The Top 10 Scariest REAL Ghost Pictures And The True Stories Behind Them That Will Make You Lie Down And Cry (Promise)
Proof.
We’ve spent hundreds of years looking for proof.
We’ve untangled paranormal theories, we’ve pieced together ghost stories, and some of us have even fabricated reality in the inexorable search for the evidence that there might just be more to this realm than first seems.
But the thing about the proof of the paranormal is that we can never be sure of what’s real, and what’s five minutes with a broken flash button and Photoshop.
Then again, there are some photos which stun even the most ardent non-believers into a haunted silence, in particular those images which bare no scars of editing.
The whispers of ghost stories and the murmurs of urban legends mean nothing when compared to the physical evidence of the afterlife, and that’s why these photographs documenting the paranormal - whether fake or fo’ real - have garnered so much attention, especially in the Internet Age.
Many have claimed to have captured footage of ghosts, sightings of demons, and the murmurs of the supernatural on camera, and many like to emblazon their efforts with the necessary clickbait needed to boost their subscriber count.
But there are some images of the paranormal that have stood out through history, even if they hadn't GONE SEXUAL GONE WRONG (PRANK).
There are some images of the paranormal we simply cannot explain.
But we can try, right?
#1 - The Brown Lady Of Raynham Hall
It’s a dark, grainy image taken with the best technology this side of 1936 has to offer - and it’s one of the most famous pieces of evidence supposedly proving the existence of the paranormal.
On the evening of September 19th 1936, Captain Hubert Provand - a photographer for Country Life magazine - was taking photographs of Raynham Hall for the magazine. But while he was busy tending to another task, his assistant saw something rather peculiar.
It was a silvery vapour that took the shape of a woman. She was moving down the stairs towards them, and was in perfect alignment of the camera.
The assistant quickly told him to take a picture. He did.
But if the image alone isn’t enough to keep you having nightmares for the rest of lockdown, I’m sure the fact that this picture shows one of the most famous ghosts resident at Raynham Hall will certainly do the trick.
The Brown Lady was first seen in 1835 at Christmas.
Multiple sightings of the spectre were recorded by visitors to this Norfolk country house who’s history has spanned 400 years. It was her brown dress that gave the spirit her name, but it was the dark and empty eye sockets and glowing face that secured her reputation as one of the famous spirits in the UK.
It was shortly after this first set of sightings that a large portion of the staff left Raynham Hall, confirming this might not be the sole murmur of spirits at Raynham Hall. The next famous sighting took place in 1926, when the son of Lady Townshend, a noble of the family that had owned this house for the entirety of its existence, saw her on the staircase she would be seen on ten years later.
She would be the first person to identify the Brown Lady as Lady Dorothy Walpole, and she would be the first to point out the tragic reality of this haunting.
Walpole - born in 1686 - was known for being the second wife of Charles Townshend, a man infamous for his violent temper. This was to be revealed to her when he discovered she was having an illicit relationship with another man, Lord Wharton.
He locked her in a room in Raynham Hall, and it was here that she stayed until the day that she died.
#2 - The Tulip Staircase Ghost
The Brown Lady is not the only supernatural entity that let her guard down whilst using a staircase.
Regardless of how those from beyond the grave like to traverse their former family homes, we can all agree that this is one of the most haunting images to make it to this list - and it’s all the more terrifying knowing that skeptics have proven this image has not been tampered with.
I repeat, not been tampered with.
Tulip staircases are an incredible feat of construction, and create a perfect swirl when seen from the top - but this spirit hit the jackpot of British architecture. They were haunting Queen’s House (Greenwich).
In 1966, a retired reverend and his wife visited the tourist destination. Upon their visit, they took a picture of the famous staircase known for its finesse and beauty - but little did they know this image would alter the course of paranormal investigation forever.
Having returned to their home nation of Canada, they developed the images they took. But in one of them was something odd:
A shrouded figure gripping the handrail and attempting to ascend the stairs began to emerge from its shadows.
