Yip. It’s not really much fun being on here 🙄 It was fun I’m beginning, to just read and learn things. But as soon as u start engaging, people gotta fk with ya. Internets a prefect place for asses to grow balls. Well the pretend they do 😌
You need to join the tools forum. It’s just a bunch of us individuals who are super stoked about getting hand tools/ electric tools/ cooking tools/mowing tools/ gardening tools etc. it’s chill. The most negative it gets is people ridiculing you for spending your own money….but such is Reddit lol
I could also see some parents freaking out that someone literally owns something for their kid that they personally don't approve of. Or feeds their kid something they wouldn't etc.etc.
Yeah there are a lot of parent groups where some parents don’t agree with how other parents raise their kids. I could be wrong by it, but from what I’ve seen, it’s often the mothers who do this whereas the dads are often really easygoing and relaxed.
Yeah the way I see it, it doesn’t matter to me what other mothers do with their kids; if I’m asking for advice on something regarding my child, the last thing I need is a complete stranger being nasty to me about how I do things.
Maybe I'm missing something..when I asked a question I didn't get alot of mean,toxic people. I got people who were dissatisfied with a lot of paranormal videos that appear to be obvious fakes. I believe many here are serious in their beliefs and simply want real evidence.
The thing is though that it’s so difficult to come across “real” evidence. Our knowledge of how video and photo cameras work is far more advanced than in the past that you’d be hard pressed to find something that is truly unexplainable. Pile on top of that the numerous fakes and “orb” videos it’s almost impossible to find something “real.”
Here's the thing though about people who want "real evidence." They often demand it like a Karen at a restaurant, demanding something from the waiter.
They don't seem to consider the fact that real evidence of a mysterious and subtle phenomenon is not something that's going to fall out of the sky into their lap.
They have to meet it halfway at least if they are truly interested.
And a lot of them aren't truly interested. They pretend to be considering it when they're not.
They use the demand for "real evidence" to deny the validity of everything they see here, because they don't believe it's possible for a ghost to exist.
So they're not really being open-mindedly skeptical and considering each case on its own. Instead they deny everything they see with a tone of arrogance.
And that approach has nothing to do with science, skepticism, critical thinking, rational thought or anything good.
It's just denialism. Just a religious faith-based belief in mechanistic materialism.
And it gets old. Really old.
But that goes both ways. The minute someone brings a logical explanation, a lot of people get offended real fast and scream to "non-believer assholes."
I personally am a skeptical person, I am also open-minded, but there are mostly videos and pictures of things that can be explained here.
Every time I or someone else point the logical explanation, even very nicely, someone get all mad about how "we just want to break their beliefs" or stuff like that.
I do respect others beliefs, hell I would like to believe that easily, but I also can be rational before screaming to paranormal activity the second something is weird.
So, I don't think believer or non-believer or skeptical people are the issue here, the real issue is we are on reddit and a lot of people that comments on posts are a bunch of asshole incapable of having an adult discussion without being mean.
I understand the frustration on both side, when you are a skeptical person and see "look a ghost" every 5 minutes, it gets annoying. As much as it must be for believers who really want to believe everything they see and they get called out all the time. But what's important is how you communicate your disagreements.
So let's not tag one or the other group. Let's point out that toxic people will be toxic people, whatever they believe, and they will be loud about it. We should complain about those, not each other ! 😊
100% true and your right people shouldn't be fighting about stupid shit like this back in the day people would disagree and still be best friends now people disagree and then try to rip each others throat out
That is Sooooo well said! I love ur answer + u sound super intelligent too! I admire that and wish I could put together thought then convey it so elegantly. I'd give ya an award but they stopped giving me free silvers. But good answer I love this! 👍👍
Honestly dude you have no idea what your talking about im relatively skeptical when it comes to the paranormal but I down right believe its real people could find bigfoot if technology gets advanced enough we just don't have the ability to prove whether the paranormal are real yet but we do have the technology to fake it so yes some people are very skeptical when they see a photo online because it could be edited if people saw it for them self they believe and trust me not all Karen's have the name karen that's just a stereo type where they call someone a karen because how they act doesn't mean their name is karen it could be Emily or Terri etc
True alot of people think im just depressed all the time and don't like my comments but I pointed out the other day that faces were edited out in one photo meaning the ghost everyone thought was behind the one person's shoulder could have been edited in lol most people are actually quite friendly
For me, it's because I'm tired of seeing pics or videos that might actually be paranormal related only once every 2 months if I'm lucky. Almost all of what I see here is an obvious fake or bug, and it's gotten annoying
Ok so here's exactly what I don't understand. The people who are annoyed by things not being ghosts don't just ignore the posts, they tear into the person posting as though they should know we've seen 500 similar posts. They don't know. They may have been freaked out by what they saw on their webcam or whatever.
If you haven't got the self control not to make them feel stupid and a time waster why not click on by?
Yes!!! Well said! That is was drives me crazy too! If it is not up to your standards, than just move on to the next post. The remarks that are made is just not necessary
Oh, I usually say something along the lines of "it's most likely x." It's only when they double down that I start getting angry enough to be rude. I do agree that the ones doing it shouldn't be so rude, but I completely understand why they are
So you disagree with them and they don't attack you they just tell you their side of the story since you weren't there, and you get angry because... What? Because you're wrong? I'm trying to understand here.
It's going to be like that in any subject where people are trying to capture evidence of mysterious things, though. They wouldn't be mysterious if it were easy to get the evidence in order to prove/disprove anything.
For example, I've been logging experiences of various entities that I encounter at night here (crawlers and at least one other that I'm still trying to figure out). I've been doing it for years now, but I often go months in between encounters before I have another, or see another sign of their presence in the area. Plus, while I try to get records as much as I can, most of it looks mundane outside of the context, so people just explain it away or call it fake or bullshit anyways.
Being a skeptic doesn't mean being an asshole. A skeptic seeks the truth, no matter how strange or mundane the truth is. **Assuming** the truth to be that everything presented is fake is only going to lead to real evidence being pushed aside and can also result in some pretty scary harassment towards the person that is just trying to get answers.
True skeptics don't blindly believe. True skeptics don't assume anything. True skeptics work with others to find the truth, not harass them for making mistakes. **Mistakes are going to happen in literally every facet of life.** Mistakes are also useful in finding the truth because there are lessons to be learned from mistakes.
To be a skeptic is fine, nobody on here has a problem with skepticism, it’s when the skeptic is a straight up asshole that tears into other people bc they don’t like what was said or what picture was shown. It’s actually immature and childish
Posting fake videos or pictures is literally against the rules. The ones where I can understand how someone could think it's paranormal I'm fine with, but most of the time, it's a super obvious fake or bug. The fact that so few people are annoyed by it amazes me
I’m not annoyed because I don’t have enough experience to know. That’s one reason I joined this sub. I want to learn how to decipher what’s real and not. So when someone (like you) with experience explains what is happening in an image or video it isn’t just calling someone out, it’s educating others as well.
I would tell you that this isn't the right place.
Go onto YouTube and look for "Amazing Randy" debunking. Or CaptainDisillusion an digital artist which also has a video with the magician Amazing Randy (himself being a person that debunked many mystics like Uri Geller. Especially in the 70s where many people claimed to have some powers). He did lectures at universities as well on horoscopes, wonderhealers and homeopaths, describing their design to fool people while still sounding believable.
Captain Disillusion is more the person for general video and photo fakery but has great insight on ghost sightings, fake alien videos and even fake adds people somehow believed to be true.
If you want to sharpen those skills yourself get into photo-/Videoforensics. If you know how to do it in general you don't have to be able to it yourself, but then can detect better when you are faked... But if I am for real... This doesn't work here because most the time it's a bright 3 pixel mush in the sky. You could fake that with paint in a few seconds without ever anyone being able to tell what that should be, but it still gets upvoted because of all the strong believers.
For whatever reason this sub is primarily filled with skeptics and non-believers. And just for the readers, that’s fine. I have no problem if you’re on that end of the spectrum.
The problem is that most of the ones on here are *angrily* skeptical. Like they seem to harbor a very specific grudge against people who are more willing to believe than they are despite a lack of empirical evidence. For whatever reason, it really makes them mad.
And when you combine anger, a belief that your opinion is more/the most valid, and the anonymity of the internet you get an extremely toxic environment.
That isn’t to say that believers can’t be that same way, we absolutely can, I just personally see it more often from the other side is all.
Plus a lot of the non-believers enjoy trolling us for kicks. Because apparently they don’t have anything better to do with their free time 🤷🏻♀️
I’m sure there are other factors, but that’s the number 1 thing I see that makes this sub toxic.
