(Image: submitted)
A PSYCHOLOGIST and paranormal investigator is inviting people to decide for themselves whether ghosts exist during a special talk in Otley later this month.
Dr Graham Ramsden, an educationalist and consultant psychologist who has spent more than 40 years researching human development and learning, will present an evening entitled Proof of Ghosts at Otley Common on October 30.
As well as his work in psychology, Dr Ramsden says he has spent the past 22 years as part of a paranormal research team in Leeds, investigating reports of ghostly encounters and unexplained events.
Speaking ahead of the event, he said: "The question we must ask ourselves is not whether ghosts exist, but what sort of evidence do we need to collect to prove it."
The talk will explore why many reported paranormal experiences can be explained through science and psychology, while also examining evidence that Dr Ramsden believes deserves closer scrutiny.
He said: "I believe that 98 per cent of all paranormal experiences people report are nothing of the sort. They are, in my mind, normal experiences governed by misunderstood science."
Dr Ramsden argues that many experiences occur at night when the brain can be more susceptible to misinterpreting what it sees and hears.
He added: "Scary they may be, but paranormal? Unlikely. Your brain is easily fooled, and this is no more so than at night when it can mistake dreams for reality."
However, Dr Ramsden believes a small proportion of cases remain unexplained despite extensive investigation.
"Out of the thousands of photographs we have taken, and out of the hundreds of hours of voice recordings we have collected, almost all of the evidence was natural and normal," he said. "Almost all. Then there is two per cent that refuses to bow down to scientific and technological scrutiny. Two per cent that I believe is evidence that cannot be ignored."
The event is based on his book Proof of Ghosts, which examines the debate around life after death and the nature of paranormal evidence.
Dr Ramsden said: "Do ghosts really exist, or is it just a load of superstitious nonsense? This is a question that has haunted mankind since we learned to think and talk.
"Despite all the unparalleled advancements in technology, we still have not come to a firm conclusion about this mystery."
The talk will begin at 7.30pm on Friday, October 30, at Otley Common. Tickets cost £10, with proceeds helping support the Otley Common community and redevelopment work at the former Wesleyan Church.
Alongside promoting the event, Dr Ramsden is also appealing for local residents to share their own experiences of the unexplained.
Over the past five years he has collected accounts from members of the public for his seven-book Ghost Museum series and is now seeking material for an eighth volume.
He said: "I am now collecting stories for the eighth book, so if you feel you have an encounter with a ghost to tell, please contact me."
The event is open to people aged 16 and over.