OK, seeing we have a thread about ghosts, how about some related first hand experiences. How many of our posters actually believe in ghosts? Which of us will say there is no such thing and it's all imagination?
I personally am the biggest sceptic on the planet when it comes to things like this. I have great trouble believing in things I can't see and have no evidence of. Many people throughout my life, people for whom I had great respect told me of their ghostly encounters and, although I listened politely, and didn't consider they were actually lying, I did not believe that they had seen what they considered they had seen.
However, whilst on holiday in Ibiza with my former spouse around 17 years ago that changed somewhat! The last night of the holiday dawned. We knew we were travelling the next day and I hate to travel hung over so I did not have a lot to drink and I think we probably hit the sack before midnight. I awoke just as dawn had broken, so it was light in the room but not bright sunlight. The room had twin beds. I looked over at my wife's bed and there she was stood at the side of it and I had the impression that she was packing her suitcase. I was just about to ask her why she was up so early to pack, as we were not due to leave the hotel until around 11 am., when I noticed that she was actually still in the bed. The '"woman" was stood over her looking down at her lying in the bed. I looked at the woman and she glanced up towards me and then started to fade away. She had totally faded within about 3 seconds. The whole incident lasted no more than 20 or 30 seconds. I actually lay there in disbelief and I did not tell my wife until years later in case she thought I had gone completely barmy. I did not go back to sleep so this was not a dream. As I said, I had very little to drink the previous night so I wasn't loaded. To this day I am unsure about what I saw. I am still not certain I believe in ghosts even though I suppose people who do believe will tell me I have seen one. Strange, very, very, strange.
The only other type of experience I have had which I cannot fully explain is as follows.
My mother preceded my father in death by about two and a half years. About three days after his funeral (1995) I went to bed as usual around midnight. I turned out the light, lay down and closed my eyes. As soon as I closed them this television type screen appeared. Bright, vivid and sharp. My father was on screen and he had just met my mother. They were surrounded by darkness but were clearly visible. In life, my mother had relied heavily upon my father and was a bit of a pessimist really. My father was looking back, and the impression I had was that he was looking at the earth. He asked my mother, "Will they be alright?" to which my mother replied, "Of course they will, they're coming here." For her to be reassuring my father was a total role reversal. The "TV" went blank and I opened my eyes, turned on the light and looked at the clock. I had been in bed less than 2 minutes. I most certainly had not been asleep.
I have had the "TV" effect four or five times since, but never seen anyone who was known to me, just figures I did not recognise. The screen appears instantly when I close my eyes and can last for 1 or 2 minutes.
OK, now, nobody send for the big yellow taxi and do not use these things against me at my insanity hearing.
Actually, this may be on the wrong thread category, maybe a moderator could move it to somewhere more appropriate.