Background

On October 22, 2016, this case was submitted to The Black Vault.  The photographer, submitted the following information:

“This picture was taken by my wife with a digital camera and tells me there was nobody around or behind when the photo was taken. She was also sat with 3 other people facing me that says the same.

I showed this pic to the hotel a few weeks after and they tell me of ghost activity in the hotel. I had the pic examined by a photographer that also says a ghost. I’m the one in the middle.

It was taken at the Holiday Inn, Leicester, built over a Roman garrison

Have any ideas on this?”

The case was turned over to TBV Investigations team member Jeremy Enfinger for analysis, who specializes in claims of ghost activity.

The Analysis

Metadata analysis indicates the image is the original file, however, EXIF metadata was not able to be extracted. The image was taken from a Samsung Model DV300, DV300F, or DV305F at the model’s maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456 pixels, using automatic exposure control with ISO 400, an exposure time of 1/8 sec and an F-stop of 2.5. With the jpeg quality being 94%, there is no indication that the image file has been compressed. The flash was fired during this exposure as well.

The time stamp on the metadata differs from the approximate date reported. According to the individual submitting the photo, it was taken around Christmas, 2015. The metadata indicates it was taken February 15, 2012 at 2:36 p.m. It should be noted, however, that if the camera owner did not set the time/date in the camera settings prior to this exposure, the metadata would not necessarily display accurate “modify date” information. It should also be noted that presence of Christmas decorations in the photo corroborates the individual’s report.

The Interview

After writing the initial report, on January 20, 2018, TBV Investigations team member Jeremy Enfinger conducted an interview with Shaun, the man who submitted the photograph.  He will be sending the actual camera to TBV Investigations for further testing, with hopes to try and reproduce the image using a multitude of settings and lighting situations, attempting to emulate the original setting.

Testing will be posted once it is completed.

General Observations

Aside from the Christmas decorations previously mentioned, ELA (error level analysis) shows similarities in texture of the anomaly with the background and close resemblance to some of the articles of clothing in the foreground. This similarity in texture implies there was no digital alteration of the photo in the area of interest around and including the anomaly. There is also stark contrast between the anomaly and light sources from within the field of view, and it blocks the light from the lamp (frame left), indicating the anomaly has mass and opacity through the clearly-visualized portions.

No notable indications of time/date found within the photograph. There’s a bottle of Whispering Hills Californian Chardonnay which began bottling in 2010, but no year is visible in the photo.

While the two men in the foreground (middle and left) have minimal red-eye effect from the flash, the man on right has moderate red-eye in the photo indicating his pupils were pointed directly toward the flash compared to the other two men in the foreground. The amount of red-eye for the anomaly is severe and more easily notable at a glance. This is inconsistent with the red-eye pattern of the men, and would typically indicate the subject would either be closer to the flash or looking more directly at the flash, neither of which seems to be the case give the direction it seems to be facing and physical location in the room, leaving some question about how this was accomplished. However, when examining the reflection of the flash in each of the subjects’ eyes, the angle of reflection is consistent with the men in the foreground and the anomaly, suggesting physical presence during the flash consistent with the angle/location of the photographer.

The anomaly does not possess the same RGB color values, and this section of the image appears to be desaturated compared to the rest of the photo, though some color is present. There is motion blur in a horizontal pattern surrounding the anomaly, but clear facial features are seen within the anomaly without motion. Initial observation was to suspect digital manipulation, but metadata contradicts this suspicion. It is possible to manipulate the metadata, but it would need to be intentionally done and knowledge of how to do this is not common.

Light reflection patterns are consistent in the anomaly compared to that of subjects in the foreground, however, there are shadows present at the edges of the anomaly that are not present with subjects in the foreground, indicating a discrepancy in how the room light interacts with the anomaly. Parts of the anatomy cannot be seen posterior to the facial anatomy, and appear transparent where the background is clearly visualized where anatomical features should be seen.

Conclusion

At first glance, my opinion was that this photo visibly appears to be digitally edited, however, there is evidence to suggest that the anomalous figure was in the room during the exposure. If it was hoaxed, someone would have had to go through great lengths to modify the metadata on the original image following photomanipulation, which generally would show on the ELA analysis and/or reduce the quality post-compression. Or someone found a way to take a photograph of a doctored photo/sample, which would possess accurate metadata, though I found no evidence of this.

Additionally, it’s possible that someone may have walked into the frame during exposure. With a 1/8 second exposure, a blur effect might be possible depending on how fast that person would be walking, but the blur should be consistent throughout the image of that person, not only in certain areas. It would also not explain the desaturation in color of the anomaly.

I would recommend further testing of the camera to include the features “split shot”, “motion photo” and “artistic brush”. It is possible the effects appreciated may have been added by mistake. I was not able to test this model of camera myself.

Given the red-eye appearance, the desaturation of the anomaly, the blurred edges (and clear facial features), the resemblance to Photoshop’s clone tool effect, and shadow discrepancies, there are enough indications to suspect some level of alteration. The problem is I can’t seem to find any evidence of manipulation given the data available. It is my opinion that this photo is authentic, however, I am unable to explain the anomaly or its features.

Currently, the photograph is with other photo analysts for evaluation, and results will be posted.

The Photograph

The Full Photo

Cropped and Zoomed:

Additional Analysis

Research image analyst Kenn Raymond, owner of VDI Spectral Art, decided to do his own independent analysis on the photograph above.  We were very intrigued by Kenn’s findings, because after extensive analysis, Kenn concluded the image to be an unknown, but did find a possible clue (as of 5/17/18 is still being researched) that shows the metadata lists the “number of images” as 2, indicating a possible double exposure.

https://www.theblackvault.com/casefiles/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/VDI-Spectral-Art.pdf

Additional details will be added, when available.

