# No real ghost has ever hurt a human

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-tony-cornell-ghosts-never-hurt
- Themes: ghosts, fear, investigation
- Life situations: fear of the paranormal

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Cambridge/London Psychic Research friend Dr Tony Cornell — 'head ghost hunter of Great Britain and Northern Ireland' — always took a professional magician to supposed hauntings. His finding over a century of cases: genuine poltergeist objects may fly and crash, but they never hit a human.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

And I remember one of the guys I knew in that society, you can actually get him on uh the internet if you want. Dr. Tony Cornell. He was a another good friend of ours. And I remember he would give this this uh business card which was a beautiful business card to have. It was legitimate, but the head ghost hunter of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. And I remember sometimes, if there was any ghost stories in the Sunday newspapers, he'd be the one who wrote it. He was real. He was a real ghost hunter. But, one of the things he'd always say, he'd always go to these supposedly hauntings with a professional music uh professional magician. Cuz magicians just knew how you could deceive people. And he wanted to make sure that what he actually saw was real. And many times there were real occurrences of like hauntings. But, first thing that no ghost has ever in all of the history of hauntings in UK, no real story of a ghost has ever hurt a human being. And he told me that sometimes in some of these rooms, the things were flying all over the place and crashing into the wall. But, they would never crash into a human. They would always miss you. Always. And that's over 100 years of research. So, first of all, there's no need to feel afraid if you hear anything which is a little bit strange.

## Teaching point

In Buddhist cosmology humans rank above ghosts; fear is unnecessary.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Ajahn Brahm's ghost-hunter friend Tony Cornell always brought a magician to expose tricks. In genuine cases objects might fly about, he found, but never hit a person. Whatever you believe, fear isn't needed. A strange noise needn't own your night. Stay calm and curious.

## Source

- [Buddhism and Ghosts | Ajahn Brahm | 10 March 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 24:25 to 26:21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fga9-6vFM&t=1465s

Other tellings of this story:

- [12 Insight into craving & happiness - Ajahn Brahm January 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcfdTmx-d8Q) (BSWA Retreats 2011-15 & Media) — watch from 39:29 to 40:09: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcfdTmx-d8Q&t=2369s
- [Friday Night Guided Meditation | Ajahn Brahm | 6 November 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pTRwqdP1jQ) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 0:34 to 1:19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pTRwqdP1jQ&t=34s