We know that ghosts did not exist, then why do we still fear

Shit can kill us more easily at night.

>>1592035
Partially that you can't see predators coming, also part of you considers it as a real possibility

>>1592035
Humans are not nocturnal.

>>1592155
>part of you considers it as a real possibility
>Memed into being scared of the dark.
Memes truly are magic.

>>1592035


The unconscious is more active at night. The things we fear and repress are hidden there.

>>1592035

Fear of the dark is essentially fear of the unknown. Anything can be lurking in the darkness. When you've been culturally exposed to supernatural concepts your mind automatically fills in the blanks with them where there's no information.

The idea also preys on the innate fear of death, which in a way is also a type of fear of the unknown.

>>1592035

We don't know that they don't exist though.

They invoke our fear of the unknown, of the ugly, of the grotesque, of the death, of the surprise, of the dark, etc.

>>1592035
>tfw no ghost gf

>>1592035
Well dead bodies are pretty disconserting, so seeing one moving around and doing impossible things like floating sets off alarm bells. It's probably cultural as well, ghosts are depicted as scary in our popular culture, while the spirits of ancestors are venerated and respected in some other cultures.

>>1592035
>We know that ghosts did not exist
Unjustified assumption. Ghosts have been attested in every culture and probably do exist

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Hijacking this thread, why is the "gray" alien archetype so dominant?

People who report sightings or abductions almost invariably describe this type of alien.

Assuming these events are just hypnogogic hallucinations, why is this particular physical form so common?

>We know that ghosts did not exist

no

>>1592035
>We know that ghosts did not exist

Do we... Mr. Ghost?

>>1592440
>the spirits of ancestors are venerated and respected in some other cultures
Ancestors' life force and lived experiences are venerated, not their ghosts. If you see your gran walking through your bedroom wall, you don't respectfully bow in any culture.

>>1592035
>We know that ghosts did not exist
Gee I wonder who could be behind this post.

>>1592482
Surely because that is what most people perceive as what an alien would be

>>1592710
...

>>1592710
I wonder who could be behind you.

>>1592482
Because its an exaggerated human face, we are programmed to recognize faces, even when they aren't there. Have you ever stared at something, like a table, and started seeing Ayylmao faces.

>>1592710

Nice try scapeghost. I'm onto you.

>>1592482
Sightings of Grays didn't pick up until the media had already put the idea in their heads through films, books, and eyewitness accounts. The entire gray phenomenon didn't start really til Betty and Barney Hill. Then suddenly everyone sees the same thing. Before that ET sightings varied a lot.

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>>1592035
> We know that ghosts did not exist

You have to ask yourself, why would a guy spend all of his time going on the web and denying the existence of ghosts?

I wonder who could possibly be employing him

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>>1592887
I wouldn't be so sure

>>1592482
Radio and television.

>>1592910
What makes you think that's not just a depiction of humans in ceremonial or warrior make-up?

>>1592720
Holy fuck lol

It's an irrational fear of the unknown.

Generally speaking, it's better to be overcautious than not cautious enough. We as a species are wired this way - if we're told something is a threat we're inclined to believe it, because the consequences of believing it and it being false are "you were scared for a dumb reason" and the consequence for not believing it and it being true is "you got murdered by ghosts because you thought you were a tough guy."

>>1592483
gidf detected. How are you even typing with those ethereal fingers of yours anyway?

>>1592035
>We know that ghosts did not exist

Assumptions do not equate to knowledge

>>1592035
>We know that ghosts did not exist
How sure are you?

>>1592035
>We know that ghosts did not exist
Though the burden of proof is on the believer, you can't prove they're definitely "not real".

>>1593917
>>1593914
>>1593913

I hope you people don't shit on religious people.

Yes, you're technically right. But believing in them in the absence of evidence they exist is still not a rational behavior.

We're about as sure that ghosts don't exist as we're sure that god doesn't exist, which is essentially "we're not, but c'mon."

>>1593935
*tips proton pack*

>>1592354
>>1592471
>>1593913
>>1593917

There is no soul, so there is no ghost

>>1593978
Prove it

>>1593935
Think about it this way. Only hoaxers have seen bigfoot. Only crazy people have seen Aliens. Almost everyone on Earth has a ghost story.

Also ghosts are the only paranormal entity to have science on their side.

>>1593998

The burden of proof is on you, if you're making a positive assertion that souls and ghosts are real. Prove there is a soul, and therefore a ghost.

>>1594004
>>1593935
saying "you dont have evidence" doesn't disprove the existence of ghosts or souls nor is it in any way reasonable to say "100% i believe no ghosts or souls exist". You don't know.

>>1592483
>he believes in magic

>>1593998
http://infidels.org/library/modern/andrew_melnyk/physicalism.html