Why do people believe in such things?

Question

Ghosts,Pyschics,Witches,even Werewolves and Vampires.Without any proof they buy into anecdotal evidence of UFO's and Bigfoot.It's crazy,I don't understand.

Answer 1

Despite the huge number of people who believe in such things, I think there is still a bit of an ego trip involved when someone claims a belief or first-hand knowledge of these matters.  It makes them feel important.  Special.  Gifted.  The center of attention.  For some, it has even gotten them into some pseudo-documentaries on television.  Most of these people, I believe, would cheerfully give up body parts to get on TV and spout their nonsense.

   There is also the hunger for more wonder and bigger excitement than this boring old plain, hard-to-understand NATURAL world has to offer.  Many crave the breathless hysteria that goes along with seeing a satellite and thinking it's an alien craft, or tracking a ghost in someone's dark house.  For them, that kind of hair-raising, freaky experience is probably better than s*x.  They believe in whatever turns them on.  Then they wrangle and argue and make excuses to try to defend their silly beliefs.  My experience has been that nothing, no amount of evidence, logic, or even irrefutable proof to the contrary will ever dissuade them from their precious beliefs.

  For them, feelings are more important than facts.  Wonder is more important than truth.  Too bad they don't see how to have both.

Answer 2

Truth has no court.

Answer 3

we got two answers from two ideas. one, do u believe in you? why?. two, cos someone told someone else who told someone else who believed the person who told them.

Answer 4

Insecurity and subconscious wonderment as a way to try and explain what they don't understand.

Answer 5

Hope.    

People, myself included, know that there's more in existence than science has explained so far.    Since proving a negative is impossible these legends that have bubbled through society and our subconscious for ages will always be with us.   Try and prove that my imaginary friend doesn't exist.  Theory around all of the paranormal is lucrative and, for everyone who'd like a map to understanding more of the mystery they've chosen, the ticket window is always open.

Who's to say which is right and which is an illusion?    

As a boy i wanted to learn all i could about Loch Ness and, looking back, it was part of me learning how to research.  It increased my reading skills and taught me how to find out more about things i was curious about.

Blind faith is always dangerous - but a spark of faith coupled with a pursuit of information is what has allowed the knowledge of the world we have to evolve.

I've seen things i can't explain, don't understand, but I'm not shouting from the rooftop that UFO's and ghosts are real.   I'm a skeptic and enjoy waiting and watching to see if any of these 'myths' will ever pan out.  

I still hope that someday Nessie will be proved real or that someone will find a yeti but i'm not going to hold my breath or let the waiting run my life.  

Isn't it OK to keep some of that curiosity alive?

I'd rather say 'i don't know' than say 'that's impossible' or 'you're wrong to believe that'.

Answer 6

maybe because people have an innate tendency to see shapes where none are.  besides, the best stories are the ones where they really could be true, even if there is no hard evidence.  a lot of people need for there to be something bigger than themselves where they can turn to for sustenance.  we all need to belong.  besides, how do you really know some of these things aren't real.  even science says we only perceive a fraction of the electro-magnetic spectrum.  what could be there our eyes can't perceive?

Answer 7

I think it's because of the natural fear of the unknown.  People seem to need something to fear.  It may be something that parents have used for years to make their children behave.  Some people just can't relate to the concept of fiction.  Look at how many people actually watch wrestling and Jerry Springer on television.  I have a fear of ignorance.  I fear that education could become less important than soap operas or bigfoot "sightings".  I personally don't believe anything that I have not witnessed mylelf.

Answer 8

There's a sucker born every minute...P  T  Barnum

Answer 9

Because it is exiting

Answer 10

I think its very naive to not believe in something simply because it hasn't been proven.  In fact its downright stupid.  When the world was created nothing had yet been "proven", does this mean nothing existed?  Proven or not, I believe in these things because I have personally seen and experienced them which in actuality is proof to me.

Answer 11

Humans need something to explain the unexplained.  Combining thousands of years of the human experience, we as a society have developed these theories to do just that.

Answer 12

For some people, reality is not amazing enough, or they don't feel special enough about themselves, without having to believe that there is something more out there that makes them special if only other people could see it too. This leads to people thinking/wishing they had psychic powers, seeing auras, calling themselves "Indigos", being abducted by aliens, etc.

For me, I think the real natural world is amazing enough without having to manufacture supernatural ghosties or crazy superpowers for myself.

Answer 13

they are drunk

Answer 14

I have never met anyone in my lifetime who claims to believe in werewolves or vampires and shouldn't even be an issue here.  As for psychics, I do believe there MAY be some rare individuals who have a very heightened sense of 'intuition'.

As for creatures such as Bigfoot and the LochNess Monster - well, I don't think they are probable but do believe they are slightly possible.  Every once in awhile a new species of fish, insects or bird is found, previously unknown to exist.  Even some very-schooled scientists have studied the possibility of a pre-historic like fish inhabiting the Loch Ness.  Ghosts, well, if I ever encounter one myself, I may become a believer after ruling out every other possible cause of the phenomena.

