Children Terrified Of Ghosts

According to a leading child psychologist, at least a third of his patients believe they see ghosts. The psychologist related a recent case concerning a young boy who was so terrified of a ghost that he would take several knives to bed with him each night for protection.

'The boy could actually describe the character and features of the ghost he believed he saw,' the doctor said. 'Apparently whenever he stabbed it with his knife it would break into five pieces, and then he would have five ghosts coming at him.

'In desperation his mother placed him on a mild sedative, but even then he would grind his teeth as if he were battling the ghost in his sleep.'

The psychologist told me he uses several techniques to banish the ghostly images, including using the child's imagination to concoct a good ghost to fight off the bad.

'I try to get the child to use their imagination against whatever is bothering them. I'll help them put together a better, stronger image to fight off whatever the problem is,' he explained.

'I also use a technique that is practiced by many tribes, which involves taking the person back into their nightmare and changing the outcome.'

The doctor also believes a child can be greatly influenced by the type of program they are allowed to watch on television.

'At least a third of the children I see are convinced that ghosts and demons exist,' the psychologist said.

'I have been advising parents very strongly about how fertile a child's imagination is and encouraging them to closely monitor their viewing habits.

'For some children, what is portrayed on television is very real. They have trouble distinguishing fiction from reality.'

Recently, the psychologist was asked by his local church to conduct a children's activity forum.

During the session, he asked the children about ghosts.

The response from the children was not surprising, but what was amazing was the reaction from the parents and priest.

'I was talking to the children about a young boy who believed he had seen a ghost,' the doctor explained.

'Suddenly, every child in the room started talking about their own experiences with ghosts.

'I then asked the parents if they had any experiences to share. To my surprise they all opened up and told me about houses they had lived in that were haunted and ghostly apparitions they had seen.

'Then the priest recalled an exorcism he was asked to perform. He said that when he entered the house he immediately felt something was trying to choke him.'

The psychologist concluded by saying that he is in the 'mind game' and he is very aware of the tricks, ghosts included, that the mind can play on an individual.'