The Ghost Faces Of Belmez - And A Spanish Mystery

Something strange

It was a normal day in the house in Spain. María Gómez Cámara and the rest of the family were all out, but the grandmother and grandson were just sitting in the kitchen in their home in a small village when all of a sudden, the child yelled out in excitement.

Grandma! He screamed, 'Look!' And the old woman stood up and went over to the child to see what had happened. At that moment her life changed forever.

What she saw absolutely terrified her!

The beginning of this unbelievable story began in the sleepy village of Belmez, not far from the city of Cordoba Spain, it was a hot sticky morning in August 1971. Nothing unusual happening just people going about their daily business.

Children went to school, parents to work or staying at home, and nothing much out of the ordinary.

Until this morning when a small child called his grandma.

So, what did they see?

The First Ghostly Image

There, on the floor in the kitchen, was a face. It was human, and it had spontaneously imprinted itself on the floor tiles!

A sad face, with tired features. On closer inspection there was no sign of any pigment or paint, and it hadn't been there a few seconds earlier! So what was it? And how on earth did it get there?

When the family all tried to get rid of it by rubbing it out, they were horrified to see the face change expression! They eyes seemed to open, and the mouth fell into a scream!

The only thing they could do was tear up the tiles around and on the picture and throw them out. Juan Pereria and their son, Miguel even destroyed the images with a pickaxe to make sure that the ghostly images couldn't come back.

Calle real 5 belmez de la moraleda

A Grisly Discovery!

He tore up the whole of the kitchen floor and laid concrete down instead.

But three weeks later, after the family came home from work, there on the floor once more was another face! And this one was far more defined!

Scroll to Continue

The Deep Meaning Behind Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Collar at President Donald Trump's Second Inauguration

The Flexible 2000 Year-Old Mummy and a Philosopher in a Display Case: 6 Famous Preserved Corpses

Why it doesn’t pay to gripe about politics

The whole thing was getting out of hand, and the family were beginning to get really scared. Soon after they got in touch with the authorities to see if they could figure out what on earth was going on!

They ordered that the section of floor that kept showing the faces, be removed and then they would order an official inquiry.

When workmen dug up the floor they made a disturbing discovery. The remains of a Medieval cemetery were right underneath their house!

What the uncovered shocked them to their core. There were skeletons, some decapitated, others just lying at rest underneath their floor.

Locked and Sealed.

After completely digging up the floor and laying concrete down they believed that the problem would stop. And the ghosts would disappear. But it wasn't to be.

Meanwhile, another ghostly apparition took place, then another, then a series of faces appeared on the floor!

The kitchen was then locked and sealed. Nobody was allowed in. But still four more faces appeared, including that of a woman who mysteriously appeared in another part of the house!

But that was to be the last for the moment. The phenomenon melted away as quickly as it had appeared. Or had it?

While all these ghostly goings were being investigated they couldn't find anything to suggest foul play.

Even the most cynical of them were unable to prove that the images were the work of human hands.

They even planted microphones around the house to see if any noises could be heard, or catch someone stealthily trying to paint secretly on the floor.

What they didn't realize was that something else just as terrifying was about to happen!

Dr. Hans Bender

The microphones did record sounds, but they were not really audible to the ear. The voices spoke in strange languages with agonized moaning and the torment in the eyes showing in the ghostly floor paintings.

Word soon spread around the small village, and people starting to come to the house to take a look at the strange phenomenon.

Some fell to their knees claiming it was a sign from God. Others believed it was their ancestors coming back for reasons unknown to them.

Either way, the family became inundated with hundreds of villagers wanting to know what was going on.

By now the news of the ghostly Belmez faces had spread far and wide. Journalists, Priests and Paranormal investigators descended on the small town.

The German investigator Dr. Hans Bender declared that it was 'The most important paranormal occurrence in the 20th century!'

The Investigation Begins

Soon a full scale search and investigation started. People were brought in from all over the world, including the Spanish institute for ceramics and glass.

They mapped out the floors, photographed everything that was relevant and then covered the whole floor with cloth and sealing wax to stop anyone tampering with it.

A local notary stood guard to make sure everything was done properly.

They left it like that for a few months, checking occasionally to see if it had been tampered with. Until eventually they took away the cloth and looked at the floor.

And there, in full view of everyone of the witnesses they could see the proof.

The faces had indeed moved and transformed!

Since that day many investigators have tried and failed to find an answer. Many believe that its fake, and probably made by Maria's son, Diego Pereira,

Even years after the event many people came to see the phenomenon. And there was speculation that it was all done as ruse to earn money, as the family were pretty poor.

Some believed, others thought it was fake. But there was another idea that could possibly be the answer to these amazing ghostly faces

Thought Form Ghosts

The thought form hypothesis is based on old mysticism or something called Tulpa.

