Skeptoid

Skeptoid #1023: What Accounts for Ghost Encounters?

January 13, 2026

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  • The host of Skeptoid #1023: What Accounts for Ghost Encounters? asserts that ghost experiences are likely caused by a combination of neurological triggers, perceptual/cognitive errors, and environmental factors, rather than actual ghosts. 
  • Skeptical investigators like Ben Radford and Kenny Biddle have solved numerous alleged ghost cases by identifying physical causes such as insects on camera lenses, moon reflections, camera flash artifacts, and hoaxes. 
  • Human memory is highly unreliable, with up to 40% of major details being wrong within ten years, and stress/fear (amygdala activation) further impairs rational reasoning during purported paranormal events. 

Segments

Introduction and Episode Premise
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(00:00:03)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode Skeptoid #1023: What Accounts for Ghost Encounters? will explain probable causes for ghost experiences since ghosts are scientifically impossible.
  • Summary: The host reiterates the previous episode’s conclusion that ghosts cannot exist according to current science. This episode aims to explain the real causes behind the many ghost encounters people report. Extended content for premium members will cover a live show experience explaining these encounters in real time.
Sponsor Read: Conspiracy Theories Podcast
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(00:00:47)
  • Key Takeaway: Crime House and Pave Studios launched a new weekly podcast, Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes, covering shocking true stories.
  • Summary: The new podcast covers true crime, cults, and conspiracy theories, releasing every Wednesday. It features infamous cases like Jonestown and JFK, alongside hidden horrors. Listeners can follow the show or subscribe to Crime House Plus for ad-free access.
Sponsor Read: Warby Parker
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(00:01:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Warby Parker offers affordable prescription glasses and sunglasses, along with eye exams and insurance acceptance.
  • Summary: Warby Parker is positioned as a one-stop shop for vision needs, providing expertly crafted, affordable eyewear. Customers can try frames virtually via their app or visit a physical store. They also offer eye exams and accept vision insurance.
Recap of Ghost Science Survey
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(00:02:28)
  • Key Takeaway: A prior survey of physics, energy, and scientific methods found no evidence supporting the existence of ghosts.
  • Summary: The host reminds listeners that a previous show concluded there were no replicable observations or gaps in the standard model that require ghosts for explanation. Despite this, people continue to have genuine experiences they attribute to ghosts. The current episode seeks to identify the true causes for these experiences.
Investigator Insights on Physical Causes
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(00:03:44)
  • Key Takeaway: Skeptical investigators solve many ghost cases by identifying physical phenomena like out-of-focus insects, light reflections, or misidentified people.
  • Summary: Skeptical investigators accompany ghost hunters to solve reports, often finding mundane explanations instead of paranormal activity. Examples include glowing apparitions being insects near camera lenses or moonlight reflecting off asphalt driveways. Misidentification, such as seeing another tour guest in a dark museum, is also a common cause.
Hoaxes and Marketing Stunts
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(00:07:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Hoaxes are a real component of the ghost phenomenon, ranging from attention-seeking individuals to staff using hauntings as marketing ploys.
  • Summary: The segment highlights instances where paranormal activity was deliberately faked, such as a seance leader lifting a table with his knee or restaurant staff creating hauntings for publicity. Kenny Biddle advises documenting everyone present at an event to prevent confusion arising from hoaxes.
Neurological Triggers Explained
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(00:08:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Dramatic ghost experiences, like apparitions or paralysis, are often explained by neurological states such as sleep paralysis, hypnagogia, and hypnopompia.
  • Summary: Sleep paralysis involves feeling held down or seeing bedside apparitions as the body transitions between sleep and wakefulness. Hypnagogia (falling asleep) and hypnopompia (waking up) can cause auditory or visual hallucinations that jolt the person awake, leaving a strong impression of reality.
Sponsor Read: Skeptoid Sailing Adventure
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(00:09:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Skeptoid is hosting a skeptical sailing adventure in the Mediterranean Sea in April 2026 with archaeologist Dr. Flint Dibble.
  • Summary: The trip sails from Málaga, Spain, to Nice, France, aboard the SV Royal Clipper, featuring a skeptical mini-conference at sea. Flint Dibble will serve as the onboard expert on archaeology and history for the ports visited. Bookings are available now at skeptoid.com/adventures.
Perceptual and Cognitive Errors
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(00:11:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The brain’s necessary shortcuts for processing reality, like pattern-seeking and pareidolia, create an imperfect abstraction layer prone to generating phantom images.
  • Summary: The brain simulates reality using only 1% high-detail processing, relying on assumptions for the rest, which results in perceptual errors like seeing faces in shadows (pareidolia). Furthermore, memory is highly malleable; confidence in a memory remains high even when major details are factually incorrect over time.
Environmental Factors and Stress Response
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(00:15:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Unfamiliar, dark, or unsettling environments trigger the acute stress response, impairing judgment and causing the brain to prioritize survival instincts over rational analysis.
  • Summary: Environmental factors include physical phenomena like lens flare or unexpected light reflections, but also sensory disorientation from new spaces. Stress elevates adrenaline and cortisol, shifting brain activity from the prefrontal cortex to the amygdala, leading to impaired judgment and vivid, yet inaccurate, memories.
Conclusion on Ghost Experience Explanation
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(00:18:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The host cannot offer a specific explanation for an individual’s ghost experience without on-site investigation because memory is flawed and the stress response overrides accurate perception.
  • Summary: When recounting an experience, an individual is likely wrong about half the major details due to memory degradation. The fight-or-flight response prevented them from experiencing the actual event accurately. Therefore, the cause could be neurological, perceptual, or environmental, requiring a skeptical investigator to determine the specific source.
Outro and Support Information
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(00:19:49)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode concludes by promoting premium content, thanking supporters, and listing upcoming live events and production credits.
  • Summary: Premium supporters gain access to extended content, including a live show explaining ghost experiences. Upcoming events include a presentation in Bend, Oregon, and a blood drive in Vancouver, Washington. Skeptoid is a production of Skeptoid Media, researched and written by Brian Dunning.