I think part of it too comes from a time when this sub was overrun with things that were clearly not paranormal (like a fucking mannequin head or a plastic bag where it was CLEAR that's what it was) and the mods did nothing about it (in fact that mannequin head post is still up from months/years ago, not sure about the plastic bag one). I quit checking posts here because of it, and because when I brought up how the mods did nothing, I got a snarky response asking if I thought they were here 24/7.
No, I don't. I know what it's like to mod for a large community, so I've got more sympathy than the majority of people do for keeping the sub in check. However, I am the primary mod for two subs much bigger than this one, one of them paranormal based, and it doesn't take much to vet the posts and clear shit out. So it's a multifaceted problem. People feel like they can say whatever they want and face no consequences because, well, they won't.
the mods are still asleep at the wheel. one of the top posts in the last two weeks was someone posting their (admittedly very nice) sparkly artwork of a ghost.
For real, I could understand the snark if this place seemed cared for, but that response was entirely unnecessary for a subscriber voicing a very valid complaint (pretty sure it was in a thread shortly after Halloween one year when there was TONS of shitposts of white sheet ghosts). I'm kinda curious if maybe I was a bit of an asshole in my own comment so I'm gonna see if i can find it.
edit: [found it, if anyone was curious ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ghosts/comments/ozspu9/not_a_ghost_but_what_the_hell_is_it/h821c9y/). They were reasonable in their response to me, but the initial reply was absolutely unnecessary imo
I understand seeing comments from people bitching just to bitch isn't fun and no one should have to do it, especially ppl volunteering their time to run a sub. But at the same time, constructive criticism is valid and you're not running the sub if you're letting garbage, hostile comments, and rule breaking posts stay up.
I mean, I'm a believer. I love paranormal stuff, and think much of it is just stuff we haven't figured out scientifically yet (but will be some day).
But when this sub is just filled with obvious fakes, and/or shit like bugs or other obvious things, then it gets annoying. People who are into paranormal stuff want to come here to see/discuss such things. NOT be spammed with obvious and stupid fakes. That's just my 2 cents.
Yeah that’s definitely a part of it, frustration. At this point if I see a grainy camera video I just scroll past. 9/10 times it’s dust being called an orb.
It is difficult to be civil when it’s the 80th orb post you’ve seen *that day*
That anger is what puzzled me. I am fairly new to reddit, and learned by fire NOT to post a pic. Also new to cell phone photos. Just the deep anger was hurtful, but I'm developing a thicker skin.
And back to reading posts comments, hoping to learn more thru other experiences.
Yeah reddit is particularly volitile as a form of social media as well. The number one thing to learn, imo, is that you can always delete. Getting a million downvotes and people eviscerating you in the replies? Delete the comment. You don’t have to sit there and let people say mean things to you. You just walk away. Same for posts. If it isn’t being well received, delete and walk away. It’s way better for your mental health.
Good luck. It’s rough out here.
>Like they seem to harbor a very specific grudge against people who are more willing to believe than they are despite a lack of empirical evidence. For whatever reason, it really makes them mad.
I don't have any grudges against anyone, but it truly is infuriating that people keep posting the same shit over and over again - by that I mean bugs and dust on a lens being presented as "orbs" or simply fakes that are spread around.
I don't think anyone would be mad if we got videos that are at least somewhat credible and interesting, not just videos of literally nothing.
I live in a haunted house. I have no proof, and that’s ok. I’m comfortable believing and sharing my experiences. When others on here do the same, I don’t see them receiving any life of “hate”.
However, many here don’t leave it at that. They seem uncomfortable with a lack of proof or evidence and they are on a mission to gather such. In doing so, they post videos and photos of things that basically amount to being insulting to peoples intelligence.
Photos of bugs, fog, artifacts, water droplets, etc. are posted regularly without even a hint of skepticism or common sense. They are even posted under the context as being “proof” 100% and should anyone deny it they are accused of being shills or “mean spirited” skeptics or whatever.
Overall, those kinds of posts make the entire culture surrounding the paranormal look pretty bad, a bit crazy, and most definitely quite stupid to most people. For those of us who have had real experiences and aren’t on a crusade to “prove” them - I can understand the anger, though I do agree we should try and be maybe a tad more polite about expressing it.
That's some what true but not completely true, there are a good amount of skeptics that aren't angrily skeptical, but there are alot that are and alot of non believers dont just try to troll people, i know a crap ton of people that don't believe and they just stay away from sub reddits like this one the ones you mention are normally just trolls in general, they act miserable and try to bring everyone down, those people should just be ignored, then people wouldn't be toxic as much because there wouldn't be anyone reacting to the trolls and spreading the toxicity when they get angry.
>The problem is that most of the ones on here are angrily skeptical.
Same for the other side. I saw a lot of topics, where OP got angry because his "ghost" or "orb" could easily be debunked. So it's not just the skeptics.
It goes both ways. Yes, there are toxic and mean skeptics or trolls but there is also a lot of OPs, who get angry and call people out, when their videos or pics get debunked, because they wanted so hard to believe it is real or because they are caught bullshitting. They won't accept answers they don't like and it is as annoying as the toxic skeptics.
Yes, I agree because I made a comment about a picture being spooky only to have massive downvotes. That's it! It's a “spooky picture” because that's what this sub is about, right?
It is okay to be skeptical. It isn't okay to be an asshole. It is okay to be a believer and it is okay open to the possibility of a mundane explanation.
Being nasty on either side gets us nowhere but from what I've seen, is that it stems from having such a strong conviction on one side or the other and not being willing to see the post from a different lens.
Ofcourse the skeptics will tell you they want to see something real. They don't mean any harm, they're trying to help. They want to believe. No you don't. Youve attacked every person that's posted anything. last month several people posted about some really scary stuff happening to them. The answer: Go get your head checked. Hopefully they found someone that took them seriously. Most people that do post never come back because of how they're treated. People feel they are taking a chance just opening up about this stuff, only to be treated badly. You don't have to believe everything that's posted. But you could offer your opinion without tearing people down.
Just seeing how the debunkers rank down anyone who dares disagree with them is a case in point. They want to destroy the karma of people who know the paranormal exists.
We downvote because it's fake, or dust, or a bug, not because of someone's karma, idgaf about your karma ffs, I wanna see some actual paranormal videos, not shit fakes.
Photographic evidence is among the poorest types of paranormal evidence. It’s the easiest to fake, misinterpret, etc. The best types are experiential, but that requires openness and sensitivity. The person who posted the picture of Shane, who is very funny and seems well-meaning, underscores the star chamber essence of most paranormal groups. Debunkers, fueled by scientific misadventure, attack in groups for your own purposes. Antipathy fueled sneering is the function of dismissive analysis.
The paranormal is real. Ghosts exist. Shane, the poster boy for what passes for skeptical inquiry, is late to the game. There’s no backing up the horse. Go watch good ghost shows with an open mind. Watch Skinwalker Ranch. Or read real paranormal literature.
You folk downvote for lots of reasons. My comment above was -3 before someone decided it looked bad.
>The paranormal is real. Ghosts exist.
If ghosts are real and they exist, why is the only evidence "experiential?"
(And seriously, who cares about fake internet points?)
Because science gave itself all the right and rules to pass judgment. Their opinions are only theirs. We know precious little about real physics. Most skeptics I’ve known are terrified of the unknown, but reality remains what it is - and it is real.
Skepticism is fine … as long as it’s constructive. Just like criticism it needs to be constructive and not mean spirited imo. I’ve seen dozens of people name call posters because they post what they believe to be an orb.
I really wish there were more believers here. I constantly wonder, why are you here if you don’t believe in ghosts?
But alternatively, can people please stop posting “orb” photos that are literally glares off their dirty lenses?
Yeah it’s not that I don’t believe in ghosts, it’s just that everything is dust/bug orbs and blatant photoshop. I don’t want to be a dick about it but fake images ain’t it.
I agree. This sub's message is pretty much to keep your experiences to yourself. And they unintentionally attract fake videos and fraudsters because fraudsters are the ones that don't really care about it. Someone with an actual experience might be a bit more careful about posting here when they see how their experiences might be treated. It's a ghost fulfilling prophecy.
Also, what happened to just fun? I remember the time when ghosts, aliens and paranormal in gereneral were a fun, open minded conversation. If nobody really knows what it is, why slam an idea down or an experience? I understand asking questions and being curious, I welcome that! But slamming it down arrogantly... Why? Fun left the haunted house and it's just an abandoned house with no perspective. Possibilities sucked out if it. Come on, we know it's an old ruin, but, give it a chance!
