Ghosts Caught On Film: Photographs of the Paranormal Hardcover – October 18, 2007

I admit to being somewhat of a strange and curious person with a scientific bent. After reading and reviewing the book "Flying Saucers caught on film" I decided to purchase this book (Ghosts Caught on Film by Dr. Melvyn Willin) in hopes of finding at least one photograph that was not a fake and was investigated by true scientists. Like the book on flying saucers, this volume had some intriguing photographs that are not easily explained; nevertheless, I did not find any of them compelling enough scientifically to warrant believing in ghosts and other so-called paranormal phenomena.Some of the subjects and photographs covered in this 156 book includes the following: The earliest images, faker, fakir or floater? Do you believe in fairies? Suspicious spirit séance, the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, Photographing the invisible: A sprit of faith, the releasing of the soul, new ages of enlightenment, the Madonna of the fountain, an angel in the basement, ghostly arm-pull in Manila, Birthday intruders, the sleeping ghost, spirit head joins party table, a gnarled hand at her throat, the uninvited guest, a ghostly dinner intruder, white lady on the tombstone, the haunted doorway, and numerous other photos.In conclusion, if you believe in ghosts and the paranormal, you will probably love this book. For those with a scientific and rational mind, you may find the photographs amusing, but unconvincing from a scientific viewpoint.Rating: 3 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Never Trust a Politician: A critical review of politics and politicians)

This book is a must-have if you are interested in or curious about ghost photos. This book contains the following collections of photos:--The Earliest Images--Photographing the Invisible--Lookalikes--Beyond Coincidence--Everyday Anomalies--Most Famous MysteriesEarliest images includes some photos that have since been debunked like the famous Cottingley Glen fairies (1917) and the ghost of Abraham Lincoln (1869?). It is interesting to see some of the first photos that were considered ghost photos and compare them to what we have today. Many of them are clearly manipulated in some way to include a "ghost" in the image; we can see that today, with what we know, but, back then, these were taken on face value for being ghost photos.Photographing the Invisible includes a few Kirlian photos that purport to show the aura of things and several photos that Willin suggests might be the result of "thoughtography," the ability to manifest one's mental images onto photographic film. Willin includes one photo of orbs in this section; it is the only orb photo in the entire book. I tend not to think of orb photos as possible evidence of ghosts or other paranormal activity, so it's nice that the book doesn't focus or dwell on these types of photos.Lookalikes contains photos that could be construed as naturally occurring patterns of dark and light that take on the image of things like faces on walls or a well known figure such as the Virgin Mary or Jesus. Willin goes beyond belief, however, by including a photo of a cloud above a Thai Buddhist temple that **could** be seen as an elephant, a good luck symbol in Thai culture. Sometimes cloud formations are just that--clouds. Willin includes it to encourage the viewer to take on a wider sense of what a ghost photo could be. The disembodied faces seen off the helm of the SS Watertown and the faces in the floor tiles in Belez de la Moraleda, in Andalucia, Spain, are perhaps the best known among these photos. It's possible that many of these types of photos take on shape because our minds are wired to look for sense and order in things; what might be just a jumble of patterns and textures are instead "rearranged" by the brain to represent the things we are most familiar with (simulacra).Everyday Anomalies contain images that are what most of us consider to be ghost photos: the vague, sometimes wispy visions that are captured on film. The spirit head that joins a party, in a photo taken in 1988 at the Hotel Vierjahreszeiten, in Maurach, Austria, is a famous photo. An especially creepy photo is the one that may have captured the image of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, who was executed after being found guilty in the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby, in a window of a London underground train. Another one is the possible robed intruder at a Freemasons' dinner at St. Mary's Guildhall in Coventry, England.Famous Mysteries is a collection of more well known photos like the lady sitting on a tombstone in Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, in Chicago, Illinois; the return of Freddy Jackson in a photo of his Royal Naval Air Station squad; the ghostly girl seen in the flames as the town hall in Wem, Shropshire, England burned; the backseat passenger; and the ghostly image taken on the Tulip Staircase.For me, the real value in this book is to have in my hands on some of the most well-known ghost photos in one place. Some of these images can be found on the Internet but lack the commentary provided by Willin for each photo in the book. They make a great addition to a book collection, especially if you are interested in ghosts, photography, and the (possible) paranormal.Note: The collection of photos included in this book can also be found in Ghost Photos: The Paranormal Caught on Film; and in The Best of Ghosts Caught on Film. Both of these books are also by Dr. Melvyn Willin. I don't want you to think that each of Willin's 4 books contains new (to you) photos of ghosts because they don't. The two books I've identified above reprint photos in Ghosts Caught on Film (the book I'm reviewing here) and The Paranormal Caught on Film (which I'm reviewing elsewhere). To avoid unnecessary duplication, you probably want a copy of Ghost Photos: The Paranormal Caught on Film. Besides containing the photos from Ghosts Caught on Film (this book) and The Paranormal Caught on Film, this book includes a handful of new photos not previously printed in a book by Willin.

I ordered three of this series and went through all of them within an afternoon. Anyone who doubts that there are orbs, spirits and apparations all around us needs to see these books.

This is a must have for any ghost book collection.You really must see this book and read it to enjoy it

I don't know if the pictures are real or not, but they are very interesting.

Definitely a fun book to look through

Ghosts Caught on film is a little book, but it is a nice little book. The book features pictures that may or may not be paranormal and also discusses the background of the pictures. It draws no conclusions, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions.This isn't a big long read - but it is a nice quick book that can spark discussion. It allows you to decide what it is that you believe. Are the pictures ghosts, or are they something else entirely?

Love it