Are Ghosts Really Demons? The Most Important Textbook on Ghosts - Ludwig Lavater 1569 De Spectris

With the dismissal of Purgatory, early Protestant theologians faced a metaphysical dilemma: How do ghosts and spirits fit into their new theological ecosystem? In 1569 Ludwig Lavater would publish De Spectris (On Ghosts), a text that would go on to become the most popular textbook on ghosts for several generations, including William Shakespeare.
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[@beepboop204]

im def meaning to get some merch. everything about you and your channel speaks to me

[@gasperthegipboiboi1081]

Hey I’m trying find this book does this book exist I would love to have one for myself

[@sherriefisher9009]

The ethereal realm is real don't let this be a misinterpretation of real experiences that happen

[@oldpondfrog788]

Oooffff Her doctor. This cuts close to home.

[@julilla1]

I get so tired of necromancers filling my house with ghosts. For one, it's rude. Second, it makes the neighbors think I'm into bestiality. It's a real menace and someone should do something about it!

[@eljefeamericano4308]

They're probably wrecking the purity of your browser history, too!

[@jakeaurod]

The real clue is spelling it correctly.

[@eljefeamericano4308]

@@jakeaurod Hey, maybe that's a thing, too. Some elitist past time, or something.

[@caucasoidape8838]

"I have the body of a pig *snort snort*"

[@kedabro1957]

@@jakeaurod Spelling what correctly? Necromancy? Bestiality?

[@LordReginaldMeowmont]

I've learned more about Theology from this channel than I did in college. Definitely one of my new favorites.

[@lorenzomizushal3980]

Me too but I never took a theology class.

[@MinaDeborah]

As a high school drop out, same!

[@jennyryse4797]

What would be the major I could take to learn all about this kind of stuff in school

[@JessicaChloé-ChristHeart]

same here.

[@ghfudrs93uuu]

that's what you get for going to medschool

[@theeccentrictripper3863]

When I was a child my fascination with ghosts was only rivaled by my frustration that I had never experienced one; I figured if everyone is seeing these things all the time I should find at least one somewhere, but other than a strange feeling that someone was there when I was very little, which almost certainly was a neighbor in the next apartment over, I've never experienced anything I would claim as paranormal. Almost disappointing really, even as I grew older and indulged in psychedelics there's never been any "encounters" with "entities" of any kind, if these paranormal or extra-dimensional beings are out there they want absolutely nothing to do with me lol

[@tdarons]

You’d be surprised. I didn’t start getting these ghost visitors until I turned 51. But be careful what you wish for. I get the occasional fae or trickster spirits or poltergeist smashing plates or moving things around the house. It’s a tad annoying.

[@theeccentrictripper3863]

@@tdarons Forgive my skepticism in light of my consistent lack of material evidence or personal experience, perhaps your house is settling and it's causing things to drop randomly lol. I'd find it fascinating, perhaps it would be horrifying but that in and of itself would add to the fascination, as few things truly scare me that aren't entirely material, and even then couched in a cultivated Apatheia. In a way I feel left out, there's this almost universal human experience that affects man in all ages and places with seemingly no meaningful discrimination yet somehow I'm not in the club

[@CaedenV]

Yeah... It's a regular Haruhism issue. Grew up believing in aliens, ghosts, etc... But now everyone has a camera at all times and we somehow have fewer sightings now than when I was little. Either ghosts and aliens and Bigfoot are getting more camera shy, or... More simply... They just don't exist. Disappointing, but not the worst thing in life

[@NoctesTheCat]

It will happen when you least expect it, psychedelics are another way of contact with the paranormal

[@theeccentrictripper3863]

@@NoctesTheCat Again, not inexperienced in that regard, if they're out there they're avoiding me lol. I'm more skeptical overall about meaningful conscious existence outside our material reality, nothing of the sort has appeared in my experiences nor has any science corroborated the experiences of others, there's not much for me to work with and I'm not a Christian so there's no faith there either.

[@Nivloc317]

That was fun. I routinely get visited by my dad in my dreams since his death on Halloween in 2015. In those dreams he is alive, though he sometimes lets on that he knows something I don't. In the first dream I had of him after he died, he was sitting in his chair in the living room, and I was sitting opposite him as I had done many times before, when I said to him, "I miss mom." (She had died about 10 years earlier) He said, "Yeah, I miss her too." I then said, "We should have my sisters over for Christmas this year," to which he seemed to question my suggestion by simply producing a closed mouth, "Hmm." I said, "They will enjoy that!" trying to convince him. He smiled, then said, "Oh, I'm sure they will!" I woke up with the distinct feeling that he was messing with me from beyond the grave.

[@musicvideosish]

Why did he say hi missed your mom too if they are both on the other side? Ty for sharing ;)

[@CoatRaq]

@@musicvideosish Because he was still alive in the dream

[@WK-47]

Whether that was a dialogue with your unconscious or his spirit keeping in touch with you, dads never fail to find a way to pull your leg. God bless.

