My Debunking of Tantallon Castle Ghost

[Ashyne]

The following photo was taken by Christopher Aitchison at the Tantallon Castle in North Berwick on the East Lothian Coast of Scotland, at 3pm on May 26, 2008.

"Experts" have claimed it is definite proof of the paranormal and that it is a real ghost.

Today was the first time I saw this image and I immediately noticed how un-ghostly it looked.

So I did this image analysis to debunk this ghost photo as just another optical illusion caused by Pareidolia.

http://imgur.com/GAta9MM

[Keel M.]

I say any time you have to zoom in that much to see a "ghost", it ain't one. Well done!!

[JinxDeMynx]

Well, those optical illusions nowadays eh?

[Ashyne]

Well, those optical illusions nowadays eh?

From what I've seen, almost all of the so-called "proof shots" of the most famous ghosts are nothing more than optical illusions (Pareidolia).

I will be doing more detailed image analyses to debunk them.

[eight bits]

Nice work. Thanks for showing that.

[Stubbly_Dooright]

Oooooh, I see. It does look to me like the ratio of the sunlight is off when it comes to the face of the subject. Yeah, nice work. Despite I have had experiences in the paranormal, and I enjoy reading other experiences and such, I figured the picture in question in this thread was a dummy used to highlight the historic nature of the building. I have noticed so many times in various haunted shows and in places I have visited, those life like dummies tend to throw me off.

[Shayde]

This photo had been part of a talk during a past Science festival event in Edinburgh a few years back. This and many others. Anyway, it had been debunked then, especially since a replica shot had also been taken showing near enough the same "face", which of course was nothing more than a lucky shot. Still, good photo though, even if it's not proof of any sort of activity. Bear in mind that Tantallon is one of the few castles that seems to have no paranormal reports emanating from it as well.

This sort of lucky incident happens more than you think. Further along the coast at Dirleton Castle, a few years before this shot had been taken, I got a peculiar image on a photo taken in the cellar. It looks - as one colleague I showed it to remarked - like a mysterious figure, almost alien.... Except it's the sunlight coming through a hole in one wall!

[She-ra]

I remember this photo well and when it was debunked. We also had many discussions here on UM around that time

[Ashyne]

Further along the coast at Dirleton Castle, a few years before this shot had been taken, I got a peculiar image on a photo taken in the cellar. It looks - as one colleague I showed it to remarked - like a mysterious figure, almost alien.... Except it's the sunlight coming through a hole in one wall!

Hi, I would like to see that photo you took of the cellar.

[Shayde]

Of course. It'll not be until the weekend mind, as first got to locate the drive the photo is on, then work out how you load a photo up to this site. Bit of a technical idiot, y'see...

[Shayde]

Okay, one daft question.

How the hell do you load a bloody photograph from your pictures folder on your own bloody computer and post it up here? I am sodding useless when it comes to flaming devices like this!!!

[Ashyne]

Okay, one daft question.

How the hell do you load a bloody photograph from your pictures folder on your own bloody computer and post it up here? I am sodding useless when it comes to flaming devices like this!!!

Two ways:

1) Click "More Reply Option" at the "Reply to this topic" box at bottom of this page. Click the "Browse" button and locate your picture in your folder. Then double click it and click Attach. The picture will be upload to the message. Then click Post Reply to post the message containing the picture.

2) Go to imgur.com and at the top click Upload Images. Open up your folder and click (hold) your picture and drag it into the box that says "Drag and Drop here" on the Imgur page. Then click Upload. Then copy the entire text in the address bar and paste it in a new message on this forum and click Post Reply.

Edited March 22, 2015 by Ashyne

[Shiloh17]

No amount of photographs or videos is ever "proof". Bring me a live Bigfoot or a ghost in a bottle, then we'll talk "proof". Nice work on the deanalyzing.

[Shayde]

With thanks to Ashyne, here' we hopefully go to posting a photograph...

First off, the explantion behind it. Taken back in 2003, on one of our few hot summer days (we do get them occasionally in Scotland!), whilst having a day off. The photo was taken at Dirleton castle, in what would have been the kitchen area. Camera used, a Vivitar DVR-200. Only slight problem with this model is the flash, as it doesn't work too well in low light conditions, which is why there's a blue tint to the shot. The photograph is a composite, with a highlighted section showing the anomaly. The anomaly itself in nothing more than sunlight hitting a section of wall, seen through a large hole in the wall. I should point out that like Tantallon castle, Direlton has no ghost stories linked to it in the slightest.

So with luck - providing I do this right - here's the photograph.

[Ashyne]

Yes it looks like a person's back.

[Shayde]

Aye, must admit as possible ghost photographs go, it's not one of the best!