Why Do Some People See Ghosts?

Some people see ghosts because their brains make up stories. Imagine you're walking home late at night, and there's a shadowy figure in the corner of your eye, your brain might think it’s a ghost! It tries to explain what you’re seeing by making up something familiar, like a person or a spirit.

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Examples

A child sees a shadow on the wall and thinks it's a ghost.
An old man hears his late wife’s voice in the wind and believes she has returned.
Someone walking alone at night sees a figure behind a tree and jumps back, thinking they've seen a ghost.

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Categories: Psychology · perception,ghosts,psychological phenomena