Answer 15

I'd like to take a stab at answering this question from the point of view of NOT being so cynical and arrogant about those things which we think we KNOW, based on empiriacal evidence. Life is so huge and yet we make ourselves SO SMALL. This happens inch by inch throughout life, as we narrow ourselves according to the limitations others seem too willing to put on us. Being the vast beings we all are, we simply HAVE to believe there is more, unplummed depths of life, other worlds which can promise to take us out of our assumed smallness. Truth is, there ARE more things in Heaven and Earth than man has ever dreamed. So, why Not? Why not look at some of the literally thousands of pictures, videos, eyewitness accounts, and "legends" of paranormal sightings and events which simply cannot be explained using any of the very limited tools we call "hard evidence" and empiriacal... Haven't you seen The Secret, or What The Bleep Do We Know ? Simply by observing a thing or an event, we change its very character and the "hardness" of it as evidence. We as a species would wither and die if we lived a life which was absolutely restricted  to what feels to be irrefutable and pragmatically "IT". That would be too small for such huge beings as Humankind. You only have to use your mind with a capital M to know how much more there is to life than what we think we can see and feel and smell. Then, when you are done thinking about non-ordinary reality, go out and live it, and enjoy an enhanced version of yourself. You will be very pleasantly surprised. And if this still isn't enough, go to some of the thousands of original sources and look for yourself at the evidence for other realities, and you WILL see what you need to be able to breathe deeply again without being afraid of the supposedly "unknown. It is, after all, only unknown, not unknowable... Maybe some of the things folks believe are pretty far-fetched, but maybe, just possibly, much of their wild imagination isn't so wlld after all.... What if YOU saw a UFO, or a Bigfoot, or Nessie.....would you doubt your own senses?

Answer 16

because we are all retards

Answer 17

I am going to focus on the one thing you mentioned that there is physical evidence for. The North American Great Ape!

  There is literally ton's of physical evidence for these creatures ( of which "Bigfoot", not an acceptable term anymore, is a variety)  And sightings that go back to the earliest settlement of this continent.

  There are a select few cast of prints with peculiar characteristics, hair and fecal samples, blood DNA and a preponderance of other evidence. That couple with the fact that this un-cataloged great ape is mainly nocturnal by nature, highly intelligent, and very reclusive. Most people no longer spend time in the wild like they used too a nd no longer fit the rhythm of the environment.

   Those of us involved in the research of this creature and others like it are in good company. Jane Goodall has gone on record stating she would be quite surprised if the animal didn't exist.

    Much of the current data has not been made public at this time, to keep dorks out of the research areas. Some will be made public sooner than you might think.

  If you are of a pure open scientific mind, I would like to challenge you to accompany one of the scheduled expeditions coming up. You can't do a zoological study in a sterile lab. That is what field work is for.( At least that is what they told me on the way to my Masters Degree)

  Remember, information can't enter a closed mind.

( The term bigfoot isn't an acceptable to to the species specific context.. the four other varieties have similar but different characteristics)( I also assume you prefer to bash other evidence from the saftey of a desk...And will not take the open invite to " see for yourself")

Answer 18

How can anyone say whether or not these things exist without empirical evidence one way or the other?

Answer 19

im not knocking down anyone's beliefs but as far as my opinion goes, i think its because people search for answers about the unknown, and they come up with something to appeal them or something that kinda makes sense enough to believe. people want answers and its hard NOT to believe something when u have answer to it yourself but want an answer

Answer 20

Why shouldn't they? Their belief or you disbelief won't change the existence of any of these, so what is the problem with believing in them?

Answer 21

Neither do I,,, you see

I dont believe in ghosts, however when I see one, I get very scared,,,  

Most of the times ,,

Answer 22

People who are not very bright, or who had little in the way of parenting, or who do  not reason well, are prone to believe the fantastic.  Insecure people are the most religious, again, believing the fantastic... and the wilder and the more stupid, and silly, the better.  Logic is not part of their world... They remain with a child-like mind most of their lives,,,,, in fact all of it.  Bi-polarism  is a cause, chemical imbalances in the brain lead to hallucinations which people believe are real, and funny drugs do too.  There also are people who just are not wired correctly.... schizophrenia, and other mental disorders, inherited as well as acquired...  Before antidepressants, State mental institutions were filled with people who saw things and who were convinced that they were Jesus, or Napoleon, or Hitler....  If I had to pick one thing, among those not institutionalized,  I'd say lack of intelligence.

Answer 23

i think its just somthing for some people to get away from reality....and some realyl believe some of those things really exsist.

Answer 24

I think some of them don't actually realize that there isn't any evidence for those things.  And others think it's a big conspiracy.  And the rest just need to believe in something, no matter little evidence there is for it.  Just look at how many people believe in a god.

Answer 25

why do people believe in god when theres no proof?

how do we know jesus existed?

how do we know zeus didn't?

think about where these figures came from and what stories and truths sparked them into life.

Answer 26

Ask yourself why you believe in certain things that you have never seen, heard, or experienced. Then you will have your answer.

Answer 27

First, ask yourself what proof you have that these things DO NOT exist?

Answer 28

Ghosts = true.

Psychics = false.

Werewolves = true.

Vampires = true.

UFOs = false.

Bigfoot = freak.

Answer 29

Jinns are real and they do transform into ghosts, so if you would like to read about jinns, just come to my blog....

Answer 30

Keeps the myth going, they want to be part of something or believe in something outside the normal realm of what is considered normal thought. It helps them explain to themselves and others that which is not easily understood.They need explanations so they may even go so far as to manufacture reason.

Wouldn't that be a great title? Manufactured Reason.

Answer 31

Well, I don't know about ALL the things you mentioned, but I do believe in an afterlife and in entities being able to communicate with or inhabit various places among the living (ie- evp's and hauntings). I've witnessed too many things to not believe. Even the Bible tells you that demons walk in and out among man all the time. I don't claim to know what everything is that is paranormal, but I have my thoughts as to what they are. I think it's something you have to really experience to understand.