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Ghost stories have been with humankind for thousands
of years. There are written accounts from the Chinese and reeks,
for example, which make up some of the earliest writings of hauntings.
But do people in our modern, well-educated civilization actually
believe in ghosts?
In the United States, the answer seems to be "yes." According
to a survey taken in 2003, more than half of the population considers
ghosts are real. The belief is in spite of the questionable scientific
evidence. The poll also revealed that few people have ever seen
any spiritual being, and have simply based their beliefs on TV and
movies.
Many popular programs and movies have been inspired by real-life
ghost stories. However, many have turned out to be false and exaggerated
before Hollywood even rewrote the story. Others have been manipulated
by Hollywood so much that they don't even look like the original
tale. But it doesn't matter so much how Hollywood has changed the
ghost stories, because the real-life ones seem much less remarkable.
Objects don't fly across the room, and people aren't possessed by
spirits. At best, some describe a creepy feeling, or see strange
spots of light on film, or see something out of the corner of their
eye. But TV and movies are everywhere in today's world, so they
often subtly affect people. They influence society's beliefs, the
same as ghost stories did long ago.
How about you? Do you believe in ghosts? |