Ghosts... do they exist?

    I know it isn't October yet, but I'm already gearing up for Halloween by looking into haunted houses, researching costume ideas on Pinterest and watching scary movies. In that same spirit, I started reading "The Man Who Wanted Seven Wives" by Katie Letcher Lyle. The author began researching the Greenbrier Ghost in the 1980's and the book is a recount of her investigation.

    For those of you who don't know, the Greenbrier Ghost is the spirit of Zona Heaster Shue. The story goes that her ghost appeared and described in detail how her husband murdered her. Her body was exhumed and the apparition's story was found to be true. Her husband was brought to trial and charged with murder in 1987.

  Actual West Virginia Historical Marker in Greenbrier County

Please note the last sentence.

 

Zona Heaster Shue, The Greenbrier Ghost

 

    Lyle states in the preface that she is a skeptic and has found evidence to disprove the ghost's help in solving her own murder case. I'll fill you in when I get to that part...

 

    But this got me thinking... do so many people believe that ghosts are real? Maybe not the kind that will avenge his or her death but at least exist. So, I asked some of my friends...

 

Do you think ghosts exist?

I was surprised by the response!

 

11 - Yes

4 - No

 

Of course, the answers were followed by insightful and hilarious comments:
 

"I would say... I don't believe in ghosts like in ghost movies but part of me thinks that spirits can be present sometimes. Like... I don't think they HAUNT or anything but I think at important moments, people who are important to us can be there."

 

"Only when they are ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Or if they're played by Whoopi Goldberg."

 

"Nope, although I am still a scardy cat (serial killers eeek!)"

 

"Only if they seductively help me with pottery while the Righteous Brothers play in the background."

 

"Well, I haven't seen any, but my Grandma swore she has. Plus, there's too many stories out there to not believe in just one. I think its possible some spirits get stuck here. And isn't it more exciting to believe in them?"

 

"I do when I watch ghost adventures!"

 

"I used to when I believed in an afterlife. Not so much anymore."

 

"Um... yeah kinda... I don't think its scary ghost stuff though. Like they don't scare me, they just creep me out a bit. I AM afraid of the zombiepocolypse though... like for real. So I don't know if my opinion can be trusted."

 

"I've seen them. I have been seeing them since I was 5. More so when I was a kid than adult life."

 

"I have a feeling my house is haunted, so by that fact, I think so. But I prefer to picture the ghost to be like Casper and one day we will meet and have a hilarious adventure together. I think ghosts could be real, but I don't think they are evil or harmful if they exist. And further, I hope ghosts are real because if I die before [my husband], I plan on playing oodles of pranks on him."