Many people have known since childhood that photographing sleeping people is strictly prohibited. I’ll tell you where this superstition came from, and, in fact, why you shouldn’t photograph sleeping people right now.
The ban on photographing sleeping people: a banal superstition or a real threat
Each person has his own view on different things. Some people, for example, are afraid to take photographs of people sleeping, fearing that this will affect their lives, while others consider such signs to be just fiction that came to us from the distant past.
One thing that can be stated unequivocally is that until our time, not a single accident has been recognized as having occurred due to the fault of a photograph taken in the past.
The truth is that any development in the field of science or technology contributes to the emergence of new devices, which immediately fall under a certain category of superstition.
Is the ban on photographing sleeping people a superstition? In many ways, yes.
Since there is no scientific explanation for this ban, you will not find information in any school textbook that you cannot photograph sleeping people.
However, such a sign appeared almost immediately after the appearance of the first camera, which means it has its own reasons for existence.
Another question is to believe in it or not? This is entirely your decision.
Often people who are inclined take this warning seriously; materialists, of course, ignore this rule.
If you look at the question from a statistical point of view, the opinions of citizens are almost equally divided.
Approximately 60% of the citizens surveyed are not inclined to believe in mysticism, otherworldly phenomena and omens. The other 40% believe in horoscopes, fortune telling and superstitions.
It is impossible to say who is right in this case and who is wrong, since any point of view has the right to exist. And if many people believe that it is forbidden to photograph sleeping people, then there are reasons for this.
Where did the ban on photographing sleeping people come from: 3 main options
Few people know how the opinion came about that taking photographs of sleeping people is a bad omen.
And it’s quite difficult to figure out where exactly the superstition came from, because there are several versions of its origin.
There are 3 main factors in the emergence of the superstition about the ban on photography in a dream:
Historical.
Many years ago, around the 19th century, when the camera became available to wealthy people, a strange tradition for modern times arose - photographing deceased people. What does it have to do with photographing not in the image of a deceased person, but as a still living family member, albeit in a “sleeping” form - with his eyes closed.
After some time, this tradition ceased to exist, but its imprint remained. Since then, the sleeping person in the photo has been associated with the dead.
Mystical.
There are a large number of people who claim that among ordinary citizens there live people with superpowers - sorcerers, psychics and many others. It is believed that they can influence a person’s aura, take away his energy and destroy the biofield.
The sleeping person in the photograph in this case is an ideal victim who is unable to protect himself from the eyes of such people.
Religious.
Since religions also contain stories about the other world and spirits, from a spiritual point of view, a photograph of a sleeping person can harm him.
For example, Christians claim that photographs of a sleeping person can frighten away the guardian angel, and according to Sharia law, taking photographs and thereby recreating a portrait of a sleeping person is prohibited, because this is a sin.
Note: The first two versions of the origin of superstition have in their subtext every reason to prohibit photographing sleeping people. Religion has no strict restrictions in this regard.
Sharia law does prohibit the reconstruction of people's faces, but this is not just about photography. It’s just that these laws prohibit the creation of a portrait, and therefore a photograph that looks like a painted portrait.
As for Christianity, the church ministers themselves do not agree with the opinion that a guardian angel can leave a person. But, on the other hand, they argue that it is impossible to photograph and show newborn babies who have not yet turned 40 days old, because only during this period the newborn will be baptized and then he will have a guardian angel.
Before baptism, the baby is considered defenseless, and if you take a photo of it and show it to other people, they can steal its energy.
Why you shouldn’t photograph sleeping people: 6 reasons and 6 possible consequences
There are a large number of reasons why photographing sleeping people is prohibited. Each of them has its own explanation and list of possible consequences.
