Old face for new

Many people observe how the face on the shroud appears to be of a much older man.

When the image is reversed to become a positive 'normal' image the hair appears white or grey. The book Follow the Light by T C Newman goes into great detail of his experimentation with models, light boxes and photo-copiers, and concludes that the image was made by an inexplicable process with light emanating from the top of the head and reflecting on something there - such as the shroud - held slightly away from the body - in a similar fashion to how the earlier photocopy machines worked, as that is how he got his best images from his clay models. But that conflicts with indications that the shroud was against the body with folds - unless the light was similar to a laser copier but with the light emanating from within the body - starting at the top and moving down like a CAT scanner in a hospital.

It does not conflict with the blood marks however - as they were made before the light image - by direct contact.

 

On the left - the positive image taken from the Turin Shroud. On the right, a photocopy scan of the clay model made by T C Newman. 

Newman observed that the image intensity fades as it gets further from the glass, just as it does on the shroud. This he suggests is why the hair appears white - because it is closer to the shroud and reflecting more light. This implies of course an external light source - as indeed do most of the other details of the shroud image. 

As to why the hair seems to hang straight down; this can be explained by A the head was in fact tilted up - (as it was hanging down on the cross and rigamortis had set it) and B it was covered by blood, sweat, and the aloes that had been applied by those caring for his body.

 

 

This photocopy image is still the most penetrating of all images of Christ that I have seen.

A personal story

In approximately 1999 at the end of a difficult three years attempting to pull together an intentional spiritual community in South Africa, I had concluded that I had failed and was very discouraged and depressed on returning from 2 months visit to UK. I had even received an email saying they were not looking forward to me returning! 

I spent 3 days in my room. The window was boarded up as I had left it. On a low book shelf I had propped a framed picture of Jesus as above. The photocopy that I had sychronistically been given 14 or more years previously in Tanzania. I wanted to  go for a ride on my bicycle, but it was locked, and I thought perhaps I had hidden the key behind this face.

As I reached forward across an obstructing piece of equipment I tripped and fell. Putting my hands out to break my fall they reached out either side of this face - the right one onto a metal spike for my receipts, and the left one onto a sharp pointed wooden pyramid! 

The right hand was pierced right through and I lifted it up with the spike and receipts attached and had to pull it out! The left hand was punctured and now bleeding slightly.

As it happened, the week before I had spent in Capetown, where it has been very hot and I had only boots with me, so I had bought a cheap pair of rubber flipflops. These had rubbed red sores between and above the joint between my big toe and the next one.

I now smiled at my three days in the tomb and the stigmata effect! 

 Faximili image of my hands and feet at that time when I felt 'crucified'. 

That year being 1999, it was also the year of the total solar eclipse in the northern hemisphere and I had gone to Tintagel to view it. After the eclipse I visited so called King Arthur's Castle right on the coast and there I beheld the sword Excalibur. I was So drawn to it. I wanted to own one. I discovered they were available for sale, were real swords made by a Spanish family that had been making them since the 17th Century. But they were expensive! 

I investigated sword shops in the town, and then a toy shop where I spotted a shiny sword. But that didn't quite 'do it' for me.

About to give up and let it go I returned to me car and as I was about to unlock it a voice called out my name. It was John Kurk - the first Emissary I had met way back in 1979 and who had become a good friend over the subsequent years, living in community together in UK. He was just passing through en route back from Cornwall where he'd been to see the eclipse there at a Ken keys magic bus reunion. He just 'happened' to decided to do a detour and visit Tintagel. 

Of course there's more to this story, but that is sufficient for this blog as it is already well off topic! I'll just close with two pictures of magic buses. key Keys rebuilt bus 1999 and the paint job envisioned for my Bedford bus which at that time was sitting on that community farm.