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Even if you are not particularly superstitious, there are certain images or places where you might always feel a little bit haunted. In the 21st century, photo manipulation technology is reaching new heights every year, but this doesn’t mean that there aren’t images out that are the perfect vibe for Halloween.

We’ve gathered some allegedly “haunted” photos, where some netizens swear they can see ghosts. We got in touch with behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner to learn more. So get comfortable, maybe leave the lights on as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and share your thoughts in the comments below.

#1

I'm A Student Nurse And One Of Our Clinical Instructor Sent This To Us During Her Night Shift At Hospital

I'm A Student Nurse And One Of Our Clinical Instructor Sent This To Us During Her Night Shift At Hospital

Spookify Report

#2

Rented A Cabin A Few Years Back For A Birthday Party. Just Looked At This Pic And Thought It Was Strange. Anyone Else See It? It Was Night Time And Pitched Black So I Had The High Beams On

Rented A Cabin A Few Years Back For A Birthday Party. Just Looked At This Pic And Thought It Was Strange. Anyone Else See It? It Was Night Time And Pitched Black So I Had The High Beams On

peonie666 Report

#3

Saturday, January 14, 2012 Granny's Ghost

Saturday, January 14, 2012 Granny's Ghost

Somehow this lady's husband managed to appear in this photo despite passing away seven years before.
Denise Russell took this photo of her grandma, who lived alone at the time, on 17 August 1997.

Denise Russell Report

Bored Panda got in touch with behavioral scientist and spooky-stuff enthusiast Coltan Scrivner to share some thoughts on “ghost” photos and why some folks love them. We wanted to know why some folks insist that these images are “real” despite the fact humans have been editing pictures ever since there were pictures.

“If you already believe that ghosts exist, it might actually require more cognitive work to believe that someone took the time to manipulate a photo and fake one than simply believe that what you're seeing is a ghost,” he shared.

#4

The Ghost Dog Of Tingewick

The Ghost Dog Of Tingewick

The story behind this picture dates back to 1916 when retired Scotland Yard Inspector Arthur Springer took this picture in Tingewick, Buckinghamshire, England. At the moment he captured the photograph, there was reportedly no dog in the frame at all.

Arthur Springer Report

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#5

Brown Lady

Brown Lady

This photo of 'The Brown Lady', is considered by many to be actual photographic evidence of ghosts. It was taken at Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in 1936.

Hubert C. Provand Report

#6

A Friend Of Mine Sent Me This Picture From His Group Of Friends In Chile

A Friend Of Mine Sent Me This Picture From His Group Of Friends In Chile

CursedEmoji Report

So we wanted to hear his thoughts on why some people jump to paranormal conclusions when there may be mundane explanations. “The human mind is built to look for intention in actions. This bias allows social interactions to flourish with ease. However, it also means we sometimes attribute intention to actions that have more mundane explanations, which often leads to a paranormal explanation.”

#7

Ex GF Sent This Photo To Her Family Chat To Announce She Reached The Hotel Safe And Chilling. Brother Replies, Who Is That In The Mirror?

Ex GF Sent This Photo To Her Family Chat To Announce She Reached The Hotel Safe And Chilling. Brother Replies, Who Is That In The Mirror?

amatsumima Report

#8

Looked Up My Deceased Mother's Home, And She Is In The Pic

Looked Up My Deceased Mother's Home, And She Is In The Pic

My mom has been dead since 2012. The other day, I looked up her old home address on Google, and she is in the picture! Google lists the pic taken 2 yrs ago.

Mlm525k Report

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UKGrandad
Community Member
1 day ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If this is from Google Street view it's faked. I have yet to see a face that isn't blurred beyond any chance of recognition on Street view

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#9

Amityville Ghost - 1976

Amityville Ghost - 1976

This is the famous photo taken inside what is now known as the Amityville horror house. This photo supposedly shows John DeFeo's ghost peeking around a door.

source Report

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Sian E
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Considering this photo was taken by Ed and Lorraine Warren, I would be sceptical as to its authenticity.

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If you are really committed to believing in the validity of these photos as evidence of ghosts, more power to you, but you should probably stop reading now. As spooky as these images look, the vast majority of them are altered to create this effect. We might think of photo manipulation as a very modern phenomenon, but the truth is that people have known how to composite and combine images since the Victorian era. There are edited photos out there that are older than many countries out there today.

#10

An Unexpected Guest - 1950s

An Unexpected Guest - 1950s

source Report

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Black Cat
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think if this was real the photo would have the two women more centred. Strange that space has been left in the photo for the ghost.

