Why do Spirits Appear in Photographs?

There are several reasons why spirits might be captured in photographs. One of them is the desire to establish contact with those still alive.

Why do Spirits Appear in Photographs?

For those who believe in life after death, the desire to establish contact with loved ones who have moved on to another plane of existence is often constant. There are many cases of people seeking mediums (individuals who have developed their abilities to communicate with the spiritual plane and the spirits that inhabit it) to establish contact with these disembodied beings.

“I shall not commit the fashionable stupidity of regarding everything I cannot explain as a fraud. —address to the Society for Psychical Research in England.” C.G. Jung

UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA?

The phenomena involving spirits are numerous. They range from voices from beyond, inanimate objects that move, haunting images, sounds, and knocks around the house, to the famous audio, video, and photographic records. These stories are everywhere. Whether in family conversations or cinema, these so-called “appearances” have inspired a series of books and even video games. This field of study is called Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC) and has followers worldwide, inciting debates about the nature of man and challenging materialism.

BUT WHY WOULD SPIRITS APPEAR IN PHOTOGRAPHS?

There are several reasons why spirits might be captured in photographs. One of them is the desire to establish contact with those still alive. If disembodied spirits exist on another plane of existence but, like us, are conscious beings, why couldn’t they miss their past life when they become aware of their current condition? Perhaps they intended to draw attention to one of the spiritualists’ maxims, “Death is not the end of existence.”

The appearance of spirits in photographs is related to physical mediumship, the mediumistic faculty that assists in the physical manifestations of the material world. For such a phenomenon to occur, a medium – that individual with a greater affinity with the spiritual plane – must enable the phenomenon by donating ectoplasm, or quintessential matter, so that the spirit can manifest and thus be recorded.

However, the medium doesn’t have to know its mediumistic potential. This could be a totally accidental phenomenon. The Spiritualist doctrine considers itself transversal in this sense. It affirms that any individual, regardless of religion, can be a medium and exercise their mediumship, although physical mediumship is rare today.

Whatever the reason for such manifestations, much study is still needed. If photographs were a way of making contact, what would these spirits be trying to tell us? Would they just be wandering spirits in search of light or nostalgic relatives? Only uncertainty and the hope of understanding remain.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPIRITS AND GHOSTS

Normally ghosts are identified as spirits that have not crossed over, while spirits are often used to classify those who have crossed over towards the “light.”

There are some fundamental differences between encountering a spirit.

Spirits usually make you feel calm, comforted, and peaceful. They often appear in dreams or you may see them as an apparition; either way, the feeling around a spirit is often calm. On the other hand, ghosts often leave you with a strange feeling and can sometimes make you uncomfortable. They may appear as an apparition, shadow, or ectoplasmic mist.

They may also be attached to an object or living person.

SIGNS THAT A SPIRIT IS NEARBY

• Unexplained noises: sounds such as footsteps, knocks, bangs, scratches, or the sound of something being dropped. Usually, these sounds can start subtly and get louder.

• Opening Doors / Cabinets: any doors or cabinets that seem to open on their own without a rational explanation.

• Turning Lights On / Off: turning lights on and off that are not caused by a rational explanation or new bulbs that seem to burn out very quickly.

• Activation/deactivation of electronics: having items like TVs or radios turning on and off, changing channels, switching to static, or increasing in volume without any explanation.

• Discovering a Keepsake: Unexpectedly coming across an item that belonged to a loved one who has passed away.

• Mysterious Shadows: Noticing unexplained shadows flickering at the edge of your vision.

• Shadows: seeing unexplained shadows out of the corner of your eyes.

• Hot and cold spots: experiencing large temperature changes in specific areas of your house