Replication?

Some visitors to The Black Vault are now submitting what they believe, are examples of this photo being replicated.

Below, you will find a few. Did they solve this case for you? Or does this prove the exact effect is still not achieved? Post your comments below.

Submission #1

Al Jacinto II on The Black Vault Fan Page on Facebook, posted the following photographs as “proof” that the image in question, is not a ghost (Image captions are quotes from Mr. Jacinto):

It should be pointed out that another comment made by Al Jacinto II stated:

“Thanks…but ghosts are unreal ha ha ha ha”

In other words – the agenda would simply be to debunk, and not offer a truly unbiased test to reproduce the result.

Submission #2

Reddit user extremesalmon submitted the following photograph, after seeing the above case:

Meta Data

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Background

The following case was submitted to The Black Vault on February 18, 2018. The case was assigned to TBV Investigations team member Jeremy Enfinger for investigation.

Witness Testimony

According to the witness:

“Sighting occurred while filming my cat while my now ex girlfriend and I were temporarily living at her grandmother’s house while she was in a nursing home.

We were having a stupid conversation about cats and how awful it sounds when they have sex. lol. While we were filming and talking a bright blue object shoots across the screen from right to left.

It appears that the cat sees the object out of frame and then follows the object as it crosses though the frame. I have had people on reddit who believe that this is the reflection from the cats eye. This is not a possibility for one, because in the frame by frame breakdown of the object, there is a visible timing difference between them.

Also there is a visible figure of something inside of the object.

The highest visibility being in 2-3 of the frames.”

The Evidence

The Video

The anomaly occurs at 1:25 into the video, towards the end.

Frame by Frame Breakdown

Filtering and Cropping

Introduction

by Jeremy Enfinger, TBV Investigations

A video was submitted by a witness depicting an indoor video of the witness’s cat sitting on a bed when a blue object enters the frame and moves right to left rapidly across the screen.

According to the witness, the cat “follows the object as it crosses through the frame”. Two individuals were in the room (including the witness) at the time of the occurrence and did not report visibly seeing the object in front of the camera. A female notices the object when viewing the video screen and comments accordingly.

This sighting occurred 12/2/2011 around 1:30 a.m. in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

The Analysis

The witness claims to have a very clean home with no bugs or excessive dust, and a normal temperature at the time the video was taken. Also submitted with the video were frame-by-frame still shots of the object, as well as images with a negative filter and an x-ray filter.

Further discussion with the witness revealed there was a wall behind the camera with no windows or light sources.

Screen right (where the object enters the view) contains the kitchen area of the home and a television is on and can be seen on some frames of the video screen left.

Color analysis was performed on the original video file.

Results included similar color schemes coming from the television screen left and in the reflecting light on the curtains behind the cat.

This hue from the television screen is not an exact match, but very close to the color of the object passing through the frame.

However, there is a tissue box in the upper right-hand corner of the screen that softly reflex the same color as the object passing through.

In addition, the cat’s eyes are reflecting the same color as well.

The object itself was magnified and sharpened in analysis. Considering the object’s path (right to left) and speed, one would expect considerable motion blur in the direction of travel with less motion blur on the top and bottom of the object, but this was not observed. All edges of the object were considerably blurry.

There are few reflective surfaces in the video frame, so spatial confirmation of an object between the camera lens and the cat could not be verified.

Some basic internet research was performed into the visual acuity of cats, under the witness’s assumption that the cat’s eyes were following the object in the video (link provided to the witness: http://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-of-how-cats-see-the-world-2013-10). Cats have some advantages and disadvantages compared to human vision. For example, they see far better in low-light conditions, but they can only clearly see about 20 feet in front of them regardless of the lighting conditions.

In addition, multiple YouTube videos were viewed showing eye shine from cats at night as well to identify some similarities and differences when comparing with the submitted video.

Possible Explanations

Bug or Dust Particle

After the initial analysis, the fact that the object was blurred on all edges indicated it could be a very small object which is out of focus. A bug or a dust particle close to the lens could explain its blurry appearance, as well as the blue hue being emitted from reflected light. Since the witness(es) were not able to see the object with their own eyes at the time of the filming, we must conclude that the object was either too small to be seen or the anomaly is some form of artifact. The visual spectrum of the human eye is typically better than a camera’s unless you have modified it for IR or full-spectrum viewing.

Given the fact that the cat’s head moves at the same time the object passes through the frame, it would be more likely that the object is a dust particle. Cat behavior typically involves giving chase to bugs, or at least undivided attention if a bug is nearby and detected. Once the object passes by the screen, the cat does not appear to continue watching a “flight path”, but instead turns its head toward the television seeming uninterested. If this is a dust particle, we must consider whether or not the timing of the cat’s head turning could be coincidental in relationship to the object passing through the frame.

Cat Eye Reflection

Another possibility considered was a visual artifact. A secondary source was consulted by Nicole Shuck, who has many years of experience in paranormal investigation, as well as photo and video review, specifically of wildlife and hunting footage, as well as cryptozoological investigations. It was her opinion that the artifact was most likely produced by a lens flare from the cat’s eyes reflecting the light from the television. The hue of the TV closely matches the hue of the eye shine, as well as the shades seen on the curtains and the tissue box. Eye shine can be seen from various angles, and if this is a lens flare caused by the eye shine, it would explain the appearance of the cat following an object when really, the cat is causing the anomaly by moving its head, sending a reflection toward the camera lens.

