Buzz
We all know someone like this. That one person who’s convinced about lunar cities, divine beings, and outrageous conspiracy theories. Every so often, they stumble upon a so-called 'supernatural' image online and proudly present it as undeniable evidence that the world is stranger than we think. Next time they do, you can counter with these examples of supposedly paranormal phenomena that have perfectly ordinary explanations.
10. The Surgeon’s Photo
The surgeon’s photo is arguably the most iconic image of the Loch Ness monster, and it played a pivotal role in sparking the Loch Ness phenomenon. When people imagine Nessie, this is the picture that comes to mind. It was supposedly captured by a gynecologist and his wife during a vacation as they drove along Loch Ness. Sadly for all the researchers who’ve spent years studying Nessie, the photo was completely fabricated.
The creature in the image is actually a miniature submarine. The scheme to fabricate the photo was driven by revenge against the Daily Mail. The newspaper had mocked a man named Wetherall after investigating what he believed were Nessie’s footprints, which were later identified as belonging to a hippopotamus. Wetherall and his partner intended to embarrass the publication with another hoax, but they remained silent when the photo captivated the public’s imagination.
9. Patterson’s Photo
The Patterson photo was captured by Roger Patterson and his companion Robert Grimlin. It stands as the most iconic image of Bigfoot ever taken, referenced in everything from The Simpsons to Will Ferrell’s Elf. The duo was riding horses in Six Rivers National Forest, filming a documentary. They claimed to have stumbled upon Bigfoot while working on a film about the creature. However, multiple individuals have confessed to their involvement in the hoax, including the person in the costume (let’s be honest, it was clearly a man in a gorilla suit), a special effects designer who made the suit, and one of the film’s producers.
8. The Cottingley Fairies Photos
In 1917, two young girls captivated the public by claiming they had discovered fairies in their garden. While such a statement from children might typically be dismissed, they provided photographs as evidence. Even the renowned skeptic Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was intrigued by the images. He discussed them in his personal magazine, asserting their authenticity—though they were anything but. Decades later, the girls confessed to using cardboard cut-outs and staging the scenes for the camera. And yes, for the record, Arthur Conan Doyle was indeed the author of Sherlock Holmes.
7. Mulmer’s Ghost Photos
Mulmer, a jewelry engraver with a passion for photography, gained notoriety for capturing images of people accompanied by their deceased relatives in the background. The photo above, for instance, features Abraham Lincoln’s widow, with the tall, bearded figure behind her being unmistakable. However, skepticism surrounded Mulmer’s work. A court case revealed that the ghostly effect was easily achieved through double exposure, and many of the 'spirits' were actually living individuals who had recently posed for photos with Mulmer.
6. The Venusian Scoutcraft
The Venusian scout ship was allegedly photographed by George Adamski, who insisted he had been contacted by beings from Venus on numerous occasions. While his stories seemed more like rejected SYFY channel scripts, Adamski authored books and delivered lectures about his encounters with advanced extraterrestrial Aryans, even earning an audience with the Queen of the Netherlands. However, it was all fabricated. The so-called interstellar Venusian spacecraft was nothing more than a lampshade adorned with ping-pong balls.
5. The “Thoughtography” Photos
Ted Serios boasted an extraordinary psychic ability. He claimed to transfer his thoughts directly onto film using only his mind. His method involved drinking heavily, shouting, and pressing a small device he called a 'gizmo' against a camera lens while someone else took the photo. The developed film revealed blurry images of cars, buildings, and people. His talent garnered significant attention, leading to TV appearances and even inspiring an episode of The X-Files.
However, don’t get too carried away—these photos were as genuine as a tweet from Moses. Experts believe the 'gizmo' contained a lens with a pre-printed transparent image. Subsequent experiments successfully recreated similar images using the same technique.
4. Wern Ghost Apparition Picture
When the Shropshire town hall caught fire in 1995, Tony O’Rahilly took a photo. Upon developing the image, he noticed a young girl standing in the flames where an empty doorway had been. Her old-fashioned dress and eerie presence fueled speculation that she was the ghost of a girl who died in a fire she started in 1677. The story captured global headlines.
Years later, an old photograph surfaced showing a girl strikingly similar to the one in the ghost image. It was eventually revealed that the ghostly appearance was due to a straightforward case of double exposure. The girl from the vintage photo had been superimposed onto the image after the fact.
3. The Time-Traveling Hipster
The image above captures the 1941 bridge opening in Gold Bridge, Canada. While everyone else is dressed in typical 1940s attire, the man on the right stands out in a jumper with a prominent 'M' logo, dark sunglasses, a fleece top, and what appears to be an electronic device. When the Virtual Museum of Canada released these photos, the internet exploded with time-travel theories. Admittedly, he does seem out of place, as people in the 1940s didn’t typically dress like that—or did they?
In reality, every item of clothing the so-called time traveler is wearing was available in the 1940s. His sunglasses match those worn by Barbara Stanwyck in the film Double Indemnity. His shirt is a football sweater, and the device he’s holding is likely just a camera.
2. The Levitating Man
Colin Evans, a Welsh spiritualist medium, claimed he could levitate, insisting that spirits lifted him like a crowd surfer at an Aerosmith concert. However, the reality was far less mystical. Evans achieved the illusion by simply jumping off his chair. A cord in his hand triggered a camera, capturing the astonished expressions of the audience. Their bewildered reactions to seeing a grown man leap barefoot from his chair made it seem like they were witnessing a miracle. In truth, they were questioning why they had paid to see something so absurd. Many of these spectators later demanded refunds.
1. The Battle For Los Angeles Photo
In 1942, just months after the Pearl Harbor attack, an air raid siren blared over Los Angeles. Anti-aircraft guns lit up the sky as searchlights focused on an unidentified aircraft hovering above the city. The following day, newspapers claimed a UFO had been sighted and even published a photo of the object, illuminated by the beams.
The government dismissed the incident as a misunderstanding, fueling suspicions of a cover-up. Were aliens invading? Not quite. It actually was a weather balloon... probably. The reality was that tensions were already sky-high: America had just endured a devastating surprise attack by Japan, and the military overreacted to something harmless in the sky. The searchlights made the object appear more menacing, especially since the newspaper had retouched the image to enhance its UFO-like appearance. Years later, the same effect was recreated, confirming there was no extraterrestrial battle over Los Angeles.