| Cause | Description and consequences |
|---|---|
| A sleeping person resembles a deceased person in a photograph | It is believed that a person who looks like a dead person in a photo projects an unhappy fate for himself. This man seemed to have died to the real world. This is fraught with serious illnesses and even fatal diseases. |
| Disturbance of the human energy field | Each person, according to esotericists, has his own biofield or aura. When he is photographed in a dream, it is commonly believed that his aura also gets into the frame, causing the biofield to be disrupted. A person becomes energetically weak and uncollected. This can lead to nervous disorders, illness or a "zombie" state. |
| Inducing damage, evil eye | Since in a dream a person cannot keep his energy field stable, in a photograph in a dream he appears disarmed. If such a photo gets into the hands of an unscrupulous person or sorcerer, he can easily cast the evil eye or damage, which in turn will lead to dire consequences. |
| Losing connection with the soul | Since ancient times, our ancestors believed that. At the moment of sleep, the soul leaves the body and goes to wander in another dimension. When a person wakes up, his soul returns. But if he is photographed in a dream, and this causes him to suddenly wake up, the person’s soul may not have time to return. The outcome is that the person will either get sick or go crazy. |
| Losing a Guardian Angel | Despite the fact that the clergy do not share the opinion that an angel can leave a person, such a version exists. And if this happens, the person may become unlucky and weak. |
| Violation of religious canons | I repeat that Islam categorically prohibits photographing people in their sleep; for Muslims, photography in a dream is a sin. |
Despite the fact that there are a large number of reasons, none of them have been verified by reality. Perhaps such a ban is really dangerous for humans, but so far humanity has not been able to be convinced of this.
Whether you trust superstitions or not is your decision. The power of human thought has a great influence on your future destiny, therefore, in order not to harm yourself, think about what you really want and do not project negative assumptions onto yourself.
Modern views on why you should not photograph sleeping people
IN modern world people most often refuse signs and superstitions. Firstly, this is in many ways no longer relevant, and secondly, the current pace of life does not allow us to think about the many existing signs.But the question of why you can’t photograph sleeping people is very interesting, so specialists: psychologists, researchers, doctors have been trying to find out all the circumstances of such a sign for more than one year.
And all of them, of course, are not inclined to believe that taking a photo of a person in a dream will contribute to the loss of his soul, but the interesting fact is that most of them also do not recommend taking such photos.
Why? There are several explanations:
- A person who is sleeping cannot give permission for a photo shoot. It turns out that with such a photo you can violate personal boundaries and simply anger the person.
- A sleeping person will not necessarily turn out well in the photo; this may make him upset or offended, and the photographer in this case will seem to him to be a tactless person.
- A click or flash of a camera can frighten a person in his sleep, and this will lead to stress, sleep disturbance and a state of absent-mindedness due to the fact that his sleep was interrupted in the slow phase.
Such beliefs apply not only to adults, but also to children, because they are much more sensitive to flashes of light and sharp sounds.
The child may get scared and then stutter. Because of this, pediatricians advise not to disturb babies with constant outbreaks.
You can learn more about the reasons for the ban and the consequences of taking pictures of people in their sleep from the video:
What to do if someone has already photographed you: step-by-step instructions
It often happens that a person begins to become interested in the consequences of taking photographs in a dream after the photograph has been taken.
I would like to note right away that this situation does not mean that a series of failures will begin in your life. You should proceed as follows.
| Steps | Description |
|---|---|
Step 1. | Don't panic or get upset. You can believe the signs, or you can ignore them. The main thing is not to project negativity onto yourself. |
Step 2. | If the photo of you sleeping turns out cute or cute, leave it as a souvenir in family album. If you don't like it or irritate you, get rid of it. Fortunately, modern smartphones allow you to do this in a matter of seconds. |
Step 3. | Do not show photos to strangers to protect yourself and your nervous system from prejudice. And in the future, ask people close to you, family or friends not to take such pictures. |
It turns out that, subject to the rules of etiquette, no one can prohibit photographing people sleeping. The consequences of such actions have not been proven, which means that if the person has given you consent to filming, then there is nothing to worry about.
Just make sure that you don’t disturb the person in their sleep by taking photographs - turn off the camera sound and the flash.
If you still believe that photographs in a dream are a bad sign, do not take them, or at least do not show them to unfamiliar people whose intentions you are not at all sure of.
Is believing in omens good or bad?
Every person is free to choose what to believe. You can believe in superstitions, or you can close your eyes to them. No one will judge you for this.