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#11

My Friend Took This Pic Of His Kid In Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It Appears To Show The Ghost Of A Samurai Soldier Standing Behind A Little Girl

My Friend Took This Pic Of His Kid In Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It Appears To Show The Ghost Of A Samurai Soldier Standing Behind A Little Girl

Nobody was around when the photo was taken. And certainly nobody was behind her. He took about five photos of her at this spot over a period of about two minutes. The photo was supposedly taken near tombs of soldiers who died in battle.

reddit.com Report

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Ace
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well there's obviously something behind her, something quite solid and black, but it takes a hell of an imagination to extrapolate that into a Samurai warrior.

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#12

This Image Was Taken By Sir Victor Goddard, Of His Squadron In 1919

This Image Was Taken By Sir Victor Goddard, Of His Squadron In 1919

This image was taken by Sir Victor Goddard, of his squadron in 1919.
The ghostly image behind the fourth sailor from the left, at the top, is believed to be of Freddy Jackson. Jackson died a few days before the photo was taken by walking into a moving propeller.

Sir Victor Goddard Report

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Julie S
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every single man in that photo has a hat on apart from the "ghost"

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The technique is so simple, it seems like it was almost discovered by accident. If you have an analogue camera, you would simply open the shutter twice (or even more) so the film gets exposed multiple times. Have a person be in one of the “openings” and then not in the other one’s and now you have a lovely diy ghost pic!

#13

The House Where Latoya Ammons Lived With Her Family. This Is A Photo Taken By The Police. A Figure Appears To Show Itself In The Window At Right That Is Believed To Be Demonic

The House Where Latoya Ammons Lived With Her Family. This Is A Photo Taken By The Police. A Figure Appears To Show Itself In The Window At Right That Is Believed To Be Demonic

Austin, a 36-year veteran of the Gary Police Department, said he initially thought Indianapolis resident Latoya Ammons and her family concocted an elaborate tale of possessions by demons as a way to make money. But after several visits to their home and interviews with witnesses, Austin said simply, "I am a believer".

Furthermore, the family's story is made only more bizarre because it involves a DCS intervention, a string of psychological evaluations, a police investigation and, ultimately, a series of exorcisms.

It's a tale, that started with flies.

Hammond Police Department Report

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JenniB
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just googled it and there is a Netflix movie called The Deliverence about it. Lee Daniels directed and looks like a great cast too!

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#14

The Watcher Of Corroboree Rock

The Watcher Of Corroboree Rock

In 1959 (sometimes noted as 1956) Adelaide Presbyterian minister R.S. Blance was visiting Corroboree Rock, when he took a photo of the seemingly empty scene. When the photo was developed, he found the image of a person standing amongst the scrub, surrounding the clearing.

Adelaide Presbyterian Report

#17

Ghost Sighting At The Pirate House In Savannah, Ga.

Ghost Sighting At The Pirate House In Savannah, Ga.

My family and I went there to eat at the Pirate House and we were told that it was haunted so after dinner we decided to walk around a little bit and take pictures just to see if anything would pop up. We didn't expect much of anything but thought it was fun either way. When I looked through my pictures of the trip I found this photo. It was taken in a hallway... A completely empty hallway. I used a Motorola Droid. This photo has been unedited other than a little bit of cropping.

reddit.com Report

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#18

This Typical Early 20th-Century Postcard Claims To Reveal Catherine Howard, ‘Captured’ On Film In The Horn Room At The Palace

This Typical Early 20th-Century Postcard Claims To Reveal Catherine Howard, ‘Captured’ On Film In The Horn Room At The Palace

This image purports to show Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII who was executed for adultery in 1542. She is said to haunt the Horn Room at Hampton Court Palace.

Historic Royal Palaces Report

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Zake
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks so fake, I can also use PS to make this kind of photo

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#19

The Ghost Pilot - 1987

The Ghost Pilot - 1987

In 1987, Mrs Sayer was visiting air airfield in England with her friend. She thought it would fun to take a photo of her sitting in the cockpit.
When the image was developed, there was a man sitting in the pilot's seat who hadn't been there when the photo was taken. A long lost pilot? No one is sure.

The Society of Psychical Research Report

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Alex Boyd
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are they talking about her reflection in the windshield, or is there something more subtle that I'm missing?

