Dead Wrong: Social Media Post of the week
Social Media post of the week
A paranormal group publicly posted a photo on social media recently and asked for comments. The photo has nothing in it. There is blur and movement and that is what they caught. Nothing paranormal. That's fine. If they want to get others opinions about the photo, that's great. However, what drives me nuts is when the photo is questionable at best and they post it anyway and get 15 different opinions from 15 different people. How does this happen? Every individual sees something different when looking at the same thing. Here are the examples of some of the statements made about the same photo:
(please forgive the miss spelled words and bad grammar. I did not edit these. All names have been removed, and the photo is not reproduced here.)
(please forgive the miss spelled words and bad grammar. I did not edit these. All names have been removed, and the photo is not reproduced here.)
- Incredable! Looks as if its stroking her hair!
- You're right, Betsy. It looks like a large rat. LOL
- I believe it is her arm. You can see the white sleeve, ending with flesh tone of her hand. Looks like she's directing the other lady's attention.
- their auras they must have done protect
- If this is taken by a digital camera it's a motion blur I'm afraid
- The white around them is the glow from the flash and their light clothes, the main thing is what has a hold of her hair?
- It's motion in the film - if you lighten this photo you can see its their motion
- I hate to say it.. but it sure looks like a big rodent... argghh... Hope he was a pleasant sort!!!!!
- could be her guide
- looks like a small adult putting their hand on her head
- That looks like a pretty creepy apparition on the right.
Ok. So here is what we have from people looking at the exact same photograph:
1. a large rat
2. her arm in a white sleeve ending in her hand.
3. auras for protection
4. motion blur
5. flash glow
6. a big rodent
7. her guide
8. a small adult
9. pretty creepy apparition.
10. Something stroking her hair.
This is a perfect example of why people who want to be investigators have to study, learn, practice, and become very good at observation. Learn about cameras and photography or this is what you get; ten different opinions of what the same photograph is showing. This photograph isn't even that hard to figure out. If we are not careful we will (and often do) bring our prejudices, or personal life experiences, or preferences, and also our emotions into the interpretation. I teach art. I have proven to students that we do not really see what is there in front of us. We can be very easily persuaded that we see something else. Optical illusions fool the eye. The power of suggestion can altar reality. And then there's matrixing; pareidolia: seeing recognizable things in the shadows and shapes on surfaces, when they are just shadows and shapes on surfaces. Then there is our belief system, which has the strongest influence. You wouldn't think it would effect our visual reality, but it does, very much so. That explains the comments above: a guide, an apparition, a protective aura. A blur is on a photograph and you see a spirit guide?
Dead Wrong
P. J.
1. a large rat
2. her arm in a white sleeve ending in her hand.
3. auras for protection
4. motion blur
5. flash glow
6. a big rodent
7. her guide
8. a small adult
9. pretty creepy apparition.
10. Something stroking her hair.
This is a perfect example of why people who want to be investigators have to study, learn, practice, and become very good at observation. Learn about cameras and photography or this is what you get; ten different opinions of what the same photograph is showing. This photograph isn't even that hard to figure out. If we are not careful we will (and often do) bring our prejudices, or personal life experiences, or preferences, and also our emotions into the interpretation. I teach art. I have proven to students that we do not really see what is there in front of us. We can be very easily persuaded that we see something else. Optical illusions fool the eye. The power of suggestion can altar reality. And then there's matrixing; pareidolia: seeing recognizable things in the shadows and shapes on surfaces, when they are just shadows and shapes on surfaces. Then there is our belief system, which has the strongest influence. You wouldn't think it would effect our visual reality, but it does, very much so. That explains the comments above: a guide, an apparition, a protective aura. A blur is on a photograph and you see a spirit guide?
Dead Wrong
P. J.
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