But, like any other situation, believing in omens has its pros and cons.
| Advantages | Flaws |
|---|---|
| Trusting signs, a person becomes attentive to details. He will once again play it safe and will not take risks. From this he makes himself own life more secure. | A person who believes in omens becomes a little fixated. He can easily deny himself joy if a black cat accidentally crosses his path. This makes his life “poorer”. |
| Signs, by the way, are not only bad. Many of them suggest something good. By often thinking about good things, a person himself attracts them into his life. | People fixated on superstitions cannot live fully and are greatly influenced. Such a person can be easily deceived or offended. |
Believing in all signs is not best idea, although if they promise something positive, you can calmly let them into your own life.
Let me give you a simple example
A person who certainly believes that good things will happen to him is rarely dissuaded from this. The whole point here is not about magic or mystical things, but about the power of human thought.
If you blindly believe that having a photograph in a dream will bring you trouble, then most likely this will happen. After all, you are programming yourself for bad things. And even if nothing bad happens, you will find it and blame it all on one single photo.
Because of this, I advise you not to dwell on the bad, but to live a full life.
If you were wondering why you shouldn't take pictures of sleeping people, now you've got a comprehensive answer to it. Then it’s up to you to decide how you feel about such superstitions.
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Photography has great power. She can stop time. With its help, you can damage a person or, on the contrary, heal a sick person. Today, almost everyone can take a photo; it’s not even about the fact that anyone can afford to buy a camera, but about the fact that currently the most budget-friendly mobile phone in most cases equipped with a camera. Here it appears on the page in in social networks a huge number of photos - people take pictures of everyone and everything - themselves in different poses, animals, nature and even food. However, few people know, but there are several signs associated with photographs. The most common belief is that you should not photograph sleeping people, and it is prohibited this kind photography exists not only among superstitious people, even professional photographers They are unlikely to agree to photograph the sleeping person.
Where did it come from that you can’t take pictures of a sleeping person?
If you dig deep into history, you can find information that in the distant 19th century in most European countries there was a tradition of photographing dead people as if they were just sleeping. So, one could see photographs showing a dinner in a family circle, and a dead man sitting at the head of the table. Of course, to a modern person this picture may seem, to put it mildly, strange, but in those days it was a completely normal phenomenon.
Modern explanations for the taboo on photographing sleeping people
It was from the theory of the origin of superstition described above that it came about that if a person is captured in a photo with his eyes closed, it means he is no longer in the world of the living.
Currently, the more common version is that if you photograph a sleeping person, then in this way you can bring trouble on him and, even worse, bring the day of his death closer.
It is not recommended to photograph a sleeping person for one more reason. The fact that the soul travels in a dream is an indisputable fact. By taking a picture, you can wake up a person, and if his soul was near his body, then it may be damaged, but if at that time he was flying somewhere far away, then upon returning he may not find his physical body. By the way, for the same reason it is not recommended to transfer a sleeping child to bed.
And finally, the most common version of why there is a taboo on photographing sleeping people is that a person’s soul leaves the body during sleep and makes it very vulnerable. Photographing a sleeping person can have a detrimental effect on his energy.
It has been proven that photography is capable of storing the bioenergy of the person depicted in it. That is why, if a photograph of a sleeping person falls into the hands of an envious person or, even worse, a black magician, then it will not be possible to escape from trouble. Therefore, if you have a photograph in which a person dear to your heart is captured sleeping, then try to hide it from prying unkind eyes. In addition, we know that thoughts are material, which is why, looking at a photograph of a sleeping person, an association with a dead person can involuntarily arise, and thus one can invite death.
Why you shouldn't take pictures of sleeping children
A sleeping child is a touching picture: a sweet smile, smiling eyes... Well, how can you not take a picture of him so cute?! And yet, try to overcome your desires, because by taking a photo, you can scare your child’s Guardian Angel. In addition, such a photo session can wake up and frighten the baby, and this, if you rely on the opinion of believers, will not lead to any good.
As already mentioned, the photograph captures not only the physical body, but also the biofield. In babies, even when they are awake, it is quite weak, but is it worth talking about the photo?! Having been touched by the sleeping baby in the photo, you can put the evil eye on him.
