Time Slips (Temporal Anomalies)

Time slips are reported experiences where people claim to have temporarily entered the past or future—seeing historical scenes, buildings, or people from another era.

The Phenomenon

According to documented accounts:

Time slip experiences typically involve:

• Sudden entry into a different time period
• Historical scenes appearing real and solid
• The experiencer feeling physically present
• An abrupt return to the present
• Disorientation afterward

The Versailles Time Slip (1901)

The most famous case:

On August 10, 1901, two British women, Charlotte Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain, visited the Palace of Versailles:

• They became lost in the gardens
• They saw people in 18th-century dress
• Buildings appeared different
• They felt oppressive, dreamlike atmosphere
• They later concluded they’d slipped to 1789
• They published their account as “An Adventure” (1911)

Bold Street, Liverpool

Multiple reports from Liverpool’s Bold Street:

• People claim to step into 1950s or earlier
• Modern shops appear as their predecessors
• Period-correct crowds are seen
• The experience ends suddenly
• Multiple independent witnesses over decades

The York Roman Legion

A famous case from York:

• A plumber working in a cellar
• He reportedly saw Roman soldiers marching through the wall
• They were visible only from the knees up
• The Roman road was below the current floor level
• Multiple similar reports in York

Theories

Psychological: Vivid hallucinations, false memories, or dream states.

Stone Tape Theory: Buildings and places “record” events that replay under certain conditions.

Parallel Dimensions: Briefly accessing alternate timelines.

Temporal Anomalies: Actual glitches in the fabric of time.

Retrorecognition: Psychic perception of past events.

Common Elements

Reported time slips share features:

• Sudden onset
• Historical accuracy (often verified)
• Sensory completeness (not transparent or ghostly)
• Physical sensation of being there
• Emotional atmosphere (often oppressive)
• Abrupt ending

The Skeptical View

Critics note:

• Memories can be constructed and elaborated
• Historical knowledge influences “visions”
• Dream-wake states can feel real
• Confirmation bias affects what’s reported
• Physical verification is impossible

Why Certain Places?

Time slips cluster at:

• Historic locations (Versailles, York)
• Places with intense past events
• Sites with long human history
• Specific streets or buildings

The Experience

Witnesses describe:

• Not dreaming—feeling fully awake
• Solid, real surroundings
• Period-appropriate details
• Sometimes interaction with figures
• Unable to change anything
• Return to present is sudden

Sources

• “An Adventure” by Moberly and Jourdain
• Various documented time slip accounts