Seeking the supernatural
By: Beth Spencer
Issue date: 10/30/09 Section: News
"When the sensory organs lack stimulation, the brain starts creating its own sensation," he said. "I think there's a scientific explanation for everything."
Freshman Elizabeth Fredman said she had a supernatural experience when she was 11 and would never forget the encounter.
"I saw a floating head in my parents' bedroom," she said. "It was the creepiest thing I've ever seen."
After staring at the pasty, glowing head for a few seconds, Fredman said the terror caused her to lose her voice.
"I didn't want to walk past my parents' room for a long time after that," she said. "I ran to my sister to tell her about it."
Fredman's sister, Emily, freshman, said she was initially skeptical when her sister told her about the floating head. But that's before she went into the room and saw the floating head for herself.
"Their room was dark as a dungeon, and it freaked me out," she said.
From then on, the sisters said they would run by the room and avoid going inside.
Buckley said she thought some paranormal encounters happened because spiritual beings were attempting to verbally communicate with people, but the communication is rarely audible unless recorded.
"It's called an electronic voice phenomenon," she said. "It can sound like people talking or someone breathing."
Katherine Anderson, freshman allied science major, said she was terrified of ghosts as a child but doesn't believe they exist now.
"I think the mind can make up anything," she said. "If you're lying in bed in the dark, you might convince yourself that you see something."
If students do encounter paranormal activity, they should learn more about the reason the spirit makes its presence known, Buckley said.
"Ghosts shouldn't be scary to people," she said. "They should be interesting and peaceful."
Freshman Elizabeth Fredman said she had a supernatural experience when she was 11 and would never forget the encounter.
"I saw a floating head in my parents' bedroom," she said. "It was the creepiest thing I've ever seen."
After staring at the pasty, glowing head for a few seconds, Fredman said the terror caused her to lose her voice.
"I didn't want to walk past my parents' room for a long time after that," she said. "I ran to my sister to tell her about it."
Fredman's sister, Emily, freshman, said she was initially skeptical when her sister told her about the floating head. But that's before she went into the room and saw the floating head for herself.
"Their room was dark as a dungeon, and it freaked me out," she said.
From then on, the sisters said they would run by the room and avoid going inside.
Buckley said she thought some paranormal encounters happened because spiritual beings were attempting to verbally communicate with people, but the communication is rarely audible unless recorded.
"It's called an electronic voice phenomenon," she said. "It can sound like people talking or someone breathing."
Katherine Anderson, freshman allied science major, said she was terrified of ghosts as a child but doesn't believe they exist now.
"I think the mind can make up anything," she said. "If you're lying in bed in the dark, you might convince yourself that you see something."
If students do encounter paranormal activity, they should learn more about the reason the spirit makes its presence known, Buckley said.
"Ghosts shouldn't be scary to people," she said. "They should be interesting and peaceful."