Comparison of ghosts between U.S.and U.K.

In summary, the article discusses how the difference in belief in ghosts between the UK and US is due to the difference in history and culture in each country. Centralia, PA is not haunted, as it has few residents and the Centralia mine fire has been burning beneath the borough for over 50 years.
  • #1
Raghav Gupta
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I was reading a rapid reader called The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde.
According to that US believed less in ghosts in comparison with UK.
So a question arose in me that why not survey people here and discuss.
I know Halloween is celebrated there in US. So they also do some scary things.
My teacher was saying that ghosts are nothing but energy and I don't believe in ghosts.
See the link for some ghost pics
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/why-do-people-believe-in-ghosts/379072/

I also had a question that as U.S. people believe less in ghosts then how
Centralia, Pennsylvania in US became haunted and how we listen comments like Booya up all night from people like @Evo?
 
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  • #2
I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.

The article you linked to says 42% of Americans believe in ghosts while 52% of people in the UK believe in them. The article refers to those percentages as "similar," and I tend to agree, in this matter anyway.

If you count the difference as important, then it might be explained by the simple fact that the UK is very much older than the US and has collected a much more extensive body of ghost lore in all that time to which it's inhabitants are exposed from birth. Ghost lore in the UK is probably better established, harder to uproot.
 
  • #3
I agree with Zoobyshoe. As an example, there are many, many reports of WWII airfields being haunted in Great Britain. In the US, only Pearl Harbor and a handful of others come to mind in the US. There are also many reports of "ghost" planes that people see in Great Britain, which I don't really hear of in the US at all.
 
  • #4
rodentraiser said:
I agree with Zoobyshoe. As an example, there are many, many reports of WWII airfields being haunted in Great Britain. In the US, only Pearl Harbor and a handful of others come to mind in the US. There are also many reports of "ghost" planes that people see in Great Britain, which I don't really hear of in the US at all.
I'm talking about way before WWII. When people from England arrived here on the Mayflower (1620) they left a country where every castle and battlefield already had centuries of ghost lore attached to it. Here, there weren't any castles or any history as Europeans recognized it. American ghost lore had to be started from scratch, so to speak.
 
  • #5
Ah, I understand now. Thank you for clarifying.
 
  • #6
Raghav Gupta said:
and how we listen comments like Booya up all night from people like @Evo?
Booya?

As in Boo-yah! ?

 
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  • #7
zoobyshoe said:
I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.

The article you linked to says 42% of Americans believe in ghosts while 52% of people in the UK believe in them. The article refers to those percentages as "similar," and I tend to agree, in this matter anyway.

If you count the difference as important, then it might be explained by the simple fact that the UK is very much older than the US and has collected a much more extensive body of ghost lore in all that time to which it's inhabitants are exposed from birth. Ghost lore in the UK is probably better established, harder to uproot.
Well I was saying to only see the pics from the link but not to read it.
It's okay if you have read the statistics.
Your 3rd para explanation explains me though.
collinsmark said:
Booya?

As in Boo-yah! ?
I thought Booya was a word indicating terror from ghosts.
Now I see it from the video and from some searching, that it has meaning " Oh yeah".

But then @Evo is depicting by the image a ghost and
Living in Centralia, Pennsylvania.
From it I have misunderstood the term Booya as terror all night.:nb)
Is Centralia still haunted?
 
  • #8
I don't live in Centralia, PA. My response to a friend that said we were up all night was "booya, up all night".
 
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  • #9
Evo said:
I don't live in Centralia, PA. My response to a friend that said we were up all night was "booya, up all night".
Ya okay.
But
A last question.
Is Centralia PA still haunted?

I thought US don't believe in ghosts, only 42%
 
  • #10
No, Centralia, PA is not haunted, due to decreasing residents it is close to being rated a "ghost town", that is a town with few residents, but no ghosts.
Centralia is a borough and a near-ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population has dwindled from over 1,000 residents in 1981 to 10 in 2010, as a result of the Centralia mine fire burning beneath the borough since 1962.
Wikipedia
 
  • #11
Okay understood.
Well I suggest you that instead of Centralis that comes on clicking your tag, you edit it as Centralia.
Or if it is done on purpose then It's ok.
Well I am keeping to my words by not asking a question from my second last post. Any comments?
 
  • #12
Evo said:
No, Centralia, PA is not haunted, due to decreasing residents it is close to being rated a "ghost town", that is a town with few residents, but no ghosts. Wikipedia
Oh that's so sad. When a town loses its people, it becomes a ghost town. But when a ghost town loses its ghosts, what does it become?
 
  • #13
Raghav Gupta said:
Okay understood.
Well I suggest you that instead of Centralis that comes on clicking your tag, you edit it as Centralia.
Or if it is done on purpose then It's ok.
Well I am keeping to my words by not asking a question from my second last post. Any comments?
I show Centralis because that is the location I am, not Centralia. That is your mistake.
 
  • #14
Ya ok, I had a lot of misunderstanding but got all the answers of this thread. Thanks to all
 
  • #15
lisab said:
Oh that's so sad. When a town loses its people, it becomes a ghost town. But when a ghost town loses its ghosts, what does it become?
A post ghost town.
 
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  • #16
Raghav Gupta said:
Ya okay.I thought US don't believe in ghosts, only 42%

Not since Ghost Hunters began their TV series. Well, maybe it's not so much that people believe in ghosts, as that they want to see one. Several years ago, there were 65 ghost hunting groups in Washington state. And wouldn't you know, none in the area I Iive in. :rolleyes:
 

1. How do the beliefs about ghosts differ between the U.S. and U.K.?

The U.S. tends to have a more scientific and skeptical view of ghosts, while the U.K. has a long history of ghost sightings and a more accepting attitude towards their existence.

2. Are there different types of ghosts in the U.S. and U.K.?

Yes, there are some cultural differences in the types of ghosts believed to exist. For example, the U.K. has a strong tradition of haunted castles and ghostly apparitions, while the U.S. tends to have more urban legends and ghost stories associated with specific locations.

3. Do ghost sightings occur more frequently in the U.S. or U.K.?

This is difficult to determine as there is no official record of ghost sightings. However, the U.K. is known for its large number of haunted locations and ghost tours, suggesting a higher frequency of reported sightings compared to the U.S.

4. How do cultural differences affect the perception of ghosts in the U.S. and U.K.?

The U.S. values scientific explanations and evidence-based beliefs, while the U.K. has a long history of supernatural beliefs and folklore. This may lead to a more open-minded view of ghosts in the U.K. and a more skeptical view in the U.S.

5. Is there any evidence to support the existence of ghosts in the U.S. and U.K.?

There is no scientific evidence to prove the existence of ghosts. However, there are many personal accounts and unexplained phenomena that some people believe to be evidence of ghosts. The belief in ghosts is ultimately a personal and cultural belief rather than a scientifically proven fact.

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