[@Nivloc317]

@@xBeXx I appreciate your comment. I always welcome the dreams where my parents are featured. Whenever my mom makes an appearance she is decidedly dead, which doesn't stop us from having a conversation. When my dad shows up he is always alive.

[@BallBatteryReligion]

​​@@Nivloc317 your story reminds me of my own dream experiences quite a bit. I've had dreams where my loved ones were alive, and I've had others where a moment comes when I realize "oh, you're dead." This coincides usually with a level of general lucidity. I have a lifelong best friend who I consider my brother. Our families have been close for decades and his mom in particular was like my mother too. It hit us all like a truck when she died. Not long after the funeral I had a lucid dream where i was sitting on the floor of their living room, I looked up and she was standing, wiping down a tabletop. Only I immediately noticed she was young, younger than I'd known her in my life. I'd only seen pictures where she looked like she did now looking at her but strangely; i knew somehow, implicitly that she was 29-30 in the dream. At this point I'm also experiencing sleep paralysis. As she walked by she noticed me. She squatted down and made close eye contact. She had beautiful blue eyes. I couldn't really verbalize, but I said as best I could: "I love you, and I miss you. We're all gonna miss you. But wherever you're off to I'm glad you're not in pain anymore." She never said a word, and her expression was blank but she pulled me into a hug. Then, a bright light followed by total darkness (at this point I was aware and could feel that i was in my bed.) I heard a vague feminine voice then: I saw intensely vibrant, moving psychedelic images, bright greens and pink. Mostly circular flowery images expanding, spinning. (this was well before I'd done any psychedelics.) Finally, capping off with the most bizarre incident: it felt as if my body started spinning in the bed. Faster and faster then it felt like I was lifted off the bed and pulled into a deep back arch until my chest was as out or, exposed as possible with my arms outstretched. I was held there for a brief couple moments then finally being dropped. I woke up so disoriented I honestly just had to go outside immediately and it took a day or two to really think about it much. I'd planned on sharing a couple minor, shorter ones but I felt like this one would be a lot more interesting lol. I'm a pretty skeptical person. I don't have any really strict metaphysical, spiritual beliefs for the most part. But in hindsight...if there was ever time I might've had a mystical experience...i think that'd have to be it lol.

[@GildaLee27]

8:03 FIY, in the 21st century, the medical field of hospice care now does acknowledge what they call Visioning. It is regarded by professionals working in this field as a sign the person is nearing death. Hospice workers inform & educate their dying patients and their families that the dying person may very likely begin to experience visits from deceased loved ones, often parents, siblings, spouses and even pets. The visioning seems generally to begin about a month prior to death, and tends to ramp up as the person gets closer to death. Visioning is not a result of the administration of drugs because people not given drugs also have visioning experiences as death nears (it's been reported that this happens to dying people for hundreds of years), and also because the dying are sometimes visited by loved ones whom neither they nor the family were aware had predeceased the dying patient. Also, the visions of deceased loved ones do not cause fear or anxiety in the patient but in fact the opposite: they bring comfort to the dying person. This is an important distinction from hallucinations, which tend to be confusing & even upsetting to the dying person and are an indication something is wrong, a symptom of their terminal disease, or a problem with the drugs the person is being given. So to be clear, visioning is *not* the same as hallucinations despite the title of the research paper shown at the 8:03 mark. Visioning people see their deceased loved ones in the room with them, sometimes floating up near the ceiling, and even carry on conversations with them while others in the room see nothing. Dying people who cannot speak sometimes reach out to invisible figures, or their eye movements indicate they are seeing something, paying attention to something nearby that no one else sees. Amazingly, this phenomenon appears to occur to dying dogs, cats, & horses-- Rupert Sheldrake has discussed this. Reliable and well-presented information on visioning and other death & dying topics can be gotten from Hospice Nurse Julie's KZbin channel. Peace to all. Thank you for this brilliant channel, Dr. Sledge. 👻

[@ChaseBlackmoon]

Wow, this is a great comment, I have kept goats as pets/family members and while sometimes the sad day of their death is sudden, other times it takes time like with a human (because of old age). I and my mom are with them to the end, even if we had to bring them inside our house, and while sometimes there is some discomfort, at the end I have never seen fear in their eye, I believe the little warrior that they are runs to be with their tribe, in that place right outside our sight, what I think is heaven.

[@byronperez9199]

I once saw a video where a kid encountered an entity, which he assumed was his imaginary friend, Jerry. Once realizing that it wasn't what he thought, he ran to his parents in fear. The parents then began to experience paranormal encounters, such as items being moved in their presence and while they were in their bedroom in the middle of the night. They have a camera in their living room, which captures these items moving by themselves as well as the sound of running footsteps. The parents believe that they were cursed by a nanny that they fired. These paranormal occurrences began, according to them, one month after they had fired the nanny, who, to them, had an eerie presence.

[@lauraannebevan1198]

P

[@LouisNavor]

Dogs too?