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#20

The White Figure In This Photo Is Believed To Be Some Sort Of Angel, Overlooking Rose Benvenuto, Who Was Involved In The Car Crash

The White Figure In This Photo Is Believed To Be Some Sort Of Angel, Overlooking Rose Benvenuto, Who Was Involved In The Car Crash

source Report

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DC
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

... yeah, and all those savings by ghosts, whyever it is so, appear to have only tweaked the severity of injuries a little bit, while just hitting the brakes a second earlier than a distracted driver (or so) would have prevented it altogether. Those ghosts always seem to arrive too late to prevent stuff, but only to limit the results into non-lethality. That doesn't sound too credible - they arrive, of all places on earth, at the right one, almost at the right time, but miss by a few seconds. They make the bullet penetrate the pope slighty aside his heart, but don't manipulate it to not hit him at all? Why that? Cos fake.

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#21

This Photograph Of The Library In Combermere Abbey Was Taken By Sybell Corbet In 1891

This Photograph Of The Library In Combermere Abbey Was Taken By Sybell Corbet In 1891

This image taken of the library at Combermere Abbey in Cheshire, England by Sybell Corbett clearly shows a figure sitting in the chair on the left. It's believed to be the ghost of Lord Combermere, a British cavalry commander in the 1800s.

Sybell Corbet in 1891 Report

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#22

The Specter Of Newby Church

The Specter Of Newby Church

Reverend K. F. Lord Report

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UKGrandad
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Newby Church is in England, therefore it's a spectre, not a specter. English ghosts use English spellings.

Nikole
Community Member
17 hours ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the first SNL George Washington sketch: “But one day, if we are brave, we will get rid of the British “U” in words like color and armor, but by god we will keep the British “U” in the word glamour!”

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StPaul9
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you look at the full length image, the robe overlaps the stairs so fake.

UKGrandad
Community Member
1 day ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Of course it's fake. There are no ghosties and ghoulies and long-leggity beasties'.

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#23

Worstead Church, 1975

Worstead Church, 1975

Another church, another ghostly visitor. This ghost has been reported as being seen before in this location too.

Peter Berthelot took this picture of his wife, Diane, sitting on a pew at the Worstead Church in Norfolk, England in 1975. When they had the film developed, they noticed a ghost sitting on the pew behind Diane.

Peter Berthelot Report

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UKGrandad
Community Member
1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But nobody noticed the giant face next to the window at the top-left corner of the photo?

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#25

Toys 'R' Us - 1978

Toys 'R' Us - 1978

The Toys 'R' Us store in Sunnyvale, California is allegedly haunted by the ghost of Johnny Johnson, and this image shows a silhouette leaning up against the shelves.

Bill Tidwell Report

#26

A Ghostly Pooch

A Ghostly Pooch

This photo shows a tale of two four-legged friends. The dog on the left had a much larger pal (pictured on the right). When the little one died, he was later photographed seemingly appearing with his friend from beyond the spirit world.

Anonymous Report

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#28

Polaroid Picture Of A Fried, Face Seems To Be Peaking Out Behind Her. Everybody Was Behind The Cameraman

Polaroid Picture Of A Fried, Face Seems To Be Peaking Out Behind Her. Everybody Was Behind The Cameraman

Nobody was behind her, the only people in the house were crowded around the camera person.The only editing here is the face blur. The area behind her is in another pic. The coat on the door hanger is behind the girls shoulder in the polaroid, it doesn't make sense for the angle. You can tell by the square detailing on the doors to gauge the height of each thing. We can't explain this.

teeny-tiny-ginger Report

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HTakeover
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just looks like someone who started to come out from around the corner and pulled a "ope".

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#29

A Photo Taken In 2009 On My Fathers Nokia. Wasn’t Until Years Later That He Upgraded To An iPhone And Found This While Sorting Pics (Brightness Up)

A Photo Taken In 2009 On My Fathers Nokia. Wasn’t Until Years Later That He Upgraded To An iPhone And Found This While Sorting Pics (Brightness Up)

leggynolegs Report

#30

This Image From 2015 Was Captured On An iPhone And Seemingly Shows A Ghostly Apparition

This Image From 2015 Was Captured On An iPhone And Seemingly Shows A Ghostly Apparition

This figure could be that of the ghost of dame Sybil Penn, a lowly servant of the Tudors who has haunted Hampton court palace since 1829

HuffPostUK Report

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Mariele Scherzinger
Community Member
2 days ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She was a lowly servant with a dame title? And how tall exactly was she? (Did she have Marfan syndrom?) And did she do all her hard work with her hair hanging to her knees? Hmmmm...

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Note: this post originally had 50 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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