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The world of the paranormal very rarely presents convincing visual evidence. However, these ten strange photographs may very well be the exception to the rule.
10 – Alla Vinogradova
In the 1970s, the Soviet Union made startling claims concerning psychic abilities. Amongst them was the statement that two Russian women had consistently demonstrated psychokinetics – the ability to move an object solely with the power of the mind. One was Nina Kulagina, the other was Alla Vinogradova.
Proclaimed as a psychokinetic superstar, Alla was said to be able to move objects weighing as much as 200 grams. She could pick a target object from a dozen items in front of her – only moving that one item, whilst the others remained still.
Undoubtedly, such claims caused international scientific uproar, with accusations of trickery in abundance. However, in 1978 two Pittsburgh Press correspondents were left flabbergasted after meeting with Alla.
According to the report, an “aluminium-foil cigar container” was placed in front of her. After taking it in her hands for a few moments, she placed it down on a transparent plastic cube then positioned “her right hand very close to it, fingertips outstretched.
“Slowly the cigar container began to rock, then move.” When she moved her fingertips in one direction, the container rolled in the same direction. When she moved her fingertips in the opposite direction, it also followed.
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Afterwards, the container was thoroughly inspected by the bewildered observers. No wires, magnets or other devices were found.
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The correspondents then produced their own objects for Alla to move telekinetically, including a ping-pong ball. What she did with the ball can be seen in this startling photograph.
It was said that Alla suspended it in an “energy field”.
“After her demonstration for us, we tried to duplicate her feat. We failed.”1
9 – The Unknown Lady
In 2011 an American lady captured this image of her daughter and granddaughter. What should have been a simple and charming family photograph turned out to be something terrifying. There should have only been two people in the picture.
Nobody knows who the lady in the back was.
At the time, there were only three people in the house: the grandmother behind the camera, and her daughter and granddaughter.
When one zooms into the face of the mysterious fourth lady, the horror increases. Her face, unlike the mother and daughter in the foreground, is expressionless and plain. Her features look distorted.
Despite many attempts to delete the frightening image, its owner has been unable to get rid of it.
Was this unknown lady a ghostly manifestation?2
8 – The Poltergeist of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
This remarkable photograph was taken in 1955 by newspaper men who had been called to investigate an alleged poltergeist case near the French-Italian border.
The terrified occupants of a French farmhouse in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne claimed that they were under assault by a “noisy spirit”, who on more than one occasion moved objects about the house. This photograph, which the journalists presented as genuine, depicts a saucepan, its lid, a pair of scissors and a telegraph form shoot into the air. The only other people in the room – the mother and baby, and a man from the village – were all said to be too far from the objects to have touched them. 3
With a young child in the house, the activities connected with this unseen force would have undoubtedly been horrifying, and raises the question of motive if fraudulent.
So, does this rare photograph show genuine poltergeist activity?
7 – Stefan Michalak
On the 20th May 1967, Stefan Michalak stumbled home, sick and injured, after prospecting near Falcon Lake, Canada.
An amateur geologist, 51-year-old Michalak had been exploring a vein of quartz when a nearby gaggle of geese began panicking. Turning his head to the sky, Michalak saw two cigar-shaped objects hovering some 45 metres away. According to his account, one descended, giving him the chance to observe and sketch it from a distance. He believed it to be a secret United States experimental military craft.
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After about half an hour, Michalak decided to approach the strange machine. The air was warm and smelled of sulphur. From an open door, the mumbling of voices could be heard. Thinking whoever was inside might be in need of help, Michalak called out in English, then Polish, Russian and German – each with no response.
According to his testimony, when he reached to touch the craft it melted the fingertips of the glove he was wearing.
Next, the strange vehicle began to turn, at which point Michalak noticed a panel that contained a grid of holes. It was from these holes that a blast of gas erupted, striking the unsuspecting prospector in the chest.
As the craft flew off, Michalak ripped away his shirt and cap, which had been set ablaze.
Despite being nauseous, disoriented and burnt, he managed to make his way home.