Unfortunately, that’s about as much evidence of a potential spirit at queen’s house as we have. Seances have been conducted, vigils have occurred, and nights have been spent there to capture evidence of the spirit.
All we have is some bloke in 2002 seeing something in a white-grey dress glide across a balcony, and plunge headfirst through a wall.
#3 - Lord Combermere Sits At His Desk
It’s an incredible image, isn’t it?
Shadows linger in the late afternoon sun, bright light reflects off the leather furnishings - it honestly took me a while to work out which spectre I was meant to be looking at. But there you can see him, sitting in the large chair on the left of the photograph.
This picture was taken in the library of Combermere Abbey in Cheshire, and it was taken by Lady Sutton who was renting the Abbey for a personal stay. She was able to take this one-hour exposure as the house was empty - the entire family and staff were at a funeral that day.
But it turns out the guy being mourned failed to turn up to the ceremony.
That’s him in the picture.
That’s Lord Combermere.
Once the image had been developed a year later and Lady Sutton had noted the translucent figure she showed the residents of the Abbey. They immediately noted its likeness to their late father. In fact, the spirit was sitting in his favourite chair.
The coincidence doesn’t end there, however; some claim we can only see his torso in this image and not his legs. It is believed that this is related to the manner of his death from which he was run over by a horse-drawn carriage, an accident that caused serious injury to his legs.
(Ouch.)
#4 - Freddy Jackson Is Pictured With His Squadron
This picture was taken in 1919 by Sir Victor Goddard of his squadron and appears to show a typical photograph from the early 20th century. But the translucent face appearing behind one of the squadron members in the back row makes this post-war image stand out in a whole new light.
Apparently this image shows the face of Freddy Jackson, a member of the squadron. But the thing is, he died a few days before the image was taken having walked into a moving propeller.
(Ouch.)
But this isn’t the spookiest thing about this picture.
Goddard was actually best known for his interest and experience with the paranormal - even outside of snapping this pic. The most famous experience he had was a clairvoyant episode in 1935:
He claimed he had a vision at RAF Drem - an airfield in Scotland - which showed it as an active airfield in operation despite it being abandoned at this time. By 1939 it was in use, confirming his prophecies. He also foresaw the death of an officer in 1946, a prophecy that not only came true, but also inspired the film The Night My Number Came Up (1955).
He would spend his post-war years lecturing on the existent of UFOs.
#5 - Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove
Sightings of the Virgin Mary have always piqued interest in us mere mortals, drawing together the potential for the believers in the paranormal and Christianity - but this image leans much closer to those seeking out the supernatural.
The Ghost Research Society Of America was investigating Bachelor’s Cemetry in 1991 when their equipment showed strange readings.
There was a spirit nearby.
The researchers quickly took pictures in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the spirit in question, but at first saw nothing out of the ordinary. It was only when the image was exposed that a female spirit in white clothing was seen sitting on one of the graves.
(Photographs capturing the paranormal at graveyards often show spirits sitting on graves.)
But what makes this image a rather notable piece of evidence is that this isn’t the first time a woman in white has been seen at the cemetery. A variety of manifestations have been reported, including a phantom farmhouse, ghost monks, a two-headed ghost, but the White Madonna’s story is the most famous:
It is said she is most often seen walking the grounds during the night of the full moon and carries an infant around the gravestones.
#6 - The Amityville Ghost Boy
It’s one of the most famous images documenting the paranormal - and it’s one the most disputed, too.
The story goes that in 1976 a picture was taken at 112 Ocean Avenue.
(For those new to the world of all things horror and haunted, this is the location of the Amityville Horror.)
This picture was taken by Gene Campbell, a photographer who was working with paranormal investigators - including Ed and Lorraine Warren - looking into the activity supposedly occurring at the house. As a part of his duties, he set up an automatic camera that took infrared pictures in an attempt to snap somethin’ supernatural.
