Kathmandu. People often feel like someone is standing behind or near them. When no one is there. Some people feel as if someone has touched them. While others hear voices. For which there is no clear explanation. In science, this type of experience is called ‘felt presence’.
The scientists conducted research to understand why people feel this way and whether there are any similarities between the experiences of different people. For this, the experiences of 206 people were analyzed. However, the exact reason behind this feeling is still unknown.
The research was published in the Journal of Psychological Medicine. It included three types of people: first, those who hear voices or have certain mental or brain-related problems; second, those who believe in spiritual things; and third, athletes who participate alone in long-distance running or difficult sports. All of these people were asked questions online and their answers were compared.
The scientists created three groups for this research. The first group consisted of 75 people who had experienced hearing voices or had mental and brain problems. The second group consisted of 47 people who were involved in spiritual activities. The third group consisted of 84 athletes who had run long distances or participated in difficult sports alone.
All of these people were asked when they felt the presence of an invisible person. They were also asked if they felt scared, heard sounds, or felt something different in their bodies. The scientists wanted to understand what the similarities were between these experiences for different people.
In the research, many participants reported that they felt someone standing behind them or being present around them. Some felt touch. While others heard sounds. Many people also felt that someone was watching them. Each person’s experience was different. No one was afraid of this feeling. They felt that someone close to them was dead, nearby.
Similarly, others were extremely afraid, believing that an invisible force could harm them. Some players also responded to feeling present in difficult games or when alone. This suggests that such experiences were not limited to a particular group of people. However, these experiences do not prove that ghosts or spirits were actually present.
The research found that people who experienced sounds or other hallucinations were also more likely to feel present. In some, feelings of fear and doubt were also associated with this experience. People who engage in spiritual activities reported experiencing this feeling while meditating or trying to contact spirits.
Some of those who heard the sound said that someone touched them or felt changes in their body. Another finding related to sleep also appeared. Some people in all three groups reported feeling the presence when they fell asleep or woke up. This could be due to the experiences between sleep and waking up. However, the research did not prove that the cause is the same for every person.
In this research, the scientists found that there were some similarities in the experiences that different people felt present. However, not all experiences were the same. The research also found that such experiences may be related to delusions, fears, and certain sleep-related conditions.
However, scientists have still not been able to determine the true cause of these feelings. This research did not find any evidence of the existence of ghosts or spirits. More research is needed to better understand this topic. Therefore, feeling a presence is not proof that ghosts or spirits are actually present. -Agency
