Seeing faces in photos

[Mulder]

One of the bizarre recurring themes I see in paranormal photos is 'seeing faces'. Sometimes they are in 'orbs' or other anomalies but often they are just patterns in the background. Usually it takes a lot of zooming and a bit of imagination to see them.

But I just don't get it! If these things are ghosts, why would only the face appear? In almost every ('naked eye') ghost report I have come across, there is a complete figure, not just a face. If there is a full figure in a photo, fair enough, I can see how it might be a ghost. But just a face?

What I don't get is why people are excited about them. What do they think these 'faces' really are? How are you supposed to react to seeing such a face? What is its meaning or significance?

[DrS]

Of course I can't lay my hand to it right now, but it seems to me that there is a significant amount of evidence for the fact that we are programmed in some way to see recognizable shapes ... hence constellations, for example, but particularly faces. If we can identify a random collection of marks as a face, we will, it seems.

[Mulder]

Of course I can't lay my hand to it right now, but it seems to me that there is a significant amount of evidence for the fact that we are programmed in some way to see recognizable shapes ... hence constellations, for example, but particularly faces. If we can identify a random collection of marks as a face, we will, it seems.

Yes I get that, but why do they excite people so much? What do they think they are? Ghosts I understand - faces baffle me!

[DrS]

Sorry if I'm being too simplistic, but isn't a case of identifying a face, and then presuming that the face must be a real paranormal person ... or part of one anyway ... :undecided:

[Mulder]

Sorry if I'm being too simplistic, but isn't a case of identifying a face, and then presuming that the face must be a real paranormal person ... or part of one anyway ... :undecided:

Only very rarely do people claim to recognise a face. Often they ASSUME it might be someone, even if it does not resemble them. Generally, though, it is just an unrecognised, unknown face. I'm wondering what kind of mythology or paranormal theory people are tapping into.

[CalamityKate]

I watched a TV programme once which focussed on orbs. A group of believers were going around this old house taking pictures hither and thither in the hope of catching some orbs. Of course, with it being an old house and very dusty they caught loads on camera but on one occasion they got especially excited; they thought they could see a face in one of the orbs.

Now, when I say "face" I don't mean an even vaguely human-like image. The "face" in question - yes, by squinting you could kind of make it out - was, basically, this >>> :smiley:

Yes, apparently when we die we not only turn into orbs, but cartoony orbs! The unique features we had when we were alive are transformed at the moment of death into a smiley!

I laughed lots.

[scroll33]

I found a nice example of pareidolia on the web a few days ago, created from nothing but the shape of the bushes and a little over working on the brains part. At least I haven't come across anything that claims it as fake. I'm not at my 15 posts yet so heres the link.

hxxp://z.about.com/d/paranormal/1/0/w/k/1/wedding-day-ghost.jpg

[Mongrel]

http://z.about.com/d/paranormal/1/0/w/k/1/wedding-day-ghost.jpg

Well the middle picture looks like a Scottish terrier to me

[Mulder]

Pity the photo is so small. Plants and trees are excellent sources of 'faces'. It's all those leaves, all that detail and strong patterns of light and shadow.

Almost every paranormal photo I've ever seen has a problem with it from a photographer's point of view. For instance many are unsharp or very small or low resolution or over- or under-exposed or out of focus (not so common these days with automatic cameras) or have photographic artefacts (such as lens flare, orbs, etc). Indeed, a keen photographer would throw all of them away, when sorting, unless they showed something unique.

And yet, people notice unobvious details on them and interpret them as paranormal. The fact that they even notice such things probably means that seeing such artefacts is an automatic process. I doubt they examine every photo they take, just in case there's something weird on it.

[matripley]

Here are my thoughts on this image:


The "phantom" part of the image seems incongruous with the texture and detail of the rest of the tree/background.
The "phantom" seems very anthropomorphic, detailed, realistic and in a scary pose suggesting its a photograph superimposed.
The fact the bottom of the "phantom" ends abruptly in a straight line suggest to me that it was taken from another photo, badly.
I think it is a hoax not an "accident."


:)

Mat

[Mulder]

Fraud is a theory, however, in my experience it is very rare (less than half a percent of those I've examined). Generally frauds are much more convincing than this - people who make fraudulent photos want you to be taken in so they don't use half measures like this. Many people like to think of paranormal photos as fake or 'genuine' (ie what you see is real) when, in reality, the vast majority are neither - they are photographic artefacts.

Try obscuring the 'face' with something and the rest of the 'figure' becomes a lot less convincing. It is the 'face' that draws attention and which causes us to see the 'figure'.

To be sure, you need to see the original photo. I suspect it is shown small for a reason - if it were larger the effect might not be so good.