psychic photography - spirit photography - The Skeptic's Dictionary

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class="container"> <div class="header"> <div class="logo"> <img src="_images/logo_01.png" alt="The Skeptic's Dictionary" width="270" height="60" border="0" />           <br /> by <a href="http://skepdic.com/refuge/bio.html">Robert Todd Carroll</a> * est. 1994 </div> <div class="slogan"> <img src="_images/slogan_01.gif" alt="A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions" width="362" height="30" /> </div> </div> <div class="menu"> <ul> <li></li><li><a href="http://skepdic.com/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/news/">Newsletter</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/feedback.html">Feedback</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/faq.html">FAQ & Interviews</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/tour.html">Site Map</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="middle"> <div class="left"> <h2>Topical Indexes</h2> <ul class="nav_1"> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/tialtmed.html">Alternatives to Medicine</a></li> <li><a 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<li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#H">h</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#I">i</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#J">j</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#K">k</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#L">l</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#M">m</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#N">n</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#O">o</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#P">p</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Q">q</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#R">r</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#S">s</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#T">t</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#U">u</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#V">v</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#W">w</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#X">x</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Y">y</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Z">z</a></li> </ul> <webContent><h1>psychic photography (spirit photography)</h1> <blockquote> <p><font size="2" face="Georgia"><i>Whoever thinks the camera doesn't lie doesn't think.</i></font></p> </blockquote> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3">Psychic or spirit photography is the alleged production of images on photographic media by <a href="paranormal.html">paranormal</a> means such as <a href="kinesis.html">psychokinesis</a> or of paranormal phenomena such as <a href="ghosts.html">ghosts</a> or <a href="astralbody.html">astral bodies</a>.</font></p> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><i>Faked</i> photos, like the <a href="http://www.skeptics.com.au/features/gallery/ufo/ufoalien.htm">Billy Meier UFO photos and the alien autopsy film</a>, or those of <a href="fairies.html">the Cottingly fairies</a>, <a href="nessie.html">the Loch Ness monster</a>, or <a href="bigfoot.html">Bigfoot</a>, are not considered <i>psychic</i> photos. While there are many faked psychic photos, some are simply paranormal interpretations of natural events such as various flaws in camera or film, effects due to various exposures, film-processing errors, lens flares (caused by interreflection between lens surfaces), the camera or lens strap hanging over the lens, effects of the flash reflecting off of mirrors, jewelry, etc., light patterns, polarization, chemical reactions, etcetera (Nickell 1994, 1997).</font></p> <p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <img border="0" src="graphics/ghost.jpg" align="right" hspace="3" vspace="6" alt="William H. Mumler ( 1832-1884) and Mabel Warren's spirit" style="float: right" width="289" height="321">The first psychic or spirit photographs appeared almost immediately after the first photographs. "As early as 1856, prints of ghostly looking ethereal figures sitting next to the person being photographed were being sold as joke novelties" (Williams 2000: 205). In 1862, William Mumler made a good living in Boston using double exposure to produce photographs with alleged spirits of dead people in them (Williams: 326). Many have followed in Mumler's footsteps.</font></p> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3">Some paranormal researchers, apparently unaware of or unwilling to accept that spirit photos are faked or misinterpretations of ordinary phenomena, try to chase down and photograph spirits. </font> </p> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3">It does seem strange that spirits and other paranormal forces have the power to appear on film or on <a href="evp.html">electronic devices</a>, or <a href="vanpraagh.html">communicate to a select few in cryptic noises </a>that must be deciphered by <a href="shotgun.html">shotgunning</a> in a game of 20 questions. The spirits never simply sit down at the table and say directly what is on their minds. In this they are very much like god</a>s. Perhaps this explains our love for <i>hide and seek</i>, the children's game that may hold the key to understanding human nature and the great secrets of the universe.</font></p> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><b>See also</b> <a href="thoughtography.html">thoughtography</a>.</font></p> <hr width="25%" align="left" noshade> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><b>further reading</b> </font> </p> <p style="text-align: left"><a href="http://skepdic.com/comments/spiritphotocom.html"><strong>reader comments</strong></a></p> <p style="text-align: left"><b><font face="Arial" size="3">books and articles</font></b></p> <p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1574881663/roberttoddcarrolA/">Brugioni, Dino A. Photo Fakery : The History and Techniques of Photographic Deception and Manipulation ( Brasseys Inc., 1999).</a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0690004761/roberttoddcarrolA/"> Christopher, Milbourne. (1975).<i> Mediums, Mystics & the Occult. </i> Thomas Y. Crowell Co.</a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0517529300/roberttoddcarrolA/"> Gettings, Fred. (1978). <i>Ghosts in Photographs: The Extraordinary Story of Spirit Photography. </i>Harmony Books.</a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0813118948/roberttoddcarrolA/"> Nickell, Joe. <i>Camera Clues: A Handbook of Photographic Investigation </i> (University Press of Kentucky, 1994).</a></font></p> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="http://www.csicop.org/si/9607/ghost.html">Nickell, Joe. "Ghostly Photos," <i>Skeptical Inquirer</i>, July/August 1997 </a></font></p> <p style="text-align: left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0312151195/roberttoddcarrolA/">Randi, James. <i>An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural </i>(N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, 1995).</a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0879751983/roberttoddcarrolA/">Randi, James. <i>Flim-Flam!</i> (Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books, 1982), </a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0879751991/roberttoddcarrolA/">Randi, James. <i>The Truth about Uri Geller </i>, (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1982).</a> </font> <p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=081603351X/roberttoddcarrolA/"> Williams, William F. editor<i>, Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience</i> (Facts on File, 2000).</a></font><p style="text-align: left"><b> <font face="Arial" size="3">websites</font></b></p> <p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.skeptiseum.org/exhibits/ghostsspirits/spiritphoto.html"> Skeptiseum Spirit Photographs</a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={B927CD20-71AD-4986-B346-66AE99B96BA4}&HomePageLink=special_c2a"> The Perfect Medium: Photography and the Occult</a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <font color="#99000" face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.villagevoice.com/art/0540,camhi,68411,13.html"> Ghost Stories Faith in the spirit world and in the mysterious power of photography by Leslie Camhi</a></font><p style="text-align: left"> <b><font face="Arial" size="3"><a name="news">news</a></font></b><p style="text-align: left"> <font size="3"><a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/news/11462">19th-Century Spirit Photos -- A Marriage of Technology and the Irrational </a></font> <p></webContent>Last updated 27-Oct-2015 </p> </div> </div> <div class="right"> <div class="right_it"> <div class="search"> <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/custom" target="_top"> <input type="hidden" name="domains" value="skepdic.com" /> <input type="text" name="q" maxlength="255" value="" size="20" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" /> <br /> <div class="search_2"> <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="" /> Web     <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="skepdic.com" checked="checked" /> Skepdic.com <br /> <img src="_images/logo_google.gif" alt="Google" width="48" height="19" /> </div> <input type="hidden" name="client" value="pub-3542920166946725" /> <input type="hidden" name="forid" value="1" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1" /> <input type="hidden" name="oe" value="ISO-8859-1" /> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#336699;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:336699;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:000000;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;FORID:1;" /> <input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en" /> </form> </div> <div class="center"> <p align="right"><a href="http://skepdic.com/authorpage.html"><strong>Books by R. 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psychic photography - spirit photography - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic.com