When most people see something that appears impossible, like a levitating person, they assume it's some sort of magic trick, not an actual supernatural power.

We're not sure why Horace takes such pride in his appearance, but there's a nice photo to accompany his description in the book so you know exactly what he looks like.

Thanks to modern technology (that doesn't exist in 1940), Jacob is able to see Emma even while he's apart from her and feeling lonely. We bet if he took her picture for real, it would disintegrate outside the time loop.