By Razeile Joyce P. Aban
Pepper’s Ghost is an illusion technique that is used in theatres, cinemas, amusement parks, museums, televisions, and concerts. It creates a ghostly image that appears in front of the audience. The image above shows what Pepper’s Ghost is. There is a hidden room under the stage and an angled piece of glass is placed above the hidden room. COMSOL, a software company, stated that “The original Pepper’s Ghost optical illusion involves placing a large piece of glass at an angle between a brightly lit ‘stage’ room into which viewers look straight ahead and a hidden room. The glass reflects the hidden room, kept dark, that holds a ‘ghostly’ scene. When the lights in the hidden room are slightly raised to illuminate the scene, the lights in the stage room are slightly dimmed, and the apparition appears to the audience.” (COMSOL).
Pepper’s Ghost is invented by John Henry Pepper who is a British scientist and inventor. He invented it because according to Light Field Lab, Henry Dircks was around charlatans who claimed to have the ability to communicate with the dead, but he thought there was a hidden room underneath the stage where the charlatans were performing creating an illusion. However, he dismissed the idea because that would mean that the theaters would have to be rebuilt for the illusion to work. When John Henry Pepper heard of the idea of a hidden room making an illusion of a ghost, he joint patent with Henry Dircks and made that illusion come true. The illusion was named Dircksian phantasmagoria at first but it soon was called Pepper’s Ghost. It is first used during the reading of “The Hunted Man.”
Pepper’s Ghost is used in many ways. Some examples are that it can be used on windows and clear jars. Pepper’s Ghost is like a hologram produced by reflection and light from a window. According to COMSOL, Pepper’s Ghost is made from 2 different rooms, one room has lights and the other has the “Ghost” or object. In front of the audience, is a wide glass or window invisible to the audience angled 45 degrees. When the light is reflecting to the glass, the rays would reflect itself to the “Ghost” or object back to the glass.
How do you make a Pepper’s Ghost at home? COMSOL recommended for people to use the clear side of a CD case or a clear plastic. The instructions are:
- “Cut four identical rhombus shapes out of CD cases or another type of clear plastic.
- Glue or tape the plastic pieces together into a pyramid shape.
- Find a video that is designed to implement the Pepper’s Ghost effect*.
- Set your cell phone to play the special video.
- Turn your plastic pyramid structure upside down and place it over the center of your cell phone as the video plays.
- Don’t forget to turn down the lights!”
You could use Pepper’s Ghost to impress someone, to make something come alive, and to have fun!
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