Tulpa is a concept of either an object or person being brought to 'life' by thought. This may sound strange, but in fact this idea has been around for hundreds if not thousands of years.

In the case of the Belmez ghosts some believe that Maria was so desperate to earn money, and or being overly religious in her faith that somehow she brought these ghost paintings or pictures to life.

The word Tulpa is taken from the Tibetan word to construct or build something. The strange thing is the fact that for centuries nobody knew about atoms or quantum physics and yet they believed it was possible. Now with our knowledge of the physics it may just be possible.

Either way the floor ghosts are not easy to dismiss.

Proof of Truth.

In a strange twist, when Maria Gomez died in February 2004 at the age of 85 they believed that the thought forms, ghosts or whatever they called them would fade away. But evidently that wasn't so.

A psychic researcher named Pedro Amoros tried to see if there were any more floor ghosts or thought forms, which resulted in a new wave of faces appearing.

But this time it was more or less proved to have been faked by him. It doesn't say why or how they proved he faked them, but it does prove one thing.

The original Belmez ghost faces were authentic! There was never any real proof however hard they tried to find fakery of any kind, that the original ghosts were anything else than real!

Spooky Twist in the Tale!

To this day nobody really knows whether the Belmez Ghost faces were real or not. They had been checked over and over again to see if the floor had been painted. The couldn't find any proof of paint. So they turned their minds to other types of chemicals.

But still to no avail. Of course this doesn't say this is real or fake. The problem is that it doesn't prove it one way or another. The spooky thing about the ghost faces is that when they pulled up the floor there was a graveyard underneath as mentioned above. How would they know that? The cottages had been there for many years, in fact its possible that they were built at least 100 years before!

That makes it all the more plausible that the story is true.

But this is not the end of the story!

After Maria's death, the ghost faces faded from her house. Only to reappear in the house where she was born!

Spooky eh?

Faith is much better than belief. Belief is when someone else does the thinking!

— Buckminster Fuller

Sources:

Strange stories, amazing facts readers digest 1975

Wikipedia wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9lmez Faces

© 2017 Nell Rose

Comments

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on November 19, 2019:

Thanks Tim, yeah it's pretty weird isn't it? Something ghostly is definitely going on. Thanks as always.

Tim Truzy from U.S.A. on November 19, 2019:

Wow! Nell, this is extraordinary. I wonder if the mother was psychic and never understood her abilities. I wonder too why a priest wasn't brought in to help the restless spirits find peace. Definitely an amazing tale from a skilled writer who helps us consider the power of our mortal existence and immortal souls. Thank you.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on May 28, 2019:

Thank you Sourav for your comments.

hubber8893 on May 27, 2019:

Quite interesting story, but I think a ghost figure cannot represent itself in public again and again. Although the story is much terrifying.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on July 09, 2017:

Thanks Peggy, yes it must have been pretty spooky to be honest! I would either move or take up the floor! lol! thanks for reading.

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on July 09, 2017:

That is amazing! All I can say is that I am glad that nothing like that has happened to anyone I know. That would be horrible to have to look at those tormented faces on the floor everyday. The fact that they seemed to follow Maria even after her death by appearing in the house in which she was born, she must have had some kind of extra sensory connection with them.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on April 05, 2017:

Exactly Shauna, its so strange though isn't it? if it was fake surely someone would have realised? thanks again.

Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on April 04, 2017:

Fascinating story, Nell. What gets me is the woman of the house was comfortable with them and hoped they'd follow her in death to "keep her company".

I believe in the soul/spirit, so I don't discount stories like this at all. Until we ourselves are in spirit form, who are we to say what spirits are and are not capable of?

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on April 03, 2017:

Hi Kitty, yep pretty spooky isn't it? I was trying to get to the bottom of it, but can't quite figure out how! lol! thanks for reading.

Kitty Fields from Summerland on April 03, 2017:

Okay, super creepy...but the creepiest part is the end when you say the faces appeared in the woman's birthplace! Wow.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 15, 2017:

Thanks Nithya, yes its pretty spooky isn't it? thanks for reading.

Nithya Venkat from Dubai on March 14, 2017:

Oh my God! Way too spooky! Wonder what to make of it, reappearing again where Maria was born is scary. Fascinating and a scary read.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 14, 2017:

Thanks Shyron, yes when animals see them they get all excited and jump around! there must be something in it! thanks for reading.

Shyron E Shenko from Texas on March 14, 2017:

Nell, this is fantastic, I am in the middle neither believing nor disbelieving. I have seen animals that have seen something that scared them and they were afraid to enter the room.

To say that the story you wrote about is fake/real, I can't.

I had a friend that was near death and she believed in ghosts and she told me if I should see her after she was gone, not to be afraid that ghost never visit people they don't care about.