YouTube video search results show a variety of lens flares produced by cats’ eyes in low-light conditions. While some vary in appearance to the submitted video, there are a few which appear similar. Lighting conditions would need to be reproduced exactly to reproduce this effect, and it was suggested that the witness attempt to re-create the scenario with similar conditions to see if the anomaly happens again.

Conclusion

While this clip was definitely interesting, it can be explained best by the lens flare theory. Given that the cat moves his head at the same time the object passes through the frame, it could easily cause this effect on a camera. No paranormal activity was reported, and this appears to be an isolated event.

The next best theory would be a dust particle causing the anomaly, but this would need to include a coincidental movement of the cat’s head to align with the object as it passes through the frame.

While there’s no way to be 100% certain about this conclusion, repeat testing was recommended to re-create the anomaly.

One thing is for certain though; cats’ eyes are stunning to look at in low light!

The post Unknown Orb / Object Appears in Video While Taking Video of Cat first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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Background

by John Greenewald, Jr. – The Black Vault – TBV Investigations

This photograph appears on the Facebook / Edge of Wonder Page, as posted on February 14, 2018. Although there may be an earlier post “source” — this post alone has nearly 15,000 shares and more than 1,500 likes at the time of this writing, it constitutes as “viral” and deserves a mention here.

Reason being, the photograph is a fairly provable fake. But, don’t let that stop the masses from “sharing” it with the world. Why? Well, it has to be real despite evidence to the contrary.  Why? Well, the post says it’s real. So, if you read it on the internet, it HAS to be true!

Here is the text of the original post:

It happened in Russia. 
They said this is not fake, what do you think？

cr. web

The Evidence

The Analysis

Doing a slight crop on the image, then conducting a reverse image search, multiple matches to an identical “apparition” are discovered.

First discovered, believed to be the source, is a graphite sketch appearing on moziru, and on a large list of artistic work using “Graphite” as the medium.

Second, is information about a music album in Spanish, entitled “Accidents – El Fantasma en mi” which has the following cover art:

Although there are slight variations between the two examples found on Google, the image in question above, of an apparition in Russia, is clearly an exact copy of the first example. Here is an overlay showing the image in question, vs. the first graphite drawing.

Both layers are on top of each other, which different color balances to differentiate between the two.

The hoaxer did skew the original artwork (they changed the aspect ratio) but it took only seconds to do the same thing in Photoshop, and see that the finger placement, body, etc. are a perfect/identical match.

Conclusion

With the evidence given above, this case is comfortably labeled a hoax.

The post Mysterious “Ghostly Apparition” appears in Russia (Viral Photo) first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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Note from The Black Vault: Unfortunately, I do not know the author of the following post, who put this on the popular site Reddit.com, or I would offer proper credit.

That said, this photo appeared with the following caption, but nothing else is known.

If anyone has additional information on this, please feel free to post it in the comments section below, and I will properly update the case file.  My question – is there video?

“This picture was taken of a nurse’s viewing monitor. On the monitor, this black figure appeared standing on top of the patient who was lying in the bed.The patient died within a few hours of this figure appearing.”

Possible Explanation

This photograph could be easily explained, as the following was offered up by user Mick West on metabunk.org:

It’s just a variety of things that happen to line up. The patient’s leg, bed rails, and a coat or something hung up in the background. Here I’ve highlighted the various parts. When you see what they are (particularly the leg and the rail) it’s pretty obvious.

Start with the leg. The person is laying in the bed with their left leg bent. All you can see is the left leg.

Here’s just the bed and patient isolated:

Does this explain it? Post your thoughts below!

The post Demon Photo Captured in Hospital first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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I was shutting down my computer when the motion detection alarm sounded on my computer. I checked the camera video but there was nothing on it. Checked the still photos and that was when I found the images.

At first I thought it was a firefly or something of that matter, but realized that fireflies don’t leave trails like in the photo. I didn’t pay much attention until it showed up the second and third night.

That was when I thought it was something different. I was not able to observe it firsthand, I only saw it in the photos. After the second night I thought it was kind of spooky.

Photo Gallery

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Description: Bill, take a look at this incredible photo. This is no ghost. This is a Pleiadian being dematerialized from a portal. The uniform is a dead giveaway. The photo was taken 4 ‎August ‎2015, 1:43 PM GMT at Decoy Park Newton Abbot Devon UK.

Response of Witness to Investigator Questions: Hi Bill: I was walking around Decoy Park and I felt something touch the back of my head so I quickly turned around. To my surprise there was a large man standing by a tree smiling at me. The man had blonde hair and had blue eyes and was very handsome. He looked Scandinavian and was wearing black boots blue trousers with a purple top.

The top had white lines on the shoulders and white lines going around the sleeves. The clothes were also tight fitted and he looked very muscular. I quickly raise my camera to take a photograph. With that the Man started to dematerialize legs first top half next and then vanished. There was on sound only a small gold color flash of light. This was an incredible sight to have witnessed.

I only managed to get one photograph because this happened so fast and I was in shock. The reason why I thought he was a Pleiadian was that he fits the description given by many contactees and I have also seen photograph of this being before. I hope this answers all your questions, Bill.

UFOs NorthWest Note: Analysis does not indicate that the original photo was fabricated. This same witness has sent several photos of UFO’s over the past few years. I have yet to find any evidence of fabrication.

The post Man Sees & Photographs Strange Entity – Decoy Park – Newton Abbot Devon, UK first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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Australia’s Curiositeaz Vintage Tea Room, in Perth, Australia, had shared this photo in July on 2012.