He was successful.
This picture was taken on the second floor of the house, and it shows a young child in what appears to be pajamas with bright, glowing eyes.
It is believed that this is the spirit of John Defoe, one of the children murdered by his older brother only a few years before the next residents of the house - the Lutzes - moved in, and began to report paranormal activity.
On the other hand, some claim this photo shows an investigator working with the Warrens who happened to be captured by the camera. But given the size of the face and the height we can see, this appears to be the spirit of a child.
#7 - Waverly Hills Sanatorium
It’s the ultimate urban legend:
*Lights up face with torch*
An abandoned TB hospital is haunted by ghosts of its past, whether it’s the former patients who suffered at the hands of the illness, or the doctors and nurses caring for them.
*Turns off torch*
Bu rarely do these stories have any evidence to back up the stories. Until now.
This picture was taken in 2006 in Louisville, and it was taken in one of the US’ most famous haunted locations. This image doesn’t just echo the eerie atmosphere often experienced by those visiting this former hospital, however.
It shows Mary Lee, a nurse who used to work at the location. But there is a twist in the tale.
This nurse had a relationship with a doctor also working at the sanatorium and soon fell pregnant. Unfortunately, he was not interested in having a relationship with her, and so she hung her in the hospital in grief.
#8 - The Coventry Spectre
Coventry is a hotspot of horrors, from the dreary midlands skyline to the wasteland atmosphere engulfing all mortal souls that dare tread there. Trust me, I’ve lived there.
But it turns out there are more supernatural threats to those that might end up there that you’ll want to know about.
This picture was taken in 1985 and shows the Coventry Freeman Society in the midst of a lively event. But there, in the corner of the room, is a cloaked figure with his head bowed in unison with the rest of the attendees.
None of the attendees noted the presence of such a figure when this image was taken.
It is believed that this monk-like spirit could have been from the middle ages when the craftsmen association was founded. Indeed, the hall the photo was taken in goes back to the 14th century.
#9 - The Phantom of Newby Church
Just like that of Amityville, this image has been subject to a lot of debate given the figure’s costume-like appearance, as well as the claims that this figure is almost posing for the picture.
But the fact it was taken in 1963 when such technology was limited and that experts say it hasn’t been subject to a double exposure confirms this image might be showing us the dark side of historic location.
Also known as the Newby Monk, this entity is believed to be a 16th-century monk with a shroud over his face to disguise disfigurement. But this still isn’t the scariest thing about this image.
Given the height of the other objects including in the image, it is believed this figure would actually measure 9 feet tall, making him far bigger than even the tallest humans ever recorded, suggesting this entity might have been a much more inhuman entity that you’d expect to turn up in The Conjuring universe.
#10 - An Aboriginal Woman At Corroborre Rock
Some of the most striking ghost stories known to man are based on the details of our history. And this photograph gives a voice to a history often forgotten.
This photograph was taken in 1959, and features one of the most famous spots in Australian Aboriginal history. It is said brutal ceremonies were carried out by Aboriginal tribesmen at this location, perhaps explaining the forlorn figure in the picture.
The melancholy stance is especially true given that this image shows the spirit of a woman; this location was considered spiritually dangerous for women, children, and uninitiated men to attend.
Although many claim software could’ve manipulated the image, the lack of human activity around this location at the time still raises the eyebrows of believers and skeptics alike.
***
Evidence of the paranormal is still one of the most hotly debated topics on the planet, bringing together our firm trust in science and our personal beliefs regarding what might just exist.
But despite the debunking, the discussions, and the deliberate doctoring of images, one thing is for certain:
It was the dead that first used Facetune.
#snatched
Are you a ho’ for the haunted? Is you a slut for spooky? Follow this blog, and let’s bring shame to our societally-enforced gender roles together (and share ghost stories at the same time, obvs)!
Halloween is almost here in the United States! Check out this video about the paranormal in Japan. An interesting watch even if you don’t like to be scared.
