Of Ghosties and Ghoulies and Things that Go Bump in the Night

As far back as anthropologists can track human legends, the belief in ghosts and spirits is already present. From a humanist, materialist perspective, “animism” (the idea that rocks, streams, trees, etc. are inhabited by invisible “spiritual” entities) is asserted to be the first religion. Primitive man supposedly created the concept to explain what was otherwise inexplicable by attributing “supernatural” causes to what we “know” today to be “natural” effects. Part of that explanation process included what happened to man and animals that had died. It is no accident that in many ancient languages, the words for “soul” and “spirit” are derived from the ones for “breath” or “life” since the most visible differences between the dead and the living is that the dead no longer breathes. Therefore at death, the “breath” or “spirit” had departed the body and the inevitable questions then arose; where did it go, was it still around and what might it do to the living?

Hence, according the humanist/materialist view, ancient humans quickly concluded that it was possible that these departed “spirits” just MIGHT choose to hang around and cause some sort of mischief unless properly propitiated. This might entail special funerary rites, sacrifices, shamanism; the particulars do not matter so much as the idea that this universal belief in “ghosts” was the result of a psychological coping mechanism to attempt to control the uncontrollable.

The Scriptures in some ways, actually supports this recreation of antiquity. From Genesis, we know that God “breathed” life into inanimate matter to create life; and it is reasonable to assume that sinful men quickly perverted His revelation into something approaching the anthropologists’ view of early human religion. The difference is that man devolved in his religious beliefs from Theism to polytheism to animism. However, every culture, no matter how widely separated in distance or time from each other, has some sort of belief in “spirits;” and concern or even fear that the spirits of the dead could return to earth and affect the living in some way. In cultures that worshipped their ancestors, such “spirits” had to be remembered and honored, lest they curse the living. In other cultures, the “spirits” were seen as more malevolent, hating the living for possessing all the things that were no able to enjoy.

And this belief in “ghosts” is not restricted to the dim, dark recesses of pre-scientific cultures or third world nations. Researchers at Baylor University found that 37% of those surveyed in modern America believed places can be haunted. Almost 20% believed it is possible to communicate with the dead. Clearly, there is a difference between people believing something to be true from whether or not it is actually true; but it is telling that in the most humanistic, materialistic and “scientific” society in human history, so many people retain a belief in ghosts.

Do ghosts actually exist? Can the spirits of the departed return to haunt people or places? Can the living communicate with the dead? The Bible actually gives us some evidence that such things may be possible. For example, Deuteronomy 18:11 specifically forbids “mediums, spiritists or one who calls up the dead.” The language here is important; the text does not say those who pretend to do these things or even attempt to do them, but the actual practice; which seems to imply that some people were actually communicating with the “dead,” in some way. Granted, the modern spiritualism movement has been thoroughly debunked from the time of Harry Houdini; he exposed their cheap tricks almost a hundred years ago. And no matter how popular that “Crossing Over” fellow might be, he uses the same tired old techniques to confuse the gullible while making some money and a reputation for himself. As we saw in the chapter on the authenticity of occult phenomenon, for a long time, there have been many rewards offered to anyone who can demonstrate “psychic” or “occult” powers under controlled circumstances; rewards that go unclaimed.

Yet nevertheless, there are a lot of people who solemnly testify that they saw or heard something that does not fit within the standard, normal means of explanation. Like UFO’s, apparently, sometimes, some people do see something that seems to defy naturalistic explanations. Now, there is a difference between a phenomenon and the explanation of a phenomenon; i.e., a person may experience something real but their explanation of that experience may be contrary to fact. For example, if one is home alone at night and hears “footsteps” upstairs, a person MAY think they are hearing a ghost when in reality there may be some other, purely natural explanation. The sound may have been real; but the interpretation can be completely fallacious. In my own experience, I knew people who insisted that a particular location was haunted; they heard something as if someone was walking up an aisle banging on a series of pipes. What they heard was perfectly accurate; but it was not a spirit, but an old style steam furnace! As the steam traveled from the boiler to the various radiators, it caused the metal to expand with an audible “bang!” But for people who had always lived with forced air heaters, they had never encountered that phenomenon before so they tried to explain it according to their own beliefs. Since they were already predisposed to believe that this particular place was “haunted” (and to be honest, this particular venue was a very creepy place), anything out of the “ordinary” become evidence for a ghost; even something as simple as steam running through some pipes.

