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Compelling video – what do you guys think?

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3:52 pm
December 12, 2008


Dedicated_Dad

Investigator

posts 64

Hi all.  I found this poking around online today.  It's not mine, I found it on the TAPS forum…

Here's the forum post link.

PLEASE forgive if I have broken some unwritten rule by linking this – I can't find anything saying it's a no-no to do so.  Lots (and LOTS) of nonsense over there, but this one was especially compelling to me.

Here are brightened versions of screen-caps from the vids:  Picture 1 (POPS) and Picture 2 (POPS).

EDIT:  Here's a copy of the second (POPS) that someone "cleaned up" – whatever that means…

Here's the YouTube Vid (POPS)

The vid is lousy and painful to watch without getting motion-sickness, but still compelling at first glance.
I don't have the ability to frame-by-frame so it's hard to judge, but…  If the thing in the chair is a trick of light/reflection it's the most amazing reflection I have ever seen…

As always, I'm not suggesting it's "Proof of ghosts!!" but rather that it's a very interesting vid and I'd like to see what others here think…

DD

PS:  Can anyone recommend a good free vid program that would allow me to frame-by-frame such things?

7:38 pm
December 12, 2008


Learjet

Australia

Lead Investigator

posts 1075

It has to be in AVI format but virtual dub is a good freeware program. http://www.virtualdub.org/

OD'd on EMF

11:07 am
December 13, 2008


Dedicated_Dad

Investigator

posts 64

Any thoughts on the Vid?

DD

12:19 pm
December 13, 2008


Stephen

San Jose, CA

Admin

posts 588

I've watched it a couple of times. It's hard to evaluate from the YouTube copy– maybe I can ask the guy who shot it for the original.

Looks like the images are pareidolia. In the first image, they're shooting through a spiderweb, and I think that's what the girl is– criss-crossing spiderweb strands with some dew on them. It might seem strange to get that kind of image by chance, but it does happen. A few things to pay attention to: her left side is cut off, so our brains tend to fill in symmetry when there's none there. Also, the entire image is actually defined by just a few lines. Here's what I'm talking about.

I think that what I've highlighted in red is spiderweb, and the blue is either a dewdrop or the spider itself.

The second one had me looking closer, because the "body" seems to fade up dramatically. If you frame-by-frame it, though, it looks like the body fades up twice, and both times when the flashlight point is at a particular angle to the chair. I think it's a reflection of some kind from the chair. The back of the chair is contoured, and the body seems to match the contours.

There's always the possibility of a hoax with this kind of an image, and my deconstruction could be a kind of reverse pareidolia.

Stephen the Friendly Skeptic

2:58 am
December 14, 2008


KidSkeptic

Minneapolis MN

Investigator in Training

posts 7

The placements of the images in such quick scans of a flashlight seems odd to me. They're in great spots to be OMG factors for a trained eye.

Also seein as the other video posted by the user is to show off a weapon for a video game he created I think it would be safe to assume he has some computer skills….

If you want to know what a man is truely like, look at how he treats his subordinates, not his superiors

10:37 am
December 14, 2008


Dedicated_Dad

Investigator

posts 64

KidSkeptic said:… Also seein as the other video posted by the user is to show off a weapon for a video game he created I think it would be safe to assume he has some computer skills….


That vid was not there yesterday.  I don't think he created "fallout 3" but…  In either case I think it possible he just blew his own credibility, at least a bit…

DD

11:10 am
December 14, 2008


SkepticalRader

California

Investigator

posts 38

Stephen said:

Looks like the images are pareidolia.


I am in agreement with you Stephen. And thanks for the interesting link to the picture of Jesus. The eyes and mind can sure play funny tricks, can't they?

11:13 am
December 14, 2008


Dedicated_Dad

Investigator

posts 64

Stephen said:… maybe I can ask the guy who shot it for the original. …


I tried – his TAPS inbox is full.  I also sent him a request to his GMail account and his YouTube account but have seen no response so far.

We'll see…

DD

12:33 pm
December 14, 2008


SkepticalRader

California

Investigator

posts 38

EVPs are just another form of Pareidolia; for the ears.

10:51 pm
December 19, 2008


Dedicated_Dad

Investigator

posts 64

I got the HQ download link from the guy who made the vid.  Screen caps are posted in this new thread – I figured it belonged in "possibly paranormal. (POPS)

DD

PS:  I always make my links "pop" – basically because that's how *I* prefer them.  I've found different sites have different preferences, so please let me know if this breaks the general policy here…

2:10 pm
December 20, 2008


Wallydraigle

Ohio

Investigator

posts 114

That just seems remarkably unimpressive.

3:31 pm
December 20, 2008


Stephen

San Jose, CA

Admin

posts 588

On the stills from the first video, I don't see anything to make me change my mind about it being a spiderweb. In case you didn't follow the link from my first post, let me try including it again:

spiderweb highlight

That's the "child" image with the dominant lines highlighted in red. I think that those lines are spiderweb, and that the blob I've highlighted in blue is something caught in the web, or maybe the spider itself.

If you'd like, you can PM me with the URL for the full-res video and I can see what I can figure out for the second one. I still think that the figure is caused by secondary reflection from the chair.

Stephen the Friendly Skeptic

6:40 pm
January 11, 2009


DaveFrancisIPR

DaveFrancisIPR

Investigator in Training

posts 3

I'd responded directly to the folks who submitted this on YouTube on that site.  I won't even look at a video captured through tresspassing.  As an ethical researcher, it's hard enough to find locations nowadays.  Tresspassers make it even tougher, especially when they get caught.  In this case they didn't, but it's the principle of it.  They weren't to pleased with my response, needless to say.

With that said, I can't give an my opinions because I won't accept it as evidence of anything but tresspassing.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance – that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

5:59 pm
January 12, 2009


Jacqui

Investigator in Training

posts 14

Hmm, apparently, I'm not that upright (but I respect your convictions, DaveFrancisIPR), because I am fascinated by that second image. The first one just seems like matrixing to me, but the second one is impressive. In my opinion, either it's an amazing cropped hoax or it's real. I really do not think it's any kind of reflection or matrixing. I could be wrong, but that's just a little too detailed if you ask me.

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