Why it is impossible to photograph sleeping people: analysis of signs and objective reasons. Why can't you photograph a sleeping person? Why you can't take pictures of a person when he is sleeping

If you ask photographers if you can take pictures of sleeping people, nine out of ten will answer that this is not recommended. At the same time, not everyone will be able to explain why exactly this should not be done. They heard about it somewhere, it is a superstition passed from mouth to mouth, a bad omen. Let's figure out what is hidden behind these prejudices and find the answer for ourselves.

No one even remembers when and why people began to believe that it is impossible to photograph sleeping people. In the 19th century, when photography was still developing, most families could not afford this luxury. The purpose of the photographs was to leave a part of themselves and some kind of reminder to the descendants. In those distant times, people began to capture the dead. Only these photos were different from today's ones. The deceased was dressed in the best attire, seated on a chair or at a table with relatives and photographed as if he were alive.

When asked why they closed their eyes, they usually answered: "I blinked, and it is very expensive to reshoot a picture." Wealthy families even had special albums with photographs depicting relatives who had passed away at the time of photographing.

At that time, photography became practically an association with the word "death". Much later, at the beginning of the 20th century, photographing sleeping people began to be considered a bad omen. After all, the person in such a photo will also be with closed eyes. People began to believe that a photograph of a sleeping person could bring the day of his death closer or bring illness to him.

People also believed that if you put a photograph of a sleeping person near his head in a coffin, then the soul of the deceased will go into the photograph and will live in it forever.

Once in one village a woman in labor and a baby died during childbirth. To keep them in mind, the head of the family ordered a photograph of them with him. Less than a week after the funeral, he died for an unknown reason. Superstitious people began to believe that two biofields, the living and the dead, were mixed in the photograph. Since two dead were captured in the photo, their biofield won out.

There was also another story. An old woman died in the village. When her son came to the funeral, he asked to take a picture of his mother, as if she was alive sitting at the table with him. When the woman was photographed, she woke up from the camera flash. It turned out that she fell into a lethargic sleep, and during the consecration by a flash, she regained consciousness. After this incident, for several years, they again began to photograph the dead in hope. In the hope that they will come to life. But history no longer knew a repeat case.

Can I take pictures of sleeping children?

People at all times believed that there is always a guardian angel next to a person. The first forty days of life, it is customary not to show babies to any stranger until the baptism has passed. At the time of baptism, it was believed that the child finds his guardian angel. Until the baptismal ceremony took place, the children were not photographed at all. Now, in almost every family, parents try to capture both the moment of discharge from the hospital, and the first days of the child.

Well, how not to take a picture of a cute baby's face while sleeping? But when a child is not yet baptized, a guardian angel cannot protect him from evil. People also believed that small children in a dream can play with their angel and at this moment they are not protected. The older generation believed that at the moment of photographing a child, his guardian angel flies away from fear. Therefore, the baby is left without protection and is exposed to the forces of evil.

There is also another version. It was believed that sleeping children in photographs have no protection from the powers of sorcerers and are more susceptible to corruption and evil eye than other people. Hence, it was recommended to keep pictures of children in family albums and keep them away from prying eyes.
Nowadays, parents do not believe in this omen and post photos of babies and sleeping, and newborns on social networks.
There is a sign of damage to a photograph of a sleeping child. A baby in a dream is with closed eyes, becoming like a dead person. If you spoil, tear or burn such a photo, then you can bring trouble to the child. Believe it or not this kind of prejudice, of course, only the parents decide. But it is always better to foresee the onset of danger than to deal with it later.

Why shouldn't photos with a sleeping person be shown to strangers?