However, not every phenomenon can be made to so easily fit within a naturalistic explanation. We could spend the rest of this essay examining various solemn, eye witness testimonies made by sincere, sober people who saw something that simply does not fit within modern, materialist categories. So is there anything to all the ghost stories that have been passed down through the years?

For the classic materialist, the supernatural by definition, cannot exist; and therefore anything that is actual phenomenon must fit within his own categories. Attempts to reduce the supernatural into naturalistic categories have been on-going for over a hundred years. Many universities offer courses in “parapsychology” which studies everything from Extra Sensory Perception to Ghost Hunting. The “true believers” faithfully take readings of strange electromagnetic fields, record “electronic voice phenomenon” (where supposedly “ghosts” talk on tape recorders), use thermal imagery to take heat signatures and a host of other techniques trying to capture “evidence” of ghosts. While the most charitable assessment of their endeavors would have to conclude, “Not Proven,” the “faithful” still try to show that somehow, the supernatural is just another under-explored aspect of the “natural” world.

But what if the problem is that the supernatural itself is simply beyond the materialist’s ability to properly perceive reality as it has been revealed? As Christians, we have God’s inerrant, infallible Word that reveals things about the world that transcends what can be understood from a purely materialist perspective. God is “invisible;” that is, not able to be perceived by human senses. Furthermore, there is an entire realm of existence that transcends the material universe; a realm “inhabited” by God, His Holy Angels and rebellious spiritual entities opposed to Him and His righteous rule. Christians begin with the assumption that God exists and that what He revealed is true. Materialists begin with the assumption that reality is only that which allows itself to be studied in the scientist’s laboratory. Both worldviews begin with assumptions.

The Bible is clear that the problem is never a lack of evidence, but the ability to properly understand and interpret the evidence; Romans 1:18ff tells us that sinful men suppress the truth in unrighteousness. The evidence of God’s existence is written in the very fabric of creation as well as on our hearts; but wicked men refuse to admit that it is even evidence!

Therefore, when it comes to the subject of determining whether ghosts exist, the materialist is handicapped because he either refuses to acknowledge the very possibility or deliberately suppresses or distorts any evidence he does find in order to make it fit within the parameters of his own preconceived worldview. The “Ghost Hunters” may take all the readings, recordings and photographs they want; the strict materialist will either demand MORE “evidence” or discount whatever they find as never being convincing enough. Even if a ghost walked into a laboratory and answered all the questions a hard headed materialist wanted, the only thing that would happen would be a new theory created to make the supernatural phenomenon fit within a materialist worldview.

But that is the problem, isn’t it? Ghosts do NOT show up on cameras (the ones that do, always turn out to be either hoaxes, camera problems, or have other “normal” explanations). Mediums are fakes and con artists. In fact, when reviewing the actual “evidence,” the most convincing always seems to come down to reliable, sober people experiencing something that defies a materialist explanation.

As mentioned previously, if you hear hoof beats in the distance, expect horses, not zebras. In other words, when trying to determine the cause of anything, the most likely explanation is the simplest, most “normal” one. If pipes are clanking in the middle of the night, it is probably due to metal expanding from heat; not a ghost. If stairs are creaking, it is more likely to be wood contracting in the cool of the evening, rather than a spiritual presence walking down the steps. If one wakes up in the middle of the night and sees a form in one’s bedroom, it is more likely to be a misfiring of the brain coming out of a dream state than a supernatural haunting.

However, having said that; the Bible does apparently provide some evidence that in at least certain situations, there is a phenomenon that appears to be something very similar to what we call “ghosts.” First, we know that man is more than just flesh and bone; he has an invisible aspect that continues on after death. Secondly, as mentioned previously, there is a whole category of activities that are expressly prohibited that deal with communicating with the dead not just the attempt. Therefore apparently, at least some mediums and spiritualists in Bible times were contacting something outside of the material world. Thirdly, we do have the “Witch of Endor” who called up Samuel. At least in this one case, she actually succeeded; the text says, “When she saw Samuel” (1 Sam 28:12). This seems to strongly imply that she was not just faking something but actually “conjured” Samuel from the dead. Furthermore, Saul then has a discussion with Samuel which again, pretty clearly implies that this was a real event and not just another con job.

