Out of Time: Unbelievable Stories of Real-Life Time Travelers
By Jack Ripley | June 12, 2024
Andrew Carlssin: The Stock Market Time Traveler
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step into a time machine and explore the distant past or the far-off future? While science fiction is full of such adventures, some people claim to have experienced time travel for real. These extraordinary tales, ranging from mysterious encounters to mind-bending journeys, and definitely a few straight-up hoaxes, challenge our understanding of reality and spark our imaginations. Buckle up and get ready to journey through the ages as we explore incredible stories that blur the line between fact and fiction.
https://www.varchev.com/en/andre-carlssin-the-time-traveller/
In 2003, the world was abuzz with the astonishing story of Andrew Carlssin, a man who seemed to possess an uncanny ability to predict the stock market with unparalleled accuracy. In a series of high-stakes investments, Carlssin turned an initial investment of $800 into a staggering $350 million in just two weeks. Suspicion arose when authorities discovered that Carlssin had no prior experience in finance and seemingly appeared out of nowhere. When questioned, Carlssin claimed to be a time traveler from the year 2256, leading to a media frenzy and widespread speculation.
Initially dismissed as either a lunatic or a pathological liar by the securities and exchange commission, Andrew Carlssin's improbable success in the stock market raised suspicions of illegal insider trading. Despite facing incarceration on Rikers Island, Carlssin refused to divulge his sources. However, as part of a plea bargain, he offered tantalizing information on the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and a cure for AIDS. Whether he actually revealed these secrets remains unknown. Intriguingly, the FBI found no records of Carlssin's existence prior to December 2002, just three months before his arrest. Adding to the mystery, an anonymous benefactor posted his $1 million bail on April 3rd, yet Carlssin vanished en route to a bail hearing and has not been seen since. Despite efforts to discredit him (what with the whole story coming from the Weekly World News) the story is still absolutely fascinating.
Håkan Nordkvist: The Swedish Time-Traveler
https://ph.pinterest.com/pin/546413367271767694/
One ordinary day, while attending to a leak under his kitchen sink, Håkan Nordkvist experienced a surreal moment that defied the laws of reality. As he reached for the elusive leak, it seemed to recede further away, leading him to crawl beneath the sink where he unexpectedly found himself standing outside in a strange light. Before him stood an older version of himself, sparking an extraordinary encounter where they conversed and shared information. To corroborate his experience, Nordkvist captured a video of himself and his older self, arm in arm, even comparing tattoos on their right arms. His blog post about the encounter sent waves across the internet, making him the center of the intriguing tale of the Swedish time-traveler.
Chaplin's Mystery Visitor: The Time Traveller
A screenshot of the Charlie Chaplin “Circus” movie
In 1928, during the premiere of Charlie Chaplin's film "The Circus" at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, an intriguing anomaly unfolded. Footage from the event captured what appeared to be a person walking by, seemingly talking on a cellphone—a device not invented until decades later. Dubbed "Chaplin's Time Traveller," this mysterious figure sparked speculation and fascination among viewers. Was it a visitor from the future, accidentally caught on film?
The Curious Case of Rudolph Fentz: The Time-Traveling Man
https://houseofgeekery.com/2019/09/06/creepy-mysteries-time-traveler-in-new-york/
In June 1950, the bustling streets of Times Square were witness to a perplexing event that defied conventional understanding of time. Suddenly appearing amidst the crowd, a man clad in outdated attire sparked confusion and intrigue before meeting a tragic end under the wheels of a passing vehicle. Assigned to unravel this mystery, Captain Hubert Rihm of Missing Persons uncovered a trove of relics in the man's possession, each seemingly plucked from another era: a copper beer token, antiquated banknotes, and a letter dated back to 1876, among others. As Rihm delved deeper, he discovered a startling connection to a Rudolph Fentz Jr., whose father had vanished without a trace in 1876, matching the description of the enigmatic stranger perfectly. Could Rudolph Fentz's innocent evening stroll have unwittingly catapulted him 74 years into the future, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and speculation about the nature of time itself?
Short answer: No. The whole thing comes from a short story titled "I'm Scared," that was first published in Collier's magazine in 1951.
