Spirit photography has one of the most curious histories in the paranormal field. It sits somewhere between early photographic experimentation, genuine grief, and deliberate trickery.� Understanding how the practice began helps give context to modern techniques and expectations, which we'll build on through the rest of this module.The roots of spirit photography can be traced back to the early days of commercial photography, when long exposures, glass plates, and chemical processing left plenty of room for errors and unusual artefacts. Into this environment stepped William Mumler, a Boston engraver who accidentally produced what appeared to be a ghostly figure behind him in a self-portrait. Whether it was a genuine mistake or a clever trick is still debated, but the image sparked public fascination.

Mumler went on to build a career photographing grieving families who hoped to see deceased loved ones in their portraits. The timing played a big part in his...