Fourthly, from New Testament revelation we know that before the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, Hades (i.e. the “Grave” in Greek or “sheol” in Hebrew) was a place divided into two sections; apparently the righteous inhabited one place called “Abraham’s Bosom” while the wicked were in a place of torment (Luke 16:22ff). We also know that after the resurrection, the Apostle Paul said that to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord (Phil 1:23) and that when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, He led the captives out of captivity (Eph 4:8). Without going to far with speculation, it seems reasonable that before the Incarnation, all souls were held in a common spiritual realm (called “The Grave”) until the resurrection whereupon the righteous were brought into the presence of God presumably because the price for their sins had now been paid.

However, what we do not have in the Bible is any evidence that the spirits of men are somehow trapped here on earth, continuing to inhabit in some immaterial form, the material plane. The souls of the righteous are with the Lord Jesus. The souls of the reprobates are imprisoned, waiting their final judgment. There is no Biblical evidence that some of these spirits are allowed out of their prison to haunt houses or visit their living relatives. In fact, the Luke passage pretty clearly denies this; even though the rich man and Lazarus could see each other, a great gulf existed between them; Abraham says it is impossible for even spirits in the same realm to visit each other across the great divide. When the rich man begs for Abraham to send Lazarus back to the living to warn his brothers about their coming fate, Abraham refuses because they already had Moses and the prophets; if they would not listen to THEM, then they would not listen to Lazarus.

This tale the Lord Jesus tells also shoots a hole through most of the theories modern people have about ghosts. Usually, the explanation for a haunting is that the deceased had issues that were never resolved in life and therefore got “trapped” somewhere between the physical plane and the afterlife. However, notice the assumption here; that “crossing over” into that afterlife is a desirable thing. While that might be true for the righteous; it is not so for the wicked. Those who reject God’s free offer of salvation are judged for their sins death is NOT a good thing for them; it is a place of torment and suffering for eternity. However, the modern spiritualist explanation denies the gospel, denies the need for salvation, and thus denies the need for Jesus. Therefore to accept their explanation is to implicitly accept a view of death that is contrary to God’s own revelation; it is a way of making the death of Jesus unnecessary. So if “ghosts” are not the spirits of the departed who have not yet passed over to the afterlife, what are they?

Now, everything the Bible tells us is true; but the Bible does not tell us everything we want to know. There are areas of knowledge that God has given to us to discover by exercising dominion over the earth. Hence, there are true things we can learn by studying His work in creation; things He did not specifically reveal in His Word (e.g., the principles of mathematics, or the “laws” of motion, the speed of light, the use of the arch as an architectural tool, etc.). However, there are some aspects of truth into which He has forbidden us to delve; and ghosts, spirits, divination and magic are among them. God considers these things “detestable” and was the primary reason why He ordered the Canaanites destroyed as a culture. He warned Israel about copying these pagan practices and that He would destroy them if they disobeyed. The most wicked kings in Israel’s (and later, Judah’s) history, however disobeyed Him, practicing witchcraft, demonism, occultism and consorting with the “dead;” and both nations were destroyed as a direct result.

Therefore, there could be spiritual phenomenon that people sometimes encounter sometimes unwittingly or unintentionally phenomenon that is explained by “ghost stories.” Perhaps in certain places, the barrier between the material and spiritual realms is broken and “something” leaks through. Certainly, the fear, horror and dismay so common in “ghostly” encounters might be explained as something we might expect from unredeemed souls crying out in spiritual pain. Perhaps there are some undiscovered physical mechanisms by which traumatic events in life leave can behind a “psychic image” that certain people can “feel” or even “see” if the conditions are right. The point is, we do not know; and more importantly, God specifically says that this whole area of investigation is off limits to us. There are just some things that we are not supposed to know. No sane, reasonable man would give a two year old child a loaded gun and let him play with it. Sure, when the child is older, he should be taught how to safely handle and use a weapon; but at that time, he simply lacks the maturity to deal with the responsibility that a weapon demands. In the same way, perhaps this area of “knowledge” is closed to us because we are just not ready as this stage of history to handle it responsibly.