On the one hand, if you cannot photograph sleeping people, then, accordingly, you cannot show such photographs either. But what if there are such photos and they are part of the family album? Many magicians, fortune-tellers and clairvoyants promise to carry out various kinds of rituals from photography. At the same time, people at all times believed that a sleeping person is the most vulnerable. This means that a ceremony performed with a photograph of a sleeping person will bring the greatest efficiency. When people look at photographs, their thoughts are mostly out of control. Thinking badly about a person can bring trouble to him. Once upon a time, people believed that a photograph could even jinx it. Someone adheres to this point of view today. When looking at photo albums, old women in villages can often tell what future awaits a person. Or, not having anything bad in your thoughts, it is somehow wrong to think about a person. And as you know, thoughts can come true. Therefore, it is not recommended to be frivolous and photograph sleeping people. In order not to bring trouble to them, you should not show such photos to strangers. After all, a person in a dream is weak and not protected, which means that such a photograph may be most susceptible to the evil eye.

What superstitions about photographing sleeping people can you find?

The human soul is not always in the body; during sleep it flies away. If you photograph a person asleep, then the photograph captures a body without a soul. And the soul is not only in the dead.
Any look at a photograph can change a person's destiny. When looking at a photograph of a sleeping person, something bad can happen to him. Often people do not think when looking at a photograph they say that a person has something better than others, how strong and handsome he is. But in this way they can deprive him of precisely this distinctive feature.
If the photo is taken in a dark room, in a destroyed building, or next to deceased people, then it may not have the best effect on the health and well-being of the person being photographed.
Pregnant women love to be photographed. Moreover, if you take a picture of a sleeping woman in position, then the child will not be born. This statement is not supported by any medical facts, but pregnant women are the most superstitious.
You can not tear photos with images of people, spoil them. Otherwise, the people who are depicted on them cannot avoid death or deterioration of health. However, this statement has another side. Many believe that if you burn a photograph of a person who is suffering from a disease, the disease will pass, as it will be burned up by the fire.
If the sleeping person turned out to be indistinct in the photo, then he will soon die.

There is another side to the coin. For a very long time, people performed various kinds of rituals, piercing a person's eyes in a photograph. At the same time, it was believed that closed eyes could not be pierced. This means that the person will be protected. In houses where this was believed, the people in the photographs deliberately closed their eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Superstitions associated with bans on photographing people who are asleep are rooted in the distant past. True or false - everyone decides for himself. But it is better not to check them on yourself and avoid photographing asleep.

Since the advent of photography, humanity has stepped far forward. Now you can take pictures anywhere, just take out your smartphone. But the superstition that for some reason it is impossible to photograph sleeping people still exists in society. Where can we find the roots of these strange fears? And is it really worth taking the camera away if someone dozed off nearby?

What you need to know about energy photo

Esotericists claim that during sleep, the thin shell or biofield of a person weakens. This makes it vulnerable to external influences. In this state, even a loved one with the help of a picture is able to spoil. Biotherapists also draw parallels between the fields of the dead and the sleeping. Photography can inadvertently perpetuate this condition, provoking long-term illness or death.

Any photo contains complete energy information about a person. Black magicians are even capable of destroying a person and body using a photo, and in a sleeping state a person is even more defenseless. Esotericists say that each picture "steals" a part of human energy, weakening the biofield. Children, sleeping, sick and elderly people lose it twice as much. A similar ban applies to filming videos.

Today, it is not known exactly when people first thought that a sleeping person is not the best subject for a picture.

At the beginning of the 20th century, photography was considered a privilege of the rich, because it was not cheap. Not everyone could afford to be photographed during his lifetime. This is how the tradition of photographing the dead with their eyes closed, supposedly asleep, arose. The deceased were often placed in a circle of living relatives or laid on a bed or sofa. Many families could pay for the services of a photographer only from the savings set aside for the funeral, which they actively used. The tradition soon faded away, but the eerie association that the sleeping person in the photo is the same as the dead person is firmly entrenched in his mind.

This is not the only reason for superstition, because there are many other signs associated with why it is impossible to take pictures of sleeping people.

Superstitions about adults

Some esotericists believe that the soul leaves the body during sleep and travels to other worlds. If you take a picture of a person, the soul may get confused and not know where to return to - to the body or to the picture.