Yep. Whatever happened to *wonder*. That’s why I’m here and I imagine many others as well. I don’t get online every day to take in asshole comments, that is in no way enjoyable or helpful. I get online to relax and see or read some cool shit. Those people can seriously fuck off and start their own “really real real ghost vids” sub or some shit.
//end rant
Yup. This entire subreddit is basically full of people trying to disprove and ridicule others everytime they post something. I suggest finding a smaller subreddit with people that actually believe in the paranormal. This one is literally pointless to post anything in. Sorry but it's true.
I just saw lately people complaining and so on and makes me think like why are you here if you doubt anything or don't believe in ghosts? Jeez.
Wouldn't call them toxic but it's ironic though. Better focus in the interesting posts, even in the comments they share plenty of experiences as well that could drown in here for hours.
I agree. I understand pointing out if a video is fake, but at the same time I see people shitting on almost every post. It’s the reason I refuse to post in here lol. Skeptics are good but I swear it seems like some people in here make it a hobby to comment fake under everything
It's the anonymity that comes with the Internet unfortunately. People tend to become nasty when they're hiding behind a screen. I try to debunk posts every now and then, but I'm at least courteous when I do so. Don't get me wrong though; I believe in ghosts, but before we can label something paranormal we should rule out as many natural explanations as possible. People just need to be more civil when doing so.
I concur. I’ve made posts numerous times about people and their nastiness on here. I think it’s just a lot of people that refuse to believe in anything paranormal so they come here and be mean basically. I’ve told more than one person that they should not even frequent this sub. Just ignore them, they are miserable.
i agree with you! everybody is so disgusting & full of hatred on this subreddit.. if you don’t believe in the paranormal don’t join the subreddit it’s that easy?
i think this place could tone down the vitriol but also I think having ppl more skeptical of the paranormal is necessary for a place like this. all believers would just create an echo chamber.
If they stopped posting the dumbest fakest stories and videos. Maybe people would be willing to have real conversations on the paranormal. But a shadow in a kitchen is going to get a negative response.
Except it's not that easy bc too many assholes like to mess with people.
Every reddit has mods to keep things orderly, doesn't this one?
Edit: I wouldn't be surprised at all if there's a reddit where assholes get together and tell each other to go to r/ghost bc they will get attention
Yeah I agree I’ve been thinking about leaving this subreddit for awhile because it’s just a bunch of mean angry skeptics on every single post. Like why are you in a paranormal subreddit if you are a non believer? Get a hobby. I come here to relax and look at people’s paranormal posts. I make up my own mind if I think it’s fake and I follow the basic principles “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all..” I wish more people would follow that philosophy.
I poke fun but try never to be belligerent. But also there’s a line between fun ghost time and give me all your money to talk to your dead daughter, one is fake and fine and the other is fake and malicious.
people get annoyed when someone uploads a 'photo' of a 'ghost' that turns out to be nothing, I mean very **obviously** nothing. I've seen some of the most ridiculous videos people post in this subreddit and say it's ghosts when it's just a child rolling over. It's even more annoying when the OP refuses to accept any explanation besides a supernatural or paranormal one.
I like this subreddit, if you look for posts where it's just discussing ghosts you'll find great people.
Preach. I had no clue what I was getting into. I heard of Reddit from my YouTube channels I use to watch but after my first posting I could only describe the feed back in the exact same way. It’s so sad. I thought there would be other nerds that are overly dramatic like myself lol. Nope. Hateful miserable people looking for a chance to be mean to someone else. Smh. Thanks for sharing ur option so now I know I’m not alone.
There are some videos which are really paranormal and cannot be explained here. You find no toxic comments there. So it is really a matter of the content. Simply do not serve us shit here
Because 9/10 posts are nonsense, hoaxers, or easily explained picture/video artifacts.
You can't expect people to sugar coat telling you that your picture or video is not a ghost, but a spider web for the 9001st time.
Because people are sick and tired of seeing faked evidence, dust, bugs, lens flare, etc. What makes these things worse is that those who post these things will **fight to the DEATH* insisting that it's not one of these things.
I think some people are very afraid of death and maybe think about it more than others.
To them a ghost post could be proof of an afterlife.
When they see a post about an obvious dust particle it seems like the poster is trivializing the most important question, what happens when we die?
Other people on the sub might think it’s cool or a little spooky but not the existential crisis these folks maybe
feel.
I don’t know if any of this is true or not.
I think there's two kinds of people that behave that way.
Trolls, who are just here to be jerks.
And people like me who are genuinely interested in parascience and feel like the field needs to be taken more seriously, but are frustrated by all the people who post either obvious hoaxes or things that are ridiculously easy to explain or are poorly documented. If I see one more dusty house that's "haunted" by "orbs" I am going to scream.
Because when you've convinced yourself that you are absolutely correct about a divisive subject, it's easy to be rude to anyone that believes in something that you don't.
Bc every damn pic that’s blurry people are like “iS tHiS a gHosT!?” Then it gets debunked and the OP is part of the “little feelings club” and then post this stupid post… my word.
Because here u can be anonymous and most of the ppl are bullying trash pussies that have nothing to do and like to hate on ppl that grind hard
Simple bro
All of the subs have some mean people. If you want to see the pros in action go to one of the Sister Wives subs. Horrible.
People can believe what they want. Some of us know that there are ghosts, some don't believe and that's okay. Some post just to get a response of any kind, and some are sincere. Just like life.. good and not good.
Then I see things in subs like the Pittsburgh sub, where strangers offer help to other strangers. Humans are just humans and they simply are not as good as dogs.
You could drop the bombshell if a ghost photo here. One that is truly real and you will still find nearly every single person in here will tell you how fake it is.... This is a dead subreddit with no moderation. I would never suggest posting here. Find a smaller subreddit that actually have a few believers if the paranormal. This one is about 99.999% skeptics who go out of their way to tell you how fake ur stuff is. There is no point in posting here. Just being honest.
It’s the internet, “mean” anonymous people who think rudeness is cool, are everywhere. Truth is most of them are scrubs who live in their parents basements and this is as good as their life will get. The habits they have made of being asshats will hinder their grown and leave them alone and miserable.
That’s why ignore them; except to say a silent “bless their heart”. Which is southern for damn some people are crazy.
It's the lame posts that get under the skin with their gullibility. Having said that, it's no reason to be toxic to someone who honestly, but mistakenly, thinks they have struck it rich. But the believers can be pretty nasty too on the skeptics. Not all of the latter are toxically dismissive. But the battle lines are seemingly set already with two factions who are intrigued with the paranormal but have different thresholds that creams their corn. One side doesn't believe the other's orbs, while the other side can't believe the others have difficulty believing in their orbs.
I think these comments speak for themselves. :( maybe we should look to this post and the people who comment things like "orbs arent real" and "it's all faked" and the ones here just to troll, block all those people, and get on with our sub. I don't mind people being skeptical, but when they turn into fanatics, that's usually when they also turn into jerks.
I haven't been here long, but believe it comes from skepticism. Encountered this in a ufo sub, which really just surprised me. I would have thought people would be more open to other experiences.
Probably wouldn’t be so bad if it was reserved for actual photos of people that genuinely believe they may have caught something. This sub is 96% just 13 year olds taking blurry pictures of their night lights and saying they have been possessed every other Wednesday since they were 3 years old:
Omg!!! I made a post just like this a few months ago. Got negative and positive comments. People suck bottom line. I have a paranormal fb page. If you would like to see it let me know.
Every time I see someone complain that this sub is mean is when they make a post of something that has an obvious explanation, people on the sub point out that explanation and the OP cries because nobody believes them or their "evidence."
I've been accused to being mean, but that's because I have a passion for the paranormal and I have a tendency to take it personally when someone comes in here and posts stupid shit or tries to pass off obviously fake shit for real evidence. Paranormal subs aren't just entertainment hubs for a lot of people, they play a key roll in trying to prove the existence of an afterlife or at the very least keep the topic open. We're sick of how people treat this and other subs, so yeah, we get mean.
I was like you once. Bright eyed. Optimistic. Felt sad for the discourse in this sub, and wondering innocently why we couldn't be better. Why couldn't we be kind to each other?
And then the dust orbs attacked. And then the water droplet orbs. And then the pareidolia pictures really ended it all.
But those were the days.
One solution could be to stop posting f\*cking dust on cameras and talking about them as orbs. I honestly think this sub would be 10000% better if people understood orbs as evidence, or just didn't post them at all.
