TAPS and Eastern State Penitentiary

I don't know if this has been commented on, but I wanted to see what people had to say on this vide that was on the Sci Fi show "Ghost Hunters" from Eastern State Penitentiary. Can someone who has more video editing experience try to enhance this?
To me - as it is - looks like a dude in a cloak.

www.castleofspirits.com...

Yes, there a couple of good discussions here and here.

My take is that parts of it look good, BUT :

1.The figure is solid because it disturbs the air
2. Eastern State promoted the show's visit on it's "Haunted House" site - therefore they had an interest in an "appearance"
3.The team was off-site eating, so someone with experience in running the Haunted House could easily get in and pull off the scene

I've seen this video many times, and as with most pictures and videos pertaining to this subject they are very hard to verify as paranormal.

I will say that of all the haunting and ghost programs that have sprung up lately on television, at least the TAPS team seems to be making a genuine effort to capture some scientific proof, although if you notice in most of these programs they fail to do so.

Now as far as someone outside the team tampering with the evidence, that would be my guess. This has happened once before during their investigation of the Queen Mary. During the review of the evidence the fraud was exposed.

I'm afraid that as this show gains in popularity, this is going to become more prevalent.

Originally posted by carlwfbird
I don't know if this has been commented on, but I wanted to see what people had to say on this vide that was on the Sci Fi show "Ghost Hunters" from Eastern State Penitentiary. Can someone who has more video editing experience try to enhance this?
To me - as it is - looks like a dude in a cloak.

www.castleofspirits.com...

The following are the contents of three emails I sent to TAPS in November of 2004. I can't see how anyone would think this was actually paranormal even if my analysis is wrong. Opinions please?...



I was extremely intrigued by what you captured on video during your stay at Eastern State Pen. I wanted to take you up on your question to your viewers as to what, in their opinion, exactly this strange thing was, going down the corridor.

I downloaded the video from your site, and extracted various frames from the video to try to enhance and analyze in Adobe Photoshop.

Image 1 (Frame92.jpg) is the original frame #92 from the video on your web site unaltered.



Image 2 (Frame92BU1.jpg) is the cropped blowup of the "ghost" in question. Please note that you can start to see some symmetrical "pieces" to the lower part of the image when it is blown up.



Image 3 (Frame92BU2.jpg) is a sharpened version of the previous image using the unsharp mask filter in Photoshop. Symmetrical pieces are now unmistakably obvious in the photo. The bottom of the photo shows something with "legs" and a structured top.



Image 4 (Frame92BU3.jpg) is a drawing on top of the photo of my impression of what the object looks like. It seems to be either some kind of chair or table (sort of like a typewriter table) with something on top of it covered by a black drape material.



Image 5 (Frame92BU4.jpg) is my crude drawing without the photo in the background.



Image 6 (Frame92BU5.jpg) is my drawing with the opacity turned down so that you can see the photo through the drawing.



I feel like I have a pretty good match up, and the object you videotaped looks like it is completely man made. I think you guys are the victims of a practical joke somehow by someone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hello again, just an additional note to my previous long email.

I took a look at frame #91 also and enhanced it the same way. The "legs" of the object are even more distinguishable in this photo. Looks like the object was turning quickly as it moved. Do you think someone could have shoved a chair or table with wheels down the hall and then pulled it back very quickly?





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just couldn't give this up and had to do some more analysis on the one frame I was working on before (#92). I think I have matrixed what looks to me like a person at the end of the corridor in the photo. I'll explain...

Image 1 (Frame92CM1) is the original frame photo I used, cropped on the "ghost".



Image 2 (Frame92CM2) is the same photo with the brightness and contrast levels to extremes. This eventually brought out what seems to be an image of a man in the background of the hall.



Image 3 (Frame92CM3) is highlighted with the area I am talking about.



His left arm is raised up and he seems to be holding onto what I assume is a doorway or cell bars given the venue.

Image 4 (Frame92CM4) is a blowup of the person that I see. You need to step back from your monitor to make out what I am talking about.

You have voted JP1064 for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have used all of your votes for this month.

That fits perfectly with the Haunted House scenario. It would be a perfect way to get a figure to approach quickly and quietly.

It would also explain the shortness of the figure and the quick turning ability. Nice analysis!

Nice work! You have my vote for ATS.