I wish I weren't such a skeptic.

[Bouncy Ball]

Believing in ghosts and astrology and stuff like that seems fun. Exorcisms, those can really creep you out if you believe in that.

So how can I make the part of my brain that just sits there saying "come on, what bullshit" shut up long enough that I can just enjoy getting all skeeved out by ghost stories and stuff?

[bettyellen]

1. skeeved means scared? in NYC it means grossed out, interesting...

i guess creeped out is the overlapping meaning.
:hi:
you can't suspend your disbelief for horror movies? i can't for smooth talking guys.
i guess we all have our hard spots. LOL.
:hi:

[Bouncy Ball]

2. Oh horror movies, that's different.

Well done horror movies are awesome. But well done ones are SO rare, unfortunately.

Yeah, skeeved out, creeped out.

I just wish I could get all goose pimply over a good ghost story. Oh well.

[bettyellen]

8. monkey paw did't work for you? how about Smeee?

i looove Smee. Gets me every time.

[hfojvt]

3. I can't believe you are that much of a skeptic

I wish I could. I might be able to enjoy this thread.

[Bouncy Ball]

4. Sorry you don't believe it. No idea why you don't.

Why are you in a thread you don't enjoy? Glutton for self-punishment? :rofl:

[hfojvt]

9. Well, I thought I would enjoy it

but I cannot believe the premise.
It's okay, but I am not getting goose-pimply.
Just pimply.

[Bouncy Ball]

10. Pimply???

I suggest you leave the thread immediately in that case.

[Floogeldy]

5. There is no reason why you should believe it.

If you haven't seen one or had any strange paranormal experiences, you should not believe in them.

:)

[spacelady]

6. Except it is not bullshit. I have had many "odd" experiences......

and I wasn't even, shall we say, "chemically enhanced".
My best "ghost story" is about how my late father saved my life, or at least from dire injury.

edited for coherence

[Bouncy Ball]

7. I certainly don't begrudge anyone believing in that stuff.

I just don't. Never have. And I was thinking it might be rather more enjoyable if I could really get into a good ghost story. But the skepticism prevents that. That's all. :shrug:

[bridgit]

11. i think your process is well intact, i have a line on astrology...

but it deals with micro-gravitational forces exerted on a developing zygote at the tender moments of gestation and such; pulling this way and that in accordance with a certain assemblage of cosmological configuration at that point in space/time and such. but that's round & about as far as i am willing to go. i do not 'jones' for my horoscope every time i step in or out of the shower i mean come on.

ghosts? eh, absent all the matter; i suppose it is a spirit/energy kind of a universe. but neither am i inclined to see the virgin mary in an oxidized deposit in a moist & moldy tunnel somewhere.

there's a rock formation up in central oregon called 'monkey face'. you know why they call it 'monkey face'?

cause it looks like a monkey face, sheesh! :eyes:

[Bouncy Ball]

13. LOL!

I have read my horoscope on occasion. I find it interesting in a "this is only two sentences long, what can it hurt to read it?" kinda way.

But that's about it.

Hey maybe it's because I was born in the dawning of the Age of Aquarius?

:rofl:

Micro-gravitational forces sound cool.

[crispini]

12. Well, just try out a limited suspension of belief.

Think of that line from Shakespeare: "There are more things under heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Then just kind of go, "Well, what if.....?" And recognize that it's a short-term kind of thing.

It's possible to really get your creep on for a short duration and then go back to being a hardass cynic. :D

[Bouncy Ball]

15. THERE you go!!!

That's what I'm shooting for!

Ok, I'll try that, I really will. Thanks!

Hmmmmm, ghosts (that's the thing I really wished I could go for, it's so cool in theory, you know?)......

[crispini]

19. I went to a seance once.

I made a point of thinking to myself, "Well, I'm going to keep an open mind and be receptive to the possibilities."

She told me a couple of things about my deceased grandfather that really surprised me.

I still don't quite know what to think. After all, even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in awhile.

Still....

[Bouncy Ball]

20. You're better than I am, I'd probably giggle through the whole thing.

So were they kind of generic things or pretty specific? Specific would be interesting.

[crispini]

23. One thing was pretty generic, but one

had some pretty significant connections in my mind -- when I was a child I collected little china animal figures and he would always take me to buy them when I visited and the medium said something about "the little animals." On the other hand, that's pretty generic too.

I dunno, I used to be more skeptical but I have a friend who is a real believer and has told me some incredibly creepy stories directly concerning her. She would have no personal gain motive, etc. for bullshitting me. I kind of came to the conclusion, based on this, that some people are more "sensitive" to that kind of stuff than others. Of course, there is a great deal of bullshit scam stuff out there also.

[Bouncy Ball]

24. Now I DO believe that humans can be incredibly intuitive.

I still don't think there are spirits of dead people wandering about, but I do think humans are way more intuitive than most of us realize and if we'd fine-tune the listening to those "gut" feelings, we'd benefit.

[ghostsofgiants]

16. Exactly what i do

[Bouncy Ball]

18. Nevermind then!

I asked you that question below, but you answered it here.

[ghostsofgiants]

21. Haha, yeah, it works for me

:)

I think it's carried over from my youth though. When I was a kid I did believe in the stuff, so I learned how to enjoy it all then, and retained that ability when I got older.

[ghostsofgiants]

14. I'm a total skeptic, but I absolutely love the paranormal...

And things of the sort.

[Bouncy Ball]

17. Ok but how do you reconcile the two?

Doesn't your skeptic brain keep yelling "BULLSHIT!" and interrupt your enjoyment of the paranormal?

I was watching this thing on some channel on TV about a house that was possessed or something and I kept thinking it would be cool to get into it as much as my daughter did. But everytime they described what would happen, I would think "house settling" "pipes creaking" "overactive imagination" etc.

Dunno.

[arwalden]

22. I Have To Admit...

... looking back, it was kind of comforting to believe that relatives and friends were "looking down on me from Heaven" and that I'd see them again someday.

But... then again, my belief in Santa was comforting too.

As far as ghost-stories and creepy movies go (zombies, ghosts, vampires, ghoulies and monsters) I can still temporarily suspend the rational portion of my brain and allow myself to become immersed in the story.

They always creep me out, even if it is only make-believe.

BOO!