Ghost stories have been with humankind for thousands of years.  There are written accounts from the Chinese and Greeks, for example, which make up some of the earliest writings of hauntings.  But do people in our modern, well-educated civilization actually believe in ghosts?

In the United States, the answer seems to be "yes."  According to a survey taken in 2003, more than half of the population considers ghosts are real.  The belief is in spite of the questionable scientific evidence.  The poll also revealed that few people have ever seen any spiritual being, and have simply based their beliefs on TV and movies.

Many popular programs and movies have been inspired by real-life ghost stories.  However, many have turned out to be false and exaggerated before Hollywood even rewrote the story.  Others have been manipulated by Hollywood so much that they don't even look like the original tale.  But it doesn't matter so much how Hollywood has changed the ghost stories, because the real-life ones seem much less remarkable.  Objects don't fly across the room, and people aren't possessed by spirits.  At best, some describe a creepy feeling, or see strange spots of light on film, or see something out of the corner of their eye.

But TV and movies are everywhere in today's world, so they often subtly affect people.  They influence society's beliefs, the same as ghost stories did long ago.

How about you?  Do you believe in ghosts?

Previews:

• Ghost Story:  Do you know any ghost stories, or stories about the strange and supernatural?  Get into pairs, and briefly tell a story about ghosts or the supernatural to him/her.

• Brainstorm Questions:  Brainstorm questions that you would like to ask about today's topic. Answer the questions without looking at the article.
  

• post-Comprehension: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!

• Google Search: Type "ghosts" into Google. Look at the websites, and/or read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or write an essay about your findings.