The Paranormal

I think that a big reason why people like to, or rather, choose to believe in the paranormal is that such concepts reaffirm their belief that there is something that comes after their time on this earth is over. While it's true that no one can say for sure what happens after death, no one can say for sure that it's just a dirt nap. Do I believe in the paranormal? Short answer; no. At least not in the sense of haunted houses and ghosts or any of that typical Hollywood Halloween type of things. I have, however, come to the conclusion that there are some things in this world that I will never be able to understand or even faintly comprehend, and there are certain aspects of life that I will never get the opportunity to experience. Because of this, I don't think anything can be completely ruled out. However, my big thing about the paranormal, is what would be the point? What would be the reason for the world of the living, and the world of the dead overlapping? For what purpose would that exist? I know there's the Hollywood cliché of spirits remaining in our world for the reason that they are waiting for some unresolved issue to reach its conclusion before they can move on to the afterlife. I've also obviously seen more than enough movies to be aware of the cliché of "vengeful spirits" but to me all of that is irrelevant fodder for horror movie junkies that doesn't apply, at least not from what I've seen in my life, to the real world. However, the best and most relevant, reason that I can think of for people believing in the paranormal, or separate planes of existence, is that it allows them to believe that those who they have known, loved, and lost are not entirely gone. The belief in what they don't completely understand leaves them with something hopeful, it leaves them with the warm thought of knowing that their friends and family that have passed on, can still be a part of their lives, even though not physically. Like everyone, I've had the unfortunate experience of losing loved ones, and I've had to come to terms with the idea of the staunch permanence of death. I believe that death is a definite state of being. I think that the laws of nature keep us separate and unable to understand what happens after life for a reason. That reason, is that we simply aren't ready to understand. I'd like to think that those that we've lost can find ways to reach out to us and let us know that they aren't completely gone, but from what I know and from what my gut tells me, that isn't the case. I think that most, if not all, instances of hauntings and paranormal encounters are simply people jumping at shadows after watching too many movies. But I guess that can't be said for sure, so who am I to tell others that they can't believe what they want. After all, I think that mysteries in and of themselves are something that make life worth not only worth living, but worth exploring and experiencing. Believing that you know all and understand all takes away the fun of figuring things out and enjoying the path of life instead of just looking for the destination.