Thousands of people have been become part of a national ghost debunking exercise, posting hundreds of snapshots of alleged ghosts online for an experiment at the Edinburgh Science Festival. Now the images posted on a site created by psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, will be examined to see if any defy explanation.
Visitors to the site have been invited to vote on whether they think the ghost is "genuine" or "fake" or "uncertain".
Prof Wiseman, who is leading the experiment, said the site had 60,000 hits on the first day and 40,000 the following day.
"I'm surprised that it's really taken off," he told the Daily Telegraph, "I've already had 250 pictures sent to me and I've posted the best 30 online".
The 42 year old said it had launched a national debate between sceptics and believers.
"Ten per cent of the population have had a ghostly experience, but no-one yet has carried out a survey of what kind of experiences they have," said Prof Wiseman. "We know ghosts tend to be seen as solid figures, which only reveal themselves as ghosts when they do something like walking through a wall."
"I have had some fairly good ghost photo where it's not immediately obvious what's going on," he said.
"Often you might see what looks like a face in semidarkness but it's just a trick of the light. The human brain is hard-wired to see faces, for instance in clouds. That's because faces are the most important thing we can see around us.
"I'm pretty sceptical, and usually there's a rational explanation, but it could be that someone out there is sitting on something really interesting."
"Some of the pictures are genuinely quite creepy and they are the ones that have started to go viral."
A number of ghost pictures can already be seen on the site http://scienceofghosts.wordpress.com
The results of the study will be announced during the Edinburgh International Science Festival.
One of the strangest appears to be the face of a little girl poking between the legs of a group of friends. It was taken at a house where there have been sightings of a ghostly child aged three or four.
"Believe it or not it's just a very odd configuration of the light," said Prof Wiseman. "These are always the hardest ones to explain."
Another taken at a castle 22 years ago appears to show the transparent figure of a headless ghost in an army coat standing in front of two children playing on a cannon.
"The person who took it is absolutely convinced that it's a photo of the headless ghost who walks around the castle walls. Maybe he's angry with the kids playing around. This one might be a double exposure," he added.
A survey of people's ghostly experiences will also be launched at the Edinburgh Science Festival next month.
credited to telegraph.co.uk
bla bla bla bla... I have had a ghostly experience with my cousin. How do you explain a door opening and closing, huh? You would probably say, "Oh, its just the air conditioner, or a breeze from a window. It's nothing." Well, there is no air conditioner back there, and there are no windows open. Also, in the guest room, the lights flicker on and off (you'd probably say bad wiring), the door opens and closes (you'd say air conditioner), and the blinds open and shut (now explain that to me!) I have had experiences, and I have seen things that can't be explained. If you don't believe in ghosts, then your just scared of something else out there that you can't explain.
I can explain the happenings of the person below. Your mate is playing a trick on you. -_-
I looked up this article for one reason. To convince myself. I have no experiences with a ghost, but I am terrified to think what I would do if I saw one. I guess you could say I'm afraid to be afraid of ghosts.