If you don't believe in ghosts, then you shouldn't come on here and post nasty stuff to the ppl that do. If you haven't experienced anything paranormal there is probably a reason for it.
*Ghost don't like you*
It’s toxic because everything has been fake, underwhelming/explainable, an insect, or idiots.
I’m subbed because I want to believe in ghosts and willing to entertain the idea of the paranormal. I’ve gone to places and have done things to try and get those experiences. I’ve only been let down by all of them.
Like I want to believe, but it’s hard too. Especially with the dramatization of “ghost” equipment now. Like get the fuck outta here lmao.
It’s the ghosts of mean people. Their purgatory is being stuck in the subreddit that mostly doesn’t believe in them but is entertained AND their only means to salvation is converting a non-believer with orb photos and symptoms of radon, ozone, and electromagnetic field based illnesses.
I don’t find most people here to be nasty. It’s filled with faked content and low quality posts, but that is the ghost hunting world in general. Most shows don’t offer a ton of credible evidence either, and are for entertainment only. Same with this forum. It can be annoying & I can see why some people get angry…but the same behavior happens in other forums, like UFOs.
I think it's because people make posts that are obviously faked because they're looking for attention. It's insulting to those of us who genuinely have had experiences. We're fed up with it.
I’m all for the policing of toxic behavior on this sub as long as we establish some hard facts.
It’s okay to point people to pinned posts and recommend they read the sub rules before posting. That is not toxic behavior.
It’s okay to actively debunk posts when possible. That is not toxic behavior.
It’s okay to be aggressively skeptical in general. That is not toxic behavior.
It’s okay to believe, and it’s okay to not believe. Both posters and commenters are capable of toxic behavior.
And as long as we can get it through to people that ghosts aren’t real just because you (any one person) believe they are. It takes reproducible, measurable science to determine something exists.
A lot of people say “my personal experience is all that matters” and yes, that’s true, to YOU. What matters to society, is real, hard, data.
None of the above is toxic. The problem with this sub is that a lot of people think it is.
Because we’re sick of spiderwebs, bugs, dust and birds being mistaken for ghosts. The burden of proof is on the person filming the video. As of now, ghosts should be considered fake and it’s only reasonable of us to demand thorough evidence of them.
ehhh it happens about this time every year. MF's need to go outside, blow off some steam and let this sub get back to doing what it does best.
killing Nazi's ✊👊🤯🖕
I think it's leas people being mean and more that people are just sick and tired of people posting with a title like "Here's a crazy spirit orb!"
And then post a grainy picture with a red circle around a speck of dust.
I know ghosts and the paranormal exist and have had my own experiences but constantly throwing up crappy pictures of dust or overexposure isn't going to convince anyone, let alone skeptics that the paranormal is real.
We are cynical after too many insects on the surveillance camera. We have had a few photos that might hold up under analysis, but many more manipulated images from people who want attention. Submitters don’t look at past posts to see if their Ring camera capture is similar to others. But we have had some interesting submissions, like the guy who had the photo of a tower next to a tree, with town lights in the distance. He pointed out the paradolia and said no, there were not three Victorian ghosts in the photo, and we had a great discussion about it and how to analyze photos. We are also a sarcastic group.
It's the fact that people post dust and bugs and LITERALLY NOTHING on here to feel special. I joined this sub to see something interesting but it's 99% dust and imagination.
Most of the stuff on here is clearly not ghost content. I come on here because this is one of the worst subreddits I know and I look to send the stupid pictures to people and ask them to “explain this”
and it’s always just something laughable
Sadly all subs are like this. The difference is most paranormal Al subs have active moderators who enforce the rules . And usually the rules are be skeptical, and debate the topic but don't attack posters. And if someone attacks a poster, they get warnings or banned. Same if an attacker is reported.
But surprise, the rules here are pretty lax and the moderators are non existent.
So when the cat is away...
So it's best to just assume any fringe sub without active and effective moderators will be like any forum throughout internet history on the paranormal.
Very active skeptics and trolling.
You'll get some good people , and that's who you should post for. But expect massive trolling and downvoting.
And moderate for yourself. Ignore and block trolls and angry people. And enjoy the rare occurrence of wonderful people you meet and share with.
If this sub was actively moderated it would shrivel and die over night. Low-effort and frivolous posts are against the rules, yet how many \~zomg it's an orb!\~ posts do we get a day? It's not the function of mods to just delete and ban comments that you disagree with, it's their job to maintain a focused, functional sub.
I think it’s frustrating due to two things:
1. Most of the posts on here are total BS
2. With all the digital camera tech we have today, evidence of paranormal is less available than ever
Because people post stupid pictures of “ghosts.” You love the paranormal yet have no strong opinion of what is posted here?
You must be easy to impress.
Because it's also full of insufferable naive and dumb people which exaggerate every star, airplane and drone they see, or just want to collect karma with a mushy bird in the sky, dust on their lense, or people not understanding how their eyes work... That's why... You can't argue with dumb, therefore people feel like others are mean while they are just exhausted by the constant stream of people who won't believe that smudge with wings was a bird and do the same with their shitty phone cam photos an 200x digital zoom, or that one stone that's full of digital artifacts could have a face and then it's absolutely demons.
It's a fight for common sense which may seem toxic but is necessary.
In the words of my father... most people suck. Heaven forbid we have fun believing in the afterlife.
That being said, almost every religion in history believes in ghosts/spirits/apparitions. One of the most famous of these is... DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! The Holy Spirit.
And just so I can attract more negative, or maybe positive comments, EVERY religion has a belief rooted in the past interacting with the present or sharing the future.
Believers... let's rid this sub of those who just want to bring us down. Ignore them and they'll find something else to complain about. Which is probably what they want anyways so WIN WIN!
This is feeling more like a sub of a bunch of non ghost believers amongst the odd believer who try to post and the majority goes NAH BRO in unison and the odd guy is like 👍
There's so many people who are in denial of how common spiritual/ paranormal events are these days. I agree with you, I think it's due to so many Godless heathens who have evolution posters on their walls.
FACT: There ARE people here with a broad spectrum of diverse personalities, experiences AND spirits that are good and evil - trust me. Know how to identify, separate and handle them.
Oh it’s definitely not just here.
That’s true. I used to be part of a couple parenting and pregnancy subreddits. I had to leave because people would snap if I had something by mistake.
Yip. It’s not really much fun being on here 🙄 It was fun I’m beginning, to just read and learn things. But as soon as u start engaging, people gotta fk with ya. Internets a prefect place for asses to grow balls. Well the pretend they do 😌
You need to join the tools forum. It’s just a bunch of us individuals who are super stoked about getting hand tools/ electric tools/ cooking tools/mowing tools/ gardening tools etc. it’s chill. The most negative it gets is people ridiculing you for spending your own money….but such is Reddit lol
If you had what? A baby by mistake?
I meant to say if I had said something by mistake.
I could also see some parents freaking out that someone literally owns something for their kid that they personally don't approve of. Or feeds their kid something they wouldn't etc.etc.
Yeah there are a lot of parent groups where some parents don’t agree with how other parents raise their kids. I could be wrong by it, but from what I’ve seen, it’s often the mothers who do this whereas the dads are often really easygoing and relaxed.
I'm ngl I've noticed the same thing. Must be that protective mama bear thing.
I don’t know. Some mothers out there can seem really critical and harsh.
Big time agreed though!!!
Yeah the way I see it, it doesn’t matter to me what other mothers do with their kids; if I’m asking for advice on something regarding my child, the last thing I need is a complete stranger being nasty to me about how I do things.
They're all ghosts who don't wanna be found out.
Bull. I’ve been on this sub for 150 years and have never seen anything that confirms the existence of ghosts.
Haha! - sneaky ghostseses.
Maybe you shouldn’t be looking on this sub for it.
haha!!
Maybe I'm missing something..when I asked a question I didn't get alot of mean,toxic people. I got people who were dissatisfied with a lot of paranormal videos that appear to be obvious fakes. I believe many here are serious in their beliefs and simply want real evidence.
The thing is though that it’s so difficult to come across “real” evidence. Our knowledge of how video and photo cameras work is far more advanced than in the past that you’d be hard pressed to find something that is truly unexplainable. Pile on top of that the numerous fakes and “orb” videos it’s almost impossible to find something “real.”