According to the owner, Dan Clifford, something had set off the motion sensor one night and this is what he found after reviewing the security footage.

The following was published by the Daily Record on 3 July 2012:

A CAFE owner has called in the ghost-hunters after claiming to have seen a spirit on his security camera.

Chills went down Dan Clifford’s spine when he checked his CCTV and saw what he’s convinced was a ghostly apparition hovering over a table set for two.

He summoned a team of ghost specialists, who said the sighting – said to be a figure of a woman – was the most striking evidence they had come across in almost 10 years.

Dan, 35, said yesterday: “The first time I saw the shadow moving on the camera my heart went nuts. I thought there was an intruder in the shop.

“But when I looked closer I realised it couldn’t be a live human being – I could see right through it.”

The CCTV image was taken in the dead of night after something set off a motion sensor. And Dan claims it’s not the only evidence of ghostly goings-on at his  Room in Perth.

He said: “Over the past few months, all the staff have experienced something.

“Some have heard voices. Others have witnessed chairs moving and one was pushed forwards and felt a chill right down their spine.

“We’ve also had a number of mediums stopping in because they felt something when they walked by.

“Some have told of feeling the presence of a woman, which fits with our newest image.

“I have always believed in the spirit world but I’d never experienced anything like this until we opened Curiositeaz less than a year ago. It’s all been very exciting.”

Dan has shown his CCTV images to ghost enthusiasts from Paranormal Investigation Scotland, and has talked to them about the other strange happenings at his cafe.

He has also fitted high-tech new cameras which takestill and moving images if sensors detect anything larger than a cat.

He said: “We are very interested to hear what the experts have to say about the recent sighting.

“We want to prove to any sceptics that we have not tampered with any images.”

A spokesman for Paranormal Investigation Scotland said: “This is the most convincing image we have seen in almost a decade, so we were keen to start looking into it.”

The experts will return to the cafe next month, with some of Scotland’s best-known mediums in tow. They’ll monitor the tea room overnight for signs of ghosts.

The post Ghostly apparition caught on camera at Perth tearoom first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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This photo was taken during an investigation of Bachelor’s Grove cemetery near Chicago by the Ghost Research Society (GRS). On August 10, 1991, several members of of the GRS were at the cemetery, a small, abandoned graveyard on the edge of the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve, near the suburb of Midlothian, Illinois.

Reputed to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in the U.S., Bachelor’s Grove has been the site of well over 100 different reports of strange phenomena, including apparitions, unexplained sights and sounds, and even glowing balls of light.

GRS member Mari Huff was taking black and white photos with a high-speed infrared camera in an area where the group had experienced some anomalies with their ghost-hunting equipment.

The cemetery was empty, except for the GRS members. When developed, this image emerged: what looks like a lonely-looking young woman dressed in white sitting on a tombstone.

Parts of her body are partially transparent and the style of the dress seems to be out of date.Other ghosts reportedly seen in Bachelor’s Grove include figures in monks’ clothes and the spirit of a glowing yellow man.

The post Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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The following is published by About.com regarding the history of this photo:

On November 19, 1995, Wem Town Hall in Shropshire, England burned to the ground. Many spectators gathered to watch the old building, built in 1905, as it was being consumed by the flames. Tony O’Rahilly, a local resident, was one of those onlookers and took photos of the spectacle with a 200mm telephoto lens from across the street. One of those photos shows what looks like a small, partially transparent girl standing in the doorway.

Nether O’Rahilly nor any of the other onlookers or firefighters recalled seeing the girl there.

O’Rahilly submitted the photo to the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena which, in turn, presented it for analysis to Dr. Vernon Harrison, a photographic expert and former president of the Royal Photographic Society. Harrison carefully examined both the print and the original negative, and concluded that it was genuine. “The negative is a straightforward piece of black-and-white work and shows no sign of having been tampered with,” Harrison said.But who is the little girl?

Wem, a quiet market town in northern Shropshire, had been ravaged by fire in the past. In 1677, historical records note, a fire destroyed many of the town’s old timber houses. A young girl named Jane Churm, the legends say, accidentally set fire to a thatched roof with a candle. Many believed her ghost haunted the area and had been seen on a few other occasions.

The mystery could be solved. On October 11, 2013, the Shropshire Star published the following article, disputing the authenticity of the photo:

Does postcard solve ghost riddle?

One of Shropshire’s most sensational mysteries – the spooky riddle of “The Wem ghost” – may at last have been solved by eagle-eyed Shropshire Star reader Brian Lear.

Brian spotted an eerie similarity between a girl standing in the street in a 1922 photo of Wem and the young girl whose fuzzy image was famously captured amid the flames as Wem Town Hall burned down in 1995.

That photograph taken by local amateur photographer Tony O’Rahilly created international headlines and sparked the legend of “The Wem Ghost”.

There was speculation that the girl was 14-year-old Jane Churm, who accidentally started the disastrous great fire of Wem in 1677 and was reputed to be haunting the town hall.

Wem folk enthusiastically embraced the story which put their town under the spotlight. A sign on the outskirts had a makeshift alteration to read “Ghost Town”, experts in paranormal activity visited, and there was even a scroll and a plaque to mark where the ghost was spotted.

But when Brian, from Shrewsbury, looked at a photo of Wem — a postcard franked in 1922 — in our Pictures From The Past slot the other day, his eye was drawn to a little girl standing in a doorway.

“I was intrigued to find that she bore a striking likeness to the little girl featured as the ‘Wem ghost’,” he said.

“Her dress and headgear appear to be identical.”

