Learning on a Bell Curve

This is a picture of a reflection in a bell.  It was taken in a Firefighter's hall on a photography expedition.   When the photographer (left) later reviewed the photo, he was surprised to see what appears to be a figure sitting next to him.   There was only one other person in the building at the time, and she (who bears no resemblance to the figure) was nowhere near the photographer when this picture was taken.  What do you see?  I saw a guy wearing sunglasses, sitting next to the right of the photographer.   I admit, this gave me a good case of the heebies.

I know the photographer, and he is one of the few people in world who I will believe when he says, "There wasn't anybody next to me."  

Why?  Because the photographer is Jonathan Wood, founder of River Cities Paranormal Society and co-owner of the MyPara Paranormal Social Network.  He actively practices and promotes logic-based investigating.   I know he will search for every possible rational explanation for any anomaly in a picture.

This photo was no different.  Jonathan shared the photo with other serious paranormal investigators and asked for their opinions.  But before long, he debunked it himself.  The "figure" is actually his thumb and the "sunglasses" is part of the camera.    Textbook pareidolia.  Case closed.

But it is an excellent example of a couple points I have made before.  First, it demonstrates the importance of not declaring something as "evidence" of the paranormal just because initially, it may appear to have no explanation.  It also shows that by using common sense, technical experience, and asking for informed opinions, an anomaly that might be mistaken as a paranormal can be soundly explained.

The second point it supports is that just because an explanation isn't readily available, it does not necessarily mean a person is lying about the circumstances of a picture.   If Jonathan didn't debunk it, and stuck to his claim there was no one else around him at the time, I know of some people in the field who would likely accuse him of either faking this, being untruthful, or being oblivious to his surroundings.  He would be criticized for not presenting control shots or comparison shots, even though this was not taken on an investigation.

Would it have been cool if he had really captured a ghost?  Sure.  But it's also interesting to see how easily we can be fooled if we don't take the time and effort to look for the truth.

App Atrocities

It's a lovely day today, but I'm in a foul mood.  Why?  Because instead of frolicking in the sunshine among the birds and butterflies, I'm inside at my computer, compelled to address some blatant fraud.

A few people who I respect in the field have been attacked for calling out a supposed ghost photo.   The "paranormal investigator" who presented it as real evidence hosts a radio show and even charges for classes in ghost hunting "certification".  (Toilet paper has the same validity as these certificates.)   When some detected the b.s., they did some research (you know, like REAL paranormal investigators are supposed to do!) and found that the ghostly WWII soldier in the picture is an authentic phone app.   So instead of showing an ounce of remorse or regret, the guy who presented it is instead attacking the credibility of those who called him out.

My paranormal friends list is much shorter today because it included some who supported this person either by liking the fraudulent picture or supporting his radio show.  It's one thing when people cling to orb photos out of ignorance or inexperience, but ghost apps are deliberate fraud.  They are created with the intent to fool others.  To be fair, it's not the ghost apps themselves that are the problem.  I can see how fun it can be to create such pictures for entertainment.  But when so-called "investigators" use them to intentionally deceive others (including clients) into thinking they caught something truly paranormal, that is overt, malicious fraud.  As I've said before, I don't have any respect for those who present, excuse, or "authenticate" such "evidence".

If you claim to be a paranormal investigator, please do some actual investigating before declaring ghost pictures as paranormal.  Be aware that there are a lot of these apps out there and they are constantly being updated to include new "ghosts".   Also be aware that sometimes honest clients have been fooled by friends or family using these apps in pranks.  It's up to us, as investigators, to check the validity of such (actually, ANY) pictures when they are presented to us.

Does the ghost in the photo below look familiar?   If so, it's not because he is haunting several locations from his life, it's because he's a phone app.  So if you see a picture with this "ghost" in it, you know it's a fake and any the team or investigator who posts it a "evidence"is not reliable.

Thank you to Debunk Paranormal for sharing this picture with me.  http://wwps.grou.ps/home

Hard Evidence

The Easter Bunny exists. I have hard evidence. I saw him in my neighbor's yard and I took this picture. That's right, this picture is proof the Easter Bunny exists. You're welcome.

You might be thinking, "But wait, Carolyn. That looks like a regular white rabbit". Well, I am here to tell you I saw him materialize out of thin air before my eyes, and he actually said, "Happy Easter" in a squeaky little voice before he left a beautifully dyed Easter Egg for me and vanished.

You're convinced now, right? Of course not. When claiming "evidence", one picture does NOT tell the whole story. That is why it is so important to take good control shots of the entire area, as well as comparison shots: taking a series of consecutive shots from the same angle and position. Video is extremely helpful to rule out other causes of an anomalous picture (as well as audio).

If you present a picture that looks like exactly like thousands of other dust orbs, or thousand of other breath mists, or thousands of lens flares, you don't have anything to convince me you caught anything paranormal. A single picture of a mysterious mist or eerie light doesn't tell me it that materialized right before your eyes. It doesn't tell me a phantom voice accompanied it. It doesn't tell me your teammates saw it too. (Even if these things did occur, there are many natural explanations to consider anyway, but that's another topic).

The burden is on us, as paranormal investigators, to present extraordinary evidence. It requires more effort and patience. You may indeed catch something paranormal in a single picture. But without any other objective data to back it up for others to analyze, it cannot be considered hard evidence.

I have to go now - the Easter Bunny is chewing up one of my rhododendrons.