Do ghosts really exist? Non-believers and believers, scientists, paranormal investigators and psychics have argued over this question for years. Let’s see the evidence that they have collected.

What is a ghost?

A ghost is believed to be a person’s spirit that continues to exist in some form after his or her death.

The Believers

Some scientists and paranormal investigators claim that by using electromagnetic field (EMF) detectors, we can prove the existence of ghosts.

Scientists have taught us that energy cannot be destroyed. It cannot only be changed from one form to another.

Human beings have electrical energy in their bodies: in the brains, the nervous system and other parts. According to the law of energy, when a person dies, the body decays, but the electrical energy in it cannot just disappear. It must continue to exist in another form, perhaps as a spirit or a ghost.

Just as there is an EMF around a living being with circulating energy in the body, there should also be an EMF around a ghost, if it exists. So, one way to detect the presence of a ghost is to pick up the EMF around it by using an EMF detector. In some haunted places, researchers have found unusually strong electromagnetic fields.

Some have also used sound and video equipment to try to detect the presence of ghosts. Believe it or not, they have come back with strange recordings and pictures and vowed that that they did find something. So, do ghosts really exist?

The non-believers

There are also scientists and researchers who offer explanations for what they call “ghostly occurrences”.

Unusually strong electromagnetic readings detected by EMF detectors, they say, may be caused by electronic equipment nearby or are simply due to the earth’s magnetic field.

White spots and fuzzy figures in photographs and videos, which are often said to be images of ghosts, can be explained by a number of factors:

• When a camera’s flash reflects on dust particles or moisture in the air, a white spot might be formed.

• A water spot on the camera lens may also cause a picture to have a fuzzy ‘figure’.

• Errors in developing or printing a picture may also result in white spots.

A sudden drop in temperature in a supposedly “haunted’ building that people often associate with the arrival of a ghost may also have a perfectly logical explanation.

Often, researchers can trace the cause of a sudden feeling of chill to a drafty window. A drop in temperature may also happen because of reduced humidity.

So, do you believe in ghosts?

“Yes, I think ghosts exist. My mum told me that they will come after me if I’m naughty!” – Ernest Wong, 7, Holy Innocents Primary School

“I do not believe in ghosts because I believe in God.” – Ben, 11, St. Stevens Primary School

“No, I don’t believe ghosts exist because I haven’t seen one before!” – Hsien Teng, 10, St. Hilda’s Primary School

“I don’t believe in ghosts because there are no scientific facts to prove them.” – Bradley Goh, 12, St. Stevens Primary School

“I believe that ghosts exist, because I just know they do!” – Joie Lim, 7, Hougang Primary School