Can Kids Really See Ghosts?

There’s something special about childhood. An innocence that allows them to see the world in a different way. A time when anything feels possible and magical creatures might just be real. It’s no wonder why so many people are fascinated by the idea that children can see ghosts.

But can they really? Are kids more sensitive to spirits? Can they be psychic? Let’s take a look at some of the evidence for and against the idea that children can see ghosts.

Evidence For

There are a few key pieces of evidence that suggest children may be more likely to see ghosts. The first is anecdotal evidence. If you ask around, you’re bound to find someone who knows a kid (or was one themselves) who has had a paranormal experience. While this isn’t scientific proof, it does suggest that there may be something to the phenomenon.

The second piece of evidence is research on near-death experiences (NDEs). Kids have reported having NDEs at rates similar to adults, despite the fact that they haven’t lived nearly as long and therefore haven’t had as many opportunities to die. This suggests that whatever mechanism allows people to have NDEs may be more active in children than adults.

The last piece of evidence is studies on mediumship. Mediums are people who claim to be able to communicate with the dead, and research has shown that children are more likely than adults to report communicated with spirits during mediumship sessions.

Evidence Against

Of course, there is also evidence against the idea that children can see ghosts. The first is simple statistics. The vast majority of people will never have a paranormal experience, child or adult. So, even if children are more likely to have such an experience, the number of people who actually do is still going to be very small.

The second piece of evidence is research on so-called “false memories.” It’s now understood that our memories are far from perfect and can easily be influenced by outside factors such as suggestion. This means that some “ghost” sightings by children could simply be mistaken memories of something they’ve seen in a movie or TV show or heard about from friends.

Conclusion:
So what’s the verdict? Can kids really see ghosts? Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer either way. Some suggestive evidence points towards yes while other equally suggestive evidence says no. In the end, it may just come down to individual cases and whether or not you’re willing to believe someone’s personal testimony.