by 
Early Life and Career
Gennady Pavlovich Krokhalev (1941–1998) was born in the Perm region of Russia. After graduating from the Perm Medical Institute, he began working at the Perm Psychiatric Hospital in 1967. Although trained as a psychiatrist, Krokhalev developed a deep fascination with the idea that human thoughts were more than chemical impulses. He believed they were a form of physical energy capable of influencing the material world.
From that moment, his life’s mission was to prove that thoughts have real substance — and that they could be photographed.
The Vision: Thought as Matter
In the early 1970s, Krokhalev began a series of daring experiments with patients who experienced vivid hallucinations. He believed their visions were not imaginary but real energetic projections that reflected from the retina into the surrounding space.
If such energy truly existed, he reasoned, then a sensitive photographic film could record it. “A thought is material!” he often declared, expressing his conviction that consciousness itself could leave a visible mark.
Inventing the “Krokhalev Mask”
In 1974, Krokhalev designed an unusual device known as the Krokhalev Mask. He modified a regular diving mask by replacing its glass with a sheet of photographic film or a special photoplate. The mask connected to a camera and a flash.
During experiments, patients sat in a dark room wearing the mask and focused intensely on a single image or hallucination. The camera used a long exposure, and after development, ghostly silhouettes sometimes appeared on the film.
Experimental Process and Results
Krokhalev often worked with patients suffering from delirium tremens, since their hallucinations were bright and consistent. His typical procedure followed these steps:
- The patient viewed a picture — for instance, a woman’s portrait.
- The subject entered a dark room and concentrated on the image.
- The photographic plate was placed about 20–40 cm from their eyes.
- The patient described what they “saw,” and sometimes their description matched the image that appeared on the film.
Developed negatives displayed mysterious forms: faces, animals, geometric figures, and even silhouettes of musicians. These unexpected results caused both excitement and controversy.
Scientific and Public Reaction
Soviet scientific institutions rejected Krokhalev’s work because it contradicted the materialist philosophy of the USSR. Nevertheless, his research attracted international attention. Articles about his experiments appeared in Japan, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and the United States.
In 1977, he presented his paper “Photographing Mental Images” at a conference in Japan, where his ideas reached Western audiences. Several documentaries later showcased his experiments and findings, turning him into a figure of global curiosity.
However, the Soviet patent office refused to recognize his inventions, claiming that they lacked adequate scientific proof.
Controversy and Mystery
Krokhalev believed his experiments confirmed that thoughts have physical form. Many colleagues, however, dismissed him as eccentric or unscientific. Despite the criticism, several cases remained puzzling — patient testimonies and images occasionally aligned too precisely to be coincidence.
Skeptics argued that the strange shapes were nothing more than random light patterns, chemical reactions, or psychological influences. Still, no one ever explained all of the phenomena completely.
A Tragic Ending
In the late 1990s, Krokhalev sent part of his research materials to Moscow laboratories, hoping to receive funding for a dedicated facility. Soon after, both his documents and promised financing disappeared.
In April 1998, he took his own life. Shortly afterward, his personal archive — including photos and notes — vanished without a trace. Many suspect that someone intentionally removed or destroyed the evidence.
Legacy of a Forbidden Idea
Even today, there is no solid scientific proof that thoughts can be photographed. Yet Krokhalev’s experiments remain a haunting and fascinating chapter in the history of parapsychology.
His story reminds us of a man who refused to accept the limits of ordinary science — a visionary who tried to reveal the invisible world of the human mind.
