Went to visit my local GP the other day, and found him outside his surgery laying out food for the ghosts and burning ghost money. This is a doctor! A man of science! I have seen many highly educated people doing the same thing. I naturally assumed that they were doing it to placate their underlings and clientelle. Asked my Chinese friends and their answers were all the same: “Oh, it’s part of our culture. Our parents and grandparents did it, so we keep the tradition”.
Wtf? I was brought up to be a Christian 
. My parents and grandparents were Christians after all. Doesn’t mean I have to walk around with my head up my ass for the sake of “culture” and “tradition”.
I usually put up a Christmas tree but I ain’t no tree-worshiping pagan.
But I know what you mean about professionals here. Once you’ve known them for a while they open up with some stories of the weird. The Taiwanese are a very superstitious people.
Do these doctors, engineers, accountants, etc. actually believe in ghosts? Auspicious days for weddings, funerals, moving house? Astrology? Are they just doing what is expected by their peers and family?
Elvis Hendrix wrote: [quote]Do these doctors, engineers, accountants, etc. actually believe in ghosts? [/quote]
The vast majority do. They often won’t admit it at first, but after a few cans of “truth serum” they will relate some spooky tales that defy science.
Half and half I would say. But of course the sample size and make up of the folks I have encountered is limited because my social circle is pretty much restricted to drunkards.
I’m on my fourth breakfast whisky.
And I like Christmas trees. Won’t buy into the cute baby jesus thing, though.
i believe in ghosts, i have seen some on a few occasions. I can tell you more details. OH and I also have seen an UFO> NO SHIT !!
Were they Taiwanese hotties? 
I’m on my fourth can of beer. Perhaps you should alternate the whisky with beer and/or water.
NO, iv never seen female ghosts. First time (oh sorry you didnt ask but anyway. im a blabbermouth…motor running all the time) I saw one was in HENGCHUN. at a fleabag hotel as a high school student visiting kenting back when it was just a beach. We had a twin bed room and I was awaken by a middle aged man lying on top of me. UGLY as sin he was, I pushed him off me and he dissappeared. FREAky shit.
Next time , was a few years later at a Christian summercamp IN Wanli. We had a boys dorm and a girls dorm. One nite, I hadnt fallen asleep yet when i clearly saw a figure standing by the doorway. He was dressed in a robe, had a big beard and had a samsonite type suitcase next to him. He and suitcase were both transparent. FReaky shit. The ministers didnt know what to make of it either.
Next many moons later I met the ghost that was haunting my dads house in SF. Freaky shit !!! First my dad never told me the house was haunted. I was hearing footsteps at nite, creaking cupboards. And then one nite I came face to face with him. He glides. he glided over to me dressed in pajamas and had a saucer with a cup on it. He seemed taken aback when he realized that I wasnt asleep yet. I was watching tv on the sofabed in the living room. He thought i was asleep I guess. I was shocked but I got up and followed him around the living room. He kept gliding around with me following…around the living room, too the kitchen and back out again. I asked to speak to him, but he wouldnt reply. Then i backed him into a corner and then he dissappeared into the wall. I asked him to come out and he did briefly but then backed into the wall again. Was i scared?? YOu betcha. And if it was your house I woulda excused the heck outa myself and left, but he was in my house so I decided to confront him. My cats and our dogs have seen him because they follow him around the house. MY brother has also seen him standing over his aquarium. FREAky shit!!
Then back in Taiwan, driving home to wanli late at nite on a very foggy and rainy day i came upon a very old man walking barefoot along the road, carrying one of those taiwanese farmer wooden poles with a bucket at each end. I was wondering why a farmer would be walking on the road there at 3am in the mornign in heavy rain. After I passed him, I thought its wierd and its maybe a ghost, so I made a U Turn on that road (its important to note that the road at that point had a mountain wall on one side and a drop off on the other , there were no side roads or houses or anything. I made my Uturn and drove back looking for him, but found nothing. So I was convinced it was a ghost. Freaky Shit !!
Have you thought of trying Haldol or Thorazine?
Why? Can you see more of them with that?
I was NOT middle aged at that time. Nor was I ugly, you cheeky young pup.
I was NOT middle aged at that time. Nor was I ugly, you cheeky young pup.[/quote]
These things can be explained by hallucinations, hyperalert states of mind, sleepy states of mind, the power of imagination, pareidolia, and other phenomena. Or maybe just people. Note how all these things took place late at night.
There was one time I was on the verge of sleep, but it was one of those odd moments when I still had a waking clarity. Having heard of hypnagogia, I decided to try to induce a hallucination by imagining a figure standing before me. And it worked: a ghostly, faceless figure clad in a dark, hooded robe suddenly appeared at the foot of my bed. It was freaky as hell…but I knew it was something I had merely imagined.
Indeed, the images we see in our dreams are essentially hallucinations. Call that moment a kind of waking dream.
These things can be explained by hallucinations, hyperalert states of mind, sleepy states of mind, the power of imagination, pareidolia, and other phenomena. Or maybe just people. Note how all these things took place late at night.[/quote]
Come over to my dads place and experience it yourself.
Ridiculous. Get some anti-psychotic/schizo drugs or see a shrink.
Expected response. Nobody believes in ghosts until they see one. I hope u get the pleasure one day or more.
Happy Holloween by the way
I also don’t believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny. There is no god, and certainly no Loch Ness Monster,Yeti, nor Bigfoot. UFOs are possible, but 99.9999999% improbable. And happy holloween(sic) to you too.
I agree there is no Santa Claus, the tooth fairy or the easter bunny
But there is GOD. Donno bout the lochness monster, the yeti , werewolves or the unicorn tho.
I never believed in UFO either. But I did see one, one sunny day in Wanli.
One nite I saw way out in the sea a mysterious bright light. Our apt faces the ocean to the left. And thats way out at sea, there should be no light that bright there. It was very cloudy so i just saw the light illuminate up quite a bit of cloud. That doesnt mean thats a UFO, but I did think it was unusual.
Thought it was strange.
The next day, round bout noon, i walked downstairs to get the China Post. and as i came back up and onto our balcony (from which you can see across the valley directly in front or to the ocean on your left) I stopped for a second to admire the view it was a completely clear blue sky and all of a sudden this brown circular object, I would guess to be about the size of about 50feet in diameter flew across the valley adn within seconds was at the next mountain range . IT flew by at bout 100 feet on top of me. IT was completely soundless. I was like mouth opened wondering what the heck that was??? And my mind registered the three letters U.F.O.
INcredible. NO green men or anything. Just one big brown disk flying 100 feet on top of me at really high speed.
And no I wasnt on anything nor needed to be on something either 
IM not saying i saw aliens. Just an Unidentified Flying Object.
Fishing boat.
Tommy,
Given the rejection of science, reason and critical thinking you’ve demonstrated on this thread with your acceptance of ghosts, god and now UFOs, I would venture to say that you lived in Taiwan far longer than was good for you.
There is always a rational explanation for everything; only the uneducated or intellectually lazy jump to supernatural conclusions. As Jimi stated, “UFOs are possible, but 99.9999999% improbable.” The concepts of god and ghosts are simply the remnants of our primitive past.