God vs. Ghosts

Sometimes I find that my beliefs contradict themselves, because although I don't believe in god, I do believe in ghosts and spirits. Are gods and ghosts in the same category? Can one believe in one without the other? Both are in the supernatural category. Both are used to explain events that are otherwise uexplainable. Both are either strongly supported or not believed in at all. I have never had an exerience that proved to me the existence of an all-powerful god, nor do I choose to believe in "miracles". I do, however, believe in ghosts and spirits because I have had experiences with such beings. Yes, it could be possible that I am simply using the idea of ghosts to exlain things that I do not understand, but it is also possible that what I saw and heard was real. Without proof I am extremely cynical, and I have proof in my own mind that ghosts exist. God, on the other hand, has no bearing in my life and the very thought of an all-powerful being is laughable to me. That does not mean I do not respect the beliefs of others, it is simply my choice. I expect that others will laugh at my belief in ghosts and other phenomena, but I have accepted that. So the question remains: Are ghosts and god the same thing? If you really think about it, it seems silly to believe in one and not the other. Before I had several experiences with "ghosts", I did not believe in them. Physical proof is needed to get past my stubborn and cynical barrier, and I got the proof I needed. But I digress.
Ghosts and god are in the same category, but there are differences. There have been theories put forward that ghosts are simply imprints of energy from the past. God, however, is something that faith alone can prove. Yes, there are some so-called "miracles", but I am sure most of them could be explained by science, and in some cases even common sense. However, I will not rule out the possibility that a supernatural force may have something to do with it, although I do not believe that it is a god. The majority of the human brain is still a mystery to us, so maybe humans are the ones who are creating these "miracles". People have their own reasons for believing in things. Maybe I need to believe in ghosts for some reason, or maybe they are real. Maybe there is a god, even though I do not believe in it. Many people receive comfort from their own beliefs, so I suppose it does not matter whether ghosts and gods are real, as long as people are happy with their beliefs.

Time Flies

Time, in its essence, is something that cannot be seen, heard, or touched. It can, however, be seen and felt through the passing of years as both living beings and inanimate objects deteriorate. Take for example Stonehenge in the U.K. This mammoth ring of stones has seen the passage of thousands of years of history from about 3100 BC to the present day, and yet it still stands. Although Stonehenge is certainly not as glorious as it once was, this megalithic structure proves that at some point in history, before time was recorded in a way that we are all familiar with, human beings (or aliens, if you more inclined to that theroy...) existed and prospered. Anywhere you look there is evidence of the passing of time; towering trees, libraries filled with books, and even reruns on television. Just this morning I watched a rerun of Spongebob while getting ready for brunch, and even that shows how the passage of time changes things. When I was little and watched shows like Spongebob when they first aired, the animation was fuzzy and not as professional as it is now, which proves that time aids in progress. (And I am not ashamed to admit that I watch cartoons on occasion--sometimes a little mindless entertainment gives the brain a much needed rest).
With the passage of time comes the question of why time passes at different rates for different people. Will time pass more slowly for a person who is thinking about time than for a person who is out taking advantage of it? For example; two people have an hour to "spare", one decides to do homework, and the other decides to meet a friend for lunch. I am assuming that time will appear to pass more quickly for the person who is out with his or her friend, and time will drag for the person doing homework. I suppose the phrase "Time flies when you're having fun" is quite appropriate in almost any situation. I have always wondered why time appears to move faster while enjoying oneself and moves much more slowly when one is doing a mundane task such as homework or even just waiting for a certain hour to arrive. I suppose looking into the matter further might provide some sort of an answer, but at the moment I am running out of time for this blog entry.

Regarding Time

I thought that it would be interesting to express my views on "time" before reading the article that Professor Johnson gave us, and seeing if my perception differs after reading it.
I have thought on the subject of time before, but not extensively. Being a bit of a Sci-Fi nerd gives me that predisposition, I suppose...I know that the concept of time as a twenty-four hour day with sixty minute hours is man-made, and I also know that man has been keeping a sense of time for thousands of years. Something that I have always wondered is why we feel the need to keep time in the first place. Who came up with the idea of a set time? I am sure there is an answer to that somewhere, if I only had the patience to look. If man created time, then there couldn't be time without man...but what about before man? Did the dinosaurs have some concept of time, even if it was only what time to eat or sleep? Time should be a simple thing. Wake up at 10:00 a.m. Go to class at noon. Eat dinner at 5:30. Go to bed at 11:30. But thinking more deeply into the concept of time reveals a unanswerable amount of questions that will boggle the mind. Going back to the Sci-Fi geek in me, does time travel exist? Is there some way to stop or bend time? Can people from the future come visit us in the present...or does the future even exist? If a human knew nothing of time or the possibility of growing old, would they still age in the same manner? All of these questions are almost impossible to answer.
I suppose my final statement on time for the present is this: Time is a measuremet created by humans for the purpose of maintaining a semblance of order and schedule. I suppose that will have to do until I look into the matter further.