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Green Woode Cemetery Photo Bomb

 

Last weekend, I was visiting a friend who recently moved to Brooklyn, New York. Nearby is Green Woode Cemetery, over a hundred acres of monuments to the rich people of Manhattan dating to the late 19th century. In addition to the fact that most of the mausoleums are bigger and grander than the house in which I live, there are also spectacular views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. We set out on a hike, admiring the real Tiffany stained glass adorning many of the tombs, the modern Japanese mausoleum with its koi pond, etc.

Anyway, at one point, we passed before a comparatively plain tomb with no markings, just a peaked wooden door. My friend asked me to stand in the doorway for a photo, and I obliged. In front of the door, on the threshold, was a small pile of pennies that appeared to have been there for some time. I added two from my pocket, one for each of us, and stood in the doorway for the cell phone picture. I made sure to say "thank you" before going. Then we continued on our hike, which also included a few subway trips to other spots in Brooklyn and a few other photo ops.

It wasn't until we were back at his new apartment, exhausted, that we scrolled through the pictures. The man standing in the tomb doorway wasn't me. Those were my clothes, but he was a good few inches shorter, his hair wasn't nearly as gray, and he had far more prominent cheekbones and smaller ears. I contorted my face as much as I could, but I couldn't replicate what appeared in the photo in the mirror. We both freaked out, he deleted the picture, and despite the miles we walked all day, I had a very hard time getting to sleep when I got home to Connecticut.

Assuming I can find that tomb again - the cemetery is large and rambling, and we weren't really paying attention to where we were - I'll have to try harder to find the family name and do a bit of research on them. Has anyone else ever had this happen?

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, SomeCallMeTim, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

MrsRamsay (guest)
+1
4 years ago (2019-10-24)
Hi Tim et al, from three years later. Tim, I find your story to be one of my favorites on this site. The fact that you didn't feel anything malevolent tells me it was likely a friendly spirit... When you thanked nobody in particular after taking the photo, I think your subconscious knew there was someone TO thank! Whomever is buried there obviously got visited and must be a special person to have a whole pile of pennies, which also makes me believe he/she would have a sense of humor and maybe even a sense of welcome and would want you to see him in your photo! As for the deleting... When we first see things that make no sense or make us uncomfortable, we tend to want to dismiss them. Your friend succumbed to that and I understand. Somewhere in one of my old computers I have a photo of a ghost dog in my daughter's college rental attic (they'd been hearing noises and were checking it out). The photo was so uncomfortable to me, I didn't file it the way I normally do and now have no idea where it lives. Plus, you all never knew there would one day be an opportunity to share or post the photo and... Not everybody wants to be famous! Thanks for the interesting story and the heads up on an interesting old cemetery!
SomeCallMeTim (4 stories) (13 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2016-11-02)
First, I assure you all that this is true. And no, I did not at the time, nor have I since, felt in any way possessed. Once the initial freak-out phase had passed, I imagined that whoever that was used the opportunity either to show himself to us and/or play a prank.

Sorry for my delay in responding.
RedWolf (31 stories) (1292 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2016-11-01)
Tim
I live on Long Island and have to ask. Is this cemetery the one that goes all the way up to and continues past the L.I.Expressway,that is also a massive cemetery.

As for your face morphing I think the camera picked up the spirits face but not body. I have heard of this happening and I don't remember where I saw the picture but in the picture a woman was in profile and you could see a second face that was superimposed over the side of the womans head.

Regards
Red
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2016-10-31)
Hey AugustaM - I didn't think I was under attack from yourself at all! All good.
I enjoy playing Devil's advocate sometimes so we can fully explore all aspects of an experience.
At the end of the day, it's all just opinions and we are all just trying to make sense of the inexplicable at the end of the day.
Regards
Mack
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2016-10-31)
And I wasn't implying that the author was possessed but that what happened in the photo might have been a similar phenomenon - just an idea since it's the only similar situation I can think of. And, given what I've read - there are different kinds/levels of possession - some sudden and brief others prolonged and lengthy - but I am no expert:)
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+2
7 years ago (2016-10-31)
Hey Mac:) I wasn't attacking you - nothing wrong with a skeptical opinion:) I actually look forward to your comments on stories because I find your opinion to insightful and very interesting. I just liked seeing someone take up the minority opinion. I, personally, have no strong leaning to one direction or the other in the case of this particular story - though I would like the author to respond to the discussion so far and do a bit of research:)
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2016-10-31)
Hi AugustaM (and pinkangel)

Nothing beats a healthy, rational debate / disagreement. I'm merely putting forth my opinions and views on this story and my reasons why. What I believe makes (or shouldn't make) one iota of difference to Tim if he's convinced of what happened. But I'll comment on this site's stories because, well... Because I'm allowed to 😊

Tim has stated he will participate in the discussion, but so far has chosen to remain silent.

I think there's a HUGE difference between someone being possessed by a spirit and it "morphing" their features versus someone just suddenly not being in a photo and someone else completely different to them standing there in their place. I'n sure Tim would have mentioned in his story if he had felt "possessed" or if something had "entered" his body. Plus, his friend taking the photo would have noticed that happening?

As far as I understand it, spiritual possession doesn't happen in the blink of an eye and some believe; it's an incredibly long process of wearing someone down mentally and physically, and even then there can not be complete possession otherwise the body would die when the original inhabiting soul / spirit has taken total leave of it.

It would be great to hear Tim's opinions and for him to elaborate or share his thoughts. He may even be able to shut me up😆!

Regards

Mack
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2016-10-31)
Bravo, PinkAngel! I decided to revisit this story this evening after it stuck in my head during my run - the facial change is what stuck out to me... It took ten miles and some endorphins for it to click. I recently read a book about the careers of Ed and Lorraine Warren the noted demonologists and one of the cases highlighted in the text included a discussion of how the faces of individuals who have been possessed appear greatly changed while the spirit has them. Might what the author experienced have been a similar phenomenon?
PinkAngel (14 posts)
+6
7 years ago (2016-10-31)
Although I've been a registered 'lurker' here for years and rarely comment, I love reading the stories, and my voice has as much worth as anyone else's. I think I'm pretty good at discerning between creative writing and true experiences, and this one sounds legit. Great story, Tim, and thanks! I know that cemetery, having been born in the area myself. New York is full of seriously creepy places! No, being an avid true tale enthusiast, I can say that this isn't the first time I've heard of someone morphing on a photo. I would have probably been so creeped out myself that I'd have deleted it in my shock.
At the same time, I want to say that I wish people wouldn't be so quick to call 'bs' to stories that to themselves sound unlikely. I do realize that this is a page for TRUE stories, but please, be careful- the hurt of being disbelieved and called out as a phantast is worse than the 'harm' of reading an occasional colorful tale, especially when it's about something so unsettling. People do things in fear and shock, as with deleting the photo, that they wouldn't usually do under other circumstances.
Give a good story the benefit of the doubt. It doesn't hurt.
AugustaM (7 stories) (996 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2016-10-31)
Ok this got me curious so I tried to see if the magic of Google could help me find a grave in said cemetery where visitors traditionally leave pennies - not much luck...

However, there IS a blog maintained by the site (lots of very interesting reading) and they may be able to help if you send them an inquiry regarding the identity of the grave:) You may also be able to go through what pictures remain from the trip you and your friend took - by looking at the images just befor and just after you and they may be able to help narrow down a general section of the graveyard where you were at the time.

The blog is: http://www.green-wood.com/about-history/

And here is a page with some ideas as to why the pennies may have been there: http://gravingwithjenn.com/paying-respects-why-coins-are-left-on-headstones/
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+1
7 years ago (2016-10-30)
Hi Valkicry

I hear what you are saying and you make a fair point... If I thought Tim's story was true. Maybe that's what I was really trying to say...

All deleted photos aside - what Tim is claiming so unheard of, in fact never heard of that it stretched my credulity to breaking point. Which is quite an achievement. (Please, no offence intended Tim, I'm just very rational, this goes against all my reason and am putting forth my argument)

Consider how many billions of photos are taken around the world - and how many (not photo-shopped) have had the subject TOTALLY replaced by a mysterious figure? I would say zero. So not only has this probably occurred for the very first time ever! It was also deleted!

Great "spooky" story but I'm not buying it. Sorry.

Regards

Sam
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
+4
7 years ago (2016-10-30)
In fairness; Tim didn't delete the photo, his friend did. Apparently, from the way it's written, the picture was on his friend's camera.
Although it's sad the picture was deleted, we can't really hold him accountable for what someone else did, can we?
Tweed (33 stories) (2475 posts)
+5
7 years ago (2016-10-30)
Well, I can't really talk because I did this myself during the 'I don't want to believe in ghosts' phase of my early 20's, erugh. However I did, still do, search for that bloody photo out of (pathetic) hope I still have it backed up on disk.
Sooo, all this got me thinking. Aren't some devices, like phones, linked to 'cloud' accounts or whatnot and don't they automatically add or backup photos as they're taken? If so the photo is probably obtainable. Photobucket here we come, Hoorah!

Smartphones make people dumb. I have a dumbphone, that's why I'm so smart. 😲 😜
Macknorton (5 stories) (646 posts)
+3
7 years ago (2016-10-29)
Hi Tim - can I call you that too?

Hmmmm, without echoing Manafon1's sentiments which are right on the mark; all I can say is this: YOU DELETED THE PHOTO?!

I have read so many accounts on sites like this of people who take the time to actually post a story happily informing everybody they had actually captured a spirit on film only to "delete it because we freaked out"

Do know how many photos considered to be 99% genuine there are of ghosts / spirits? You could count them one one hand. So for you to say "Hey everyone, guess what? I got a photo of a ghost!...but we deleted it" just leaves me shaking my head...

Advice for next time: please don't delete the photo. Send it in here for us and the World to look at, and if it's considered genuine, ie. The person in it can be identified as deceased etc, you could be become FAMOUS! Imagine THAT!

Regards

Mack
Manafon1 (6 stories) (712 posts)
+5
7 years ago (2016-10-29)
Hi SomeCallMeTim--Your account is intriguing but is missing two key ingredients--the photo in question and a "normal" photo of you to compare it to. Depending on what type of camera you used, lighting, shutter speed and so on, could have easily distorted the image and made your figure appear very different. Without being able to see this photo, the YGS community is, in essence, left in the dark.

If you go back to this cemetery and uncover the family name and do some follow up research (as you suggest) you might be able to find a photograph of the occupants of the tomb to compare your image with. That would be very worthwhile, especially if you get a "match"!

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