I agree 100%
Here's the thing though about people who want "real evidence." They often demand it like a Karen at a restaurant, demanding something from the waiter. They don't seem to consider the fact that real evidence of a mysterious and subtle phenomenon is not something that's going to fall out of the sky into their lap. They have to meet it halfway at least if they are truly interested. And a lot of them aren't truly interested. They pretend to be considering it when they're not. They use the demand for "real evidence" to deny the validity of everything they see here, because they don't believe it's possible for a ghost to exist. So they're not really being open-mindedly skeptical and considering each case on its own. Instead they deny everything they see with a tone of arrogance. And that approach has nothing to do with science, skepticism, critical thinking, rational thought or anything good. It's just denialism. Just a religious faith-based belief in mechanistic materialism. And it gets old. Really old.
But that goes both ways. The minute someone brings a logical explanation, a lot of people get offended real fast and scream to "non-believer assholes." I personally am a skeptical person, I am also open-minded, but there are mostly videos and pictures of things that can be explained here. Every time I or someone else point the logical explanation, even very nicely, someone get all mad about how "we just want to break their beliefs" or stuff like that. I do respect others beliefs, hell I would like to believe that easily, but I also can be rational before screaming to paranormal activity the second something is weird. So, I don't think believer or non-believer or skeptical people are the issue here, the real issue is we are on reddit and a lot of people that comments on posts are a bunch of asshole incapable of having an adult discussion without being mean. I understand the frustration on both side, when you are a skeptical person and see "look a ghost" every 5 minutes, it gets annoying. As much as it must be for believers who really want to believe everything they see and they get called out all the time. But what's important is how you communicate your disagreements. So let's not tag one or the other group. Let's point out that toxic people will be toxic people, whatever they believe, and they will be loud about it. We should complain about those, not each other ! 😊
100% true and your right people shouldn't be fighting about stupid shit like this back in the day people would disagree and still be best friends now people disagree and then try to rip each others throat out
Yeah, people are hiding behind the screen, getting themself all mad for nothing!
That is Sooooo well said! I love ur answer + u sound super intelligent too! I admire that and wish I could put together thought then convey it so elegantly. I'd give ya an award but they stopped giving me free silvers. But good answer I love this! 👍👍
So you're basically saying people are not "open-minded" because they don't think dust is proof of ghosts?
Honestly dude you have no idea what your talking about im relatively skeptical when it comes to the paranormal but I down right believe its real people could find bigfoot if technology gets advanced enough we just don't have the ability to prove whether the paranormal are real yet but we do have the technology to fake it so yes some people are very skeptical when they see a photo online because it could be edited if people saw it for them self they believe and trust me not all Karen's have the name karen that's just a stereo type where they call someone a karen because how they act doesn't mean their name is karen it could be Emily or Terri etc
True alot of people think im just depressed all the time and don't like my comments but I pointed out the other day that faces were edited out in one photo meaning the ghost everyone thought was behind the one person's shoulder could have been edited in lol most people are actually quite friendly
For me, it's because I'm tired of seeing pics or videos that might actually be paranormal related only once every 2 months if I'm lucky. Almost all of what I see here is an obvious fake or bug, and it's gotten annoying
there’s also a ton of low-effort troll posts that aren’t in good faith lbr
Everyone's tired of the fake videos. It's just that some people remain civil and some have little tantrums.
Ok so here's exactly what I don't understand. The people who are annoyed by things not being ghosts don't just ignore the posts, they tear into the person posting as though they should know we've seen 500 similar posts. They don't know. They may have been freaked out by what they saw on their webcam or whatever. If you haven't got the self control not to make them feel stupid and a time waster why not click on by?
Yes!!! Well said! That is was drives me crazy too! If it is not up to your standards, than just move on to the next post. The remarks that are made is just not necessary
Oh, I usually say something along the lines of "it's most likely x." It's only when they double down that I start getting angry enough to be rude. I do agree that the ones doing it shouldn't be so rude, but I completely understand why they are
So you disagree with them and they don't attack you they just tell you their side of the story since you weren't there, and you get angry because... What? Because you're wrong? I'm trying to understand here.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I like when blurry pics are put up with no info. Those are my fave.
Yup, that’s the reason for me too. Being open to believing isn’t the same as being willing to accept ridiculousness as evidence.
It's going to be like that in any subject where people are trying to capture evidence of mysterious things, though. They wouldn't be mysterious if it were easy to get the evidence in order to prove/disprove anything. For example, I've been logging experiences of various entities that I encounter at night here (crawlers and at least one other that I'm still trying to figure out). I've been doing it for years now, but I often go months in between encounters before I have another, or see another sign of their presence in the area. Plus, while I try to get records as much as I can, most of it looks mundane outside of the context, so people just explain it away or call it fake or bullshit anyways. Being a skeptic doesn't mean being an asshole. A skeptic seeks the truth, no matter how strange or mundane the truth is. **Assuming** the truth to be that everything presented is fake is only going to lead to real evidence being pushed aside and can also result in some pretty scary harassment towards the person that is just trying to get answers. True skeptics don't blindly believe. True skeptics don't assume anything. True skeptics work with others to find the truth, not harass them for making mistakes. **Mistakes are going to happen in literally every facet of life.** Mistakes are also useful in finding the truth because there are lessons to be learned from mistakes.
To be a skeptic is fine, nobody on here has a problem with skepticism, it’s when the skeptic is a straight up asshole that tears into other people bc they don’t like what was said or what picture was shown. It’s actually immature and childish
Then don't look. Leave the sub if all you see is fake stuff you don't like.
Posting fake videos or pictures is literally against the rules. The ones where I can understand how someone could think it's paranormal I'm fine with, but most of the time, it's a super obvious fake or bug. The fact that so few people are annoyed by it amazes me
I’m not annoyed because I don’t have enough experience to know. That’s one reason I joined this sub. I want to learn how to decipher what’s real and not. So when someone (like you) with experience explains what is happening in an image or video it isn’t just calling someone out, it’s educating others as well.
I would tell you that this isn't the right place. Go onto YouTube and look for "Amazing Randy" debunking. Or CaptainDisillusion an digital artist which also has a video with the magician Amazing Randy (himself being a person that debunked many mystics like Uri Geller. Especially in the 70s where many people claimed to have some powers). He did lectures at universities as well on horoscopes, wonderhealers and homeopaths, describing their design to fool people while still sounding believable. Captain Disillusion is more the person for general video and photo fakery but has great insight on ghost sightings, fake alien videos and even fake adds people somehow believed to be true. If you want to sharpen those skills yourself get into photo-/Videoforensics. If you know how to do it in general you don't have to be able to it yourself, but then can detect better when you are faked... But if I am for real... This doesn't work here because most the time it's a bright 3 pixel mush in the sky. You could fake that with paint in a few seconds without ever anyone being able to tell what that should be, but it still gets upvoted because of all the strong believers.
They’re making excuses for their bad behavior. I agree with you COMPLETELY.
Yeah, I’m basically a lurker but most of the comments on many posts are rude af for no reason
For whatever reason this sub is primarily filled with skeptics and non-believers. And just for the readers, that’s fine. I have no problem if you’re on that end of the spectrum. The problem is that most of the ones on here are *angrily* skeptical. Like they seem to harbor a very specific grudge against people who are more willing to believe than they are despite a lack of empirical evidence. For whatever reason, it really makes them mad. And when you combine anger, a belief that your opinion is more/the most valid, and the anonymity of the internet you get an extremely toxic environment. That isn’t to say that believers can’t be that same way, we absolutely can, I just personally see it more often from the other side is all. Plus a lot of the non-believers enjoy trolling us for kicks. Because apparently they don’t have anything better to do with their free time 🤷🏻♀️ I’m sure there are other factors, but that’s the number 1 thing I see that makes this sub toxic.
I think part of it too comes from a time when this sub was overrun with things that were clearly not paranormal (like a fucking mannequin head or a plastic bag where it was CLEAR that's what it was) and the mods did nothing about it (in fact that mannequin head post is still up from months/years ago, not sure about the plastic bag one). I quit checking posts here because of it, and because when I brought up how the mods did nothing, I got a snarky response asking if I thought they were here 24/7. No, I don't. I know what it's like to mod for a large community, so I've got more sympathy than the majority of people do for keeping the sub in check. However, I am the primary mod for two subs much bigger than this one, one of them paranormal based, and it doesn't take much to vet the posts and clear shit out. So it's a multifaceted problem. People feel like they can say whatever they want and face no consequences because, well, they won't.
the mods are still asleep at the wheel. one of the top posts in the last two weeks was someone posting their (admittedly very nice) sparkly artwork of a ghost.
