# After-Image Specters



## Abishai100 (Feb 29, 2016)

If you stare at a primary color for a certain amount of time and then stare at a white wall, you will see the opposite color of the primary color wheel as an _after-image_.

This is a simple but biophysical process of sensitization and light wavelength harmonies that vision specialists as well as those studying visual psychophysics study.

Well, imagine that your psychiatrist tells you, "You are seeing ghosts as emotion-trauma after-images!"  What would you say?  Such a statement could lead you to believe one of two things:

1. you are seeing something that isn't there
2. you are seeing a harmony process that your brain is translating into real world events that you would rather not see

After-images in color perception can help psychologists understand the sensitive nature by which the human brain (and mind) processes, stores, retrieves, and organizes perceptions (as memories) and perhaps make insightful connections into the emotional quality of dream-sleep imagery intuition.

We've heard of the news stories of people committing 'copycat' crimes modelled after Oliver Stone's controversial American violence-glorification film "Natural Born Killers" [1994].  Well, what if you saw an iconic American horror film such as John Carpenter's "Halloween" [1978] and then actually believed you were experiencing the events relayed in the frightening film?

After-image psychology is not a well-celebrated field, but it is gaining credence among those interested in connections between paranormal analysis and human emotions.

The next time you see a ghost, could it be an after-image of your horrible boss (hehe)?  Perhaps it could be evidence for you that the spirit world is more 'ethereal' than you originally imagined.  Such questions reveal the social intrigue behind "experience-centric" ghost stories such as "Remember the Harvard student who claimed to be seeing ghosts in the library during late study hours?  Maybe he was _that_ tired of studying!"

After-image psychology therefore, ironically and surprisingly, both challenges the validity of paranormal studies and enhances the value of empiricism-bent paranormal investigations.




*Afterimage (Wikipedia)*

*Willard Library Ghost*


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