False Positives and Ghost/ paranormal Phenomena
Matrixing
A term for seeing an image in a video or photograph that isn’t paranormal. This natural occurrence happens when the specific sensory system which receives inputs from our body parts and senses including sight. When we cannot easily figure out what an image is, our mind will fill in the blanks from an image we’ve seen in the past, this is what gives us faces or human like apparitions in photos that aren’t really there.
Before the hate emails start coming in I want to let you know each and every photograph is unique and has had a certain situation or chain of events attached to it. To avoid getting a photo that may have “matrixing” in it you need to re-create your photo. This is where your investigation skills come in before drawing any final conclusion to our photos and telling everyone you have a ghost capture. We need to take a step back and re-think the events.
Important Tips for Photo Re-Creation
- Who was present at the time of the photo and where were they standing? This is where an investigation timeline comes in also having multiple video cameras available and running during an investigation.
- If there are other people in the photo they must be placed in the exact location and positioning for this to be successful.
- Use the same camera, please do not try and re-create a photo with a different camera. This may be impossible.
- You must stand in the exact location and don’t be afraid to take hundreds of photos during this process.
- When doing a re-creation you need to do it at the same time of day, preferably right after the questionable photo was taken.
- You must use the exact same camera settings as the photo in question.
- The same camera card, what if your media is defective? Film or Digital
Most importantly take your time! This could take hours time a good investigator will take the necessary time and do their best.
Is this a form of Matrixing?
Is this Matrixing?
Orbs
Here is a topic I try and stay away from only because several years ago a good friend of mine almost became a ghost after telling a guest on an investigation she had captured some dust instead of an actual ghost. She was adamant that her single orb was indeed a capture. Even after a lengthy explanation and recreation. Not to mention the fact there were several people walking around in a dusty “reported” haunted location.
The truth is this subject has been debated for many years and will be one for years to come. Most likely the “orb” or white ball of light in your photograph are dust particles mere inches from your camera lens. Even though your ball of light looks like it’s beside someone or sitting on a couch its likely dust, moisture or even a bug. When the flash goes off on your camera the flash of light reflects off the object or particles in the lenses viewpoint and the result is an orb.
Here are a couple common questions I hear about orbs
- Jeff why is the “orb” in my picture a different colour? if it’s not white it has to be something. NO it doesn’t, if you have lint or a strand from a coloured sweater or piece of clothing you could possibly capture a coloured orb. I’ve captured a single Orange orb outside, beautiful! Except it happened to be at the end of October and I’m pretty sure it was a leaf particle. EVEN though it was outside at a haunted location. If it was a ghost, there's no way for me to distinguish this "orb" from something possibly explainable.
- Jeff I have been told if my photograph has a cloud of “orbs” I know those are dust, BUT what if I happen to capture a single one that has to be a ghost! NO, there is no way you can have a dust, moisture and bug free environment. These things are in the air we breathe.
Now after presenting a couple of common misconceptions that I hear about quite frequently. I HAVE talked to a few clients that have seen these “orb” type balls of light in their home or business with their own eyes, did they happen to have a camera ready to get a capture? NO and trust me they wish they had, so now we have a personal experience.
I am certainly not an expert in the field of “orbs” or photography but have taken thousands of photographs as a field investigator and do not capture a lot of orbs with my camera. WHY? Take a look at my INVESTIGATION EQUIPMENT page, you’ll see the camera and flash set up I’m using. The external flash is quite a distance from the lens it does not create a lot of false orb photos.
Tips
A way to decrease the amount of false orb photos is try and put some masking tape over the flash; keeping in mind every camera is different and may or may not work for your set up but give it a try.
On my MEDIA page you will see an interesting camera set up. I first saw this set up when a good friend of mine/Senior Field Investigator Steven Dietrich was using it. You have your 35mm or digital camera mounted with your video camera on a bracket side by side, both pieces of equipment synchronized the same. When ever you take a still picture and IF you happen to capture an orb you can go to your video media at the same time and do a verification if it’s a ball of light as we see it why isn’t it on both pieces of media? It’s not really across the room or beside another investigator. The particle is right in front of the lens on your still camera and out of the viewpoint of the video camera.
Jeff Ostrander
