3 of 17

Write now Article Tools

There is no doubt about it. To the average person ghosts are scary. The answers as to why are as numerous as the average people that are scared of them, but the most common reasons are nearly universal. Ghosts to us are more than just a mist, a visual cue, a strange smell or feeling. Like a fear or snakes or spiders, our fear runs deeper than our surfaces.

We are scared of ghosts because:

1) They represent death.

To many people, especially in our modern times, death is a scary thing. We prolong our lives as much as possible. A ghost is a reminder that this state of being doesn't last forever. A ghost is also a reminder that our futures are uncertain.

Even if you have a strong belief in the afterlife the ghost's relationship with death is frightening. Why do some people "come back?" The death a ghost represents is often violent, and the lives they leave are unresolved. This element of death can be unsettling to even the most spiritual of people.

2) They represent the unknown.

No one likes to be left in the dark. Because we can't communicate with ghosts (at least for the most part) there is no way that we can know what existence is like for them. Will we all share the same fate? If we peer too closely at the mystery will it draw us in against our will?

The mystery of ghosts have fascinated humanity for centuries at least. Mediums, spiritualists, and Ouija boards are all evidence of this. Even with all our tools and gifted psychics we still don't know much about what their "lives" are really like.

3) We have watched/heard/read too many ghost tales.

If you've ever seen a particularly scary movie involving a ghost you've got an unhappy preconceived notion. Perhaps you're expecting them to wreak havoc in your home. Maybe you're always secretly scared that one will murder you just as they were murdered. Literature, Hollywood, and even our family tables are filled with blood thirsty warnings about ghosts. Who wouldn't be scared?

4) Sightings are often accompanied by an unsettling feeling.

Then there are the actual instances of ghost to human "contact". If you've ever seen a ghost you may have felt a large surge of instinctive fear. Just as many people are automatically scared of spiders or snakes, many people are also automatically scared of ghosts. Maybe there is an evolutionary reason for this. Maybe we still have remnants of a sixth sense.

Learn more about this author, E. Rae Fallesen.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Why are we scared of ghosts??
We want to hear your view. Write now!