The Ghosts of Versailles: The Moberly-Jourdain Incident
https://www.tumblr.com/lezforum/176846436375/august-10-the-moberly-jourdain-incident-1901
In 1901, Charlotte Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain, two respected academics, claimed to have experienced a bizarre time-traveling adventure while visiting the Palace of Versailles in France. Dubbed "The Ghosts of Versailles," their story fascinated the public and puzzled skeptics for years to come. According to their account, the women found themselves inexplicably transported back to the era of Marie Antoinette, witnessing scenes and interactions that seemed to belong to the 18th century. Despite skepticism and scrutiny, Moberly and Jourdain's tale continues to spark debate among believers and skeptics alike, leaving the mystery of their alleged time travel adventure unresolved.
John Titor: The Time-Traveling Internet Enigma
https://www.documentaries.org/films/john-titor-time-traveler/
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, internet forums buzzed with speculation and curiosity over the claims of a mysterious individual known as John Titor. Claiming to be a time traveler from the year 2036, Titor captivated audiences with detailed descriptions of future events and technology, along with warnings about impending societal collapse and the onset of World War III. Despite skepticism and attempts to debunk his claims, Titor's enigmatic posts sparked widespread fascination and debate. To this day, the true identity and motives of John Titor remain unknown.
The Time Traveler's Spam: The Tale of Bob White and Tim Jones
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-build-a-time-machine1/
Between 2001 and 2003, the internet was inundated with a peculiar series of spam emails, all centered around a quest for a "Dimensional Warp Generator." Purportedly sent by individuals claiming to be time travelers stuck in 2003, these emails intrigued recipients with offers to purchase or exchange futuristic technology. Some recipients, like Dave Hill, even set up online shops to cater to the time traveler's requests, while others offered time-travel "courses" in exchange for thousands of dollars. The alias "Bob White" was used in correspondence, derived from a character in the Trixie Belden series, while the sender was eventually identified as professional spammer Robert J. Todino. Todino's belief in his ability to travel through time was intertwined with underlying psychological issues, as revealed by journalist Brian S. McWilliams. Despite the bizarre nature of the emails, they left a lasting mark on popular culture, even inspiring a song by jazz trio Groovelily.
The Present-Day Hipster at the 1941 Bridge Opening
In 1941, during the grand opening of a newly constructed bridge, a peculiar figure caught the attention of onlookers and photographers alike. Amidst the crowd of well-dressed attendees, a young man stood out with his modern attire, sporting a vintage-style camera and a pair of thick-rimmed sunglasses glasses. He seemed to defy the fashion norms of the era, resembling what we might now call a "hipster."
Despite efforts to explain his presence, the identity of the mysterious time-traveling hipster remains a tantalizing enigma. Was he a genuine visitor from the future, accidentally transported to the past? Or perhaps a clever prankster, intentionally inserting himself into history for posterity?
The iPhone in an 1860 Painting
Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller’s “The Expected One”
During a leisurely stroll through the Neue Pinakothek Museum in Munich, Peter Russell and his partner made a startling discovery: a seemingly anachronistic detail in an 1860 painting by Austrian artist Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller. Titled "The Expected One," the painting depicts a woman walking down a path, engrossed in an object held in a manner reminiscent of a modern smartphone. While some speculated that Waldmüller may have unwittingly captured a scene resembling contemporary smartphone usage, others, like Gerald Weinpolter of austrian-paintings.at, clarified that the woman is actually holding a prayer book. Nevertheless, the painting's portrayal of a distracted figure engrossed in an object evokes parallels to modern-day smartphone addiction and the phenomenon of "text neck."
The Philadelphia Experiment and Montauk Project: Legends of Time and Space
USS Eldridge DE-173 (Wikipedia)
The Philadelphia Experiment and Montauk Project are two intertwined tales that have captured the imaginations of conspiracy theorists and enthusiasts of the paranormal alike. The Philadelphia Experiment, allegedly conducted by the U.S. Navy in 1943, supposedly aimed to render a warship invisible to radar. However, according to urban legend, the experiment went awry, leading to bizarre phenomena such as time travel and teleportation. The Montauk Project, purportedly conducted at Camp Hero in Montauk, New York, during the 1970s and '80s, is said to have built upon the research of the Philadelphia Experiment, delving into mind control, time travel, and extraterrestrial communication. While skeptics dismiss these tales as mere fiction, believers continue to speculate about the mysteries surrounding these enigmatic projects, adding to the lore of conspiracy theories and government cover-ups.
