Even if you are not particularly superstitious, there are certain images or places where you might always feel a little bit haunted. In the 21st century, photo manipulation technology is reaching new heights every year, but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t images out that are the perfect vibe for Halloween.
We’ve gathered some allegedly “haunted” photos, where some netizens swear they can see ghosts. We got in touch with behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner to learn more. So get comfortable, maybe leave the lights on as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and share your thoughts in the comments below.
#1 I'm A Student Nurse And One Of Our Clinical Instructor Sent This To Us During Her Night Shift At Hospital
Image credits: Spookify
#2 Rented A Cabin A Few Years Back For A Birthday Party. Just Looked At This Pic And Thought It Was Strange. Anyone Else See It? It Was Night Time And Pitched Black So I Had The High Beams On
Image credits: peonie666
#3 Saturday, January 14, 2012 Granny's Ghost
Somehow this lady's husband managed to appear in this photo despite passing away seven years before. Denise Russell took this photo of her grandma, who lived alone at the time, on 17 August 1997.
Image credits: Denise Russell
Bored Panda got in touch with behavioral scientist and spooky-stuff enthusiast Coltan Scrivner to share some thoughts on “ghost” photos and why some folks love them. We wanted to know why some folks insist that these images are “real” despite the fact humans have been editing pictures ever since there were pictures.
“If you already believe that ghosts exist, it might actually require more cognitive work to believe that someone took the time to manipulate a photo and fake one than simply believe that what you're seeing is a ghost,” he shared.
#4 A Friend Of Mine Sent Me This Picture From His Group Of Friends In Chile
Image credits: CursedEmoji
#5 The Ghost Dog Of Tingewick
The story behind this picture dates back to 1916 when retired Scotland Yard Inspector Arthur Springer took this picture in Tingewick, Buckinghamshire, England. At the moment he captured the photograph, there was reportedly no dog in the frame at all.
Image credits: Arthur Springer
#6 Brown Lady
This photo of 'The Brown Lady', is considered by many to be actual photographic evidence of ghosts. It was taken at Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in 1936.
Image credits: Hubert C. Provand
So we wanted to hear his thoughts on why some people jump to paranormal conclusions when there may be mundane explanations. “The human mind is built to look for intention in actions. This bias allows social interactions to flourish with ease. However, it also means we sometimes attribute intention to actions that have more mundane explanations, which often leads to a paranormal explanation.”
#7 An Unexpected Guest - 1950s
#8 Amityville Ghost - 1976
This is the famous photo taken inside what is now known as the Amityville horror house. This photo supposedly shows John DeFeo's ghost peeking around a door.
#9 Ex GF Sent This Photo To Her Family Chat To Announce She Reached The Hotel Safe And Chilling. Brother Replies, Who Is That In The Mirror?
Image credits: amatsumima
If you are really committed to believing in the validity of these photos as evidence of ghosts, more power to you, but you should probably stop reading now. As spooky as these images look, the vast majority of them are altered to create this effect. We might think of photo manipulation as a very modern phenomenon, but the truth is that people have known how to composite and combine images since the Victorian era. There are edited photos out there that are older than many countries out there today.
#10 My Friend Took This Pic Of His Kid In Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It Appears To Show The Ghost Of A Samurai Soldier Standing Behind A Little Girl
Nobody was around when the photo was taken. And certainly nobody was behind her. He took about five photos of her at this spot over a period of about two minutes. The photo was supposedly taken near tombs of soldiers who died in battle.
Image credits: reddit.com
#11 Looked Up My Deceased Mother's Home, And She Is In The Pic
My mom has been dead since 2012. The other day, I looked up her old home address on Google, and she is in the picture! Google lists the pic taken 2 yrs ago.
Image credits: Mlm525k
#12 This Image Was Taken By Sir Victor Goddard, Of His Squadron In 1919
This image was taken by Sir Victor Goddard, of his squadron in 1919.
The ghostly image behind the fourth sailor from the left, at the top, is believed to be of Freddy Jackson. Jackson died a few days before the photo was taken by walking into a moving propeller.
Image credits: Sir Victor Goddard
The technique is so simple, it seems like it was almost discovered by accident. If you have an analogue camera, you would simply open the shutter twice (or even more) so the film gets exposed multiple times. Have a person be in one of the “openings” and then not in the other one’s and now you have a lovely diy ghost pic!