So we have blown up detail from that picture to compare with the “Wem ghost”. And, by jove, he’s right!

Look at the pictures and make your own minds up.

Photographer Tony O’Rahilly, who died in 2005, said at the time that he had discovered the ghost image when developing his snaps of the town hall fire.

Some time later the photo was examined by experts from the National Museum of Photography, who concluded it was a fake. But others were certain it was genuine.

The post Potential Hoax: Ghost in the Burning Building first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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The following is published by the original photographer of the photo. It is archived here for reference. Special thanks given to Ghosts of Tombstone:

Boothill Graveyard was opened in Tombstone Arizona in 1879. Most of it’s occupants suffered violent or un-expected deaths with their boots on, this is the reason why the early pioneers named it Boothill.

Some people believe that ghosts are spirits of people that died unexpectedly, violently, and/or at the hands of others, gunfights, hangings, etc. Whether this is your belief or not, PLEASE LET ME WARN YOU…the following photos are not only strange and unexplainable even to paranormal experts, they can be down right scary!!

This is the photo that changed my opinion about ghost photo’s!! I personally shot this photograph of my friend in Boothill Graveyard… We had it developed at Thrifty Drug Store and no one tampered with it! The picture was shot in black & white, because my friend wanted old west looking pictures of himself dressed up in my 1880 period clothes.

All I can say is… “I know their was no other person in this photograph when I shot it, especially some guy holding a knife! Thats right folks, if you look carefully the person in the background appears to be holding a knife!”

Look just to the right of my friend and you’ll see a person which appears to have no legs or is coming out of a grave! Some people think it looks like a little boy, some say an old man, or even an old lady, what do you think?

Interesting facts:.. Boothill Graveyard appears to be really over grown in this photo. Two weeks after this photo was shot we re-staged the photo by lining up two people in both positions. When we did this… you could clearly see the legs of the person standing in the back. The bushes in Boothill are not so thick that you can’t see through them. And once again, this IS NOTa staged photo, or designed by the computer, the figure in the background also appears on the negative.

I don’t know about you… but the blown up image of this unexplained figure holding the knife gives most people the chills!!

If you’re not convinced that something is weird here, look at my friends shadow in the photo above, it appears to be going back slightly to the right of him. The figure in the back should have the same shadow, but it doesn’t!

Can you see the knife? We thought this was a tie at first, but after further review, it appears to be a knife! The knife is in a vertical position, the tip is located just below the figures right collar, can you see it?

The post The Ghost of Boothill Cemetery first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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The following is posted by Combermere Abbey:

This photograph of the library in Combermere Abbey was taken by Sybell Corbet in 1891 . The figure of a man can faintly be seen sitting in the chair on the left. His head, collar and right arm on the armrest can be clearly made out. This is reputed to be the ghost of Lord Combermere.

The first Lord Combermere was a British cavalry commander in the early 1800s, who distinguished himself in several military campaigns including the Battles of Salamanca and Bharatpore. In 1817 he became became the Governor of Barbados.

While serving as Governor, he is mentioned in unverified stories of the Chase Vault as being a witness to its allegedly “moving coffins” He died in 1865.

The second Viscount Lord Combermere died in 1891, after being struck  by one of London’s first motor cabs which was electrically powered. While Sybell Corbet was taking the above photograph, Lord Combermere’s funeral was taking place over four miles away. Corbet recorded that the photographic exposure took about an hour.

It is thought by some that during that time a servant might have come into the room and sat briefly in the chair, creating the transparent image.

This idea was refuted by members of the household, however, testifying that all were attending Lord Combermere’s funeral.

The post Lord Combermere’s Ghost first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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The following was written by About.com regarding this photo, and is archived here for reference:

This portrait of “The Brown Lady” ghost is arguably the most famous and well-regarded ghost photograph ever taken. The ghost is thought to be that of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham, residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 1700s. It was rumored that Dorothy, before her marriage to Charles, had been the mistress of Lord Wharton.

Charles suspected Dorothy of infidelity. Although according to legal records she died and was buried in 1726, it was suspected that the funeral was a sham and that Charles had locked his wife away in a remote corner of the house until her death many years later.Dorothy’s ghost is said to haunt the oak staircase and other areas of Raynham Hall. In the early 1800s, King George IV, while staying at Raynham, saw the figure of a woman in a brown dress standing beside his bed.

She was seen again standing in the hall in 1835 by Colonel Loftus, who was visiting for the Christmas holidays. He saw her again a week later and described her as wearing a brown satin dress, her skin glowing with a pale luminescence. It also seemed to him that her eyes had been gouged out. A few years later, Captain Frederick Marryat and two friends saw “the Brown Lady” gliding along an upstairs hallway, carrying a lantern.

As she passed, Marryat said, she grinned at the men in a “diabolical manner.” Marryat fired a pistol at the apparition, but the bullet simply passed through.This famous photo was taken in September, 1936 by Captain Provand and Indre Shira, two photographers who were assigned to photograph Raynham Hall for Country Life magazine. This is what happened, according to Shira:

“Captain Provand took one photograph while I flashed the light. He was focusing for another exposure; I was standing by his side just behind the camera with the flashlight pistol in my hand, looking directly up the staircase. All at once I detected an ethereal veiled form coming slowly down the stairs. Rather excitedly, I called out sharply: ‘Quick, quick, there’s something.’ I pressed the trigger of the flashlight pistol.

After the flash and on closing the shutter, Captain Provand removed the focusing cloth from his head and turning to me said: ‘What’s all the excitement about?'”Upon developing the film, the image of The Brown Lady ghost was seen for the first time. It was published in the December 16, 1936 issue of Country Life. The ghost has been seen occasionally since.

