So...I was watching a show about the Amityville house a couple of weeks ago and one of the original " psychic " investigators said something that seemed rather profound...to me anyway...

He said

" For the believer, no evidence is necessary. For the non believer, no evidence is possible. "

My question to you all is....

How accurate do you think his assessment is???

Do you really think that a non believer would use any explanation, no matter how flimsy it may be, to avoid having to actually change their mind and believe???

A young girl walking home from school found a small pile of Polaroid photos lying in the gutter. There were twenty in all, neatly wrapped in a rubber band. She picked them up, and as she walked she started to browse. The first photo was that of a ghostly white man on a black background, standing just far enough away from the camera that she couldn’t make out his features.

The girl slid the photo to the back of the stack and looked at the next one. The photo was of the same man now standing a bit closer.

The girl flipped through the next several photos quickly. With each one the man in the picture came a bit closer and his features were a bit clearer.

Turning the last corner to her house, the girl noticed that the man in the photos seems to be looking at her even when she moved the stack from side to side. It frightened her, but she kept flipping them over, one by one.

By the nineteenth picture, the man was so close his face completely filled the frame. His expression was the most horrifying the girl had ever seen. Walking up the driveway, she turned to the last photo.

This time, instead of an image, there were two words: "Close enough".

Hearing a scream outside their house, the girl’s brother rushed to the door and opened it. All he saw was a pile of photographs lying on the doorstep. The top one looked like an extremely pale version of his sister, but she was standing too far back for him to be sure.

You didn't answer the question.

Copy/paste ghost stories don't count.

I saw the same show. Yes I think a non-believer would use any explanation - I know a non-believer like that

i don't believe, i find it amusing.

So if someone handed you evidence...or if you were actually part of an experience, would you resort to finding excuses, no matter how flimsy, to continue your disbelief??

you want to belive, then try coming to my house for a paranormal investigation
i have more than one spirit in my home

That scared the out of me

I think that assessment is very accurate. That's why I never try to convince anyone of anything.

No, i would believe, but there would need to be proof. and none of this swamp gas, light reflection bs.

Oddly enough, I am pretty sure that story is nothing more than a variation of a short story written by Stephen King quite a few years ago. If I remember correctly, it was titled The Sun Dog.

Could be wrong though.

But " swamp gas " and " light reflecting off Venus while there is a full moon and just the right amount of cloud cover with the perfect atmospheric conditions " are stuff that the non believer will use just to deny what they have seen with their own eyes.

Before this goes any further, i'm just not going to get into it. Its just as stupid as talking about religion and politics.
People are going to believe what they want to believe. If you can give me cold, hard proof. nothing video taped, nothing rigged, actual proof then yes, i can believe. otherwise i don't.
And thats where i end this conversation.

Geeze man. Relax. I am not now, nor have I ever been, one to try to force another into believing in something that they don't.

I was simply asking a question. Your answer was such that I wanted a little clarification.

Nothing major.

JAG, you are such a BULLY!

* hangs head in shame *

I know. I am freakin TERRIBLE. Lots of people tell me that.

Oh well. Such is life I guess.

I still love you JAG

It would be nearly impossible to have proof, even if a person was involved. There's such things as group hallucinations, geo-magnetism causing things that could look like ghosts, gravity freaking out because of it, etc, etc, etc.

i would love to