[@butterfly-of-prairie-limin9012]

I just finished my second shift (in a row) of constant care with a patient in palliative. For the last two days, but especially today, the pt has been reaching out into the air, watching things that I can't see. He's Visioning. It's fascinating to watch. I've also had my share of Otherworldly experiences throughout my life, and now working in the medical field gives another layer to it.

[@rebeccadee4107]

I once borrowed the book, The Excorcist. As i was reading in the late night and read the passage where the excorcist heard a knocking, there was a knocking coming from beneath my home. I stopped reading the book and the knocking stopped. I'll never try to read that book again.

[@traildoggy]

I went to see that movie when it was released and was actually denied entry because the manager of the theater said it was too horrible to show to anyone under 18. We were with an adult and it was completely legal to show us the film. It ended in a shouting match with our adult chaperone. A few years later I sw the movie and was laughing out loud so badly I almost got kicked out. When her head spins, when she pukes pea soup, the foul cursing and crucifix scene had me in stitches. I was astonished that this silly tripe was what had been so threatening. Sorry the book scared you, but it's really just a very silly story.

[@rebeccadee4107]

@@traildoggy only the knocking was real and I did watch the movie as a young girl without any real fright. The movie gave me dreams of being posssed and hovering, but I was not traumatized by the movie or the dreams it gave me. There is something different to the written word without images though, in my opinion. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that there were strange happenings on the set of filmaking. I do believe in the world beyond the veil, but that is just me. Thank you for sharing!

[@danielemacciantelli1788]

Thumbs up if you also think that a blackletter press edition of this book would be a nice idea.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

I'd enjoy writing the introduction!

[@apothecaryjames7968]

My grandmother (who raised me) was on her death bed passing from Alzheimers. She was literally on her last days and I couldn't get to her to see her so I decided to cast a spell and ask my ancestors for guidance and healing. I went outside at 3:33am. I cast my circle, put my candle on the 33rd degree of the circle and let the candle burn for 3 minutes and 33 seconds, then I blew it out. I came back inside and went to sleep. I "wake up" and my grandmother walks into my room, sits at the foot of my bed, and she rocks me like a baby. It was the most wonderful feeling I have ever had. I couldn't get to her, so I believe she somehow astral projected to me because she hadn't passed yet. I felt her there. I felt her touch and warmth. I made the spell up myself, so it wont be in any books or literature, but it worked for me.

[@tdarons]

Hugs! My mother died of alzheimers. She constantly bilocated during the last few years of her life. It was amazing and a bit confronting.

[@apothecaryjames7968]

@@tdarons Its a difficult joumey to take along with them. I could even see she had on a white gown with little blue flowers on it. I had planted Forget Me Nots when she passed. I promise you, the truth is stranger than fiction and I would not be exaggerating on Dr. Sledge's video. Thank you for the terminology. I will be looking and researching more into this.

[@ianmartinesq]

I think one of my favorite things about this channel is how you go back to primary sources and let us know which source(s) you use. I’m of the opinion that in this day and age we need few things more than we need a return to primary sources, rather than have them obscured by secondary and tertiary sources.

[@TheClarkCooper]

I honestly don't know how many other viewers appreciate the DnD jokes Doctor Sledge occasionally throws in, but I just wanted to let you know, you are not alone.

[@Bildgesmythe]

Love them

[@ragnarosthefirelord8662]

Liked for the monster manual reference, and of course for the excellent scholarship you share with us on occultism of all stripes

[@philipearakaki]

Christians say the Pokémon and DnD are gateway drugs to occutism and they are kinda not wrong

[@RogueBoyScout]

As someone who's childhood was spent once a week at night at whatever library I could go to (navy kid, moves around a lot. So some libraries were more bigger and accessable than others), I really love your channel because you don't just provide the knowledge l, but also the bibliography and references to the books and such. Even today I consider the library a place for refuge and solitude, with the added benefit of being almost as close as I can feel to being blessed with the privelidge of access to all that potential wisdom. As always, thank you for your work.

[@jcoleman471]

I am an eye doctor. There is a condition called Charles Bonnet syndrome. It affects people primarily with certain types of macular degeneration, or other forms of partial/full blindness, especially those suffering from recent partial blindness. It is basically where the brain tries to fill in areas that used to get stimulated in the visual cortex from the visual pathway, using “imagination”. People will often see faces or other moving “hallucinations” in those blind areas. I have a handful of patients with this condition. It is similar to the same phenomenon that causes a form of déjà vu, or other manifestations of things outside the corners of the eye. The brain does some world building to predict what’s going on around it, like a priming of the pump so to speak. It’s a leftover protective measure, according to theory. Macular degeneration is four times more prevalent and people of northern European descent than other populations. One could assume that this is a contributing factor to some of the ghost stories.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Fascinating comment - thanks for this !

