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I Think, Therefore I am
By Mike Hyland
Executive Director, NEPPA
In 1637, French scientist René Descartes wrote his philosophy paper entitled, Discourse on the Method. From that autobiographical treatise, came his most famous philosophical quote "Cogito, ergo sum", translated to "I think, therefore I am".
Descartes was a renowned mathematician and philosopher living in the Netherlands. Although possibly seen as crazy at the time, Descartes life’s work explored the concept of “mind-body dualism” and he was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution.
Fast forward to 1949, when british philosopher Gilbert Ryle followed up on Descartes' mind–body dualism. Ryles’ writings found within his paper, The Concept of Mind, highlighted the view of Descartes and others that mental and physical activity occur simultaneously but separately. In many ways, Ryles disagreed with Descartes concept of mind-body dualism, and instead Ryles himself coined the phrase "Ghost in the Machine" to critique the notion that the body and the mind are ordinarily harnessed together. Ryles stated that after the death of the body, the mind may continue to exist and function. From Ryles work, the term “Ghost in the Machine” took on a life of its own. The English rock band The Police used Ghost in the Machine as the title of their fourth album and claimed the title was based on the 1967 Koestler book, based on Ryles 1949 work. Many in the computing world also use the term Ghost in the Machine to describe odd outcomes or errant routines that operated unintended in their computer programs. For example: "the computer had a mind of its own" or "there’s a ghost in the machine". I know - and I hear you loudly – “Mike, what the heck does this have to do with NEPPA?” One minute please. I’m getting there.
These concepts, originating back as far as Descartes in the 1600’s, helped to try and make sense of whether ghosts were truly possible. The term ghosts has been around centuries, and stories dating back in almost every language describe spirits, wraiths, demons, specters, ghouls, etc. Many other scary names were used as well, showing a long history of men, women and children being frightened of the unknown.
Well, NEPPA’s office has the preverbal Ghost in the Machine. Let that sink in. Ghosts…
When I started at NEPPA in 2022, Senior Safety Trainer Steve Socoby warned me about the ghosts in the garage. I thought it was amusing, and maybe Steve’s way of saying "welcome to the team", but, it’s not just Steve, it’s others as well. For instance, more than once I’ve arrived at NEPPA around 7 AM and the place is lit up like a Christmas Tree. At my home I’d yell at the kids for leaving all the lights on, but here at NEPPA, I realize some of my staff are simply fighting off the shadows, the glimpses of someone in the other room, the random noises…
Yep, I’ll admit to being the biggest chicken of the group (well… Hannah may be a close second). Last Friday, I thought I saw someone enter the building by the front door and walk down the hall toward the garage. Now this isn’t too odd of an occurrence at NEPPA, since the delivery drivers and post office personnel frequently use our bathroom as a friendly rest stop. But this was Friday, I’m alone, and the doors are locked. And then I thought - maybe it’s Deb who visits the NEPPA offices to clean at weeks end. Regardless of who, I needed to find out.
Thus, I quickly go into the hallway to chase down the visitor, and no one’s there. The lights are off, no signs of life. Hmmm…. Well, maybe I moved too slowly and they reached the garage. The door is locked, so I unlock the garage door, and all is good and quiet…..and dark. As I turn to go back to my office, both bathrooms in the garage flush, then both lights in the hallway bathrooms turn on, and all 4 stalls flush – women’s and men’s. Needless to say, I ran back to my office. I was struggling with my own mind – body dualism. My body was fine; however my mind was in fight or flight mode.
Now I have tried to rationalize what occurs here at NEPPA. The majority of us – but certainly not all staff – believe the buildings take on a life of their own. Being the engineer, I do what most researchers do today when they have a question…. go to the internet. 😊 So, in all honesty, I have spent more time going down magical rabbit holes about the spirit world than I should have. Late nights spent on my laptop instead of going up to bed at a reasonable hour, only contribute to my ghostly visions at NEPPA.
Here are a few explanations I have found online for why some people experience the supernatural. I’m confident you can look up many of the crazy theories yourself, but here are some of the items pertinent to this discussion. Certain physical conditions can be linked to an increase in sightings: mold in basements and walls, low level CO2, and certain infrasound frequencies under 20 hertz have been linked to reports of inhabitants feeling terror. They cause the classic “Haunted House” to actually become true.
Lack of sleep and stress have also been proven to cause individuals to have visions of the boogeyman. I firmly believe that this is the area from which I am plagued. Working through the week full of caffeine to overcome the lack of sleep or putting too much stress on myself isn’t healthy. It not only might cause visions of the ghosts of Christmas past, but it can prove deadly when driving or working in high-risk environments. I know – I’m preaching to the choir.
So, as we wind down October 2026, NEPPA and its trainers want everyone to focus on Halloween and the end of Daylights Savings. It’s a double whammy this year as trick or treaters will be out on Saturday night October 31st, and the annual "turn back the clocks" event occurs at 2:00 AM on Sunday November 1st. Statistically, pedestrians are at a 43% higher risk of being fatally hit by drivers on Halloween. One study indicates that small children aged 4 to 8 years may experience up to a 10-fold risk for pedestrian fatality on Halloween.
And the same trend goes for the end of Daylights Savings Time. Evening rush hours in the dark after a long day in the office while your circadian rhythm is slightly off can lead to a 16% increase in vehicle accidents with pedestrians, animals and other vehicles.
It’s important that we focus on proper rest, look to reduce stress, and operate our vehicles with safety in mind. That ghost in the NEPPA hallway may or may not be real. However, that group of short little goblins walking in the street might actually be your neighbors' kids. Drive safely as we head into the spooky season called winter. People’s lives depend on it.
Have a great Halloween! And when in Littleton, come get Hannah and I out from under our desks. I think, therefore I am.
-Mike
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