Blessings to you my friend.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 04, 2017:

Yes good point Flourish, who knows? maybe it really was real, and that is one big spooky thought! lol! thanks as always.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 04, 2017:

Thanks Alicia, yes its one of those weird things that can't be explained! thanks as always.

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on March 03, 2017:

This is very interesting, Nell, like all your paranormal articles. I don't know what to make of the faces, but they are definitely intriguing to think about!

Elaina Baker from USA on March 03, 2017:

I loved this, Nell. If you really think about it, we are all probably walking on centuries of dead people buried long ago. There's only so much land and often cemeteries fall neglected and disappear. I would think it is pretty easy to detect traces of any paints (which you indicated they didn't find) or other chemicals. It's sad they were moaning and apparently not truly at rest.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 03, 2017:

Hi Anne, LOL! you never know! always good to hear from you!

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 03, 2017:

Thanks Cyndi, yes I do think quantum physics will have the answers, but who knows? thanks as always.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 03, 2017:

LOL! sorry Bill! can you tell me more about what you saw? Sounds fascinating!

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 03, 2017:

Thanks MsDora, its amazing and unexplainable that's why I love these sort of stories! lol!

Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on March 03, 2017:

Strange facts indeed. The concept of bringing up images of the dead by thought may be plausible. We can see what we think; but when other see them especially after her death, that seems difficult to explain. I like your last Fuller quote. Thanks for another hair-raising read.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on March 03, 2017:

Just freak me out why don't you?

When I was about twenty I saw my father, who had died the year earlier....oddly, that did not freak me out....I found it comforting. :)

Cynthia B Turner from Georgia on March 03, 2017:

You do find some of the most interesting information on the paranormal. It is often so hard to to explain such phenomena. Is it real or fake? Those speculations will probably continue until we find a way to create a bridge to the unknown. But is that really possible? As you said, we know so much more about quantum physics, but at the same time, there is surely so much more we don't know.

Thanks for such an interesting article. I look forward to the next one. Take care.

Anne from United Kingdom on March 03, 2017:

Hi Nell.

All I can say is I hope that doesn´t start happening in my my Spanish home.

Nice to see another of your " Spooky" hubs :-)

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 02, 2017:

Thanks John, glad you liked it, and yes its pretty weird isn't it?

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 02, 2017:

Thanks savvy, after looking at the photos of maria and the family I do believe them. I don't think they would have the skills to do such a scam, so yes pretty spooky! thanks for reading.

savvydating on March 02, 2017:

"The voices spoke in strange languages with agonized moaning and the torment in the eyes." Yikes...so it was not just changing images, but horrible sounds. My understanding is that when someone dies a traumatic death, it creates something....as in an apparition in the atmosphere. I don't know----but I do think that physics and the supernatural are often entwined.

Such a compelling story, Nell!!

John Hansen from Australia (Gondwana Land) on March 02, 2017:

Wow! This is certainly an intriguing phenomena, Nell. It cat imply sods as though the faces were authentic as no trace of paint or other chemical could be proven. The fact that they developed, changed and moved was compelling and reappeared even after the floor was pulled up and replaced. A great read.

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 02, 2017:

LOL! Boo to you to! thanks Ruby, yes this one is pretty weird isn't it? thanks for reading.

Ruby Jean Richert from Southern Illinois on March 02, 2017:

To say that this is spooky is an understatement. I'm not sure what I believe, but the bodies under the house is definitely a paranormal occurrence. My mind is working overtime, I'm wondering if the people were murdered? Boo...Of course you know I love these stories that you tell so well. Bravo!

Nell Rose (author) from Buckinghamshire UK on March 02, 2017:

LOL! thanks Martie! first time in 7 years I have struck you dumb! yes paranormal and psychic stuff is literally part of our lives. We are just too skeptical these days for our own good. to be honest I first thought, fake, but then I thought, well its not paint, or other chemicals, and how did they know there was a burial site right underneath? As the old saying goes, there is more in heaven and earth horatio....good old shakespeare got the right quote there! thanks as always.

Martie Coetser from South Africa on March 02, 2017:

I am dumbstruck! The only thing that bothers me is the fact that paranormal phenomena seem to be part of mankind's history. Does its disappearance perhaps have something to do with superstition, and the fact that people are no longer as superstitious than before? We have obtained knowledge that was not previously known, and we have become too skeptical to be influenced by inter-dimensional (paranormal) powers, and therefor it/they rather keep to themselves?

I believe in collective memory. If enough people believe the same thing, a third power is being created, and that power of collective, harmonious beliefs have an effect on the human brain and may lead to projections and 'bright ideas'. That it could cause visible-to-all faces on a floor, is, of course, disputable.

No, I have no idea what could have caused those Belmez Ghost faces, or any other paranormal phenomena! Lol!