First off,i'd like to tell you about something that has happened to me,and what people kind of responses that i've gotten to this.A few years ago,while my brother-in-law was in the hospital,i was watching an episode of Ghost Hunters in my bedroom.I was sitting on the floor,watching the show.When show had ended and the credits started to roll,my tv went to blue screen.A minute after that it turned off.When my t.v turned off,a man's voice filled my room.I couldn't make out what he was saying.After a minute or two of listening to him speak,i freaked out and ran out of my house.Now,i've had people who call themselves athiests tell me that i was hallucinating.One in a chatroom told me that my tv went off because of the cable company,saying that they were updating mt tv or whatever.Another athiest on a messageboard told me that because no one else was in the room when this happened,that my brain made it all up and some how turned off my tv.Isn't that like saying that if i go into a public bathroom,and i just so happen to be the only one in there,and no one else was there to see me pee,then i was never in the public bathroom?Then he asked me if i had a remote...and i know for a fact that i wasn't.Anways....my question for you guys.If you are realy ghost hunters,and you've seen things,then do you guys believe there's an afterlife?What are your views on athiesim?

...while my brother-in-law was in the hospital

So it was during a time of considerable emotional duress?

...i was watching an episode of Ghost Hunters in my bedroom

In other words you were being deliberately overstimulated to accept the existence of the supernatural by a show that needs to place the viewer in a heightened state of suggestibility?

...my tv went to blue screen.A minute after that it turned off

This in itself is not so unusual. Electrical appliances often glitch. Because this usually happens when we are not overstimulated and under duress, we give 'em a thump or reboot them or flick the power switch or whatever... And then either get them fixed or forget about it.

When my t.v turned off,a man's voice filled my room.I couldn't make out what he was saying.After a minute or two of listening to him speak,i freaked out and ran out of my house.

You reject the possibility that this was not real. But I don't believe you fully understand auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH): they are widely studied and quite well understood by psychologists, and they are known to manifest as a result of intense stress or even just tiredness. Researchers from La Trobe University, Australia, have also demonstrated the effect of caffeine and stress - as little as five coffees per day can trigger this type of hallucination (Crowe, et al: "The effect of caffeine and stress on auditory hallucinations in a non-clinical sample.")

AVH can be terrifying and seem very, very real. A woman who experienced prolonged AVH describes them here (if you get a plain green screen, just refresh the page - I'm awkwardly linking to just the video that is usually embedded in a whole other web page):

http://www.healthtalkonline.org/myflv.swf?myFlv=SCZ08_BLO.flv

Now,i've had people who call themselves athiests tell me... Another athiest on a messageboard told me that...

I don't fully understand your point. Are you saying that because they are atheists they cannot be believed or trusted or correct?

Isn't that like saying that if i go into a public bathroom,and i just so happen to be the only one in there,and no one else was there to see me pee,then i was never in the public bathroom?

No, not at all. It is like saying that if you go into a public bathroom, and you just so happen to be the only one in there, and then you pee magic rainbow pee with little pixies swimming in it and no one else was there to see it, then the most likely cause that other people will suggest is hallucination.

If you are really ghost hunters,and you've seen things,then do you guys believe there's an afterlife?

Real "ghost hunters" never "believe" what they see, except on TV shows where the bottom line is ratings and $$$. Serious researchers attempt to find rational explanations or disprove what they "see." They seek information not confirmation... You only move closer to the truth by seeking evidence to the contrary.

What are your views on athiesim?

What are yours?

Well,no,i i don't believe i was under any stress.I also sometimes get the feeling like someone is standing next to me when i'm in bed.I realy don't know what to make of athiests.It's just that the more i think about complete non-existence it depresses me.I've been watching a lot of youtube debates on evolution and creationisim that it's sort of made me feel real gloomy.I don't know,maybe it's best for me mentally to just stay away from these types of topics.When my dad past away,as i was cleaning the house where he lived,i was suddenly hit with his scent.But athiests have told me that could also be a hallucination.But,yeah,my nephew has also claimed that he's seen something in the stairway next to the downstairs bathroom.All i say about athiestim is that it scares me...and if what they say turns out to be true,then it's not like when i die i can say,"oh,they were right"or even say to anyone who's right.That's the scary thng about death,no one comes back to tell you the answer.I guess with this being a forum for the paranormal,i was just looking for a paranormal investigator's and  others point of view on athiestim.

It's just that the more i think about complete non-existence it depresses me.I've been watching a lot of youtube debates on evolution and creationisim that it's sort of made me feel real gloomy.I don't know,maybe it's best for me mentally to just stay away from these types of topics.

That's probably a good idea. If something distresses you that way, don't torment yourself with it. There are a million other things you could be doing instead which wouldn't upset you. Afterlife or no afterlife, life is too short and precious to fritter away deliberately depressing yourself.

When my dad past away,as i was cleaning the house where he lived,i was suddenly hit with his scent.But athiests have told me that could also be a hallucination.