Incredible facts

The best academic minds are half a step from creating artificial intelligence, but human nature is arranged in such a way that many of our contemporaries refuse to believe in superstition.

Or maybe this is not superstition? Why not to photograph sleeping person? Let's try to understand.

Our ancestors believed that the soul of a sleeping person leaves the body and leaves to wander during sleep. Therefore, during sleep, the human body is deprived of protection and is attacked by evil forces. A sleeping person does not move from one place to another. It was believed that if the body moves, then the returning soul cannot find it, the result is death.

In addition to photographing a sleeping person, it is categorically impossible to draw him either, because such actions take away his strength, provoke the development of diseases and lead to death.

Mystics believe that photography carries a lot of information about a person. They say that a part of the human soul and a trace of energy remain in the photograph.

Witches and sorcerers can read this information and use it to send evil or evil eye on a person. Considering that the sleeping person is in an exhausted state, the influence on him through the photo will be even stronger.

Read also:5 ingenious and easy tricks to decorate your photo without using Photoshop

It is also worth adding that in order to carry out evil magic rituals, the sorcerer does not need to have a photo of the victim printed on paper, his electronic version will be enough for him.

In addition to the mystical answers to the question "why it is impossible to photograph sleeping people", there are quite real explanations. First of all, it should be said about the bright flash and the click of the shutter, which can scare a sleeping person.

In addition to the fact that the photographer runs the risk of hearing a few not very pleasant words addressed to him, a sleeping person, especially a child, may experience disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system from fear and may develop a phobia.

Finally, the most intuitive answer to this question, which will satisfy both those who believe in mysticism and reject its existence: a sleeping person does not need to be photographed, because such photos look completely unattractive.

This is because muscle groups in the body relax during sleep, and body position cannot be predicted for the entire sleep period.

Bans in photography

What else can't you do with photos?

1. You cannot photograph children under one year old.

But few parents can refrain from taking some wonderful shots of their baby. Therefore, if you take photos, do not show them to unfamiliar people, and even more so do not post them on social networks.

This prohibition is explained by the fact that the energy field of babies under one year old is completely defenseless, therefore they are open to absolutely any attacks.

2. You cannot be photographed in the mirror.

Mirrors are able to perfectly absorb the energy of a person, or rather his energy trace. When a person photographs himself in a mirror, he draws on himself all the negative energy collected in it.

Read also:How to hang photos smoothly and beautifully

Old mirrors have a particularly obscure past. If you photograph yourself or someone in or near it, the consequences can be very unpredictable.

Photo bans

3. You can not take pictures in bad places and abandoned buildings.

Photographing in such places is almost always associated with a huge loss of vitality and often provides a constant link to this place, which gradually reduces the energy force of a person.

4. You can not take pictures in cemeteries.

Practitioners and psychics do not advise anyone to contact the world of the dead. If a person is photographed in a cemetery, he can easily get an energy tie to this place. As a result, a serious illness, even death, can fall on a person.

"Not allowed" in photography

5. You cannot store photos of the deceased together with photos of the living.

As a result of this "interaction", the energy mixes up, and living people may feel bad.

6. You can not take pictures of seriously ill people and people on the verge of death.

Such photos are nothing more than guides to the world of spirits. When a person dies, his soul cannot freely leave, because photography will keep him in the world of the living.

Photos and prohibitions

7. You can not destroy photos.

Do not tear, spoil, burn the photo, or poke it with needles. Such manipulations are done with the photo when targeting damage to death. If you repeat them, the person in the photo may be harmed.

8. You cannot make your photos public.

If you assume that there are people who may wish you ill, you should not put your photos on public display. V modern world with prevalence social networks, finding a fresh photograph of this or that person is absolutely no difficulty.

Many are looking for a short answer to the question: why can't you photograph sleeping people? Is it a superstition, a religious prohibition, or an ethical aspect? Let's figure it out.

Where do legs grow from?