What about other religions?
The Christian religion says that photographing a sleeping person can frighten the Guardian Angel and he can leave the person forever. However, Sharia law also discourages photographing people while they sleep. This is explained by the fact that when taking a photograph, a person wants to become like the Almighty, which is considered a great sin and for this the photographer will suffer torment in hell. There is another interpretation of the prohibition of photographing a sleeping person from the point of view of the Islamic religion, so, man-made images can lead to polytheism, and this already emanates disbelief in Allah.
Certainly, modern society far from some prejudices, which is why many people shamelessly take pictures of their loved ones while sleeping. We want to say that whether to believe in omens or not is your own business. Just don’t forget that if you strongly believe in something, it will definitely happen, so believe in the best. Have a nice photo, beautiful and different!
Among the many signs that surround us, many are associated with photographs and photography. One of them says that you cannot photograph a sleeping person. Should we take this taboo seriously or consider it a ridiculous superstition? Let's take a look at the different points of view on this matter.
The first opinion is esoteric
According to esotericists, a person has a material and energetic shell. The defensive reactions of a sleeping person are reduced, so during sleep the intangible shell is especially susceptible to negative influences. By taking a photo, we can cause unintentional or intentional harm to the soul, and take away part of a person’s vitality.
In addition, information about a person remains forever in any photo - it’s not without reason that people with the appropriate abilities can tell a lot from a photo. If you use a photograph of a sleeping person for any magical ritual (damage, evil eye, love spell, etc.), it is much easier to influence a person.
Also, according to one belief, such actions can frighten the soul, which leaves the body during sleep and travels through other dimensions, and it may not find its way back. This can cause a person to fall into a coma, lose their mind, or die.
Children may suffer more than anyone else, because... Compared to adults, their energy field is weaker and more receptive. You can jinx a child even without a photo - just watch him while he sleeps. It is also believed that you should not photograph a sleeping pregnant woman - the child may not be born.
The second opinion is religious
According to many religious faiths, the soul of every person has its own Guardian Angel. By taking pictures of a sleeping person, you can scare the Angel, and he will leave the soul forever.
Also, photography is prohibited by some religions. For example, Islamists believe that when creating any images of people and animals, a person tries to become like Allah, and this is a grave sin.
Third opinion - medical
A loud, sharp sound or a bright flash from a camera can suddenly wake a person. The consequences of this awakening can be disastrous and extended over time - severe fear, stuttering, neurosis, fear of falling asleep.
Another explanation from doctors is based on the fact that at night, in complete darkness, melatonin is synthesized in the human body. This substance is responsible for the so-called. circadian rhythms. If we translate this term into ordinary language, then thanks to melatonin we are awake during the day and sleep at night.
When photographing at night, a bright flash can disrupt the metabolism of this substance. As a result, a person will not be able to get a good night's sleep and rest; after sleep, he will feel exhausted and tired.
The fourth opinion is historical
One version of the taboo on photographing a sleeping person goes back to the beginning of the art of photography. Back then, to get a picture you had to sit still for half an hour. This is difficult even for an adult, let alone a child.
Then a tradition arose that would seem wild and creepy to any modern person - taking photographs of dead people in memory. At the same time, the photographs were taken in conditions as close as possible to everyday situations - for example, they simulated that a person was sleeping, or reading a newspaper, or sitting at the dinner table. Joint photographs of living and dead people were often practiced.
This tradition continued until the 60s. last century. It is not surprising that for some people, especially the older generation, a photo of a person with his eyes closed can evoke associations with death. According to esotericists, such thoughts can materialize and lead to serious health problems, even death.
The fifth opinion is everyday
During sleep, we do not control ourselves, so our posture and facial expression with completely relaxed muscles can look at least unaesthetic. Some national traditions seem to disagree with this. For example, in Japan, the reason for divorce may be a husband’s complaint that his wife sleeps in an unattractive position - apparently, the Japanese know the secret of defeating sleep physiology :)
If without lyrics, then by photographing a sleeping person without obtaining consent, you violate his right to privacy. From a purely human perspective, he may be unpleasant about such a fact, and he has every right to demand that the picture be deleted. In addition, photographs taken with malicious intent can make a person look unattractive and harm their image. Therefore, before pressing the shutter button, think carefully about whether you should do nasty things to your neighbor.