#13 Elderly Couple With A Young Female Spirit
Image credits: William Hope
#14 This Typical Early 20th-Century Postcard Claims To Reveal Catherine Howard, ‘Captured’ On Film In The Horn Room At The Palace
This image purports to show Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII who was executed for adultery in 1542. She is said to haunt the Horn Room at Hampton Court Palace.
Image credits: Historic Royal Palaces
#15 The Watcher Of Corroboree Rock
In 1959 (sometimes noted as 1956) Adelaide Presbyterian minister R.S. Blance was visiting Corroboree Rock, when he took a photo of the seemingly empty scene. When the photo was developed, he found the image of a person standing amongst the scrub, surrounding the clearing.
Image credits: Adelaide Presbyterian
#16 Mary Todd Lincoln With Abraham Lincoln's "Spirit"
Image credits: Mumler, William H.
#17 Ghost Sighting At The Pirate House In Savannah, Ga.
My family and I went there to eat at the Pirate House and we were told that it was haunted so after dinner we decided to walk around a little bit and take pictures just to see if anything would pop up. We didn't expect much of anything but thought it was fun either way. When I looked through my pictures of the trip I found this photo. It was taken in a hallway... A completely empty hallway. I used a Motorola Droid. This photo has been unedited other than a little bit of cropping.
Image credits: reddit.com
#18 The White Figure In This Photo Is Believed To Be Some Sort Of Angel, Overlooking Rose Benvenuto, Who Was Involved In The Car Crash
#19 The Specter Of Newby Church
Image credits: Reverend K. F. Lord
#20 The House Where Latoya Ammons Lived With Her Family. This Is A Photo Taken By The Police. A Figure Appears To Show Itself In The Window At Right That Is Believed To Be Demonic
Austin, a 36-year veteran of the Gary Police Department, said he initially thought Indianapolis resident Latoya Ammons and her family concocted an elaborate tale of possessions by demons as a way to make money. But after several visits to their home and interviews with witnesses, Austin said simply, "I am a believer". Furthermore, the family's story is made only more bizarre because it involves a DCS intervention, a string of psychological evaluations, a police investigation and, ultimately, a series of exorcisms. It's a tale, that started with flies.
Image credits: Hammond Police Department
#21 The Ghost Pilot - 1987
In 1987, Mrs Sayer was visiting air airfield in England with her friend. She thought it would fun to take a photo of her sitting in the cockpit.
When the image was developed, there was a man sitting in the pilot's seat who hadn't been there when the photo was taken. A long lost pilot? No one is sure.
Image credits: The Society of Psychical Research
#22 This Photograph Of The Library In Combermere Abbey Was Taken By Sybell Corbet In 1891
This image taken of the library at Combermere Abbey in Cheshire, England by Sybell Corbett clearly shows a figure sitting in the chair on the left. It's believed to be the ghost of Lord Combermere, a British cavalry commander in the 1800s.
Image credits: Sybell Corbet in 1891
#23 A Ghostly Pooch
This photo shows a tale of two four-legged friends. The dog on the left had a much larger pal (pictured on the right). When the little one died, he was later photographed seemingly appearing with his friend from beyond the spirit world.
Image credits: Anonymous
#24 Toys 'R' Us - 1978
The Toys 'R' Us store in Sunnyvale, California is allegedly haunted by the ghost of Johnny Johnson, and this image shows a silhouette leaning up against the shelves.
Image credits: Bill Tidwell
#25 William Barrett Spirit Photograph
Image credits: William Hope
#26 A Ghost Petting A Deer On The Side Of A Road / Original Photos + Filters
Image credits: _NotSlimShady
#27 Polaroid Picture Of A Fried, Face Seems To Be Peaking Out Behind Her. Everybody Was Behind The Cameraman
Nobody was behind her, the only people in the house were crowded around the camera person.The only editing here is the face blur. The area behind her is in another pic. The coat on the door hanger is behind the girls shoulder in the polaroid, it doesn't make sense for the angle. You can tell by the square detailing on the doors to gauge the height of each thing. We can't explain this.
Image credits: teeny-tiny-ginger
#28 A Photo Taken In 2009 On My Fathers Nokia. Wasn’t Until Years Later That He Upgraded To An iPhone And Found This While Sorting Pics (Brightness Up)
Image credits: leggynolegs
#29 Worstead Church, 1975
Another church, another ghostly visitor. This ghost has been reported as being seen before in this location too. Peter Berthelot took this picture of his wife, Diane, sitting on a pew at the Worstead Church in Norfolk, England in 1975. When they had the film developed, they noticed a ghost sitting on the pew behind Diane.