[@eximusic]

So, while there aren't tons of them, there are supposed haunted sites where unsuspecting travelers staying at those sites end up seeing and describing the same ghost(s) with no prior knowledge of the legend. When questioned they all describe the same individual and clothing. And couples will often see the same ghost at the same time. And sometimes daytime sightings (higher ranking for me). I have one personal anecdote of a house that went for sale after the owner died, and the new couple seeing the man pass by their bedroom door in the mornings, going towards the bathroom. When described to the neighbor (a friend of mine) they described exactly what he knew the man to look like. Not proof, but easily not masses of people with the same macular degeneration condition.

[@seanwagner7426]

I'd say that's plausible for some but I promise you it's not the case for all. Until you have a experience yourself it's easy to write off as this or that however I can promise you there is more to this reality and sometimes things cross over. I can take you to my old farm house I grew up things happened there that can not be easily dismissed as imagination or priming the pump.

[@Cristoferurlaub]

I was so happy to see a video on this book! I actually have a Latin copy of it from the 1600s. A few months ago, I sent you a message through your website asking if I could gift it to you… but you ghosted me. (I couldn’t resist!)

[@davidbarton6095]

Love the quote from the Monster Manual, that was a great laugh. Love your use of humor.

[@borntobemild-]

I laughed out loud too. Great reference

[@EBDavis111]

I had to put down my dog a little while ago. He was one of those super obnoxious dogs that just makes you love him more. He had this thing where when I was sleeping he slept almost on top of me, and practically pushed me out of bed as the night wore on. I kept waking up in the middle of the night and having to physically roll him over so I could get some space. Anyway. After I lost him, for the first few months I swear I'd wake up in the middle of the night and could feel him trying to push me off again. Then I'd wake up properly and he wasn't there. I don't believe in ghosts or any kind of magic in any sort of way. But I can totally forgive any pre-scientific peoples for really truly believing they've been blessed by a visit from their good boys in that sort of experience.

[@harmoniah23]

You never know...I've experienced what I believe was a ghost, so I'd believe the dog's energy (soul?) was still around

[@emeraldcitymystic]

I don't know how you do it. It's as if you're putting out an entire semester research project and final presentation every week!

[@AndrewMaksymBrainNectar]

Exactly! Lol I'm struggling hard with my own studies. 😭

[@tonybalongna]

I assume AI is pretty educational if you need to research something old and esoteric

[@Lipinki.luzyckie]

He's real PhD, years of research

[@kendraroxanawaide6107]

seriously!

[@emeraldcitymystic]

@@tonybalongna I'm pretty sure he was an expert in this genre long before AI. Even if he does use AI, I'm sure he fact checks every word of it.

[@dudebroski9460]

Time out! Dude... you yourself said that demons fear knives and swords for their metalurgic whatevers. You said as i remember it "thats why wizards often have a sword to wave around when casting spells" when speaking on solomons temple i think. I freaking love this channel, its thought provoking like brain candy.

[@WolfoxBR]

You had so much fun with this one. And so did we. Some awesome jokes and "shades" too. Great stuff, truly - informative AND fun. Thanks!

[@controlledchaos2391]

I am a huge of in-depth religious {Jewish & Christianity} occult facts/stories as well as occult facts/stories from non Jewish/Christian religions &those who have no religious beliefs also. This channel has become my “guilty pleasure” and i like this channel just as much sometimes more than my favorite movies & tv shows. When this awesome dude talks I have a crystal clear image in my mind of what he is discussing. You Rock my guy. Sorry i can’t think of any jokes. I just wanted to show a some love/appreciation for your amazing & hard work & research

[@1998anirudh]

I appreciate you pointing out that de spectris was an easy read in latin, I very much needed the practice and am reading it - my god, it's really amusing and whack, Paulina, bedsheet ghosts, and not to mention interesting observations about PTSD of soldiers in war . I feel mentioning the difficulty of the primary texts at the end can be quite useful for beginners of different classical languages .

[@DrunkenKnuckle]

Love the D&D drops, i imagine it goes over most people on this channel? Great Video @ESOTERICA!

[@ravendaly]

i gotta say, i absolutely ADORE your channel. the content is fascinating, rich + delightful + your dry wit is to die for. discovered you a few months ago + you’ve become one of my top go-to channels! bravo + keep it up!

[@hoominwifquats]

Fascinating episode, I enjoyed it immensely. Sign me up for that special edition for sure!

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

Thanks for your generous donation and kind comment !

[@teachnola10]

“The real lesson here is don’t dress up like Satan and break into people’s houses because they might stab you.” Whoa, way to bury the lede there, Dr Sledge.

[@spiritwaveluna461]

I have been waiting for this....

[@w.adammandelbaum1805]

Lavater invented the lavatory where he found that ghosts weren't pale, but in fact appeared to be quite flushed.

