As both the founder of the Paranormal Research Center of Rhode Island and long time investigator for the New England Society for Psychic Research, one of the most demanding jobs is trying to determine which photographs are real and which are flukes of nature or coincidence that give the appearance of a supernatural presence. Some people get visibly shaken when they are told they have captured a spirit on film, others get very offended when you offer the suggestion of a natural cause for their photo. You must always put a heavy weight on what you see and the explanations you reveal. Always be ready to back up your opinion with logical reasoning.

There are basic photographic rules everyone must keep in mind as they look at pictures they have taken. One of the most important is the environment. What is it like outside (or inside, for that matter)? Rain or snow will make any outdoor psychic photography useless. As the flash goes off, every rain drop or snow flake will reflect back giving the appearance of a multitude of "ghost globules", round transparent balls that are produced by spirits. Foggy or misty conditions are also deterrents outdoors as well as a very smoky indoor environment. If it is very cold outdoors, remember that the steam from your breath can also appear on film. And the effects of temperature on the camera itself may be troublesome. As an example, going from the warm indoors to a cold outdoors may cause both the inner and outer lenses of a camera to fog up.

Another factor to take into account is the condition of the camera itself. Are the lenses clean. A water spot, or particle of dust on the lens can give the appearance of a ghost globule on film. Often, a water spot can be very minuscule, such as from a very fine mist from fog. Additionally, how you handle the film is very important. Do not allow any exposure of the film to any kind of light, natural or artificial. I have seen hundreds of photos taken that revealed a red or orange tinted glow, typically only on one side of the picture and upon review of the negative, it was discovered that frame was usually the first frame on the film. That occurs when the film is loaded into the camera under a light, sometimes the first (and even the second) frame becomes exposed to light during loading.

Here's a good example of a light leak, possibly resulting from accidental opening of the camera's back panel. Typically, such photos occur when exposed to sunlight but can also happen when exposed to bright artificial light. Also notice how the exposed area runs from the top to the bottom of the photo.

Here is a common photograph people mistake as a psychic fog. Unlike an actual photo similar to the one below, this image has a much more defined "smoke" appearance to it. The individual lines are very apparent. True psychic mists have very few, if any, visible ines. This photo is of cigarette smoke and may be very common in smoky houses or when the photographer smokes while taking photos.

An amazing quantity of ghost globules, right? Well, not really. This photograph was taken at one of the many Gettysburg battlefields. Although this photo may look extremely similar to actual globule photographs, when it was taken there was a light snowfall coming down on the battlefield. That leads to a few points. First, unless you have taken the photo yourself, how can you tell that a globule photograph is authentic? Ask the person who shot the picture. Ask what the weather was like that night (or day) and also ask from where the picture was taken. (i.e. inside a car with widows rolled up?) Another notable: If you receive a picture that has a very high quantity of globules (as many as this or more) consider the possibility that the picture has a natural explanation. Rarely do that many ghosts decide to reveal themselves at one time.

This photo was recently sent in by a viewer. Although it is possible that a spirit may be in the house, and that is not in question, this particular photo is a good example of what a camera strap may look like (in my personal opinion). Here's why: First is the exact, matching pattern throughout the entire length of the object. Second, notice the distinct shadows that seem to directly correlate to where one part of the object is in front of another part. Third, is the overall appearance of a grayish or black cord, the thin cords as found on many cameras. Camera straps do come in a variety of colors to include gray and black, as what seems to be the case here.

Other photos sent in by the viewer may hold more possibilities, but would need to be examined more closely.

Up to this point, we've discussed only the possible natural causes for unknown phenomena on film. Now let's talk about some unnatural causes. First and foremost, we must assume that some given factors are true:

There is no camera strap on the camera, the lenses have been correctly and completely cleaned and the environmental conditions are suitable for psychic photography.

If possible, human spirits will leave some form of clue of their presence on a photo if they are aware you are attempting to take psychic photographs. Often, they will tend to leave one of three or four common signs.

The first is the Ghost Globule. Ghost Globules are usually white to yellow in color and are normally translucent although I have seen globules of almost every color, size, shape and translucency. Sometimes only one may appear on film or, if taken at a graveyard, you may find numerous globules on one photo. One thing to watch for: if you get a ghost globule on every frame in the same location on each frame, the odds are you have a water spot on the lens.

Notice the upward movement of a few of the globules... not natural!

The second form of psychic evidence is the Psychic Mist. This shapeless mass of gray or white mist usually is defined to a small area (as opposed to regular fog or ground haze). Psychic mists are usually associated with a human spirit that is very close to manifesting into a full human figure. I have often heard people claiming to see faces, bodies and the like forming in the mist. That may well be true. That is more personal interpretation in my view. Notice the mist confined on the lower half of the stairway, accompanied by a psychic light rod.