13/04/2024
In my teens at boarding school, I dashed back to class post-prep, forgetting an item. With a friend by my side, we hurried through the dimly lit corridors, anxious not to miss "lights-out." The school, aged 70, had its share of ghostly tales. Most infamous was the "Green Lady," a fluorescent spectre said to haunt the dorms.
As we passed the canteen, a glance towards the assembly hall revealed two mysterious figures at its steps. We halted, hearts pounding. "Green Lady!" my friend gasped. And then, one of the shadows waved! Terror gripped us, and we fled to our dormitories, fear propelling our steps.
The next morning, under the bright sun, we returned to the scene of our fright. In the daylight, the two figures transformed into innocuous potted banana plants, part of the upcoming Speech Day decorations. Relief washed over us, laughter bubbling up at our nighttime fright turned daytime folly.
Thoughts of ghosts and spirits transformed two innocuous potted banana plants into a couple of ghosts! Ridiculous, isn't it?
Yet, how have we been fooled by our own thinking to see something out there, which actually is not there? Are you really seeing what you are seeing? Or are you seeing what you are thinking? 👀
We look with our eyes 👀 and see with our brain 🧠