Encounters with ghosts may not be mere fabrications of the mind.
Many people claim to have encountered a ghost at least once in their lives, often believing that they’ve interacted with the spirit of a deceased individual unable to find peace and thus roaming the earth. While medical professionals cannot confirm the existence of a soul separate from the body, they have found a rational explanation for such experiences. This means that those who report seeing ghosts aren’t necessarily mistaken or fabricating stories.
Statistics from English-speaking countries show that more than a third of UK residents believe in ghosts. In the U.S., that number is even higher, with nearly half of the population expressing belief in the supernatural. Researchers suggest that these figures likely extend to other countries as well, indicating that belief in an afterlife is not limited to those with a deep interest in the mystical.
According to experts from the National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies under the New York State Department of Health, the phenomenon of seeing a ghost is often linked to sleep paralysis. This condition makes encountering ethereal spirits more understandable from a neurological perspective.
Sleep paralysis occurs during the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep, when the body remains immobile while the brain is active. During this phase, the mind can project vivid and sometimes terrifying visions as reality. After conducting various experiments, medical researchers found that people experiencing sleep paralysis often report sensing the presence of an unknown entity nearby, such as hearing whispers or creaking sounds, or seeing monstrous figures.
The paralyzing fear stems from the inability to move, making the experience of encountering a “ghost” particularly terrifying. The brain, knowing how to strike fear in us most effectively, creates these chilling experiences. This insight was shared with Daily Mail by medical experts who studied the phenomena.