Buzz
One of the primary obstacles in 'proving' the existence of paranormal beings and events is the lack of clear, undeniable photographic or video evidence. Since the infamous Patterson-Gimlin footage showcasing an alleged Bigfoot surfaced, the world has been flooded with blurry images and poorly focused videos featuring ghosts, Nessie, aliens, and demons.
Even in today's high-tech era, eerie social media posts and discussions about the supernatural in online forums continue to stir division. Some firmly believe that any and all captured footage must be authentic, while others remain skeptical, refusing to be convinced, no matter what evidence is presented.
10. Faces in the Water
In December 1924, James Courtney and Michael Meehan, crew members aboard the SS Watertown oil tanker, were assigned the task of cleaning an empty cargo tank. A tragic accident during the cleaning process led to both men being overwhelmed by gas fumes. Chief mate Kosti Taviola realized something was wrong and rushed to their aid, but by the time he reached them, the men had already passed away. Taviola was also exposed to the fumes but was revived 30 minutes later.
As was customary, Courtney and Meehan were given a sea burial, and the SS Watertown proceeded on its course toward the Panama Canal. However, the remaining crew soon began reporting strange sightings in the water. Upon further inspection, they were horrified to discover they were staring at the faces of the two deceased sailors. For several days, the faces would surface and float alongside the ship as it continued its journey. The captain, Keith Tracy, captured a now-famous photograph as 'evidence' of these occurrences.
While many people believe this photograph is part of an elaborate hoax, others insist that the spirits of the two men continued to watch over the ship until it reached its destination.
9. Angel, Demon, or…Palm Tree?
Supernatural images frequently go viral on social media. A particularly eerie photograph posted by Richard Christianson from Phoenix, Arizona, on January 1, 2017, was no exception. He captioned it with the question, 'What the hell do you see in this picture for reals??? Anybody?'
The photo shows something resembling an ominous angel walking along a deserted street. In the comments, viewers debated whether it depicted an angel or a demon. Some even argued that it might be proof of the elusive Mothman. A few voices of reason suggested it was simply a palm tree, but their logical explanations were drowned out by those who feared that supernatural entities were wandering the streets of Phoenix.
A few inquisitive commenters took a deeper look into Christianson’s profile and found out that he worked as a stagehand for a living.
Anybody else thinking prop?
8. Is That You, Freddy?
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Victor Goddard, an Air Marshal in the Royal Air Force, had a long history with the paranormal. In 1935, he reported experiencing a clairvoyant vision, where he saw the future state of the abandoned Drem Airfield in 1939.
However, well before that event, Goddard was present when the famous 'Goddard Squadron' photograph was taken in November 1918. The photo, featuring a large group of servicemen, was snapped at a training site called HMS Daedalus. Upon development, Goddard noticed a ghostly face partially obscured behind the fourth airman from the left. The airman, who was the only one without a cap, was identified as air mechanic Freddy Jackson.
The shocking twist, however, is that Freddy Jackson supposedly died three days before the photo was taken after walking into the propeller of a plane. Further research confirmed that a Freddy Jackson indeed worked as an air mechanic for the RAF and tragically passed away in April 1918, seven months before the photograph was captured.
7. 'Your Government Is Lying to You'
In 2011, a video surfaced online, claiming to show the body of a deceased alien found in a 'UFO hotspot' in Russia. The video quickly went viral, accumulating over one million views within a week. A chilling message on the YouTube video stated, 'Your government is lying to you about UFO & alien visitation,' leaving many viewers deeply unsettled.
However, many people quickly debunked the video, claiming that the alien was clearly a rubber doll and that the whole 'discovery' was staged. The absence of a spacecraft and the 'posed' positioning of the alien led thousands to believe that the two Russian men who supposedly found the dead creature had orchestrated the entire event.
On the other hand, numerous people still insist that the video and photos of the alien are 100% authentic, considering them as proof of extraterrestrial life.
6. A Strange Beast
In 2018, another blurry photograph and brief video surfaced, showing a monster... camel. The creature, captured wandering the streets of Santa Fe, Argentina, was blamed for killing a German shepherd and a pitbull. This small-headed, long-necked being, described as part animal and part human, quickly became part of the growing list of cryptids, alongside the Yeti, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness Monster.