Condolences. Sounds like you've had some stressful times going on. As for the scent, well, it was his house, it could just easily have been real - our sense of smell and our memories are closely linked. We all know how a certain smell - one of mine is the smell of grass and soil after a summer rain shower - can bring very vivid memories rushing back. And a person's scent gets into their possessions and surroundings - see how many grieving parents and spouses sleep with an item of clothing that belonged to their loved one, or a favourite object they handled frequently. It is well within the limits of possibility that you absolutely did really smell his scent.

All i say about athiestim is that it scares me...and if what they say turns out to be true,then it's not like when i die i can say,"oh,they were right"or even say to anyone who's right.That's the scary thng about death,no one comes back to tell you the answer.

It is perfectly natural to fear death and the unknown. And one way or another it is something that is going to happen to all of us. Just like it happened to the billions and billions who came before us and are now no longer. We're all born and we all die - the secret of life is to try to do our best with the bit in between those, the only part of the cycle we have any control over.

[Angelus]

We have hit a hell of a cross section here. We can all discuss your experiences scientifically and see if we are left with anything truly paranormal as you have done, but you have also asked about personal belief In the afterlife and personal views on atheism. It's difficult to do both. As personal belief clouds scientific study. I personally believe in an afterlife but as a paranormal investigator I can't look at a possible paranormal event and say "Hey, everyone, look! GHOSTS DID IT!", that makes me no better than ignorant fundamentalist religious groups who look at a mentally ill person and yell "DEMONS!". I need to sit my personal beliefs to the side and look at the evidence. So do we want to talk about the scientific side of your experience and maybe give some experiment suggestions to test the origins of such experiences or shall we just discuss personal beliefs and folklore? We could do both and just be sure to state which part of our comment is a scientific theory and suggestion for experimentation and which is our personal beliefs and folklore on the matter. I for one love to scientifically explore and experiment with folklore. Try for evp recordings at sceances and look for strong abnormalities in photos of fairy rings and such. (ignore orbs though. Contrary to what tv tells you, it's dust or bugs!) So maybe we could try to recreate the events before your experience and test for similar results, but make sure to record the outcome. Of course the loss of a loved one is not something to recreate but a similar mindset could be achieved. Anyone got any ideas?

Modified. I just realise my last comment came across as unsensitive and callus. I am sorry for your loss and it's not something for anyone to take lightly.

Hi,yeah,the thing with the t.v was very weird...and it only happened  once.I don't recall my brother-in-law crossing my mind when i was   watching the t.v show,so i don't think i was under any stress.When my t.v went to blue screen,i started to wonder why it had done that,and as i was wondering why,it then went off.After that,that's when the voice came in my room.It just kept on talking,but i couldn't make out a word it was saying.After a minute of just sitting there,i finally freaked out and ran out of my house.There are also times when i'm laying in bed and i just get the feeling that someone is standing next to me.Also,there was a time when i was in a chat room and i fell asleep while still  in there.I was using my laptop at the time.When i woke up,i saw that the number 2 was pressed like 40 times and was entered into the chat.The laptop wasn't near me when i woke up.I tried to see maybe my arm fell over the laptop while i was asleep,and somehow that pressed all the two's,but i couldn't recreate it, as my hands and arms kept pressing random buttons.The scent i had from my father was his hospital scent.It smelled like him,but it also smelled like blood.If that was a hallucination then ok.

[Angelus]

The two thing is easily explained. Like you said, when you tried to recreate it you got random buttons. 2 is a random button. Then hitting enter when you shift in your sleep isnt impossible. The smell could be a few things. Sometimes a scent can just be triggered. Some things smell similar and sometimes our brain does the rest.

[Barek Halfhand]

It's just that the more i think about complete non-existence it depresses me.I've been watching a lot of youtube debates on evolution and creationisim that it's sort of made me feel real gloomy.I don't know,maybe it's best for me mentally to just stay away from these types of topics.

That's probably a good idea. If something distresses you that way, don't torment yourself with it. There are a million other things you could be doing instead which wouldn't upset you. Afterlife or no afterlife, life is too short and precious to fritter away deliberately depressing yourself.

I agree with Jake on this point and regardless of what you hear from either side of the Evolutionist vs Creationist debate, none of us can be 100 percent certain of anything ...until someone can satisfactorily explain what happened before "The Big Bang" all bets are off (IMHO) ...

Excellent posts all....b

Ok you guys helped with those things,so maybe you can help me with why i feel like i got someone standing right behind me.That's the last thing i need debunked.

[Barek Halfhand]

Ok you guys helped with those things,so maybe you can help me with why i feel like i got someone standing right behind me.That's the last thing i need debunked.

I'm not going to attempt to "debunk" your claims but I do know there are many possible factors that can contribute to a perceived presence of this nature. Some factors may be environmental while others may be organic or perhaps even psychological...Again, I'm only offering non-supernatural explanations so don't take this personally but you may want get a medical check-up just to be on the safe side...It could even be a food allergy...

Conversely, I do know "faith" is an effective shield and I have seen instances where calling on a higher power has worked wonders in cases like this...

-Barek-