Additionally, the following is written by Wikipedia, and is archived to offer more background and detail regarding The Brown Lady:

The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall is a ghost, which reportedly haunts Raynham Hall in Norfolk. It became one of the most famous hauntings in Great Britain when photographers from Country Life magazine claimed to have captured its image. The “Brown Lady” is so named because of the brown brocade dress it is claimed she wears.

According to legend, the “Brown Lady of Raynham Hall” is the ghost of Lady Dorothy Walpole (1686–1726), the sister of Robert Walpole, generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. She was the second wife of Charles Townshend, who was notorious for his violent temper. The story says that when Townshend discovered that his wife had committed adultery with Lord Wharton he punished her by locking her in her rooms in the family home, Raynham Hall. According to Mary Wortley Montagu, Dorothy was in fact entrapped by the Countess of Wharton. She invited Dorothy over to stay for a few days knowing that her husband would never allow her to leave it, not even to see her children. She remained at Raynham Hall until her death in 1726 from smallpox.

The first recorded claim of a sighting of the ghost was by Lucia C. Stone concerning a gathering at Raynham Hall at Christmas 1835. Stone says that Lord Charles Townsend had invited various guests to the Hall, including a Colonel Loftus, to join in the Christmas festivities. Loftus and another guest named Hawkins said they had seen the “Brown Lady” one night as they approached their bedrooms, noting in particular the dated brown dress she wore. The following evening Loftus claimed to have seen the “Brown Lady” again, later reporting that on this occasion he was drawn to the spectre’s empty eye-sockets, dark in the glowing face. Loftus’ sightings led to some staff permanently leaving Raynham Hall.

The next reported sighting of the “Brown Lady” was made in 1836 by Captain Frederick Marryat, a friend of novelist Charles Dickens, and the author of a series of popular sea novels. It is said that Marryat requested that he spend the night in the haunted room at Raynham Hall to prove his theory that the haunting was caused by local smugglers anxious to keep people away from the area. Writing in 1917, Florence Marryat said of her father’s experience:

…he took possession of the room in which the portrait of the apparition hung, and in which she had been often seen, and slept each night with a loaded revolver under his pillow. For two days, however, he saw nothing, and the third was to be the limit of his stay. On the third night, however, two young men (nephews of the baronet), knocked at his door as he was undressing to go to bed, and asked him to step over to their room (which was at the other end of the corridor), and give them his opinion on a new gun just arrived from London. My father was in his shirt and trousers, but as the hour was late, and everybody had retired to rest except themselves, he prepared to accompany them as he was. As they were leaving the room, he caught up his revolver, “in case you meet the Brown Lady,” he said, laughing. When the inspection of the gun was over, the young men in the same spirit declared they would accompany my father back again, “in case you meet the Brown Lady,” they repeated, laughing also. The three gentlemen therefore returned in company.

The corridor was long and dark, for the lights had been extinguished, but as they reached the middle of it, they saw the glimmer of a lamp coming towards them from the other end. “One of the ladies going to visit the nurseries,” whispered the young Townshends to my father. Now the bedroom doors in that corridor faced each other, and each room had a double door with a space between, as is the case in many old-fashioned houses. My father, as I have said, was in shirt and trousers only, and his native modesty made him feel uncomfortable, so he slipped within one of the outer doors (his friends following his example), in order to conceal himself until the lady should have passed by.

I have heard him describe how he watched her approaching nearer and nearer, through the chink of the door, until, as she was close enough for him to distinguish the colors and style of her costume, he recognised the figure as the facsimile of the portrait of “The Brown Lady”. He had his finger on the trigger of his revolver, and was about to demand it to stop and give the reason for its presence there, when the figure halted of its own accord before the door behind which he stood, and holding the lighted lamp she carried to her features, grinned in a malicious and diabolical manner at him. This act so infuriated my father, who was anything but lamb-like in disposition, that he sprang into the corridor with a bound, and discharged the revolver right in her face. The figure instantly disappeared – the figure at which for several minutes three men had been looking together – and the bullet passed through the outer door of the room on the opposite side of the corridor, and lodged in the panel of the inner one. My father never attempted again to interfere with “The Brown Lady of Raynham”.

Lady Townsend reported that the “Brown Lady” was next seen in 1926, when her son and his friend claimed to have seen the ghost on the staircase, identifying the ghostly figure with the portrait of Lady Dorothy Walpole which then hung in the haunted room.

The post The Brown Lady first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

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Courtesy of the Henry McKay UFO Archives, this historical document is a letter from Dr. J. Allen Hynek to Iris Owen, dated August 24, 1977.  It is significant to not only the UFO research community, but also to the ghost research community. Hynek was the astronomy consultant to the U.S. Air Force’s UFO projects, including Project Bluebook.

In this letter Hynek mentions the upcoming release of the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, which he was the consultant for, and anticipates that the movie “will yield a large number of ancient sightings”.

Hynek than goes on to express his thoughts on physical evidence of UFOs and how not all UFO reports should be discounted as just mere “hallucinations”.

And, even more interesting, is his statement “Your work at the Foundation has certainly shown that the mind can influence physical matter — Phillip, table-tipping, poltergeist phenomena — all attest to this.”

Iris Owen, whom Hynek wrote this letter to, was the wife of Dr. George Owen. The Owens ran the TSPR (Toronto Society for Psychical Research), which led the infamous Philip Experiment — which is what Hynek was referring to when he mentioned “Phillip”. The Owens’ goal with the experiment was to see if the mind could actually “create” a ghost.