And of course, the reason we are forbidden to explore this area might be that in that spiritual realm, intelligent, invisible entities really do exist; entities that hate God and us who wish us harm and whose purpose is deception and deceit. The Adversary has lied to us from the beginning; and his minions work to deceive people away from the truth. Therefore, it is highly possible that we are forbidden to investigate the realm of the dead because there are demons there waiting At best we will be deceived; at worst, we might discover that the demons can “cross over” and make themselves at home.

There certainly does seem to be a connection between an obsessive interest and involvement with the occult and serious personality disorders. The materialist will argue that only people whose thinking is already bizarre would even entertain the possibility of the supernatural. However, it could be that the more one involves one’s self in occult activity, the more one opens one’s self to demonic confusion and deception. In the few instances of demonic possession recorded in the Scriptures, bizarre thinking is the least of the symptoms; demons literally can drive people crazy.

No, not everyone who tries to contact Grandmother via an Ouija board or medium goes insane; most are simply deceived, wasting time and money on lies. But someone who BELIEVES in ghosts and actively seeks them out just might discover that the “Voice from Beyond” has a far darker agenda.

Conclusion

The best defense in spiritual warfare is neither modern technology, nor pagan rituals (which are common in films and television shows that deal with the occult) but rather faith in Christ and His Word. It is no accident that with the spread of Christianity, all forms of demonic activity disappear. With all due respect to the Roman church, the Bible contains no rituals for exorcism; but it does have a lot to say about repenting of sins, forgiving others, living at peace with all men and obeying Jesus as Lord.

Thus, for us as Christians, the existence of ghosts and other things that go bump in the night is simply a “non-issue.” We know that those that belong to the Lord are with Him, after they leave us. We have no evidence that the souls of other men wander the earth or inhabit our houses. If people do actually witness real phenomenon that cannot be adequately explained by “natural” means, then they do not have to give in to fear they just have to make sure that they are right with the Lord; “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”

However, since God finds spiritualism so detestable, we must refrain from any involvement. As discussed in another chapter, occult films and books are not necessarily evil in and of themselves (the reasons why we conclude that will be developed later); but we certainly should be aware of the dangers. In short, if things are going “bump in the night” your house is NOT haunted by departed spirits seeking some resolution so they can move on to the afterlife. That is one of the lies the enemy uses to call into question God’s own revelation of what happens to us after death. No, the dead are dead; passed from this life to what awaits them in the next. If people are experiencing real phenomenon, phenomenon that cannot be explained, then it is time to seek out a pastor to deal with their own sins rather than an exorcist. The best research we have to date is that (normally speaking) people who are oppressed, distressed or possessed by hauntings of various kinds almost always have been involved in various forms of occult, New Age theology and practices. Get rid of the Tarot cards, Ouija boards, pendulums, and crystals; stop consulting palm readers, mystics and mediums and REPENT for all these things are detestable to God.

Finally, the motivation to seek out a spiritualist or medium is often because some people, even confessed Christians, refuse to accept God’s providence. Someone they loved has died, they miss them and they refuse to let them go. In the movie, “End of Days” a priest asks the main character why he no longer believes in God. The character responds that he used to believe in God until they had a disagreement; he wanted his wife and child to live and God wanted them to die. This was an amazing admission on the part of the writers; the man did not really stop believing - he just rejected God’s will. The real issue is that life does not revolve around us and our desires. Nobody is owed a long, pleasant life full of good things and warm memories. Death is the inheritance of every one of Adam’s children. It is only through Christ that we have the hope of the resurrection; where every tear will be dried, every sin forgiven, every pain forgotten. But sinful men do not want to submit to God on His terms; their rebellion may take many different forms some may be overtly evil and depraved others just refusing to accept His providence but the rebellion remains as a testimony to Adam’s sin. Someone who wants to contact a dead loved one refuses to accept that death is God’s judgment on our sin just as Saul repudiated God when he sought out the witch of Endor. No matter that Saul was a member of the covenant community, was personally chosen by God to be king and had received many examples of special revelation; in the end, Saul was a rebel. He refused to submit to God, to live life on God’s terms, descending into occultism and spiritualism because it promised him power. And therefore, he lost not only his kingdom and his life; he lost his soul as well.

Death is painful; and it hurts terribly to lose someone we love and at the same time, our own death is certainly before each and every one of us. But our hope is not in contacting the dead but in rising with them to new life because Jesus has died in our place. The gospel removes the sting of death and robs the grave of its victory.