April 25, 2010 By Stephen Ellis
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column about phony pictures of ghosts and UFOs. The response was so significant that I believe a second column is in order.
I’ve just finished reviewing two books published by David & Charles Publications entitled “Ghosts Caught on Film” and “Ghosts Caught on Film 2”. Although extremely similar in content, the first was written by Dr. Melvyn Willin and the second by Jim Easton. Both were recognized members of the Society for Psychical Research located in Cambridge, England.
The reason their books were set-apart from so many other ghost photo books is that both authors took the time to point-out what makes a ghost photo authentic, and what makes it a “fake”. I’m going to add my own rules for detecting the fake ones:
The first question any viewer should ask is “Why was the photo taken?” Most ghosts and UFOs do not stop to pose for the camera. When I see a photo of an empty corridor with the image of someone or something at the end of the corridor and the photographer swears there was nothing there when the photo was taken, a red light flashes in my head: Why would someone take a picture of an empty corridor…or an empty staircase? If it is not immediately obvious as to why the photo was taken, it is likely a phony! Why would someone go into a cemetery and take a photo of some headstones of people they don’t know…and when the picture is printed, a small girl appears to be peeking out from behind one of the grave markers…or a white mist appears in the print
It simply doesn’t make sense! I’m a very strong believer in ghosts and the paranormal, but it has to make sense or I don’t believe it. When I look at a ghost photo, and I see the ghost wearing robes…or even any form of clothing, I immediately suspect that it’s a fake. When the body dies, and the energy that was its mind/aura leaves that body…it is not dressed! It is pure energy. Energy does not wear clothes.
It may seem strange, but genuine ghost pictures can frequently distinguish a face. Especially when the subject of the photo is someone who often thinks about that dead person and how they looked. “The face in that photo seems to be the face of my dead father…”
There have been innumerable photos claiming to be genuine where dead soldiers, sailors and marines appear wearing their uniforms or combat fatigues. Maybe that’s to help identify them, but the energy that was their mind has no need for clothing because it’s not a physical body.
Then I look for light anomalies: Is the orb or light section near the edge of the photo? If so, it’s probably light that seeped into the camera or droplets of water on the lens, creating the affect of a ghostly image. Is the spot of light created by artificial light or a flashlight? Look for the positions of shadows. Wispy effects are usually created with smoke. And then there are the pranksters who think they are smarter than everyone else who will use steam or silly-string to create mysterious effects.
Although I have read reports that some UFOs seem to be standing still in the sky, I have very serious doubts about them. Other than the TV show “V”, more than 98% of all reports concerning UFOs say that they are moving…and moving rapidly. I do not believe that UFOs stop and pose for the photographer. So, any time I see an absolutely clear, detailed photo of a UFO, I instantly presume it to be a fake.
Almost all genuine UFO photos are pictures that were taken of something else, and a speck (or something larger) appears in the background that the photographer did not see when the photo was snapped. When blown-up, that speck is clearly an aircraft of some sort. It’s a moving object, so the image may be unclear…but it is definitely not an aircraft of the type with which we are familiar.
The Wright Brothers made their first, historic flight in 1903. There is one UFO photo taken at Mt. Washington in 1870 that clearly depicts a flying object. Other UFO photos were taken in 1910 and 1927. I do not believe, back then, that there was any significant amount of photo shopping.
If you have any ghost or UFO photos, please send them to me via e-mail. Stebrel@aol.com
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First there are energies of spiritual beings then there are residual ghost hauntings. Science has progressed to the point where they are actually contemplating multiple universes or even infinite ones of all types so why can't some of those be spacial events that are past reflections of what has passed including the people who passed through that space and time. We discount what we can't rationalize and we all have a different level of rationale.
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