Friday, February 5, 2010

The most enduring paranormal pictures of all time (Part 2)

By Joan Seth

Part 2 of some of the most enduring paranormal pictures of all time.

1) Nazca Lines



The Nazca Lines are a series of gigantic geoglyphs located in the Nazca Desert in Peru. This picture depicts an eagle. Till date, no satisfactory explanation can be given as to how were they created and their purpose. Were they created as part of ceremonial rituals? Or are they, as some have suggested, runways for ancient astronauts?

2) Kirlian Photography



Kirlian Photography was discovered by Seymon Kirlian in 1939. By activating an electrical field to an object on a photographic plate, images such as this hand can be produced. Kirlian himself claimed that this technique revealed the existence of an aura for the object, but sceptics say its just contamination of the photographic plates, and this effect is only a normal scientific phenomena.

3) The Surgeon's Photograph



This picture supposedly showing the head and neck of the Loch Ness Monster was taken by Robert Kenneth Wilson in 1934. However, it was revealed as a hoax in 1994. Wilson had used a toy figure to take the photograph. Nonetheless, many experts, including those who revealed the hoax, still hold firm to the belief that there is an animal down there in waters of Loch Ness.

4) Spontaneous Human Combustion of Mary Reeser



Mary Reeser was a suspected victim of Spontaneous Human Combustion in 1951. When police arrived, they found the ashes of the remains of her body. Only part of her left foot and her backbone remained. Plastic household objects at a distance from the seat of the fire were softened and had lost their shapes. However, the rest of the house remain largely untouched.

5) Anneliese Michel



Anneliese Michel was a German woman who supposedly was possessed by demons and underwent an exorcism. When she was 21, she started hallucinating and exhibiting weird behaviour. Her parents gave up on medical treatment and turned to exorcism. The priests who performed the exorcism was subsequently charged with negligent manslaughter. She eventually died of starvation and dehydration in 1976. The movie, The Exorcism of Emily Rose was based on her story.

6) Stigmata



Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. This picture depicts Myrna Nazzour receiving the wounds of Christ in 1990. Experts have suggested stigmata are of hysterical origin or linked to dissociative identity disorders. Sufferers exhibit dissociative mental states and self-mutilation, in the context of a religious belief.

7) King Tuktankhamun's Mask



This picture shows King Tuktankhamun's Mask. After his tomb was discovered in 1922, a spate of deaths has been linked to the Pharaoh. Experts believe that the deaths have been caused by an unknown fungus in the tomb, and pointed out that only 8 people involved have died in the years since the discovery. However, many people still believe that the Pharaoh placed the curse there to dissuade grave robbers.

8) Betty and Barney Hill Alien Abduction



This is a picture of a supposed star map that Betty Hill saw while she was aboard a UFO. It shows that the aliens' supposedly came from the Zeta Reticuli star system. They were allegedly abducted in 1961, and lost a few hours of time. Through hypnosis, they recalled being brought aboard a UFO and subject to tests and experiments by the aliens.

9) The Abominable Snowman



The Yeti is a mysterious humanoid crytid said to dwell in the Himalayas mountains. It is also considered as a parallel of the Bigfoot legend of North America. In this picture, a supposed Yeti footprint is found, with a pickaxe placed next to it for comparison of size.

10) Zener Cards



Psychologist Karl Zener designed the Zener cards in the early 1930s. They were used for conducting Extra Sensory Perception tests. The experimenter picks up a card and the subject attempts to determine which card was picked through ESP. Test results have varied, no conclusive evidence of psychic abilities have been proven so far.

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