[@soraxp1]

When you said the sounds of strange animals it makes me immediately think of bobcats and their screams as a fellow michigander I know you can attest to that

[@ladylongsleeves3175]

I wasn’t feeling great and you made me relaxed in 2 minutes

[@ghfudrs93uuu]

I love that even as a skeptic I can enjoy how this channel presents the historicity of these texts

[@ktkatte6791]

it was always fun, when i began having sleep paralysis stuff (with the demons and bad spirits, all of that lol). At first I was so scared of it, I would be terrified to even go to sleep for weeks at a time. Sometimes those things would give me an experience like having a siezure; prayer worked to ward them off. Eventually I learned how to move, and reaching out for help in that state, i was taught how to fight back!!! it was cool. Ripping something that has been haunting and tormenting you, making you scared to sleep, into countless little bits and then flying off to explore the dark mirror to our world... i don't end up in that state as much these days but i dearly miss it at this point lol i did talk to a ghost in that state earlier this year, but she refused to explain why she was hovering over me and drawing my spirit out of my body. She did seem amused that i wasn't overly worried. why yes, i am aware that this all sounds insane and shouldn't be talked about besides!!!! but i can't help it, i think maybe i literally can't, which is it's own nightmare!!!

[@NoobToobJamarMemes]

Fascinating tale.

[@MichaelMcgarrity-ys8wf]

My Irish Grandmother, born in the late 1800s, reported Experience with Spirits such as Fairies altering perceptions with Fairy Glamour. There were Stories of; Banshee, Lorgathans, Leprechauns and other entities also. I miss my Grandmother. She was an extraordinary Irish Story Teller of the Summerlands, some parallel Dimension known long before Quantum Mechanics. I miss her and am working to remember and retell such Stories.

[@Ubu987]

Legend says that the Summerlands, also known as Tír na nÓg, the land of eternal youth, revealed their presence in the last flash of green as the sun set. If you watch a sunset, there actually is a flash of green before full night. Tolkien used this legend in the Silmarillion, where, in response to human hubris, the flat Earth was rendered spherical, and 'the old straight path' to the Blessed Lands became closed to man.

[@princesstsukittysan8]

I would absolutely love to hear her stories!

[@FD1111Ministries]

Would like to hear the stories

[@secretshaman189]

I really like your approach, it is not patronizing, just very curious, informative and fun!

[@tdarons]

Lol @ “it’s pretty chutzpahdik to stab a demon”… lolll

[@Ricca_Day]

Protesting Protestant here. I’ve seen spirits and known things since early childhood. From age 8, I was in a Southern Baptist church until my early twenties, but I never fit in. I’d have been burned at the stake 300-500 years ago.. probably, or maybe sainted, but these phenomena were hardly ever frightening. I’d love to say I think everything was just triggered types of psychological phenomena.. but I really can’t. This was fun. Yet another fabulous video from a brilliant professor!

[@SW-ii5gg]

Royal Ranger of First Assembly of God in NWGA, I was good with that program but living around some people including S.B. I couldn't fit in. I have had some insane experiences with spirits and universal consciousness that go to the very beginning of creation and eternity and some are disturbing.

[@MichaelYoder1961]

Great episode! Everyone loves a good ghost story. Thanks, Justin! Informative and your usual much appreciated sense of humour.

[@nightowlpete8223]

The amount of dry humor mixed with authentically amazing educational content is just..*chef's kiss*

[@josephgeorge5741]

Now all I can think of is playing a DND game with Dr. Sledge as the DM.

[@Bildgesmythe]

What a livestream!

[@holeymcsockpuppet]

Roll 20 for initiative Doctor Sledge!

[@ericgouw]

I have seen several ghosts, the last one it was my grandpa's. I stared at him thinking "if you are not really my grandpa, you will shape-shift". And he did.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Activating Algorithmic Spectrometer and return for actual watch after travel!

[@patricktilton5377]

I recently re-read Robert E. Howard's horror story "PIGEONS FROM HELL" which involved voodoo magic from Barbados or Haiti, and the creation of a 'zuvembie', a formerly human ghoul that haunts an evil location (in the story, an abandoned plantation house, Blassenville Manor, where cruelty to slaves was beyond the pale), possessing mesmeric powers, etc. I'm sure you've read it! I wonder if you know where REH got that bit of folklore about 'zuvembies' -- a variation on the 'zombie' motif common in the Caribbean (pre-Romero). Maybe the topic is worth an ESOTERICA video . . . ?

[@insanezenmistress]

The D&D reference was most highly appreciated, and delivered with great smoothness. For one moment i was thinking" oh i read that source befo- ohhh maaannnn"

[@archeojoel]

Quoting the Monster Manual is brilliant.

[@grimmace2131]

Bought my first Esoterica shirt today, before I saw that it was the featured one! Long time viewer, first time supporter. I always think "This is my favorite episode," but then there is another the next week. Keep up the phenomenal content.

[@PrincipledNaturalLaw]

I can attest to the feeling/perception of a malevolent presence that arise during episodes of sleep paralysis. I'm not invested or interested in spirits, demonic entities & the like, but during the 18-24 month period i experienced frequent episodes of sleep paralysis it became a disturbing issue, it's a very strong feeling...a very definite perception...and somewhat scary when it's occurring. Having made multiple attempts to stop the sleep paralysis experience with no joy, out of desperation i started leaving on electrical equipment, a TV with no sound/picture, after the reading/hearing successful accounts of this method to stop such experiences.... apparently due to the EM field being generated by the equipment...and the frequent episodes of SP stopped & after a couple of months i quit leaving the TV on & continued to have SP free sleep. Strange but true.

