4/28/20 Katrina Chung Period 1

04/28/2020 Katrina Chung PD1 Blog#5 (done on 5/1/2002)

Aim: How are ghosts and the after-life perceived in contemporary Western culture?

Do Now: Read the New Yorker article "Reasons to Believe in Ghosts in America." What is the author saying about American culture and ghosts? 

• Nathan Heller, the author of the article, talks about his trip to New York City and ghost tours. He also talks about the way Americans perceive things. He speaks of Americans in a somewhat belittling way by saying they are "straightforward people" whose culture is "opaque, clouded by euphemism, denial, and hope." Heller is saying Americans cannot grasp or understand what they can't see. They choose to believe in the physical aspects of things rather than the spiritual. Heller also talks about how we cannot grasp our past, leading to another reason why most Americans do not believe in ghosts. And that is what is haunting us. 

So what are ghosts?

• spirits that remain on earth
• those that cause disturbances are poltergeists
• parapsychology, or pseudoscience, is the study of paranormal or psychic activity
• the science of it: humans and animals have souls--> souls are energy-->by the laws of physics, energy cannot be destroyed hence ghosts

But why do we fear ghosts?

• Like Nathan Heller said, people fear the unknown. Few know what the intentions of ghosts are and why they haunt a place.

What makes a ghost?

• When they have not completed what they were set out to do on earth.
• They are tied to a specific place or object and can't leave.
• Their lives were taken away too fast and unexpectantly/ the ghost refuses to believe he or she is dead.
• They usually appear in small spaces or around a few people.
• Most ghosts are undetected.

Why are ghost stories important to folklore?

• They provide a source of entertainment for people; many people are excited by horror stories.
• They provide a source of history in a way; they teach people about how and why a ghost haunts a person or place.
• Because ghosts are feared, some cultures use ghost stories to warn kids about doing something so they won't dare to do it. 

Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?

• I also believe in ghosts, even though I've never really seen one. I don't think it is wise to dismiss something just because you can't see them. When I was younger, I used to watch Ghost Hunters with my brother at my aunt's house. She had a dog that would bark at nothing when the show is playing. And when we were leaving, I saw someone watching from the bottom of the stairs, but no one was downstairs. It was terrifying seeing that and the constant feeling that someone is watching when no one is there. That is how I started believing in ghosts.  

From this brief lesson about ghosts, I have learned that a majority of people do not believe in ghosts because of their ambitious nature. (How do people become ghosts? If you can't see it how can you be sure it is a ghost? etc.) I learned some about ghosts when watching Ghost Hunters and Supernatural. Supernatural, specifically, had episodes on how they became ghosts so the Winchester brothers can get them to let go or kill them. These shows may be based on science-fiction but every show with mythology has some truth to it.