So is it possible or still not possible to photograph a sleeping person?
In our opinion, there is no need to draw categorical conclusions. Follow the rule of the golden mean. If you want to capture the memory of a loved one or child, and you take a photo with the best intentions, nothing terrible, in our opinion, will happen.
But such photos are best kept in the family archive. You should not post them publicly on social networks - this is especially true for pictures of sleeping children and pregnant women.
Photography has firmly entered our lives. We photograph everything - ourselves, our surroundings, nature, various documents, etc., etc. But sometimes we should put the camera down. Because there are things that are simply not worth photographing. And among them are sleeping people, and especially children. We already know that you should not take pictures in the mirror - this can lead to serious consequences. A
Why can't you photograph a sleeping person?
Photography is our real reflection in the virtual world. And not a simple display, but a display that has absorbed a particle of our energy. It depicts not only us, but also our soul. And in a dream, according to the beliefs of almost all peoples, the human soul flies off to wander through other worlds. And, if a person is photographed sleeping and then given the photograph into the hands of an ill-wisher, he may be harmed. Some view the question of why you shouldn't photograph a sleeping person as a superstition, but it has long roots, and it is worth paying attention to the warning regarding such photographs.
Where did the ban on photographing a sleeping person come from?
In the old days, dead people were often imprinted after death among the living, especially dead children. Of course, before the advent of cameras they were simply drawn, but with the advent of cameras they began to be photographed. They dressed the deceased in a beautiful outfit and tried to “introduce him into the circle of life” - they sat him down at the dinner table, photographed him with family members. Of course, his eyes remained closed at the same time, but this was attributed to “accidentally blinking.”
So it turns out that the sleeping person in the photograph looks like a dead person. Why would a living person be classified as a dead person? No need. This means that it is undesirable to photograph him sleeping - if you photograph a person in the form of a deceased person, you will unwittingly speed up his transition “to another world.”
Sleeping man and camera
Why can't you photograph a sleeping person? The fact is that when a person sleeps, he is vulnerable to the world around him. Yes, and you can’t wake a person abruptly - not only can he get scared. After all, it is believed that during a sharp transition from sleep to wakefulness, a person’s soul, which has flown away to travel through the worlds, simply does not have time to return to the body, and the person may die. Or an evil sorcerer will take advantage of him, soulless. Maybe they don’t believe this now, but the loud click of a camera, and especially a flash, can easily frighten a sleeping person. And not only scare, but also lead to a heart attack, or to stuttering.
It is especially dangerous to photograph small children. After all, they are much weaker than adults and will be much more frightened if they are awakened by a sudden flash of light. And it’s good if they’re just scared, but what if their little heart can’t stand it? Perhaps you shouldn’t tempt fate, because a cheerful and cheerful child in a photograph looks much more cheerful, and you can simply admire a sleeping baby.
Photography as a magical “tool”
A photograph of a person, being his real reflection, also carries information about his soul. In the photograph, some people with strong energy can even discern a person’s aura. There is nothing dangerous in this if the person is friendly and his energy has a positive charge. What if it’s negative? Or is a person actually an energy vampire? Then, based on the photograph of the sleeping person, he can influence him through the layers of the tonal world and cause harm to the person.
Of course, not all people are subject to the influence of others and perceive “energy pressure” from the outside. Moreover, those who do not believe in all these superstitions do not feel any such influence. But if a person’s energy is weak, a strong enough sorcerer can cause harm to his health and affect the course of his life. And do all this through photography with him sleeping. And children are very vulnerable in this regard. This is why you should not photograph a sleeping person.
So isn’t it better to take pictures of your loved ones and yourself when you are cheerful, smiling at the camera and showing your joy at simply being alive? Maybe we should listen to “ridiculous superstitions” and not take photos with sleeping people?