The video attracted over 30,000 comments, with most viewers expressing fear that the camel-like creature might be real. One commenter even claimed to have encountered a similar beast in 2005. Another suggested that it could be a man transformed into a monstrous dog, while a third believed the creature was a Chupacabra, a key figure in Latin folklore.
5. Watching Over You
In 2016, a woman named Lynda shared a historical photograph with Belfast Live. She explained that her grandmother, Ellen Donnelly, was one of the 15 women in the picture. These women, all linen mill workers from Northern Ireland, appeared happy and at ease while the photo was taken in 1900.
However, similar to the Freddy Jackson photo, this image also holds a strange mystery. Resting on the shoulder of the first girl on the right, in the second row, is what seems to be a disembodied hand. The girl in question is Lynda’s grandmother.
Everyone around the girl has their arms crossed, leaving the origin of the hand a lingering mystery. Is it a hoax? It's highly possible. Has it been officially confirmed as a hoax? Not yet.
4. The Unexplained UFOs of Salem
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Salem, Massachusetts, already has a history shrouded in darkness, but the mystery deepens when unexplained flying objects appear above its skies.
On August 3, 1952, Shel Alpert witnessed four glowing objects hovering in the sky, casting a bright light over Salem. Captivated by the sight, he took a photo of the strange event, resulting in an image that still unsettles many. The objects were seen hovering above Winter Island and Cat Cove, with the photo being taken from the Salem Coast Guard Air Station.
The photograph has little additional information, though some have suggested that the UFOs were simply reflections from the window through which the photo was captured. Others, however, firmly believed that the image showed alien spacecraft, aligning it with several similar photographs taken throughout the 1950s.
3. The Little Girl Visiting Her Own Grave
In 2020, Saundra Gonzales would regularly leave toys and small mementos at the grave of her young daughter, Faviola, who had tragically passed away at the age of two. One morning, she discovered that some of these items had mysteriously disappeared overnight. Concerned that a thief was at work, Saundra asked fellow visitors to the Masonic Cemetery in Las Cruces, New Mexico, to watch for any suspicious activity.
However, what Saundra didn’t know was that a nearby family, whose son’s grave was close to Faviola’s, had installed a camera to catch anyone tampering with their child’s grave. While no vandalism was caught on tape, what was captured instead was even more shocking: a young girl walking toward Faviola’s grave, bending down to inspect the toys left there. When the family shared the footage with a cemetery worker, he immediately recognized the girl and contacted Saundra.
Upon watching the video, Saundra was overcome with emotion, certain that the girl in the footage was Faviola. In one of the images, the girl appeared to be holding hands with a tall figure, whom the family believed to be their murdered son.
While Saundra firmly believes the footage shows the spirit of her daughter, others have suggested that the girl might have been another child who was allowed into the cemetery and took the toys from Faviola’s grave.
2. The Nun Who Can’t Let Go
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
In 2021, a Reddit user, who works as a real estate photographer, shared a blurry image on the platform, claiming it was taken outside a house in Tennessee, which had once served as a Civil War-era army hospital. He also mentioned that the homeowner had warned him that the house was haunted.
The image itself appears to show a shadowy figure standing between trees near the house. The photographer explained that he had been told patients who underwent surgery at the hospital were often moved out to the fields surrounding the house to pass away in makeshift tents, adding a tragic and eerie layer to the photo.
Not everyone is convinced that the figure captured in the image is a Civil War-era ghost (or nun) stuck in the past, unwilling to move on. Many users who commented on the post dismissed the idea, suggesting that the figure could be anything from a garden statue to a bird or even a plastic bag caught on the fence.
1. The Flying Dutchman of Lake Superior
Photo: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghost-ship-spotted-on-lake-superior/ In 2016, Jason Asselin was filming a music video along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan. After a long day of shooting, Asselin and his crew were relaxing and enjoying the sunset when he noticed a strange shimmer in the distance. To his amazement, he realized he was witnessing what appeared to be a massive 'ghost ship.'
With over 200 shipwrecks reported in the Lake Superior region, it wasn’t surprising to many that a ghost ship might appear on the horizon. Several people even claimed to have seen the spirits of sailors near Whitefish Point, particularly after the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.
However, not all are convinced. Mark Becker, an associate professor of psychology, suggested that the apparition was likely just the Granite Island lighthouse reflecting the light of the setting sun.
