The woman who photographed her Dad… two weeks after he had died

fred hatman Archive, fredpix Adobe Photoshop, brain tumour, Buddhist Retreat, cellphone, death, digital SLR, flash, Fred Hatman, Glentana, God, Hindu faith, internet, Karin, libraries, Marcell, orbs, photo, photography, psychics, SA-positive, South Africa, spirit forms, spirit world, spirituality, Turin Shroud 3 Comments

OK. Here’s a post that will have some of you running for cover. Those who belong to that part of the spectrum of humanity who are not yet ready to believe in the spiritual side of our existence.

Look, I don’t mean to alienate anyone but I won’t shirk from tackling issues which may prove uncomfortable for some. Quite apart from this, I am acutely aware of my spiritual self. My dear departed Mom, a prim, proper and rather conservative sort, always held a uncharacteristic curiosity about “the spiritual world” and took me to see a “spiritualist friend” at age 15.

I found it fascinating but was far too interested in sport, girls and bunking school to paddle down the river in an upturned zinc bath to even partially embrace it. It took many years – and some periods of adversity involving the passing of those I most loved – for me to want to become attuned to my spirituality.

So I believe. But this is not about me. This is about a viewer of this blog, a complete stranger to me, who e-mailed me today to share this…

“Hi there, I just need to share this experience with as many people as possible in the world…

Wethr u want to believe it or not, this is a picture I took on my cellphone on Friday at 18:36 at Glentana, when I later looked at the picture, I saw my dad’s face it it and he is smiling down at me from heaven. This is the most amazing thing that I have ever seen and believe me I believe it.  I can also see a blackish reflection of a woman to his right, that my mom pointed out to me.  They believe it to be my Aunt Annie (mom’s sister) who also died from a brain tumour. I’m telling you if I hadn’t taken this photo myself, I don’t think I would have believed this, but I do.  This is the first time that I have seen my Dad or been aware of his presence, since after his passing.

The only thing that was changed on this picture was the colour [made sepia], and it was turned upside down.  I will try to attach the original photo for you to see and decide for yourself.  You clearly see a arrow at the bottom of the photo pointing down, and if you turn it upside down, u see him, amazing hey?

I’m sharing this experience with all of you, to tell you that I do believe there is a God.”

Love,

Marcéll

Right. Before I have anything to say about this, let’s have a look at the picture (both versions) which Marcell sent me…

Marcell's original pic

The same pic, rotated 180deg and reproduced in sepia for improved clarity... the image of Marcell's father's face can be clearly seen at the top and centre of the pic

I can hear some of you cry: “Photoshopped! Photoshopped!” Or “Fred’s been well stitched up here. Done like a right kipper!” I don’t think so. Whatever, I want to look at, pardon me, the bigger picture here. Whether you choose to see the face of Marcell’s Dad or not, it’s fine. We all choose to see what we want to see. Perhaps Marcell, grieving deeply for her father, has chosen to see him because it means so much to her to see him and this reassures her that, in some form, he lives on. She told me, in an earlier e-mail, that she took the photograph two weeks after her father had died of a brain tumour… at what had been his favourite beach.

I’m fine with that. Marcell’s father does live on… as do all of those who pass on from their lives in this physical world to a new beginning in the spiritual world. I choose to believe that. You may not. And I’m not here to try to persuade you to believe otherwise. I could collect evidence from all corners of the internet and books in most libraries on this planet to support my case. And also find as much material which would argue against my belief. I won’t. You either feel it or you don’t.

I simply want to reassure Marcell that, whether or not her father actually appears in her picture, he does live on. In spirit. Many of you may have read about or experienced in your own lives an event that has made you at least think about the possibility that we continue to evolve in spirit between our lives in this physical dimension. Many of you resist the notion.

Either way, that’s cool. What I will share with you is that, when I spent three months at a Buddhist Retreat earlier this year, a time when I felt hugely connected with my spiritual self, I took a number of photographs which clearly showed orbs (spiritual forms). These images were uploaded on to my old laptop and are now stored on discs which I don’t have in my possession.

But wait. A couple of months ago I went with The Darj (my soulmate) to a “psychics convention” in Durban. We were both disappointed with what was on offer and went outside to have a cuppa. Sitting outside, I was drawn to an interesting-looking woman who was also taking time out with a friend. I asked if I could photograph her and she turned out to be the daughter of a highly-respected spiritualist. Her name is Karin and she agreed to be photographed. Here is the result…

See that light, circular shape next to Karin’s head? Many refer to those as “orbs” or spiritual forms. Just as many claim that they appear in photographs, especially those taken with cellphones using flash, because of a collection of dust particles which are in the air and are reflected on to the image.

I don’t know about that. What I do know is that the photograph of Karin was taken with a digital SLR and flash was not used. Also that she, like all of us relaxing outside the convention venue were standing or sitting on chairs on a concrete floor. The existence of a such an intense concentration of dust particles was highly unlikely.

Look. People write and discuss the Turin Shroud. People of the Hindu faith recognise and worship images of their deities that are found in wooden posts and in markings on fruit and vegetables. I can’t be sure about all of this. We find what we want to find. I like to keep an open mind. And my mind often tells me that these experiences are true. And I think that Marcell’s father did present himself in spirit to her in her photograph.

What do you think?