There are several reasons that are tried to explain why you should not photograph a sleeping person:
- this is how you can steal your destiny or health;
- the person being photographed may not wake up;
- suddenly waking up, a person can be very frightened;
- the person being photographed is poorly rested or does not get enough sleep;
- the person depicted sleeping in the photograph resembles a dead man;
- a photograph of a sleeping person may not turn out well;
- it is easy to cast a spell or evil eye from a photograph of a sleeping person;
- you can scare the guardian angel and he will leave the sleeping person forever;
- associations with post-mortem photography and the tradition of photographing the deceased;
- images and photographs of people are prohibited by religion.
Let's divide them into groups and take a closer look.
Mystical reasons
Unexpected health problems
There is an opinion that you should not photograph a sleeping person because the energy field of a sleeping person is somehow similar to the energy field of a dead person. Therefore, by photographing a sleeping person, you can confirm this state in reality, after which the person may suddenly become ill or die.
Sudden death
Another, more common belief is that the soul of a person who is in a dream goes to another dimension, and during awakening it returns to the body. Therefore, if a person suddenly wakes up from the click of the shutter or the flash of a camera, then the soul may not have time to return and the human body will die.
There is also an opinion that in photographs the facial expressions and closed eyes of sleeping children or adults may outwardly resemble the faces of the dead. It is because of these associations that some superstitious people believe that the photograph can bring death to the sleeping person depicted in it.
Evil eye or damage
Magicians, healers and bioenergy therapists claim that the ego energy field is also displayed in the photograph along with the person. And since during sleep this field is considered weaker than during wakefulness, this means that using a photograph of a sleeping person it will be easier for an ill-wisher or sorcerer to cast damage, the evil eye or other curses on the photographed person.
For the same reason, it is believed that you should not photograph sleeping children, especially small ones, because their biofield is much weaker than that of adults, so they are more susceptible to the “evil eye.” There is an opinion that an infant can be jinxed even by simply admiring him sleeping in his cradle.
Losing a Guardian Angel
There is also a religious belief that explains why you should not photograph sleeping people. It is believed that in this way the Guardian Angel can be scared away, and he can leave the sleeping person forever.
Religious reasons
Followers of Islam claim that you cannot photograph people sleeping because the creation of sculptures and images of people and animals (which includes photography) is prohibited by Sharia law. This is explained by the fact that by creating a man-made image, a person tries to become like Allah, which is a sin and is followed by severe punishment and torment in Hell.
Another reason for the ban is that man-made images and sculptures can lead to polytheism. Also, according to Islam, creating images can be interpreted as disbelief in Allah.
More realistic explanations
Fright due to sudden awakening
The most understandable and logical explanation for why it is not recommended to photograph sleeping people, and especially children, is the possible severe fright of a suddenly awakened person or child.
Sleep disturbance
There is also an explanation from a biological point of view, which states that during sleep the human body synthesizes melatonin, which regulates circadian rhythms. For the proper production of this hormone, complete darkness is necessary, so camera flashes can interfere with the body’s full recovery during sleep and, upon waking up, a person will feel sleep-deprived or exhausted.
Appearance in the photo
In addition, the person who was photographed sleeping may come out unattractive and be unhappy with his photo. This situation may occur because the human face and body are usually relaxed during sleep, and the position in which a person sleeps is sometimes not very suitable for photography.
Some have noted the similarity between photographs of people sleeping and the medieval post-mortem style photographs sought by collectors today. The emergence of this style in the mid-nineteenth century was associated with the invention and development of photography, which made it possible to take photographs in memory of a deceased relative. The people in post-mortem photographs looked very realistic, truly life-like.
To take a photograph, it was necessary to spend about 30 minutes in a motionless state, which was quite difficult for living people and, especially, for children, so they photographed mainly the dead, and the deceased was seated or laid in such an environment as if he were alive and just sleeping or , for example, reading a newspaper while drinking a cup of tea. Later in the USSR there was also a tradition of photographing the deceased as a keepsake, which lasted until the 60s of the 20th century.
And since for a long time, images of a person with closed eyes have been strongly associated with photographs of the dead, some superstitious people argue that you should not photograph sleeping children and adults in order to avoid such associations, because such even involuntary thoughts can materialize and cause harm.