Hynek also mentions his opinion regarding correlations between ghost research (in particular ‘psychic research’) and UFO research, and the need for both organizations to “keep in close touch on really significant cases”.

Most telling is when he says, “I am being driven, somewhat reluctantly to the feeling that many UFOs are caused by our own psychic energy somehow interacting with matter”.

The post J. Allen Hynek Writes Letter About Infamous Ghost Experiment first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post J. Allen Hynek Writes Letter About Infamous Ghost Experiment appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

The footage shows one box of tea hovering in the air and another flying off the Whitstable Nutrition Centre shelf, the New York Daily News reported.

Meanwhile, the client doesn’t spot anything awry and continues with his chores.

Owner Michelle Newbold told Kent Online that she was perplexed after she came across the footage while doing her weekly review of the tapes.

The clip, which was uploaded on last Friday, has already been seen more than 55,000 times.

Many viewers believe it is a marketing hoax for the store, but Newbold insists it is the real deal and she would be interested to find out more. (ANI)

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The post Did ghost push tea off shelf of British store? appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

This extraordinary CCTV footage captures the moment a ghostly apparition PUSHES a man to the ground before dragging him along a corridor.

The 60-second video, posted on YouTube, shows the man, clad in dark clothing striding purposefully along a deserted hallway, watched by the unsleeping eye of a CCTV camera.

Then as he reaches the end of the corridor, a sinister dark shape suddenly materialises in front of him.

The shocked man is violently hurled onto the floor, before being dragged a short distance along the hallway by his right leg.

The ghostly figure then dissolves away into the ether before the terrified man scrambles to his feet, turns tail and runs headlong in the direction he has just come from.

If you are easily scared, perhaps this video isn’t for you.

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Interesting side note: This photo isn’t the only evidence of ghostly activity at the Queen’s House. The 400-year-old building is credited with several other apparitions and phantom footsteps even today. Recently, a Gallery Assistant was discussing a tea break with two colleagues when he saw one of the doors to the Bridge Room close by itself. At first he thought it was one of the lecturers. “Then I saw a woman glide across the balcony, and pass through the wall on the west balcony,” he said. “I couldn’t believe what I saw. I went very cold and the hair on my arms and my neck stood on end. We all dashed through to the Queen’s Presents Room and looked down towards the Queen’s Bedroom. Something passed through the ante-room and out through the wall. Then my colleagues all froze too. The lady was dressed in a white-grey colour crinoline type dress.”

Other ghostly goings-on include the unexplained choral chanting of children, the figure of a pale woman frantically mopping blood at the bottom of the Tulip Staircase (it’s said that 300 years ago a maid was thrown from the highest banister, plunging 50 feet to her death), slamming doors, and even tourists being pinched by unseen fingers.

The post Tulip Staircase Ghost first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Tulip Staircase Ghost appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

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The 20-minute-long session, produced by Alli Michigan Ghost-Hunters and uploaded to the team’s Facebook page, features claims of disembodied voices, moving lights, blood found spattered on walls, apparitions and flying tomatoes.

The webisode centers on the investigation of an unidentified home in Saginaw owned by a couple identified simply as Tito and Roseanna.

“We know it’s violent,” Tito says of one of the ghosts he claims haunts the home. “She got a tomato thrown at her.”

While Roseanna says spooky occurrences make her uneasy, Tito tells the camera he often has a different reaction.

“I go after the ghost,” he says. “The scariest time is at night. That’s when you hear the noise; that’s when you see the movements; that’s when it’s quiet and they want to come out to play.”

Both say they’ve seen a man in the home. Tito says he saw an old man sitting in the basement while Roseanna claims she saw a man standing by the kitchen stove.

The couple claims they researched the home’s history and discovered a former owner in his 80s who “matches the description” of the man seen, investigators say.

The couple tells the ghost hunters they’ve witnessed lighters “dancing across the table” and red dots resembling blood spatter appearing on a wall.

The investigators claim to capture several paranormal anomalies both on camera and microphone.

The webisode features several recordings of “disembodied voices,” including what investigators claim is a child asking, “Will you play with me, dad?”

Later, footage of one of the investigators shows a small point of light hovering near his arm as he talks on camera, unaware of what video is capturing. Captions on the video explain the investigator reacted to a chill in his body at that moment and claims the light couldn’t have been a spec of dust.

What do you think? Watch the webisode below and then scroll beneath the video to participate in a poll: Do you think the house is haunted? Return to MLive on Friday to see the results.

The post Did mid-Michigan paranormal detectives capture ghosts at Saginaw home? first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Did mid-Michigan paranormal detectives capture ghosts at Saginaw home? appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

This intriguing photo, taken in 1919, was first published in 1975 by Sir Victor Goddard, a retired R.A.F. officer. The photo is a group portrait of Goddard’s squadron, which had served in World War I at the HMS Daedalus training facility.

An extra ghostly face appears in the photo. In back of the airman positioned on the top row, fourth from the left, can clearly be seen the face of another man. It is said to be the face of Freddy Jackson, an air mechanic who had been accidentally killed by an airplane propeller two days earlier. His funeral had taken place on the day this photograph was snapped.

Members of the squadron easily recognized the face as Jackson’s. It has been suggested that Jackson, unaware of his death, decided to show up for the group photo.

Interesting side note: In 1935, Sir Victor Goddard, now a Wing Commander, had another brush with the unexplained. While on a flight from Edinburgh, Scotland to his home base in Andover, England, he encountered a strange storm that seemed to transport him through time into the future.