In ancient times, when cameras were not yet created, the only way to capture a person was to draw him. Not everyone could use the artist's services. It was too expensive a treat. Therefore, the portraits were ordered by rich people. And the poor had no choice but to invite the artist only once - when one of the relatives died to capture what he looked like during his lifetime.

The deceased was dressed up, seated at the table, while the artist was painting a picture at that time. For realism, open eyes could be added to the deceased. Some even sat them in a chair and attached a newspaper to their arms.

After the appearance of cameras, the deceased began to take pictures. This tradition exhausted itself in the 60s of the 20th century. Hence the association arose: a person with closed eyes in the photo brings the day of death closer.

Reasons not to photograph sleeping people

If you look at Wikipedia, then to the question of why it is impossible to photograph sleeping people, there are several short answers. Let's consider them in more detail:

People believe that photography is capable of storing human energy in itself. Therefore, many believe that if a photograph depicting a sleeping person gets to a magician or sorcerer, then this can turn into a curse, evil eye, damage and other negative effects.
Religious aspect. The Church believes that during sleep, the soul leaves a person. Therefore, he becomes vulnerable to evil forces.
Medical point of view. Doctors believe that a flash, a loud sound can scare a person and cause a heart attack.
From an ethical point of view. If we talk about the ethical aspect, then the sleeping person is not able to control facial expressions, which is why the photographs turn out to be unsuccessful.
Our ancestors believed that it was impossible to photograph a sleeping person because the guardian angel could leave him forever.

Do you believe that having photographed a person, you can bring trouble to him?
To vote

Why you can't photograph a sleeping baby

Many young parents wonder why it is impossible to photograph a sleeping child? It is known that up to 3 months, the infant regimen is almost completely sleep-based, and babies are very rarely awake. Therefore, you have to photograph the baby while sleeping, despite the prohibitions. And for what reason did it appear? Answer to this question can give the older generation.

Our mothers and grandmothers associate this moment with religion. They say that up to 40 days old babies should not be photographed in any case. Of course, there is an explanation for this. If you rely on Christian rules, they say that it is up to 40 days that the baby is most vulnerable to evil spirits. And they acquire a guardian angel only when the rite of Baptism is performed. So, according to the older generation, it is better not to photograph the child before the sacrament is performed, so as not to bring trouble to him.

Professional photographers, on the other hand, say that there is nothing wrong with photographing a baby as a souvenir. They recommend taking a photo session at 2–3 months of age. Then the babies can be laid in the desired position.

How to counter superstition

You can resist superstition. For this, according to the older generation, there is no need to show anyone a photo of a sleeping person. Then no one can negatively influence him.

Just yesterday, when my daughter was asleep, I wanted to take a picture of her, but my husband didn’t allow me to - he said that there was a bad omen in this regard, and I didn’t even know why you shouldn’t take pictures of sleeping people, and especially babies. I'll tell you what I learned myself - what if someone, like me, is in the dark?

Previously, there was no such problem, cameras were not very affordable common people, and the shooting was a whole event. Then, when they appeared compact cameras, the process went easier, but still, many did not shoot literally everything they wanted on film - such pictures would hardly have adorned a photo album, and they had no other use.

Of course, fashion photographers took pictures of sleeping people, and there was a bit of art in it, but it was not, so to speak, mass distribution. And then, when digital compact cameras became widespread, and each mobile phone became equipped with a device for shooting, it became much easier to shoot. And of course, many began to take pictures of their loved ones in various situations - cute poses, funny outfits, various funny incidents, and of course sleep. However, not everyone knows whether it is possible to photograph sleeping people?

In general, to be honest, today I spent a whole day on the Internet, asking friends and girls on the forum about whether they know about the reasons why people should not be photographed if they fell asleep. I heard many interesting opinions, among which the leaders are:

signs;
unpleasant associations;
real harm to humans;
religious prohibitions.

I'll tell you about all the reasons in order and whether it is possible to photograph a sleeping person.

