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Paranormal Entity In Upstate Ny

 

It was a normal Monday evening and I met up with my friend how I usually do. However, instead of playing video games we had decided to go out and explore an old abandoned building near one of our houses. We had been there before in the past so we knew our way around pretty well.

Once we got there we snuck in through a broken window which was at one point was blocked by a piece of plywood. There was some light that allowed us to see and navigate through. Security sometimes surveils the building so we had to be cautious. Once we made it inside we began to walk around and explore different parts of the building. We saw mostly trash and graffiti but nothing out of the ordinary.

When looking around my buddy said he heard a door close. I hadn't heard anything though so I told him that his mind could be messing with him and he should just relax. We did stay on the lookout though for other people as we did not want to confront anyone else. We finally got to a stairwell that leads to the basement of the building. I went ahead first and as I was walking down the stairs I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I quickly turned around to see if it was my buddy only to find him several steps behind me.

He asked me "What's wrong?"

I communicated to him that I felt something touch my shoulder and that I thought he was trying to get my attention. He denied it was him and showed me he couldn't reach me from where he was on the staircase. At the time, I dismissed my experience and just concluded that it was my imagination. When we finally reached the bottom of the staircase we continued our exploration while joking around about past events in high school. As we made our way through a series of rooms we reached a long hallway that had giant pipes that ran along the side of it. They were orange and bright which was the most unusual color in the whole building. At this point, we had been at the building for a while and thought about taking a picture to post on our social media accounts. I suggested that he should go first since he's more photogenic than I am. Once we found the ideal angle for the picture, we went ahead and took it. Once the picture was captured I took a look at it and noticed a dark shadow next to my friend. I was puzzled at first wondering if it was my shadow only that I had not seen anything like it before I took the photo and would have noticed if my shadow was in the frame. At this point, my friend noticed something was up and asked to take a look at the photo. I watched as face grew wary as he stared at the photo. I asked him what he thought it was and he was just as confused as I. Fear began to seep in and we began to feel a sense of dread.

I asked him, "You think it's a ghost?"

He nodded. At this point, I began to worry about our well being and no longer felt safe where we were. I suggested we head out immediately. Before he could answer a feeling of disgust swept the hallway and before he could answer I already started heading towards the stairwell. Everything after that moment went by so fast. Before we knew it, we were in my car and my mind was all but a blur. We sat in the car silent only to look at each other with a sense of relief. At this point, I suggested we get something to eat to take our mind off the whole incident which he agreed to.

Since then neither of us has really talked about the incident although I plan on bringing it up with him soon. I cannot help but keep looking at the picture I took as I am confident that what I caught is a picture of a paranormal entity.

Thank you for reading my story and I was hoping to hear about what people might think it is. I appreciate all the help and support in advance!

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Comments about this paranormal experience

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, JohnBurve45, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

TommyJoe (3 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2020-01-02)
I kind of feel like a chump. Lookin more at the picture, it's awfully suspicious that the shadow-being appears to be wearing pants and a sweatshirt very similar to the guy there.

I obviously want to believe this is real, but I failed to realize how convincing some of these "ghost apps" can be. It is not unreasonable that there is an app with some kind of algorithm that can superimpose a double of someone, distort it, and preserve the grain so that it looks authentic. No offense, just healthy skepticism:)
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2020-01-01)
Greetings, John.

Thank you for your clarifications & responses to my earlier observations and questions. Thanks, also, to TommyJoe for explaining the "umbrella-rod" effect, as I can indeed see that the rods in question extend not only to your friend, but also to the lower *left* side of the photo also, lending credence to the statement that they are digital artifacts. The apparent rods seem to be an effect of the camera focusing upon your friend rather than anything else.

Best,
Biblio.
TommyJoe (3 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2020-01-01)
Sorry for double-dipping, but I forgot something. A poster mentioned "umbrella-shaped rods" in the shadow when you raise the brightness. I noticed this too. Raising the contrast, an odd series of curved lines become visible not just on the shadow-form, but in the entire bottom-right area of the picture - you can see them extend into the person's lower body before fading away.

What that is, I don't know, but it affects that entire area, not just the shadow-thing. It is some kind of digital artifact, not something physical that was in front of the camera./
TommyJoe (3 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2020-01-01)
Hi JohnBurve45, happy new year and thanks for sharing this interesting story. I've worked with Photoshop for many years and I think I can offer a few thoughts about the photograph.

In my humble opinion, this is a very interesting image that defies easy explanation. See yes, if I wanted to fake this with photoshop, then I COULD do it. But given the subtleties of the image, it would take someone with a fairly sophisticated level of knowledge or talent to do it. And I have a difficult time believing that anyone would take the time and energy to do that.

1) this was probably taken in a dark room, and your phone had to compensate by upping the ASA/CCD sensitivity/whatever. That's why it's grainy when you zoom in anywhere.

So if someone just plopped a shadow shape on a layer on top of an original photo of your friend and just put a blur filter on it, it'd stick out like a sore thumb because the shadow would have no grain. More interestingly, the pattern of the grain here is identical to that of the rest of the image.

To get this effect artificially, you'd have to start with a grain-free shot of your friend (which would need better light), and then adding a grain filter with the shadow image afterwards. I doubt you went to all that trouble.

2) the general outline of the shadow-thing is complex, moving through different levels of opacity seemingly at random. Graphic designers can and do create similar effects from scratch, but it is difficult to do without it looking artificial. This, IMHO, doesn't look artificial. And again, I doubt a pro graphic designer was hired to make this.

3) it's very hard to think this is a shadow since it absolutely does not conform to the floor, wall, and pipes behind it

4) the only other explanation I can think of is some kind of glitch in your phone that made a double of your friend's legs, made them black, distorted them, and placed them next to him.

My pet theory is that it's a bona fide manifestation of some discarnate consciousness attracted to the negative energy of that place, judging by the graffiti.

Anyone with more experience in digital imaging, feel free to critique. Thanks for your time.
JohnBurve45 (1 stories) (3 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-30)
Hello Bibliothecarius,

Sorry for the late reply. I wanted to address some of the questions you had to help with your analysis. First and foremost there were no windows in the location of where the photo was taken. There were some functioning lights in the basement since it is still patrolled at times by security. However, only some lights were on in the basement, not all of them. Also when I took the picture, I was up against a wall so there was no light source that was behind me that could have caused a shadow-like appearance. Plus if it were my shadow the light source would have had to be directly behind and above me to make it smaller than my friend since my friend and I are the same height. Hopefully, these answers help with some of the questions you had! I really appreciate all the support and let me know if you have any other questions!

All the best,
John
MrsRamsay (guest)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-23)
Greetings all and welcome JohnBurve,
At first I thought it could be your own shadow somehow, but then I also opened this photo and increased the light which increases the impression it's paranormal. Val, where it seems the shadow has his arm up (looking like it's taking a photo) is actually the pipe... You cannot see an arm. I could not make out any hood type headcovering nor any eyes, but I do note that the jacket shape is large with larger armholes over what appear to be breaches. And I get the impression of a tricorn hat. Is this location anywhere near a colonial settlement or, as my imagination is taking me, near a possible Revolutionary War site? I know upstate NY was the scene of many bloody encounters during this time period and yes, now I'm guilty of putting my own imagination into the mix. But I feel there's a tricorn hat there. Such an interesting photo. Thanks for posting!
valkricry (48 stories) (3257 posts) mod
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-23)
https://i.imgur.com/WFuAJea.jpg.
Just repeating the link to John's picture, lest it gets lost in the comments. Side note, if the picture was sent into Martin (webmaster) it could take awhile to be posted.
As Lady-glow says, that 'shadow' does look awfully solid, so solid it is even casting its own shadow (transparent around the edges towards the right side.) Enlarged, the head (or where the head would be) seems draped in some black cloth. There's a mix, if you will, of very black and greyish hues, with darker 'lines' traveling downwards, as cloth would react when used as a hood/mask. If you look hard you can see what seems to be overly large almond shaped eyes (alien - like).
Now, if one takes a figure and paints it in Photoshop, the same 'masked/cloth' effect can happen, as well as the 'rods' Biblio spoke of. But, before we throw rocks, let's take a second look.
See the black pipes, behind the figure? The 'rods' match up with those. Comparing with the visible part of wall, below the large orange encased pipes, the black ones are possibly motar joint lines in the bricks, and not pipes.
Why would a shadow cast a shadow? Unless there are multiple light sources, they don't. Is it in anyway possible that you captured your own shadow? I know you said you would have noticed, but really think about it. Now look at that shadow again, doesn't it look like he's snapping a picture? (I must say, for being abandoned that place sure looks clean!)
Your friend's shadow is nice and crisp, close to body, which suggests a straight on light. However, the Entity's shadow seems to stretch a bit farther out, suggesting a slightly tilted/angled light, from a deeper left, casting it right. Thought, were there windows in that hallway, and was it somewhat below ground level?
If so, I have a possible explanation.
Impression: the shadow seems to be wearing a 'pea-coat' judging from the cut.
lady-glow (16 stories) (3149 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-22)
Yikes...that looks more like a solid body than a shadow!

JohnBurve.

I'm curious about the history of that building. Do you know what it used to be before it was abandoned and how long ago it has been vacant?
The trash and the graffiti point to somebody breaking and entering the place, I wonder what kind of activities the people have performed there. Perhaps something happened leaving some negative energy trapped in the building and now an entity is feeding on it.

I think exploring abandoned places and ghost towns is a fascinating pastime but some precautions should be taken when visiting any derelict location, not only to prevent ones physical safety but in order to protect oneself from any hostile spirit. I don't know if you are a religious person but, in my opinion, it would be a good idea to carry some kind of protection before you enter any "empty" space or, at least, talk to whatever might be there before entering the premises.

I hope that, whatever it is, it stayed in the building.

Thanks for sharing.
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-22)
Greetings, again, John.

Jabond99's observations about the shadow's knees are correct; they bend *toward* your friend, while he is standing straight up.

I copied & pasted the photo into Google Images and trimmed out unnecessary parts of the wall & ceiling. I went to the "Format Options" dropdown menu, left the Transparency and Contrast settings at 0%, but I moved the Brightness up to 67%. This reveals that the unidentified shadow-form appears either to be supported by equidistant umbrella-like rods or is made of separate layers of translucent darkness that become darker where they overlap.

I'd like input from anyone on this phenomenon...

Biblio.
jabond99 (3 stories) (61 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2019-12-22)
JohnBurve,

It was very good to post the picture, as it lends credence to your story. Can I ask if your friend is taller than average? I ask because he seems much taller than the shadow, or perhaps the top portion of the torso/head is not visible in the picture. I can also see some bending of the knees on the shadow, which if my eyes are calibrated, the shadow's knees are above or higher than your friend's knees. To me, it looks as if the shadow is crouching behind your friend, and on a different plane than your friend is standing. It all may just be my imagining, and/or misinterpretation of the perspective.

Can your friend recall feeling anything of significance when that particular photo was snapped? I wonder if he sensed the nearness of this shadow.

To say I find this photo interesting is an understatement. I, however, lack the necessary skills to be able to verify or debunk this photo. I think you should not be afraid of any scrutiny, and allow this photo to be subjected to any testing and/or analysis.

James Bond
aussiedaz (19 stories) (1565 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-21)
A few years ago I found the grave site of my great, great,great,great grandmother who migrated to Australia in 1803 on one of the first free settler ships to leave the shores on England, bless her heart she was only three years old at the time and lived a full life to 80 years old before dying in 1878.

Her husband was a convict who chose migration to Australia in 1820 over execution for break and enter in a hardware store somewhere in old London town... He made the right choice lol.

There are six family members buried on a hill near a river on the outskirts of Sydney in a beautiful serene atmosphere that still captivates the timeless surround setting of which I do imagined must have looked the same all those years ago. It was just by pure luck the way I found them and that's another story for another day anyway,

I took a video of their gravestones to later discover in one of the frames you can see a woman who I believe is the ghost of my g,g,g,g grandmother sitting proudly as though she was posing for a picture... There were others in the frames of which I had no idea until I ended up at home where I found them all standing along side of each other.

So yes, we can capture them on film but why is the one in your frame basically a black shadow?

Fast forward a few years I was leaving for work one morning and I visibly saw a shadow down the bottom of my driveway pretty much like the one in your photo except it was with in my reality not the camera... Pure dark, no face, it knew I could see it so shadow guy was probably just as frightened as me based on the way it ducked down hiding behind a gate... Soooo you know that old saying fight or flight? So I decided to run toward it and I kid you not my nerves were a little on edge in the moment anyway... From what I understand and this is only my two cent worth here take it with a grain of salt.

If you have never lived in the earth realm period anytime you are caught stalking old buildings scaring middle aged men on their way to work etc, you can only transpose yourself as a shadow you'll never have an identity until you live a life in the hard school of knocks, many new souls who haven't had an earth experience do sometimes visit here usually in a group checking out the Earth Matrix before choosing a life, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it, geezus they would have locked me up years ago had I let these type of experiences get to me,

Thank you for sharing your account.

Regards Daz
Bibliothecarius (9 stories) (1091 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-21)
Greetings, John, and welcome.

I've been looking at your photograph and I have a question: How many light sources were present in the basement at the time of the photograph? That is to say, were there functioning lights in the basement? I ask because I can see there's at least one additional light source partially blocked by the pipes in the upper right of the image, but on the ceiling appears to be a fluorescent fixture with no bulbs in it. I'm presuming that you took photo on your phone (or similar) and that you used the flash for the best image possible.

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate for a moment here: *IF* there was a light source behind you, for example, and it cast a shadow of your legs in just the right direction to create the illusion of human legs attached to the apparent shadow entity, we could be looking at a complicated, but explicable, illusion. Here's where I have the problem, though: your flash and the secondary light source on the upper right don't dispel the main bulk of the shadow; adding another light source behind you should *dispel* the shadow, not increase it.

If this is a genuine image of a shadow entity, not a well-photoshopped prank, then I'm pretty impressed with the photo. On that point, you've submitted the link to Imgur where the photo can be enlarged quite easily for scrutiny; I don't believe that a deliberate hoaxer would take that risk.

All in all, I'm going to state that you've got a pretty convincing photo; thanks for contributing it to YGS.

Best,
Biblio.
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-21)
John,

I am glad to be helpful. Over time, many other people on this site will see the link to your picture and they will have more insights to impart.

I don't think it will be a long time before someone who knows more than me will show up. Most of the people here look at the comment section with the same interest and attention that they give to the story itself.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us.

- Maria
JohnBurve45 (1 stories) (3 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-21)
Maria,

I will definitely reach out to a library to find out more about the building we were visiting. I have heard from some friends of mine that it used to be an old psychiatric hospital. That would explain its location but I would have expected to see more medical supplies when visiting. I will let you know what I find though. I wish more people could see the picture to try to see if anyone can get an idea of if the dark entity could be harmful or not. I have recently become more paranoid since the event and feel like something has latched on to me. It could be just my imagination though.

Thanks again for being so supportive!

-John
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-20)
John,

Earlier this year, I had strange and unexplainable things happening inside and around my house. Another member of this site, RCRuskin, suggested to me that if I went to the library and found out who used to own my property, it might answer some of my questions.

I didn't have to do any searching myself; a librarian on staff sat with me at a computer and looked at property records from the late 1700's through to the present.

He said that one of the perks of working for the library system is that they have unlimited access to these kinds of records.

It solved some part of my nagging curiosity. If you also have curiosity as far as that building is concerned, I would also suggest a trip to the library; none of the information I left with had anything to do with savvy on my part. I just told the librarian my address and said that I wanted to know what had been there before my house was built.

The buildings and houses in your area have the potential to be much older than anything around here (South Georgia) so there could be any number of people and events associated with the building that you visited.

I hope this is helpful in some way.

- Maria
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-20)
Hi John,

I looked at your picture. It seems to me like you definitely got something. If it were your shadow it would have been have been broken or distorted on the background items. It seems like a solid form and not a shadow.

Thank you very much! Many people don't come through with their photos.

- Maria
JohnBurve45 (1 stories) (3 posts)
+3
4 years ago (2019-12-20)
Hello Lealeigh and thank you for the warm welcome,

I am new to the site so I am not sure how to tag you into this comment but I did upload the picture with my story but it was not attached. Here is a link to the picture I was referencing https://i.imgur.com/WFuAJea.jpg. Please let me know what you think. I am not sure what it could be. The dark entity does look mischevious though.

Thanks again for the support and let me know what you think!

-John
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+2
4 years ago (2019-12-20)
Sorry to comment twice in a row but I was re-thinking my previous comment; your friend might not be on board with having his picture on the internet without his permission.

If there's a way that you can crop him out of the picture and still have the subject matter appear to be coherent then I would like to see it.

- Maria
Lealeigh (5 stories) (512 posts)
+4
4 years ago (2019-12-20)
Hello JohnBurve45 and welcome to YGS,

I was wondering how long ago this happened. I mean absolutely no offense but at the top of your story it says that you're a middle aged adult and well, breaking into an abandoned building seems like a risky adventure of youth.

I am glad that you and your friend didn't meet with an accident or trouble with the law.

I think many people who visit this site would be fascinated in the picture that you took. Can you upload it to a media sharing website and post a link here in the comments?

- Maria

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