# Why no ghosts in urban violent hoods? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120 "2013-03-05T21:45:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/41 "2013-03-06T17:57:46Z")
> [@GythaOgg](#): > > Gettysburg is reportedly very haunted … Yeah, by profiteering scam artists selling “ghost tours” to gullible tourists. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/42 "2013-03-06T19:02:31Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Some will show respect for the dead homies. Some? _Some?_ You’ve come so close – and yet fallen short – when it comes to solving the world’s problems by extrapolation: how can we rid old-timey haunted mansions of ghosts who can’t yet bring themselves to move on? By replicating the methods, and success rate, of those who pour out a forty for their homies who ain’t here no more. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/43 "2013-03-06T19:36:57Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > A coherent ectoplasmic manifestation requires a strong will, an extreme emotional state, and a receptive observer. The ghost itself is not exactly a spirit or soul, that is it is not a complete persona, with all the memories and emotional range of a specific (formerly living) person. > A ghost is an imprinting of a given person’s psychic state on to a local eddy in what can be called the Earth’s Noosphere, which is the unstable area of the Cosmic Background Aura created by life on this planet. The strong signal is often tied to death, but a ghost can be emitted by almost any psychic trauma. You state that as if it were hard, cold, verifiable fact. The reality is that discussing ghosts is very much like discussing vampires. Each storyteller puts their own spin on the legend, so we end up with evil vampires, stupid vampires, sexy vampires, sparkly vampires, and a thousand other variants. The fact that somebody made up a bunch of “sciency” words like ectoplasmic and noosphere doesn’t make their story any more real or believable than the ones who explain ghosts through magic, religion, aliens, or leprechaun poltergeists. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/44 "2013-03-06T19:41:51Z")
> [@3trew](#): > > I’m also puzzled by the fact that we have mediums but all of the writers and mathematicians and such have given up work when they died. I would think that Hemingway and Wilde and certainly V. C. Andrews ™ would have some new material to channel. Have you read any books about the history of Spiritualism? Any of them? Just one? No? Because if you had, you would know that 19th century mediums _constantly_ channeled (i.e. either genuinely believed themselves to have channeled, or else pretended to have channeled) “new” poems by long-dead poets. This happened all the damn time. Like, _all_ the damn time. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/45 "2013-03-06T20:00:59Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:43, topic:652120”] You state that as if it were hard, cold, verifiable fact. The reality is that discussing ghosts is very much like discussing vampires. Each storyteller puts their own spin on the legend, so we end up with evil vampires, stupid vampires, sexy vampires, sparkly vampires, and a thousand other variants. The fact that somebody made up a bunch of “sciency” words like ectoplasmic and noosphere doesn’t make their story any more real or believable than the ones who explain ghosts through magic, religion, aliens, or leprechaun poltergeists. [/QUOTE] Pshaw. Leprechauns are not poltergeists. The ornery ones are _clurichauns_. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/46 "2013-03-06T20:03:06Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Pshaw. Leprechauns are not poltergeists. The ornery ones are _clurichauns_. Fair enough. You got me there. Especially true if you own a bar called Callahan’s Crosstime Saloon. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/47 "2013-03-06T20:37:01Z")
I don’t think any entity that resembles somebody with a sheet over their head would last very long in the 'hood. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/48 "2013-03-06T20:49:27Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > A coherent ectoplasmic manifestation requires a strong will, an extreme emotional state, and a receptive observer. The ghost itself is not exactly a spirit or soul, that is it is not a complete persona, with all the memories and emotional range of a specific (formerly living) person. > A ghost is an imprinting of a given person’s psychic state on to a local eddy in what can be called the Earth’s Noosphere, which is the unstable area of the Cosmic Background Aura created by life on this planet. The strong signal is often tied to death, but a ghost can be emitted by almost any psychic trauma. Do you really believe that? ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/49 "2013-03-06T20:56:06Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I don’t think any entity that resembles somebody with a sheet over their head would last very long in the 'hood. Nah, they wear their sheets sagging around their knees, just like when they were alive. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/50 "2013-03-06T21:01:52Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > Have you read any books about the history of Spiritualism? Any of them? Just one? No? > > Because if you had, you would know that 19th century mediums _constantly_ channeled (i.e. either genuinely believed themselves to have channeled, or else pretended to have channeled) “new” poems by long-dead poets. This happened all the damn time. Like, _all_ the damn time. No mathematicians, though, huh? I guess Barbie was right. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/51 "2013-03-06T22:00:27Z")
> [@April\_R](#): > > Do you really believe that? The existence or non-existence of ghosts is independent of what I (or anyone else) happen to “believe” about them. But, I am on record stating that I have encountered too many ghosts to believe in them. I find that belief just encourages their shenanigans. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/52 "2013-03-06T22:43:34Z")
'cause they _white_. (ducks and runs) ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/53 "2013-03-06T23:19:28Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > The existence or non-existence of ghosts is independent of what I (or anyone else) happen to “believe” about them. > > But, I am on record stating that I have encountered too many ghosts to believe in them. I find that belief just encourages their shenanigans. Ahhhh, got ya 😉 Damn cheeky ghosts ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/54 "2013-03-06T23:27:54Z")
> [@3trew](#): > > I’m also puzzled by the fact that we have mediums but all of the writers and mathematicians and such have given up work when they died. I would think that Hemingway and Wilde and certainly V. C. Andrews ™ would have some new material to channel. Have you seen the number of V. C. Andrews books that have come out since she died? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/55 "2013-03-08T04:22:54Z")
Because no one in the hood wears her hair black and long, along with an all-white night gown. ---
**Author:** ![SleuFeets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SleuFeets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleuFeets)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/56 "2013-03-08T15:39:22Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Because no one in the hood wears her hair black and long, along with an all-white night gown. That’s only half true. Long dishelved black Yaki hair weave is in abundance in the hood. I’ve personally been petitioning for it to be considered an epidemic for some time now… ---
**Author:** ![FrankJBN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@FrankJBN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrankJBN)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/57 "2013-03-08T16:26:45Z")
OP says "do urban ghosts not have “time fo all dat”? " And everybody is fine with that because we all know that’s how “urban” people speak. Sure. ---
**Author:** ![SleuFeets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SleuFeets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleuFeets)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/58 "2013-03-08T17:12:12Z")
> [@FrankJBN](#): > > OP says > > "do urban ghosts not have “time fo all dat”? " > > And everybody is fine with that because we all know that’s how “urban” people speak. > > Sure. I actually think your concern is impressive. However, Google “ain’t nobody got time for that”. It’s a pop culture reference. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/59 "2013-03-08T21:01:16Z")
Even the dead have better sense than to show up on Martin Luther King Blvd. in a white sheet. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120/60 "2013-03-09T15:25:57Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > People in violent neighbourhoods have enough real things to be scared of, and so don’t have to make up imaginary ones? Hit the nail square on the head! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-ghosts-in-urban-violent-hoods/652120.md?page=4)