[@johnfeldmanvirginiarealestate]

This was the first video of yours that I have watched, and it was so darn good . . . that I had to subscribe!! I more than likely will $$ support you as well. Your delivery, your intelligence, and your humor intertwined with such information are awesome! Thanks for such insightful content! I am looking forward to watching more!

[@robertallen4774]

I've had occasion to look at a most interesting account of a medieval ghost in the Great Life of St Hugh of Lincoln. There we are told the physical body of a dead man was coming out of his grave to haunt people. St Hugh, being the Bishop of Lincoln, was asked for help by the ghost's victims. He writes a few verses from the Bible on a bit of parchment and has this buried on top of the unquiet grave. So, of course the very fleshly ghost never returns. I find a remarkable similarity in that story to the Nordic legends of what are called draugr; beings closer to what we might call zombies. I suspect that such a being is much closer to Shakespeare's ghost in Hamlet--which is, after all wearing the armor that Hamlet sr was buried in. Most scholars I've seen think these solid, bodily ghost were a matter of English folklore in Shakespeare's time. I'd be most interested in your opinion on this

[@Ubu987]

Hamlet's ghost appeared on an empty battlement, and then vanished when the cock crowed for dawn.

[@robertallen4774]

@@Ubu987 Well, it's a play, written to be performed in the theater of Shakespeare's time. The actor who played the ghost has to walk on stage and then walk off. There were no special effects of the sort we see in movies.

[@Ubu987]

@@robertallen4774 The dialog of the play itself describes how the ghost materializes from nowhere and then vanishes with first light.

[@robertallen4774]

@@Ubu987 Of course it does. That's the genius of Shakespeare. In King Lear, there's the famous storm scene. Lear comes on a stage that has no equipment to reproduce a storm, but he describes it . eloquently--"Blow winds, crack your cheeks, rage, blow," The audience experiences the storm though Lear. So in Hamlet. The ghost "disappears" through Hamlet's language, and that's what the audience sees, "in the mind's eye," while the guy in the ghost costume walks off--as he must

[@rtbinc2273]

In Anthropology ghosts are on the short list of things shared by all cultures. IIRC there were just 3. All cultures believe in ghosts, as in the spirits or some sort of manifestations of specific dead people. A taboo on incest with specific ritual exceptions - see Egypt - and cannibalism with specific ritual exceptions - see Aztecs.

[@9148H2]

In my notes for my Horror stories. I try to find out ways to make Ghosts unnerving and scary, and I had to figure out and think about the nature of the afterlife. It was there I started doing research on physics, paleontology, evolution and devolution, and the natural world, and mixing it in with Lovecraftian Cosmic horror for good measure. It was there I decided to make the afterlife, not a place to receive divine judgment or reward. The afterlife is like nature except strange, and upside down. Where instead of a Paradise what you get when a person dies is a spiritual ecosystem in a much larger jungle where the soul is at the bottom of the food chain. Where Humanity finally knows the truth that when we die, we are like that of mice and in the realm of the dead, and much larger predators are out there to consume us like Vipers hunting mice. I also thought that in order for a ghost to be scary, they can't be a ball of energy, or a transparent individual, or a floating corpse. They need to be a devolution of what they once were. Where their physical spectral forms are scrambled in bizarre shapes and forms that can lead a person to be disturbed and terrified. This also is a good Lovecraftian element as well, as even if you survive in the realm of the dead, you will become something less than what you once were, and more horrific in appearance to represent what the individual is psychologically, and also suffering from the madness the realm of death inflicts on the soul's consciousness that leads to its devolution is a cool way to think about how to make ghosts scary.

[@markvanderlinde281]

My dog used to chase something that I could hear and not see. Dog could not read.

[@glacier68]

Our cats have always defended the house from the Invisible Corner Demons(tm). Or perhaps Hounds of Tindalos. Can't quite tell.

[@FD1111Ministries]

18:19 Dr Justine is too funny 😅I’ve been laughing throughout this entire video

[@hunterfite4251]

I lol'd hard when you quoted the MM about Kobolds. Keep up the good work, brother.

[@hamiltonsarain9608]

This video interests me because I grew up in a so-called community of Spiritualists, with neighbors who claimed to be psychics and spirit mediums. They were either self-deluded or outright charlatans, and many were unhealthy. At 51, I'm still getting over the bitterness and resentment of having to grow up there. There was a lot of bad influences, and I was stigmatized for living there. I had Christians tell me that the place where I lived was "of the devil" and that I would burn in hell. Over the years, through my studies of Qabalah, some biblical Hebrew and what not, including THE CIPHER OF GENESIS by Carlo Suarès, I came to a worldview that is somewhat like what is known of that of the ancient Sadducees ('tzadoqim'). I rejected all the end-times stuff and afterlife fantasies. There is no afterlife, only LIFE. But I do believe in life after death, because people die and life goes on. We all should be working to pass on a better way of life to the future generations on this one planet earth. I enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work, 'b'shalom''!