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After the incident, Michalak was treated at a hospital for burns to his chest and stomach. These burns later turned into raised sores – matching the grid-like pattern he described being on the craft. For weeks afterwards, he suffered from diarrhea, headaches, blackouts and weight loss.
“If Dad hoaxed this — remember we’re talking about a blue-collar, industrial mechanic — if he hoaxed it then he was a freakin’ genius.” – son, Stan Michalak 4
By the time of his death in 1999, Michalak regretted ever having gone public with his encounter, because of the constant probing and condemnation he and his family received. His sanity was questioned, and his children bullied. Never once, however, did he retract his claim – neither did he claim to have seen aliens, always maintaining his belief that the craft had been a secret military project. Whatever the truth of the matter, it remains unknown – still being regarded as one of the most compelling cases of UFO encounters to date. 5
6 – The Ghost of Willard Library
Captured by a surveillance camera in 2003, this photograph appears to show a dark figure drag itself across the floor of a library.
The library is Willard Library, an impressive 130-year old red brick building located in Evansville, Indiana. As well as housing treasured book collections, it is said that a Grey Lady and a dark mass also call the library home.
Many speculate that the Grey Lady is the daughter of the library’s founder. 6 The black mass, however, has a less obvious heritage.
“… library employees have come to see the Lady in Grey as another staff member. They know that every so often, they will see the Grey Lady.” 7
Far from being a one off, this chilling photo is part of the library’s collection of ghostly images, captured using the Ghost Cam system, which was specifically installed in the library for the purpose of spotting anomalous manifestations.
Active day and night, the cameras attract a loyal following of “spotters”, who submit their captures to the library’s dedicated website. Other images include light anomalies and misty apparitions. This, however, is by far the most eerie.
Whilst this particular photo may be challenging to believe, the library’s vast gallery of ghostly images is difficult to dismiss. And so, if real, the question remains: who – or what – is haunting Willard Library?
5 – The Possession of Anneliese Michel
Between 1975 and the 1976, German-born Anneliese Michel endured over 60 sessions of Catholic exorcism. It was claimed she was possessed by six demons, including Lucifer himself.
Under the unceasing strain of her possession, Anneliese transformed into an emaciated and bruised shadow of her former self. A lively and intelligent young woman with dreams of being a teacher was replaced by a girl who would be repeatedly thrown to the floor by unseen hands, as she screamed that she saw demonic faces everywhere. This photo reveals the extent of her transformation.
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Despite attempts from both doctors and priests to save her, Anneliese tragically died at the age of twenty-three.
Her dramatic story went on to inspire the 2005 movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.
4 – Raystown Ray
This photograph was taken in 2007 and claims to have captured the creature hailed as “Pennsylvania’s Loch Ness monster”8.
Raystown Ray (named after the reservoir it purportedly calls home) is said to be a hitherto undiscovered aquatic creature of enormous size. Similar to Scotland’s Nessie in appearance, local sightings describe Ray as being 50 to 60 feet long, possibly plant-eating and “extremely elusive”. 9
Certainly, asides from eyewitness testimonies and photographs taken from a distance, like this one, evidence of the beast’s existence is scant.
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According to the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau, whose biggest tourist-magnet is the manmade lake, Raystown Ray was first reported in 1962. Since that time, further sightings have been reported, with many locals doubtless as to the creature’s existence. A local marina owner, Jim Filson, once said that Ray is “great for business” and that the area is “lucky to have him”. 10
“All of us at the anchorage had known that thing had been in the lake and tried to keep it quiet.” – Jim Filson 11
3 – Stanisława Popielska
Most common amongst mediums is the psychic medium, who claims to be able to communicate, mentally, with the dead. One example of this is clairvoyance – the ability to see spirit. However, there is a form of mediumship which is far more rare – and arguably far more bizarre. Physical mediumship.
The Polish spiritualist Stanisława Popielska was one such medium. She claimed that she could not only commune with spirits of the dead, but could also allow others who were not mediums to perceive this communication as it happened, in a physical form. One example of this was the physical manifestation of spirit via ectoplasm.
