The End Essay, Research Paper

Of Ghosts and Spirits

The two main causes are that they imagine they see or hear proceedeth either melancholy, madness, weakness of the senses, fear, or of some other perturbation. The other cause the writer explains is when they see or hear beasts, vapors, or some other natural things, then they vainly suppose they have seen sights I wot not what.

Those suffering of melancholy are not believed at all because the sights or sounds they heard are ones that they have imagined. They are also not believed because by being alone miraculous and strange things happen.

The line of argument to prove that ghosts are not the souls of the dead is when the writer says, Touching those that go hence in a right belief, their souls are by and by in possession of live everlasting; and they that depart in unbelief do straightaway become partakers or eternal damnation. The souls do not vanish away and die with the body, as Epicurus’ opinion is, neither yet be in every place, as some do imagine.

The correct explanation for true “ghost” phenomena is, If it be not a vain persuasion proceeding through weakness of the senses, through fear, or some such like cause, or if it be not deceit of men or some natural thing.

In most cases these ghosts are