Image credits: Peter Berthelot
#30 Spirit Photograph Of William Thomas Stead With Piet Botha
Richard Boursnell, a spirit medium and photographer, captured this photo of spiritualist William Thomas Stead and a purported phantom who was identified as Piet Botha, a Boer commandant killed in the South African War.
Image credits: Richard Boursnell
#31 This Image From 2015 Was Captured On An iPhone And Seemingly Shows A Ghostly Apparition
This figure could be that of the ghost of dame Sybil Penn, a lowly servant of the Tudors who has haunted Hampton court palace since 1829
Image credits: HuffPostUK
#32 An Image Of Moses A. Dow, Editor Of Waverley Magazine, With The Spirit Of Mabel Warren
Image credits: William H Mumler
#33 A Picture One Of My Friends Took A Few Years Ago During A Get Together. A Person That Looks Like A Soldier Holding A Musket Can Be Seen In The Background
Image credits: Europe_Is_My_Nation
#34 A "Spirit Photograph" Taken By The Crewe Circle, And The Known Paranormal Hoaxer William Hope
Taken in 1922, this picture purportedly a spirit emerging in front of a group at the annual meeting of the "Society for the Study of Supernormal Pictures". Picture in the center is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, his wife is to the left.
Image credits: William Hope
#35 Picture Of My Then Boyfriend Holding Our Daughter On Thanksgiving, 2007. The TV Was Definitely Off. This Picture Scares Me. I Hated Living In This House. I Always Felt Uncomfortable There
Image credits: reddit.com
#36 Recently Deceased Father Appears In The Photo
This photo was taken by my friend who decided to take the photo because her dog kept looking at this part of the room. Her Father recently passed away. She recognizes her father because of this specific shirt. Photo was taken at night with all windows having curtains closed.
Image credits: BatWolf29
#37 Coventry Spectre
At first glance, you'd think there's nothing wrong with this photo. But look again, and you'll see a tall, dark figure wearing what could be a monk's frock, with a hood, in the top left. This is a photo of the Coventry Freeman society showing everyone at the event, including the mysterious figure, bowing their heads. Nobody at the event was seen wearing that style of clothing.
Image credits: thehorrortree
#38 Man With A Spirit Face Appearing
Although we now know that these photographs were made using double exposure, during the years 1910-1920 people were very interested in things from beyond. Thus many photographers emerged who were supposed to be able to capture spirits and sold their images to curious people claiming that they were real ghosts.
Image credits: William Hope
#39 I’m Shook
Recently I’ve been hearing bangs and creaks in the night and I’ve been putting it down to the floorboards expanding with heat, however after I took this image whilst replying to snaps
Image credits: evieg_exe
#40 Ghoul Figure Caught At Birthday Party
Image credits: BuggerWugger
#41 Ghost On Google Street View
Image credits: doug_c
#42 Mrs. French With A Child "Ghost"
Image credits: William H Mumler
#43 The Pink Lady
Paranormal investigators explore a haunted house, take photos from outside and notice after development that a ghostly lady was standing in the window.
Image credits: Vivek Sengupta
#44 This Shadowy Ghost Someone Caught On Google Looking At Chernobyl
Image credits: google
#45 After Hearing Taps And Noises From My Kitchen I Take A Photo And See This
Image credits: OopySpoopyMan
#46 A Ghost Has Been Caught On Camera Inside Warrington Market Near A Make Up Stall
The unexplained spooky figure was spotted on CCTV wandering between the shops at night and customers are puzzled over whether the images are real. Market manager Steve Pickering was surprised by the pictures and said: "Customers have recently reported seeing many Pokemon Go characters, so at first I thought it might be one of those. "However, this seems to be something different. "The market attracts a wide range of interesting people, and we welcome everyone even if they do happen to be a few hundred years old!"
Image credits: warringtonguardian
#47 Ghost On Beach
My son took this photo of me at the rock and spindle on the coast east of St Andrews. Right in the center of the image is a person standing in the water in Wellingtons facing to the right and wearing an anorak with the hood up. It was a chilly day. We were definitely alone at the time, and it really spooked us when we looked through the pictures once home and saw this.
Image credits: scienceofghosts
#48 The Old Scalan Seminary In The Braes Of Glenlivet. Top Left Hand Window Reflection
We were just going in as it is open as a museum and there was not a soul in there. I never saw this till on my laptop screen. I reckon it's a reflection but it looks very much like the ghost of a monk.
Image credits: Neil Robertson
#49 Whaley House Ghost Encounter
Image credits: Chris N
#50 Ghosts Are Real
Image credits: google