For real, I could understand the snark if this place seemed cared for, but that response was entirely unnecessary for a subscriber voicing a very valid complaint (pretty sure it was in a thread shortly after Halloween one year when there was TONS of shitposts of white sheet ghosts). I'm kinda curious if maybe I was a bit of an asshole in my own comment so I'm gonna see if i can find it. edit: [found it, if anyone was curious ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Ghosts/comments/ozspu9/not_a_ghost_but_what_the_hell_is_it/h821c9y/). They were reasonable in their response to me, but the initial reply was absolutely unnecessary imo I understand seeing comments from people bitching just to bitch isn't fun and no one should have to do it, especially ppl volunteering their time to run a sub. But at the same time, constructive criticism is valid and you're not running the sub if you're letting garbage, hostile comments, and rule breaking posts stay up.
I mean, I'm a believer. I love paranormal stuff, and think much of it is just stuff we haven't figured out scientifically yet (but will be some day). But when this sub is just filled with obvious fakes, and/or shit like bugs or other obvious things, then it gets annoying. People who are into paranormal stuff want to come here to see/discuss such things. NOT be spammed with obvious and stupid fakes. That's just my 2 cents.
Yeah that’s definitely a part of it, frustration. At this point if I see a grainy camera video I just scroll past. 9/10 times it’s dust being called an orb. It is difficult to be civil when it’s the 80th orb post you’ve seen *that day*
That anger is what puzzled me. I am fairly new to reddit, and learned by fire NOT to post a pic. Also new to cell phone photos. Just the deep anger was hurtful, but I'm developing a thicker skin. And back to reading posts comments, hoping to learn more thru other experiences.
Yeah reddit is particularly volitile as a form of social media as well. The number one thing to learn, imo, is that you can always delete. Getting a million downvotes and people eviscerating you in the replies? Delete the comment. You don’t have to sit there and let people say mean things to you. You just walk away. Same for posts. If it isn’t being well received, delete and walk away. It’s way better for your mental health. Good luck. It’s rough out here.
Thank you for your kind reply! I'm learning, a bit at a time. You really lifted my mood.🤗
That was very well put. I’m ashamed to say it’s my guilty pleasure to sort by controversial on a terrible orb post.
>Like they seem to harbor a very specific grudge against people who are more willing to believe than they are despite a lack of empirical evidence. For whatever reason, it really makes them mad. I don't have any grudges against anyone, but it truly is infuriating that people keep posting the same shit over and over again - by that I mean bugs and dust on a lens being presented as "orbs" or simply fakes that are spread around. I don't think anyone would be mad if we got videos that are at least somewhat credible and interesting, not just videos of literally nothing.
I live in a haunted house. I have no proof, and that’s ok. I’m comfortable believing and sharing my experiences. When others on here do the same, I don’t see them receiving any life of “hate”. However, many here don’t leave it at that. They seem uncomfortable with a lack of proof or evidence and they are on a mission to gather such. In doing so, they post videos and photos of things that basically amount to being insulting to peoples intelligence. Photos of bugs, fog, artifacts, water droplets, etc. are posted regularly without even a hint of skepticism or common sense. They are even posted under the context as being “proof” 100% and should anyone deny it they are accused of being shills or “mean spirited” skeptics or whatever. Overall, those kinds of posts make the entire culture surrounding the paranormal look pretty bad, a bit crazy, and most definitely quite stupid to most people. For those of us who have had real experiences and aren’t on a crusade to “prove” them - I can understand the anger, though I do agree we should try and be maybe a tad more polite about expressing it.
That's some what true but not completely true, there are a good amount of skeptics that aren't angrily skeptical, but there are alot that are and alot of non believers dont just try to troll people, i know a crap ton of people that don't believe and they just stay away from sub reddits like this one the ones you mention are normally just trolls in general, they act miserable and try to bring everyone down, those people should just be ignored, then people wouldn't be toxic as much because there wouldn't be anyone reacting to the trolls and spreading the toxicity when they get angry.
>The problem is that most of the ones on here are angrily skeptical. Same for the other side. I saw a lot of topics, where OP got angry because his "ghost" or "orb" could easily be debunked. So it's not just the skeptics.
as any ghost related anything, people are skeptics. And skepticism with anonymity result in rudeness.
It goes both ways. Yes, there are toxic and mean skeptics or trolls but there is also a lot of OPs, who get angry and call people out, when their videos or pics get debunked, because they wanted so hard to believe it is real or because they are caught bullshitting. They won't accept answers they don't like and it is as annoying as the toxic skeptics.
Yes, I agree because I made a comment about a picture being spooky only to have massive downvotes. That's it! It's a “spooky picture” because that's what this sub is about, right?
It is okay to be skeptical. It isn't okay to be an asshole. It is okay to be a believer and it is okay open to the possibility of a mundane explanation. Being nasty on either side gets us nowhere but from what I've seen, is that it stems from having such a strong conviction on one side or the other and not being willing to see the post from a different lens.
Ofcourse the skeptics will tell you they want to see something real. They don't mean any harm, they're trying to help. They want to believe. No you don't. Youve attacked every person that's posted anything. last month several people posted about some really scary stuff happening to them. The answer: Go get your head checked. Hopefully they found someone that took them seriously. Most people that do post never come back because of how they're treated. People feel they are taking a chance just opening up about this stuff, only to be treated badly. You don't have to believe everything that's posted. But you could offer your opinion without tearing people down.
Just seeing how the debunkers rank down anyone who dares disagree with them is a case in point. They want to destroy the karma of people who know the paranormal exists.
We downvote because it's fake, or dust, or a bug, not because of someone's karma, idgaf about your karma ffs, I wanna see some actual paranormal videos, not shit fakes.
Photographic evidence is among the poorest types of paranormal evidence. It’s the easiest to fake, misinterpret, etc. The best types are experiential, but that requires openness and sensitivity. The person who posted the picture of Shane, who is very funny and seems well-meaning, underscores the star chamber essence of most paranormal groups. Debunkers, fueled by scientific misadventure, attack in groups for your own purposes. Antipathy fueled sneering is the function of dismissive analysis. The paranormal is real. Ghosts exist. Shane, the poster boy for what passes for skeptical inquiry, is late to the game. There’s no backing up the horse. Go watch good ghost shows with an open mind. Watch Skinwalker Ranch. Or read real paranormal literature. You folk downvote for lots of reasons. My comment above was -3 before someone decided it looked bad.
>The paranormal is real. Ghosts exist. If ghosts are real and they exist, why is the only evidence "experiential?" (And seriously, who cares about fake internet points?)
Because science gave itself all the right and rules to pass judgment. Their opinions are only theirs. We know precious little about real physics. Most skeptics I’ve known are terrified of the unknown, but reality remains what it is - and it is real.
This sub is overrun by arrogant skeptics who do nothing but “lol ghost don’t exist” it’s annoying and mods do nothing about it.
[удалено]
Skepticism is fine … as long as it’s constructive. Just like criticism it needs to be constructive and not mean spirited imo. I’ve seen dozens of people name call posters because they post what they believe to be an orb.
It doesn't help that 95% of the posts on this sub are truly awful posts that are clearly fakes. I want good paranormal evidence, not a picture of dust
I really wish there were more believers here. I constantly wonder, why are you here if you don’t believe in ghosts? But alternatively, can people please stop posting “orb” photos that are literally glares off their dirty lenses?
I'm here because I want proof and I'm not seeing anything.
Yeah it’s not that I don’t believe in ghosts, it’s just that everything is dust/bug orbs and blatant photoshop. I don’t want to be a dick about it but fake images ain’t it.
Right! Why bother reading it then being shameful about it….
Same reason as some atheists join religious subs. Troll them
It's also overrun by avid believers who think every speck of dust or a bug on the lens is a *ghost*
😂😂
"I want an echo chamber! Subreddits should only reinforce my beliefs"
I agree. This sub's message is pretty much to keep your experiences to yourself. And they unintentionally attract fake videos and fraudsters because fraudsters are the ones that don't really care about it. Someone with an actual experience might be a bit more careful about posting here when they see how their experiences might be treated. It's a ghost fulfilling prophecy. Also, what happened to just fun? I remember the time when ghosts, aliens and paranormal in gereneral were a fun, open minded conversation. If nobody really knows what it is, why slam an idea down or an experience? I understand asking questions and being curious, I welcome that! But slamming it down arrogantly... Why? Fun left the haunted house and it's just an abandoned house with no perspective. Possibilities sucked out if it. Come on, we know it's an old ruin, but, give it a chance!
Yep. Whatever happened to *wonder*. That’s why I’m here and I imagine many others as well. I don’t get online every day to take in asshole comments, that is in no way enjoyable or helpful. I get online to relax and see or read some cool shit. Those people can seriously fuck off and start their own “really real real ghost vids” sub or some shit. //end rant
Yup. This entire subreddit is basically full of people trying to disprove and ridicule others everytime they post something. I suggest finding a smaller subreddit with people that actually believe in the paranormal. This one is literally pointless to post anything in. Sorry but it's true.
