As a child, I remember sitting there with my family watching the ghost-hunting reality television shows of the early 2000s until the late hours of the night. This was the first real notion of the paranormal that I was given. At the time, I believed in ghosts due to the mere fact that I was uneducated and didn’t quite grasp the concept. It scared me more than anything. For decades many have investigated different “haunted” locations and recorded evidence of ghosts, whether that be a recording of a voice/sound or an unexplainable shadow. I, however, have never experienced anything paranormal or out of the ordinary. Therefore, I cannot believe in these supposed “paranormal” incidents. 

Tuscaloosa is the home of many supposedly haunted locations. Gorgas and the infamous Bryce Lawn are thought by many to be haunted. However, the evidence for ghosts at these locations is weak and has not been steadily proven. A mere creak of a door or gust of wind does not confirm that Casper is present and messing with you. Coincidence does not constitute fact. Despite what many television shows or believers may say, these incidents just aren’t real.

Many horror movies give the public the idea that paranormal entities and creatures are in fact real. “The Conjuring” series is the perfect example of this because it is considered by many to be based on a real story. Coupled with this is the fact that many of the television shows and even YouTube videos that air now have been presented in such a manner so as to make it look as if the investigators obtained actual evidence. They may believe in ghosts and the afterlife, but their presentation of “evidence” is terribly skewed and exaggerated. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to believe in ghosts or even to watch these types of shows, just that it is ignorant to believe that these shows have any sort of factual basis in reality.  

The human brain is an amazingly complex structure that can trick people into believing in pretty much anything in regards to their five senses. In my opinion, no real evidence has been captured, and most of the experiences are likely the result of an individual’s mind playing tricks on them. I do not doubt that some genuinely believe they have had real experiences with the paranormal; I just doubt the reality of it. I believe most experiences are based primarily on fear due to preconceived ideas about spooky incidents that may have happened in a place. It makes it easier to think something is haunted if a place is dilapidated and run-down, which may very well lead one’s mind to see or hear something out of the ordinary.

Halloween is the time where many believers want to investigate and try to capture evidence. If you want to do that, you’re more than welcome to. You may actually capture something worth reviewing or talking about. But, until real, verifiable evidence is captured that can’t be debunked, I won’t be too worried about seeing a ghost.