[@neilsanzari9723]

“But also Tom Bombadil vibes” haha 😂 you have such a wonderful sense of humor.

[@davidsantana4276]

Great video as always! I can definitely see how Lavater’s views influenced protestantism at large, as these are the exact same views exposed in Jehovah’s Witness doctrine.

[@Bildgesmythe]

I went to a fundamentalist church where everything was demons. Aliens, ghosts, unruly children, all demons. I didn't fit in well.

[@theeccentrictripper3863]

It's all Yog-Sothoth "Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth."

[@natureswrath7665]

@@theeccentrictripper3863 A fellow worshiper of the Old Ones. May Azathoth's dream guide you well.

[@theeccentrictripper3863]

@@natureswrath7665 Just a fan of my guy Lovecraft, if the Old Ones were really out there I'm staying as far away as I can get, I'm no Randolph Carter lol

[@owlobsidian6965]

That place actually sounds really fun!

[@edwardvgarrick8748]

@@natureswrath7665 do you have a Instagram? I’d like to see what you post if anything

[@brandoncornwell52]

Dr Sledge, your library it’s surely a rare assemblage, and I cannot but respect the care and time that you have most necessarily dedicated to curating that collection. It is going to take me so long to educate myself on the content of each of these videos. It is refreshing to have religious subjects presented and detailed without so much bias that almost always manifests even unintended. This has quickly become my favorite channel. Thanks , again

[@Beadledom2024]

Your sense of humor is endearing. I very much enjoyed your lecture.

[@FD1111Ministries]

I know; I always laugh throughout his videos! My kiddos would watch them with me from time to time too

[@JP-bx1qm]

"Thanks, Clerical Underground Necromancers" 😂😎

[@johngregson6252]

Take that Casper! That got a good laugh out of me!

[@crancourt1789]

"Chutzpahdik" is NOT an adjective I've ever heard before, but I feel inclined to find great joy in it. 🤔 I feel like it's the perfect description for my cat that I've sought for so long.

[@Angayasse]

I imagine that Dr. Sledge would be an AWESOME rpg DM!

[@fluffbrain9832]

a ghost tried to lie to me once, but I saw right through it

[@darlebalfoort8705]

My God, your studies are fascinating.

[@ninthlevelcantrip799]

I'm newer to the channel and the MM reference caught me off guard. I am now in love with the channel

[@RepAlbertThomas]

After watching your channel over the last couple years, I realized I’d really want to play D&D with you. Call of Cuthulu is on the table if that’s more your speed.

[@josephkiddy3331]

I love this channel for all the things I steal from it to world build in dungeons and dragons, making the DnD references all the more enjoyable

[@jerm2011]

Spirit exists. I know this because ive seen it with my own eyes. Some are human, it seems. Others are less so.

[@tonybalongna]

if we go by the demons are Giants narrative and assume they spread their genetics I don’t think it’s insane to believe some people did certain rituals and intentionally or unintentionally got themselves stuck

[@jorgeblanco1929]

"Take that, Casper" 😂

[@grownreserected7935]

After my sister passed away on her own terms after 20 years of suffering from MS. I remember coming home after the day after the news, visiting my parents for a day and sitting on the couch for a brief moment before needing to get the kids ready for bed I saw something changed my personal perspective on the after life. I watched in shock as the large baby gate lifted off the wall it was leaning on, stood for a moment and then fell over. My wife saw it, my oldest child saw it and the little ones were awoken by it. I tried to rationalize it, but the angle at which it was leaning and no one being around it combined with its sheer weight as it was solid wood and metal, it was not possible for it to do that unless a strong physical force did it.

[@jesseglass5674]

Bravo! Would love to see an exploration of Talmudic ghost lore; of Icelandic ghosts and magic as per the old sagas; of the history of grimoires from the blue book editions to 20th c. pulp press editions; and of the magical practices of the German Protestants of Pennsylvania--Moravians, Germantown Pietists, Mennonites, Dunkards etc. This area was also a center of 18th c. American occult practice. I love what you are doing and am spreading the word. Jesse

[@GiordanoBruno42]

My Mum has always believed in ghosts. She told me that her family had been involved in seances in her great grandmother's day. I am a skeptic, but I'm open to the idea that a minority of ghost reports are describing some kind of unknown physical phenomenon.

[@LaceR.Griffin]

(but also Tom Bombadil vibes) Dr. Sledge, I spent my childhood rereading Tolkien and I could not be more pleased to find this gem. ✨

[@KTempestBradford]

That was so fun! Now I want to read it. Also, I feel like you'd be a ton of fun to play D&D with.

