Are We Sure of What We See?

Light is composed of waves.  When two crests come together there is an increase in brightness.  When a crest and a trough come together some or all of the light is cancelled.  In between the two extremes leads to a variety of reinforcements and cancellations.

Another complicating factor is light of different colors have waves of different lengths.  So, one color can be enhanced by crests passing where another color is canceled, and others are between in brightness. 

We understand light can reflect, and most of us have realized even a transparent window can reflect some light.  Look at a window and observe your reflection.  When light goes from glass to air a percentage of light will reflect, but this also happens to a lesser extent when light goes from air to glass.  Furthermore, some light goes back and forth in the glass several times before exiting.  This can lead to some fuzzy images. 

The partial reflections often produce weak images, which can look ghostly.

Light bends as it goes from one substance like air into another like glass.  But each color bends at a different angle, so we have colors separating and complicating those fuzzy images.

Light passing through a pinpoint diffracts.  The light spreads out.  Some light from one side of the small hole crosses over and some does not.  For a single color of light we can see the diffraction patterns, where we get bright and dark rings. 

Now imagine mixing the diffraction pattern of various colors and we get some distortion to the original image.

Using a slit instead of a pinhole gives bright and dark lines, again observed best for a single-color light.

In nature there are many opportunities to have diffraction, such as dirt on a window.  In fact, dirty air can cause light to pass dust and mimic a diffraction pattern. 

People often claim to see Jesus, or a Saint, in a window, or perhaps a ghostly figure.  Is it reality, or is it what the person believes is there?

First, when something is reported in a window there is often a light source.  In some cases, it is a streetlight.  But there is a large light, the moon, that is always there.

Next, windows with screens act like multiple diffraction sources that interact with each other.  And a bent screen, and few are taut, can highlight some images. 

Another possibility is dust on the window that has points are streaks that diffract light.

Finally, consider the reflections, including the internal reflections, of light making things fuzzy.  And with older windows the thickness is not uniform, making the reflections and refractions even more complex.

Internal reflections can highlight a single color, due to a certain wavelength reinforcing itself.  This can be seen with floating oil, which shimmers in colors due to the thickness of the light path through the oil.

So, Are Those Images of Jesus?  Do we see ghosts?  One can argue either way. 

If it is what God uses to have a person believe the image is of Divine origin, we cannot question it.  God can communicate in a multitude of ways, and this could be one of them.  Then again, we would have no way of knowing. 

So, physics provides a possibility, but the spirit world offers others.  Are the appearances what we see, or are they what light makes us believe?  This I cannot answer.

The physics is only a cursory approach, a true understanding is too complex for this venue.  But it is possible to present the qualitative ideas, which is the purpose here.

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The introduction image is our own Zazzle product, The digital image is my own.