minded will not have any experiences with the paranormal. This open mindedness spans race, color, creed or sexual orientation and equally so, those that are closed minded are closed to any kind of paranormal experiences.”
Wendy Haver, a Spiritual Counselor, from Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society, was kind enough to provide more insight (personal e-mail) into the personality of ghost hunters. “Many seem to be more open to having such experiences occur. Not that they believe in ghosts necessarily, but will admit to it being a possibility.
Education level does not seem to be a factor, but intelligence might be. Those of an average or slightly less than average intelligence seem not to report as much activity as those of a higher intelligence or those of a significantly altered intelligence such as mental retardation (higher functioning so as to be able to report events)
Age may not be a factor but the environment in which they were raised does seem to factor. This has changed over time and so it will skew any age related reports.
One must take into consideration those who have had experiences vs. those who are willing to report their experiences. There are many who will not openly admit to such things. Therefore, you could say that being willing to talk about this sets them apart.”
When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. …Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Last night I stayed up late playing poker with Tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died. - Steven Wright
Dr.McCoy is a psychotherapist, writer and police consultant. Her published books are: From Shyness to Social Butterfly, The Ultimate Book of Personality Tests (the article is from this book), and The Manipulative Man. She resides in Columbia, South Carolina with her Great Dane, Sophie. She can be reached at drmccoy86@aol.com
SEARCH FOR THE PARANORMAL BELOW~~