The post The Ghost of Freddy Jackson first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post The Ghost of Freddy Jackson appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

When the film was developed, the couple was more than surprised to see a figure wearing glasses sitting in the back seat of the car. Mrs. Chinnery immediately recognized the image of her mother – the woman whose grave they had visited on that day. A photographic expert who examined the print determined that the image of the woman was neither a reflection nor a double exposure. “I stake my reputation on the fact that the picture is genuine,” he testified.

The post The Back Seat Ghost first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post The Back Seat Ghost appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Dressed in a military uniform with a gas mask covering his face, the figure, known as ‘Le Loyon’, is said to have been haunting the woods for the past decade. He apparently walks the same route every day.

However, there was no evidence of his existence until local news website Le Matin published the first known photograph of the mystery man last month, and now police are trying to track him down. But is it for real?

“I came across him near the marches,” an unnamed amateur photographer who tracked him down told Le Matin. “I approached him up to a dozen metres away.

“He had a military cape, boots and an army gas mark – an antique type, I think. He measured more than 1.9m. He stared at me then turned his back on me and left in silence.”

Other locals have also told of their frightening encounters with the man.

“It scared my children,” a woman said. “He came out of the woods with his military clothes. We saw neither his face nor his eyes behind his big dark gas mask. It was scary and I know women who are venturing alone in the forest.”

Another local resident, Marianne Descloux of Maules, said she also saw him: “It was a rainy Sunday. He had on a cap, a dark cloak and gas mask. What goes on in his head? I don’t know. It was unpleasant. I hope I never run into him again.”

The figure was also reportedly spotted clutching what appeared to be a bunch of flowers.

“Families simply won’t go into the forest any more,” a farmer said.

Police want to speak to Le Loyon to ask him to be less threatening, although he’s shown no signs of aggressive behaviour.

Such is the hysteria, that he has been called ‘Switzerland’s answer to the Loch Ness monster’.

“The situation is delicate because we basically have nothing against this person,” Guy Savary, the municipal official in charge of forests, said.

“But since he arouses these fears, we are going to hold meeting to see if we can find a way of locating him, and discouraging him from behaving as he does.”

Some believe he could be suffering from a nasty skin condition, is mentally ill or a hermit.

So what do you think, is it a hoax?

The post Mystery Figure Haunting The Swiss Woods For Over A Decade first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Mystery Figure Haunting The Swiss Woods For Over A Decade appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

Classification of event: Unknown.

Potentially a spirit encounter or other paranormal type experience. Posted here for feedback – and the witness wants your ideas on what this may be.

This case was submitted directly to The Black Vault:

Case Description:

I am now 64 years old. This happened when I was approximately 3 or 4 years of age. I have this picture that intrigues me. Wondering if you would like to blow it up in size and see what you think.

Very anxious to have your reply. It may not be in your line of work, but you may know who would be interested in this picture and what it holds. I had an experience a couple of years later in my neighborhood.

In the middle of the day I saw a strange young man with sun glasses and a cane walking up our street. I followed him into the woods and the next thing I know, I was walking out of the woods and it was almost dark outside. I do not remember anything about any encounter, but I do have a scar by my left knee. It has always been there and I do not know how I got it.

Also, that very night I was supposed to lock the back door before bed and for some unknown reason I unlocked the door instead. A few minutes after our family went to bed, someone came into our house and walked through each room undected.

I watched him as he went from the kitchen, through the room we kids slept in, through the bathroom, through the parents room, through the livingroom, through the dining room, and back through the kitchen, and out the back door. While he was in the kids room, he looked to see if I was watching and I pulled the covers over my face until he walked on.

I know this sounds crazy, but it did happen. I have only seen this picture in the last few years. I didn’t know who would be interested so I kept it to myself. I await your feedback. Thanks.

— Dragonmary

The post Reflections in car? 1954 or 1955 Paranormal Encounter first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Reflections in car? 1954 or 1955 Paranormal Encounter appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

The next day, and for several days thereafter, the phantom-like faces of the sailors were seen in the water following the ship. This tale might be easy to dismiss as maritime legend if it weren’t for the photographic evidence. When the ship’s captain, Keith Tracy, reported the strange events to his employers, the Cities Service Company, they suggested he try to photograph the eerie faces – which he did. One of those photos is shown here.

The post S.S. Watertown Phantom Faces, 1924 first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post S.S. Watertown Phantom Faces, 1924 appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.

The following was submitted anonymously to The Black Vault:

This image was taken on 8th August 2007 in the COB (Central Operating Base) which I believe used to be Basra Airport, it’s located south west of Basra itself, over the river. I was serving in Operation Telic 10, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, attached to the Irish Guard Battle Group.

 

I had just returned to the COB from a 3 month stay in Basra Palace where 3 friends had been killed within weeks of each other. This was taken the day I got back, in the COBs smoking area. When I returned home in November, I uploaded all the the photos I had taken to Facebook and started tagging people, I noticed a figure behind my friend and zoomed in closer in order to work out who it was so I could tag them. It was then I noticed it resembled death and wasn’t a person at all. I changed the brightness of the photo and got the shock of my life!

 

Firstly the situation at the time was so hostile that anyone wearing anything other than the issued uniform was immediatly noticed and challenged! With the security in our camp noone could have got in. If the figure was seen in person by myself and friends, it would of got several 9mm rounds to the head, however at the time, nothing was seen.

The post Photo of Ghost or Evil Spirit taken while serving in Iraq first appeared on The Black Vault Case Files.

The post Photo of Ghost or Evil Spirit taken while serving in Iraq appeared first on The Black Vault Case Files.