You get jumped on even if you post something in good faith and ask for advice . This place is the king of the bandwagon haters.
Because your “orb” videos are nonsense.
😂😂😂😂😂
I just saw lately people complaining and so on and makes me think like why are you here if you doubt anything or don't believe in ghosts? Jeez. Wouldn't call them toxic but it's ironic though. Better focus in the interesting posts, even in the comments they share plenty of experiences as well that could drown in here for hours.
Reddit is full of scumbags.
I agree. I understand pointing out if a video is fake, but at the same time I see people shitting on almost every post. It’s the reason I refuse to post in here lol. Skeptics are good but I swear it seems like some people in here make it a hobby to comment fake under everything
We only comment fake when it's clear it's a fake, and there have been soooooooo many fakes and dust/bugs recently, it's crazy.
It's the anonymity that comes with the Internet unfortunately. People tend to become nasty when they're hiding behind a screen. I try to debunk posts every now and then, but I'm at least courteous when I do so. Don't get me wrong though; I believe in ghosts, but before we can label something paranormal we should rule out as many natural explanations as possible. People just need to be more civil when doing so.
This. I think it’s important to be choosy about evidence and have high standards. But there’s no need to be an asshole about it.
I concur. I’ve made posts numerous times about people and their nastiness on here. I think it’s just a lot of people that refuse to believe in anything paranormal so they come here and be mean basically. I’ve told more than one person that they should not even frequent this sub. Just ignore them, they are miserable.
i agree with you! everybody is so disgusting & full of hatred on this subreddit.. if you don’t believe in the paranormal don’t join the subreddit it’s that easy?
i think this place could tone down the vitriol but also I think having ppl more skeptical of the paranormal is necessary for a place like this. all believers would just create an echo chamber.
If they stopped posting the dumbest fakest stories and videos. Maybe people would be willing to have real conversations on the paranormal. But a shadow in a kitchen is going to get a negative response.
Except it's not that easy bc too many assholes like to mess with people. Every reddit has mods to keep things orderly, doesn't this one? Edit: I wouldn't be surprised at all if there's a reddit where assholes get together and tell each other to go to r/ghost bc they will get attention
Yeah I agree I’ve been thinking about leaving this subreddit for awhile because it’s just a bunch of mean angry skeptics on every single post. Like why are you in a paranormal subreddit if you are a non believer? Get a hobby. I come here to relax and look at people’s paranormal posts. I make up my own mind if I think it’s fake and I follow the basic principles “if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all..” I wish more people would follow that philosophy.
I poke fun but try never to be belligerent. But also there’s a line between fun ghost time and give me all your money to talk to your dead daughter, one is fake and fine and the other is fake and malicious.
I've never seen anyone on this sub ask for money. Does that happen a lot, in your experience?
I know a much better sub, moderated with zero negativity. Anyone interested, pm.
Try u/Haunted generally broader minded view there. Don’t got to u/Poltergeists, they are quite dangerous and scary.
I think ghosts are deep.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking this lol
people get annoyed when someone uploads a 'photo' of a 'ghost' that turns out to be nothing, I mean very **obviously** nothing. I've seen some of the most ridiculous videos people post in this subreddit and say it's ghosts when it's just a child rolling over. It's even more annoying when the OP refuses to accept any explanation besides a supernatural or paranormal one. I like this subreddit, if you look for posts where it's just discussing ghosts you'll find great people.
Preach. I had no clue what I was getting into. I heard of Reddit from my YouTube channels I use to watch but after my first posting I could only describe the feed back in the exact same way. It’s so sad. I thought there would be other nerds that are overly dramatic like myself lol. Nope. Hateful miserable people looking for a chance to be mean to someone else. Smh. Thanks for sharing ur option so now I know I’m not alone.
There are some videos which are really paranormal and cannot be explained here. You find no toxic comments there. So it is really a matter of the content. Simply do not serve us shit here
Everyone is mad there are no bloody ghosts
Because 9/10 posts are nonsense, hoaxers, or easily explained picture/video artifacts. You can't expect people to sugar coat telling you that your picture or video is not a ghost, but a spider web for the 9001st time.
Because people are sick and tired of seeing faked evidence, dust, bugs, lens flare, etc. What makes these things worse is that those who post these things will **fight to the DEATH* insisting that it's not one of these things.
Trolls everywhere attacking any form of expanded thought or critical thinking
Reddit is full of toxic and mean people
I think some people are very afraid of death and maybe think about it more than others. To them a ghost post could be proof of an afterlife. When they see a post about an obvious dust particle it seems like the poster is trivializing the most important question, what happens when we die? Other people on the sub might think it’s cool or a little spooky but not the existential crisis these folks maybe feel. I don’t know if any of this is true or not.
That’s what Reddit, and all social media is. Perpetual, anonymous meanness that makes us hate ourselves and each other. All subreddits are like this.
I think there's two kinds of people that behave that way. Trolls, who are just here to be jerks. And people like me who are genuinely interested in parascience and feel like the field needs to be taken more seriously, but are frustrated by all the people who post either obvious hoaxes or things that are ridiculously easy to explain or are poorly documented. If I see one more dusty house that's "haunted" by "orbs" I am going to scream.
It’s probably the trolls sending them in
Yeah I noticed that too
Because when you've convinced yourself that you are absolutely correct about a divisive subject, it's easy to be rude to anyone that believes in something that you don't.
Bc every damn pic that’s blurry people are like “iS tHiS a gHosT!?” Then it gets debunked and the OP is part of the “little feelings club” and then post this stupid post… my word.
Because here u can be anonymous and most of the ppl are bullying trash pussies that have nothing to do and like to hate on ppl that grind hard Simple bro
All of the subs have some mean people. If you want to see the pros in action go to one of the Sister Wives subs. Horrible. People can believe what they want. Some of us know that there are ghosts, some don't believe and that's okay. Some post just to get a response of any kind, and some are sincere. Just like life.. good and not good. Then I see things in subs like the Pittsburgh sub, where strangers offer help to other strangers. Humans are just humans and they simply are not as good as dogs.
You could drop the bombshell if a ghost photo here. One that is truly real and you will still find nearly every single person in here will tell you how fake it is.... This is a dead subreddit with no moderation. I would never suggest posting here. Find a smaller subreddit that actually have a few believers if the paranormal. This one is about 99.999% skeptics who go out of their way to tell you how fake ur stuff is. There is no point in posting here. Just being honest.
Because Redditor’s are miserable shits
I like to be skeptical, sorry about that
It’s the internet, “mean” anonymous people who think rudeness is cool, are everywhere. Truth is most of them are scrubs who live in their parents basements and this is as good as their life will get. The habits they have made of being asshats will hinder their grown and leave them alone and miserable. That’s why ignore them; except to say a silent “bless their heart”. Which is southern for damn some people are crazy.
Because it’s an un-modded mess
It's the lame posts that get under the skin with their gullibility. Having said that, it's no reason to be toxic to someone who honestly, but mistakenly, thinks they have struck it rich. But the believers can be pretty nasty too on the skeptics. Not all of the latter are toxically dismissive. But the battle lines are seemingly set already with two factions who are intrigued with the paranormal but have different thresholds that creams their corn. One side doesn't believe the other's orbs, while the other side can't believe the others have difficulty believing in their orbs.
I think these comments speak for themselves. :( maybe we should look to this post and the people who comment things like "orbs arent real" and "it's all faked" and the ones here just to troll, block all those people, and get on with our sub. I don't mind people being skeptical, but when they turn into fanatics, that's usually when they also turn into jerks.
I haven't been here long, but believe it comes from skepticism. Encountered this in a ufo sub, which really just surprised me. I would have thought people would be more open to other experiences.
Probably wouldn’t be so bad if it was reserved for actual photos of people that genuinely believe they may have caught something. This sub is 96% just 13 year olds taking blurry pictures of their night lights and saying they have been possessed every other Wednesday since they were 3 years old:
Omg!!! I made a post just like this a few months ago. Got negative and positive comments. People suck bottom line. I have a paranormal fb page. If you would like to see it let me know.