Ectoplasm is the hypothetical name given to the grey-white substance seemingly produced when physical mediums first make contact with a spirit. This gooey plasma is said to be sensitive to light, which explains why séances are often held in the dark. It almost always appears from bodily orifices, such as the mouth.
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Stanisława produced such ectoplasmic manifestations during séances, many of which were photographed during sittings in 1913, which were investigated by psychical researchers.
For this photograph, she was sewn into a special shirt and wore gauze around her head and hands, in order to prevent fraud. 12Regardless, ectoplasm still appeared to form from her mouth.
Stanisława’s bizarre manifestations were declared genuine by a German scientist, and others. 13
2 – Shipton’s Yeti Footprints
Eric Shipton was a celebrated British explorer. He was born in 1907 and died in 1977 after having travelled across the globe, discovering and naming natural formations. For his contribution to exploration, he was awarded many honours, including appointment to the Order of the British Empire by the Queen in 1957.
He is also alleged to have encountered the Abominable Snowman.
During the 1951 British Mount Everest expedition led by Shipton, a series of strange footprints were discovered in the snow.
Found at the Menlung Glacier, some 20,000 feet above sea level, the bizarre, seemingly hominoid, footprints measured between twelve and thirteen inches long.14
Certain that he had discovered something out of the ordinary, Shipton had the footprints photographed, using an ice pick to give them some scale.
Not only were the snowy imprints huge, but they also indicated that whatever had made them had been bare-footed – as the prints revealed clearly distinguishable toes.
There was only one word to describe what Shipton and his team had discovered, Yeti – a Sherpa word for “wild man”. After he brought the pictures home, a worldwide debate as to the existence of a Himalayan mountain-dwelling ape-creature was ignited. Many who have seen these photographs believe them to be the best evidence yet of the Yeti’s existence.
As Shipton was a highly respected explorer, there can be no doubt that the photos and the footprints are genuine. So, the question is, what manner of creature made the footprints?
1 – The Creepy Bridal Doll
WARNING: This image has been reported to physically affect some who look at it. Click to view.
Purchased by a British couple from an antique shop for a mere £5, this bridal doll is said to have the ability to physically harm. Within a week of bringing the doll into the house, the husband awoke one night to find a series of scratches on his right leg.
It was after that a medium friend of the couple warned them the doll had “something in it”. 15
So terrified of its potential to inflict physical harm, the couple bundled it into a box and locked it in their garden shed, until a new owner could be found.
Now the creepy bridal doll belongs to Lee Steer, of the British paranormal group Ghosts of Britain. A sceptic, Steer bought the doll to investigate the reality of its disturbing claims. Since it entered his possession, more people – including Steer’s father – have found scratches on their arms and legs, all seemingly caused by the doll.
Steer states that a lot of people have reported being scratched whilst watching the doll during livestream videos as well. However, one needs not watch the doll live in order to feel its energy. Many have reported that merely looking at an image of the doll has affected them, causing tightness in the chest and headaches.
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In August of this year, a lady who had been following the story of the doll on the group’s Facebook page described the strange sensations she experienced just by looking at the doll:
“This doll, everytime I look at its face it gives me a horrible feeling in the bottom of my stomach. You know the feeling you get on a roller coaster, or when in a car and you drive quick over a hump bridge.” 16
Overwhelmingly, the physical effects felt are almost always negative.
Sensationally, one viewer described how her television caught fire whilst watching a livestream of the doll. 17
It is said that the doll is also responsible for inexplicable noises, flickering lights, and broken objects. 18
“We’ve gone months without anything unusual happening and as soon as this doll is mentioned things start happening.” – owner, Lee Steer19
So, is it all coincidence? The power of imagination? Or, is this bridal doll possibly one of the most haunted dolls in the world?
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- 10 Most Mysterious Paranormal Photos That Defy Belief
- Annabelle: The True Story of the Doll Which Inspired The Conjuring’s Terrifying Prequel
- The Enigma of Franek Kluski: One of the Most Convincing Cases of Physical Mediumship?
