Nunhead cemetery - odd experience/ghostly figure

[Louisa]

I went for an evening stroll around Nunhead cemetery on Friday, around 6.30pm, on the path that leads past the old chapel and down towards the left onto one of the many routes cutting through. I've often done this route especially in summer on a nice warm evening. Nice and bright, not exactly verging on darkness.

After passing various dog walkers, I came upto the fork in the narrow lane, and glanced to my right in the direction of what I can only describe as some beautiful monuments and in the undergrowth (quite a way in, probably 25/30 feet away) I saw what I can only describe as some sort of figure resembling a nun. The figure was stood looking down at something, close to a headstone which was almost exclusively surrounded by bushes and brambles. I kept my eye fixed on this for a good twenty seconds, possibly longer and it literally disappeared in front of me, faded if you like. I had not been drinking, most certainly had plenty of sleep beforehand and was not going around there to look for anything other than a nice evening stroll. If it were a person, surely they would have remained in sight seeing as I was fixed in the same position?

I've told a few friends about this and they are all rather sceptical and seem to think I've lost the plot. Can anyone else please stop me from doubting my own sanity and confirm whether they've seen anything similar in this place? Found absolutely no documented support for any such sightings online, and I am a big fan of Nunhead cemetery and have never experienced anything like this before.

The person/figure was of average height, and there was no face visible, but it/they were almost certainly wearing a nun's habit and it was evidently clear as day to my eyes at least.

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

Hi Lou..

Back in the late 70's I worked with a guy that had been working with The (Inststute) Society for Psychical Research.

We experimented with Psychometry..(extrasensory perception characterized by the claimed ability to make relevant associations from an object of unknown history by making physical contact with that object.)

Was very interesting..

This guy was a keen Paranormal Photographer who used Plastic Lenses on his manual Leica cameras and infa-red film.

In an attempt to photograph 'Ghosts'

The reason why people often see 'Ghosts' out of the corner of their eyes is because the spectrum close to infra red

light focuses on that part of the retina sensitive to that spectrum. If that makes sence. ?

We spent a night at Borely Rectory.. one of the most haunted places in England.

At one point I too a similar incident to yourself.. About 25 yards in front of me.. an apporition of a woman

glowing bright white in a 'Bridal Dress' ?? stood lokking at a grave shaking her head... I observed her for 10 -20 second before

she faded away. I went to the spot were I had seen her. The grave were she had stood had been a smashed .. vandalised.

This guy told me not to go to Borley alone.. I did and crashed my motor cycle there on loose gravel. No damage done.

But when I next met this guy .. He said..

You've been up to something..

..No

.. yes you.. You went to Borley.. and you had an accident..

..FFs.

Working in this environment I become sensitive.

One day at work. a guy walked across th Tea Room and almost dropped his Tea Cup.

I told the guy next to me.. He's going to have an acceident..

He too crashed his motor bike that night.. Badly..

It's a very strange thing to get involved with. I have enough material to write a book on.

Foxy

[Jeremy]

I think if ghosts really were out there, then given the number of people who carry phones with cameras, I'd expect the amount of "evidence" to have shot through the roof. But it hasn't. Same applies for UFOs, poltergeists, miracle healings, etc.

[Alan Medic]

That was undoubtedly the Virgin Mary. Who else?

[Jules-and-Boo]

there are lots of photos, Jeremy...but mostly blamed on photoshop.

Louisa....did you go back to the spot and stand where the nun had been? If you stand where you had stood, does the place look the same?

[Loz]

xkcd had it best...

[dulwichrat]

Sounds like my mate Tel the badger. He lives round there, and he's been dressing up like a nun for years now.

No surprise really. Badgers are known to be creatures of habit.

[Jeremy]

Jules-and-Boo Wrote:

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> there are lots of photos, Jeremy...but mostly

> blamed on photoshop.

So-called "experts" claiming that ghost pictures are fake. Outrageous. Probably a conspiracy.

[Louisa]

Jules-and-Boo Wrote:

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> there are lots of photos, Jeremy...but mostly

> blamed on photoshop.

>

> Louisa....did you go back to the spot and stand

> where the nun had been? If you stand where you had

> stood, does the place look the same?

Not been back since, but I am absolutely certain of what I saw. It was a person, if somewhat distorted and faded. I didn't take my eyes off of this figure and it literally just... Vanished. In front of me.

Louisa.

[red devil]

Anyone else spotted the correlation between Brexit voters and ghoulie believers...just saying like :)

[camberwell70]

A misplaced mirror poss?

[Nathfrenchyoga]

It does not surprise me you saw a ghost or apparition. I lived in Nunhead in early 90's as a student -ED not as is now and a group of us went on a late night walk hoping to see ghosts as I think known there were some as it is a cemetery. We didn't see any only bats but would not surprise me.

Interesting re the research & write the book:)

I got a strange vibe in West Norwood cemetery before now.

Something I read said important not to spend too long in cemeteries or second hand furniture etc as spirits can attach to you?!

Salt & sage is apparently good to cleanse people, animals & homes.

