E.+Persuasive+Research+Essay

Final Draft Joshua Im
1A 1/19/11     **   Ghost   ** What was that noise? Why did it get cold so suddenly? Who’s there? It is a ghost! Yes, they are definitely real, but do not be afraid. They are not ones to bring harm. In fact, they have their own business to attend to. Ghosts are real because they are earthbound spirits with unfinished business, there is proof, and they have made contact with the living. Ghosts are earthbound spirits of the dead. They are those who have not crossed over into the light because they either have objectives (unfinished business), or do not realize they are dead. A ghost’s objective could be anything from telling a secret to a family member, sending a message, doing something for a loved, or even staying with a loved one until it is that person’s time to go. A ghost may not realize that they are dead. They could just be confused or even believe that they are still living and continue to live as they were. They may also have died a violent or unjust death. These violent scenarios keep the ghosts from moving on because they are bound to relive that moment forever or until justice is served (“Signs of Ghosts”). There is a substantial amount of proof that ghosts live amongst us. Many ghost hunters take pictures using special equipment to capture their appearances on film and use a device called an EMF meter to measure the electromagnetic fields they give off. They can even use audio recording devices at high frequencies to listen for white noise, which is believed to be a way ghosts try to communicate with the living. But ghost hunters are not the only ones who can see ghosts with their expensive “metal detectors”. Children at a very young age are believed to have the gift to be able to see ghosts. However, this ability tends to leave the child at the point of maturity, the same time they stop believing in magic. There are very few people today who can sense the presence of a ghost, let alone see them. A ritual these psychics use to make contact with the dead is called a séances. Séances are believed to be a way to communicate with the dead by using or appearing as a physical manifestation, only seen by the psychic. Sometimes, a psychic may even allow a spirit to posses their body and communicate with the living in a physical manner where anyone may see and hear the spirit’s actions. But this is where skepticism is usually perceived. Not everyone has “the gift”. In an article by the New York Times called “Why I Don’t Believe In Ghosts”, Philip Pullman does not believe in ghosts because “there are no such things as elves or hobbits or,…ghosts and disembodied spirits, so nothing interesting or truthful can be said about them” (Pullman, “Why I Don’t Believe In Ghosts”). Ghosts are the souls of people who do not move on into the afterlife because they have unfinished business or may have died an unjust death and want justice. They could also have died so suddenly that they are confused and do not realize that they are dead or do not want to face that truth. Therefore, if people have that kind of free will when alive, why can they not have that in the afterlife? If they feel the need for something to be done according to the situation they are in, they may indeed be earthbound and “live” amongst us. If there is a spirit nearby, regard them as a stranger and leave them be. If one coincides in a home, leave them be and welcome them if possible (“Signs of Ghosts”).