Photographic Evidence of Mary’s Power?

Posted on January 27, 2003 in Myths & Mysticism

Look at this photo: doesn’t the Virgin just glow? I took this shot inside a gift shop located beneath the new Basilica dedicated to the Miracle of Tepeyac. The original garment worn by Juan Diego was located within less than 100 yards of this spot.

Spiritualists and believers in the miracles of the Virgin of Guadalupe would be cat-quick to seize upon this picture as photographic evidence of an invisible force radiating from this statue. In another context, it could be taken as evidence of ghosts or the Holy Spirit or just about any other invisible — and scientifically undetectable — being.

If I were to distribute this with the statement that this is the sign of a miracle, I would quickly find it copied all over the Net. I might even be, for a few months, slightly famous.

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Alas! No one loves a skeptic.

It makes a good story, but a more complete shot reveals important information about the glow:

The glow around the white sign (which says “Don’t Touch”) betrays the actual “essence” of the shining light: my flash was reflecting off the white and shiny surfaces.

Diehards might suggest that Mary blessed the sign, too, perhaps to lend it additional spiritual force. It’s a ludicrous idea.

Remember this the next time someone offers you a fuzzy photo that they purport to be photographic proof of “world of the spirits”. Look for the cropping out of objects which may weaken the story. Look for things in the photograph which can cause the illumination including: white or light surfaces, shiny metal, blonde hair, coins, jewelry, mica chips in rocks/tombstones, etc. Consider the possibility that the camera has a light leak. (All too common!) Be suspicious of anyone who says that they “developed the film themselves to ensure control” (Yeah, they controlled it all right — light leaks, chemical mixtures, development times, etc. can all be manipulated to get an effect.) Be especially suspicious of clear but transparent images of people or things (double exposure — an old trick that late 19th century spiritualists tried to pull off until they were exposed by the demonstration that the ghosts in the picture were living people.) Be wary when people try to read shapes into the images: anyone adept at picking out forms in clouds can readily find faces, limbs, objects, etc. in a blur. It’s evidence of an imagination and, sometimes, persuasive powers.

Personally, as a photographer, I enjoy the effect. And I enjoy the story of the Virgin of Tepeyac/Guadalupe as an antecedent of Latin American “magic realism”. But I do not hold either as facts: myth may contain truths, but it should never be mistaken for fact.

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More on the joys of visiting Guadalupe and thoughts on the spiritually soothing effects of a pilgrimage in the days to come. I wrote this to give my readers a short break from all the anthrophagus Aztec gods.