[Jenny1]

Well I voted Remain, and I believe in ghosts! Not that I've ever seen one myself, but I know a number of sensible people who have. I'd have a chat with the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery if I were you, Louisa.

[Jules-and-Boo]

I like the book idea Foxy....with local experiences....Louisa being the first!

[DulwichFox]

I'm sceptical about ghost even though I observed one. ??

My main work was in Psychometry..(extrasensory perception characterized by the claimed ability to make relevant associations from an object of unknown history by making physical contact with that object.)

It's not dangerous and anyone can try it..

One example that happened to me..

The guy in question handed a 35mm plastic film case with an object inside..

I held the case in my right hand and concentrated with my eyes closed and a vision came into my mind..

I saw (in my mind) a pathway leading to a Church Door.

Along the path at the edge was a large tree that had grown around a gravestone. Not a realistic probability, but that's

what I visuallized..

The guy had been a Microscopist and had a collection of Medical Slides.

I opend the case and inside was a small Microscope slide.

The slide was a slice of bone material from a plauge victim that had been exhumed from Deptford Churchyard.

There is nothing conclusive about that but it is related. The case could of contained anything.

Foxy

[Louisa]

Foxy, if you ask any spirit medium about this topic they will tell you something similar.

Apparently 'psychic training' involves closing your eyes and allowing thoughts to come in, however peculiar or unrelated to anything you may recognise. Now whether or not you believe such thoughts are coming from dead relatives, guardian angels or spirit guides etc is another matter. But I do think it is no coincidence that people can often see and hear things which are relevant to those around them, and it is necessarily as clear cut as every single person who experiences these images is a fraud or out to con people. Many spirit mediums do this stuff for the love of it and don't charge to give people 'readings'.

In my logical mind I saw a person, with the appearance of a nun, in traditional clergy costume standing over a grave. It was early evening and light, there is no way I was imagining any of this. However, upon its disappearance I did then start to doubt my own logic. In going back there this afternoon with a friend to the same spot to see if there is any way I could possibly have misplaced a nearby object at a certain angle, just to satisfy my own sanity more than anything else.

Louisa.

[DulwichFox]

My 'Vision' at Borley was at near midnight when a Nun is said to roam..

Ghost hunters quote the legend of a Benedictine monastery supposedly built in this area in about 1362, according to which a monk from the monastery conducted a relationship with a nun from a nearby convent. After their affair was discovered, the monk was executed and the nun bricked up alive in the convent walls. It was confirmed in 1938 that this legend had no historical basis and seemed to have been fabricated by the rector's children to romanticise their Gothic-style red-brick rectory

I did not see a Nun but a woman in a white glowing bridal dress.. 10 - 20 seconds. before she faded.

It was not a glimpse .. I watched her moving.

Psychometry usually involves holding an object directly.. and feeling 'vibes' from that object.

Our work experiments were over many months.. and in the example given the object was inside a container.

It would seem to reveal that the thoughts I got were from my friend and not from the object.

When you spend a lot of time with someone in a controlled environment you get to share thoughts

DulwichFox

[Seabag]

I love this thread

[steveo]

There was a period when you couldn't move around Borley without bumping into loons having 'visions.'

[Seabag]

Post #Brexit I've given in to it all

My world has inverted and the new view is taking some adjustment

So I'm 'just looking' not touching at the mo

[rendelharris]

Did the figure move at all, Louisa? If not I'd suggest you were possibly seeing an after image on your retina from a statue or headstone - which would explain why it faded. Possibly a flash of light you may not have noticed when looking one way but you retained the image? Have a good look round your route and see if there are any statues matching what you saw.

On the other hand of course, and much more fun, Nunhead was allegedly named after a nun beheaded at the dissolution of the monasteries, so...

[DulwichFox]

rendelharris Wrote:

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> Did the figure move at all, Louisa? If not I'd

> suggest you were possibly seeing an after image on

> your retina from a statue or headstone - which

> would explain why it faded. Possibly a flash of

> light you may not have noticed when looking one

> way but you retained the image? Have a good look

> round your route and see if there are any statues

> matching what you saw.

>

> On the other hand of course, and much more fun,

> Nunhead was allegedly named after a nun beheaded

> at the dissolution of the monasteries, so...

Not remotely likley.

Persistence of Vision

Persistence of vision is a commonly-accepted although somewhat controversial theory which states that the human eye always retains images for a fraction of a second (around 0.04 second). This means that everything we see is a subtle blend of what is happening now and what happened a fraction of a second ago.

Foxy

[steveo]

We've struck a rich vein in the Foxy/Louisa show

[Seabag]

steveo Wrote:

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> We've struck a rich vein in the Foxy/Louisa show

I was wondering what might 'appear' once the Brexit dust settled steveo

I've pulled up a deluxe sofa to watch this one

HD & Quadraphonic switched to MAX

Come join me (does that sound creepy?)

[rendelharris]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Not remotely likley.

Well that's me told. However, I was thinking of something like that famous black and white image of Jesus, which one stares at and then if one looks away at a blank wall, one can see the image in negative projected on it - that effect can easily last up to thirty seconds.