[@alanaalpert4990]

He is 😊

[@LordRoku-]

i had night terrors a few times one time i could feel someones breath on my neck my God that was so scary

[@CloneShockTrooper]

People behind the Ghostbusters should hire you to advise on ghost matters definitely

[@Wayneeeeeeeeeeeeex33]

thanks for the English link!! love ur channel

[@M0U53B41T]

Really cool! This is going on my list of books to read/find for sure

[@hamiltonsarain9608]

I mentioned THE CIPHER OF GENESIS by Carlo Suarès in my previous comment, and I feel compelled to add that, years ago, I read an edition that doesn't have that introduction by that New Age "quantum woo" guy, Gregg Braden. I recently learned that he visited the place where I grew up a while back.

[@freyahah290]

"Oft have I digg'd up dead men from their graves, And set them upright at their dear friends' doors, Even when their sorrows almost were forgot; And on their skins, as on the bark of trees, Have with my knife carved in Roman letters, 'Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead.'"

[@babyface3396]

Gotta love the logic on this dude. "I saw a man in a field 'doing things' with a mare, and I thought it was my friend, but since my friend was asleep in bed it surely must have just been a demon trying to convince me that my friend is a sinner!" Like, I guess that's one way to interpret the situation. but did it ever cross your mind that, maybe, in the dark of night, you just saw some other dude who _looked like_ your friend 'doing things' with a horse?

[@ColinTedford]

Oh, I thought he said "mayor"! That puts a whole new complexion on it.

[@kyugull]

I will admit that I do not come here for comedy, but you had some good lines in this one. Made me chuckle.

[@manuelsosa7397]

I work in a scientific research institution that is located in a building that is 80 years old. Out of sheer skepticism I don't believe in ghosts but I am more than interested in real proof of their existence. And the "proof" came last year when a researcher photographed the corridor of my laboratory and in the photo there is a diffuse silhouette where no one should be. My specialty is image processing so I submitted the photo that came into my hands to various experiments without finding fabrication or gross alterations. Now I look sideways every time I close everything before I go home! Haha

[@Ubu987]

Look behind you...

[@giuseppersa2391]

A stunningly entertaining episode thank you! 🌹☺️

[@beatnikbulba9891]

You linked the wrong video at De La Porta's mention. Just letting you know. Great video! Love your work. Edit : Love the little jokes scattered about this one.

[@jojones4685]

Cool episode!

[@MinaDeborah]

I know it's out there, but I was always convinced that sleep paralysis is actually us getting in touch with entities when we're in between sleep and reality.

[@rodrigomachado5291]

It is, I believe so.

[@MinaDeborah]

@Al Jean agreed

[@ColinTedford]

@Al Jean I doubt it and have experienced it.

[@NotSoNormal1987]

I've never experienced any sort of entity during sleep paralysis. Which I'm quite thankful for.

[@rodrigomachado5291]

@@NotSoNormal1987 sleep paralysis itself is awful in and of itself. With a dark malevolent entity, it’s potentiated. I hope you never get to experience malevolent presences while paralyzed. Worst feeling in my life.

[@LupusYonderboy13]

Another inspired video from my favorite scholar!

[@eljefeamericano4308]

Being that this video mentioned necromancers, and acting under the assumption that a lot of you here will appreciate what I have to say here, I'd like to suggest a fictional series. Johannes Cabal, by Jonathan L. Howard. It's a pretty entertaining series, and I'm constantly imagining the things Johannes would have to say about the material this channel discusses. The first book involves said necromancer being forced into running a touring circus, to honor a deal with the devil. It is absolutely as enjoyable to read as that sounds. Take care, everyone!

[@wyrdflex5863]

10:47 thank you for this advice..... I needed to hear it.

[@JosePerez-ld8qg]

Sage advice indeed

[@clifb.3521]

Such a good episode/whatever it’s called. #NormalizeGhosts Time slips or not as long as people have been writing they’ve been writing about ghosts. Can you DIG IT

[@RJ420NL]

Using Kobolds with ballista i.e. heavy crossbows and a few well-placed traps, I killed a party of 7th level adventurers. The surviving kobolds were ecstatic, afterwards quite wealthy and had serious bragging rights. The PCs were less enthused.

[@lucasmilone5902]

Great video Dr Sledge! Would you consider doing a video on Teilhard de Chardin? A very interesting figure that is very often not spoken about.

[@galloe8933]

Kobalds slay with low level, or story dependent intricate traps for challenging higher level parties.

[@blixten2928]

What fun, I am really looking forward to this!!

[@koenigcochran]

I didn't realize there was Catholic necromancy going on. What are the most compelling attestations we have?

[@Bildgesmythe]

The Dr and the Modern Hermeticst did a collaboration on the condemnation of 1398.

[@seansean8948]

“I saw you fornicating with a mare!” “Nonsense! I am the mayor!” “No a MARE!” “Ah I see-for a moment I thought you had quite lost your mind!”

[@craigm2484]

It seems I have found the correct channel .Have a Wonderful Day Friends 🙏🏻