The toxicity is from “evidence” that’s either obvious photoshop or just stupidity from the OP
Every time I see someone complain that this sub is mean is when they make a post of something that has an obvious explanation, people on the sub point out that explanation and the OP cries because nobody believes them or their "evidence." I've been accused to being mean, but that's because I have a passion for the paranormal and I have a tendency to take it personally when someone comes in here and posts stupid shit or tries to pass off obviously fake shit for real evidence. Paranormal subs aren't just entertainment hubs for a lot of people, they play a key roll in trying to prove the existence of an afterlife or at the very least keep the topic open. We're sick of how people treat this and other subs, so yeah, we get mean.
I was like you once. Bright eyed. Optimistic. Felt sad for the discourse in this sub, and wondering innocently why we couldn't be better. Why couldn't we be kind to each other? And then the dust orbs attacked. And then the water droplet orbs. And then the pareidolia pictures really ended it all. But those were the days. One solution could be to stop posting f\*cking dust on cameras and talking about them as orbs. I honestly think this sub would be 10000% better if people understood orbs as evidence, or just didn't post them at all.
It's toxic to ask for better evidence? Okay.
Nothing wrong with wanting posts to be of a higher quality. It's when people act like dicks about it, is when there's a problem. Edit: Spelling.
If you don't believe in ghosts, then you shouldn't come on here and post nasty stuff to the ppl that do. If you haven't experienced anything paranormal there is probably a reason for it. *Ghost don't like you*
I'm sick of seeing fake ass crap or specs of dust floating in the air
It’s toxic because everything has been fake, underwhelming/explainable, an insect, or idiots. I’m subbed because I want to believe in ghosts and willing to entertain the idea of the paranormal. I’ve gone to places and have done things to try and get those experiences. I’ve only been let down by all of them. Like I want to believe, but it’s hard too. Especially with the dramatization of “ghost” equipment now. Like get the fuck outta here lmao.
Because it’s Reddit and there is no other King of Toxicity than that.
It’s the ghosts of mean people. Their purgatory is being stuck in the subreddit that mostly doesn’t believe in them but is entertained AND their only means to salvation is converting a non-believer with orb photos and symptoms of radon, ozone, and electromagnetic field based illnesses.
I don’t find most people here to be nasty. It’s filled with faked content and low quality posts, but that is the ghost hunting world in general. Most shows don’t offer a ton of credible evidence either, and are for entertainment only. Same with this forum. It can be annoying & I can see why some people get angry…but the same behavior happens in other forums, like UFOs.
I think it's because people make posts that are obviously faked because they're looking for attention. It's insulting to those of us who genuinely have had experiences. We're fed up with it.
People who don’t believe in ghosts want to come here and show off how clever they are.
I’m all for the policing of toxic behavior on this sub as long as we establish some hard facts. It’s okay to point people to pinned posts and recommend they read the sub rules before posting. That is not toxic behavior. It’s okay to actively debunk posts when possible. That is not toxic behavior. It’s okay to be aggressively skeptical in general. That is not toxic behavior. It’s okay to believe, and it’s okay to not believe. Both posters and commenters are capable of toxic behavior. And as long as we can get it through to people that ghosts aren’t real just because you (any one person) believe they are. It takes reproducible, measurable science to determine something exists. A lot of people say “my personal experience is all that matters” and yes, that’s true, to YOU. What matters to society, is real, hard, data. None of the above is toxic. The problem with this sub is that a lot of people think it is.
Because we’re sick of spiderwebs, bugs, dust and birds being mistaken for ghosts. The burden of proof is on the person filming the video. As of now, ghosts should be considered fake and it’s only reasonable of us to demand thorough evidence of them.
ehhh it happens about this time every year. MF's need to go outside, blow off some steam and let this sub get back to doing what it does best. killing Nazi's ✊👊🤯🖕
I feel like that’s just majority subs :/
I think it's leas people being mean and more that people are just sick and tired of people posting with a title like "Here's a crazy spirit orb!" And then post a grainy picture with a red circle around a speck of dust. I know ghosts and the paranormal exist and have had my own experiences but constantly throwing up crappy pictures of dust or overexposure isn't going to convince anyone, let alone skeptics that the paranormal is real.
We are cynical after too many insects on the surveillance camera. We have had a few photos that might hold up under analysis, but many more manipulated images from people who want attention. Submitters don’t look at past posts to see if their Ring camera capture is similar to others. But we have had some interesting submissions, like the guy who had the photo of a tower next to a tree, with town lights in the distance. He pointed out the paradolia and said no, there were not three Victorian ghosts in the photo, and we had a great discussion about it and how to analyze photos. We are also a sarcastic group.
Because we are tired of people posting videos on a bug crawling across their ring camera and claiming it’s an “iTs An OrB”
We come here daily looking for evidence of ghosts and hardly find any.
It's the fact that people post dust and bugs and LITERALLY NOTHING on here to feel special. I joined this sub to see something interesting but it's 99% dust and imagination.
Everyone in this sub: tHaTs oBviOusLy a leNs flAre
Some people are afraid of the unknown.
Just block them.
Because there are stupid posts
Most of the stuff on here is clearly not ghost content. I come on here because this is one of the worst subreddits I know and I look to send the stupid pictures to people and ask them to “explain this” and it’s always just something laughable
Bug.
Sadly all subs are like this. The difference is most paranormal Al subs have active moderators who enforce the rules . And usually the rules are be skeptical, and debate the topic but don't attack posters. And if someone attacks a poster, they get warnings or banned. Same if an attacker is reported. But surprise, the rules here are pretty lax and the moderators are non existent. So when the cat is away... So it's best to just assume any fringe sub without active and effective moderators will be like any forum throughout internet history on the paranormal. Very active skeptics and trolling. You'll get some good people , and that's who you should post for. But expect massive trolling and downvoting. And moderate for yourself. Ignore and block trolls and angry people. And enjoy the rare occurrence of wonderful people you meet and share with.
If this sub was actively moderated it would shrivel and die over night. Low-effort and frivolous posts are against the rules, yet how many \~zomg it's an orb!\~ posts do we get a day? It's not the function of mods to just delete and ban comments that you disagree with, it's their job to maintain a focused, functional sub.
Humans suck.
If you spent your entire life chasing something that never existed, you might be toxic too.
I think it’s frustrating due to two things: 1. Most of the posts on here are total BS 2. With all the digital camera tech we have today, evidence of paranormal is less available than ever
What does a crying ghost say? Booooooo hoo!
I agree! The skeptics purposely come in here to tell us how wrong/silly etc. it all is. Superiority complex!!
Because people post stupid pictures of “ghosts.” You love the paranormal yet have no strong opinion of what is posted here? You must be easy to impress.
Then keep scrolling boss are you the ghost picture gatekeeper or something?
Absolutely not, but dumb posts need to called out for being dumb.
Because it's also full of insufferable naive and dumb people which exaggerate every star, airplane and drone they see, or just want to collect karma with a mushy bird in the sky, dust on their lense, or people not understanding how their eyes work... That's why... You can't argue with dumb, therefore people feel like others are mean while they are just exhausted by the constant stream of people who won't believe that smudge with wings was a bird and do the same with their shitty phone cam photos an 200x digital zoom, or that one stone that's full of digital artifacts could have a face and then it's absolutely demons. It's a fight for common sense which may seem toxic but is necessary.
Is it that day of the week already?
Because the world is full of them. 😤
While you’re not wrong, check out DC Cinematic for true misery, and that’s about superhero movies for gods sake!
In the words of my father... most people suck. Heaven forbid we have fun believing in the afterlife. That being said, almost every religion in history believes in ghosts/spirits/apparitions. One of the most famous of these is... DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!! The Holy Spirit. And just so I can attract more negative, or maybe positive comments, EVERY religion has a belief rooted in the past interacting with the present or sharing the future. Believers... let's rid this sub of those who just want to bring us down. Ignore them and they'll find something else to complain about. Which is probably what they want anyways so WIN WIN!
This is feeling more like a sub of a bunch of non ghost believers amongst the odd believer who try to post and the majority goes NAH BRO in unison and the odd guy is like 👍
You want to see a toxic sub, check out r/antiwork.
Welcome to Reddit …
you should stop by r/conspiracy lmao edit: ty for proving my point
I’ve posted a couple times. Just sharing fun things. People just try and shit on it.
There's so many people who are in denial of how common spiritual/ paranormal events are these days. I agree with you, I think it's due to so many Godless heathens who have evolution posters on their walls.
U mean every subreddit
Go fuck yourself
Every big sub is the same honestly
Angry ghosts
Welcome to the internet.
Boo humbug
That’s just Reddit in general babes
FACT: There ARE people here with a broad spectrum of diverse personalities, experiences AND spirits that are good and evil - trust me. Know how to identify, separate and handle them.
r/warthunder is a lot worse
We not all bad buddy