Prophets, Visions and Ghosts

I find it interesting that at one point in time people relied on prophets and such to make religious and day to day decisions. I know so many people who are dead set against such things. They believe so emphatically that these sort of things are of the devil that it is hard for me to believe that at one point in time people of an extremely early Christian religion. Also, there are so many chase in the bible of people talking to angels and spirits but today people have a hard time believing other people when they have seen a ghost.