Causes

Naturally, everyone has their own answers to the question of why it is impossible to photograph sleeping children and adults, but with regard to children, I heard one interesting theory.

As you know, we sleep quite lightly and unevenly, a person wakes up up to two hundred times a night. Naturally, he does not come out of a full state of sleep, the awakening is very short-term, for a moment.

But if at this moment you scare a person, then the dream will be of poor quality, and it is quite easy to scare during the shooting process - a couple of flashes are enough.

In adults, this is unlikely to cause something serious, except for mild anxiety, but with children you need to be more careful - fear in a child can lead to disturbances in sleep, speech and development. Naturally, not a single shot is worth the calmness of a child.

Signs are a powerful rationale for why it's best to refrain from photographing sleeping people. So, if you believe the signs, then photographing a sleeping person you can:

call him death (fix his motionless inactive state);
scare away his guardian angel;
take away his health and happiness;
capture his soul (as a result of which the person will lose it and may go crazy).

They say that an energetically sleeping person is not much different from a dead person, and when we shoot him, it is as if we are capturing this state, which harms the person.

There is another reason that seems more realistic to me. Probably every adult knows that there was a tradition to take post-mortem photographs - people filmed dead babies in their arms and filmed at funerals. A sleeping person is little distinguishable from the deceased, so many are afraid to take such pictures.

An interesting theory about the journey of the soul. Generally speaking, our soul travels to other worlds during sleep, and when the body begins to wake up, it comes back. So, on a flash or a click of the shutter, a person can wake up abruptly, and the soul does not have time to wake up - then the body can die.

The religious reasons for the ban on photography are very interesting. Many world religions, including Islam, are very wary of filming. This is due to a religious prohibition - for example, very often only a deity can be depicted, and any image of a person can be equated with an attempt to become like a divine essence.

If you have a sleeping person in front of you, and you are not sure that he is loyal to shooting, then it is better not to photograph him in a dream. Also, some religions attach too much importance to photography - for example, in Asian beliefs there is a belief that photography is the imprint of a soul, which will then turn into a demon.

Fright and nervous breakdown are a frequent companion of photography in a dream, no matter how sad it is to admit it. A person in a dream feels defenseless, and if he is abruptly pulled out of this state, he may develop psychological trauma, he will be afraid to sleep, and it is quite difficult to overcome this. And physically, fear is almost always associated with a violation of breathing and heart rate, so fear can lead to heart disease, or even a heart attack.

So how to be - to photograph or not

I think you understand why it is impossible to photograph sleeping people, but how much is it worth following such signs? Everyone decides for himself. And if even doctors do not advise taking pictures of a sleeping child - a flash can really scare a baby, then there is no such unequivocal opinion with an adult.

If you want to take a picture of a sleeping person on your phone or a regular camera, then try the following:

turn off the flash on your phone or camera - after all, you are taking a picture not for official documents, but for home use, it may well be blurry;
mute the sound and check in another room that the shutter sound does not work;
do not bend over the sleeping person and do not bring the phone or camera too close;
no need to try to put the sleeping person in any funny position.

I decided for myself that it is impossible to photograph a sleeping person if you did not agree with him that this is permissible. Of course, for me personally, we are not talking about whether it is possible to photograph a dozing girl in the subway - I believe that this is an interference with a person's private life, and even more so, one should not shoot a video.

It is also important for me that the person I am photographing (for example, earlier it was my boyfriend, and now my husband) likes himself in the picture. He believes that when he sleeps, he is not very handsome, and I do not consider myself entitled to argue with him (although, in my opinion, men in a dream are very touching, much nicer than newborns).

If the person you photographed is dissatisfied, suggest deleting the photo - put yourself in his place for just one brief moment, few people like to photograph people when they sleep, but even less we want to be in the place of the hero of the picture.

Draw conclusions for yourself, and if you are already filming sleeping people, then do it as harmlessly as possible for them - without a flash and the risk of frightening.

It might be helpful to read: