MSN News 16th Dec 2009

If you asked a policeman about the excuses people use, they would probably tell you that they have heard them all.

But a Peruvian footballer looks like he might have come up with a completely new one.

Carlos ‘Kukin’ Flores, a midfield star with Inti Gas Deportes, told police he was being chased by a ghost when he was stopped for running naked through the streets.

Flores, who in the past has admitted to having issues with cocaine, eventually admitted that he had been “engaging with dirty ladies” and that he came up with the ghost line to try and hide the truth from his wife.

Flores said: “I didn’t want my wife to be suspicious about ladies so I just told her it was a ghost. She failed to believe me.”

The midfielder also denied the incident had anything to do with his previous cocaine problems, he added: “This was nothing like that. I just had a bad day.”

http://news.uk.msn.com/odd-news/features/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=151397215

DHN SUMMER SPECIAL : IN THE SHADOW OF PENDLE HILL

Joining Dead haunted for these events is the very SPECIAL GUEST: historian, author and witchcraft expert DR JOHN CALLOW – historian on the recent ‘Most Haunted-LIVE’ event.
Included in the event price is overnight accommodation, as well as a SUMMER BBQ!

There is simply too much information to write here, so PLEASE VISIT THE DEDICATED WEBPAGE FOR MORE DETAILS:

We like many of you want to believe but need to see it and do it for ourselves. Having read numerous articles on paranormal investigations and taken part in a few this has been written to prepare you for a paranormal investigation. We were lucky to join Phil Whyman & Dead Haunted Nights team on our first investigation and had the baptism of fire learning on the job as you may say. This contains information gleaned from many reputable sources and they are duly credited.

Research & Interview

When investigating a haunted location as part of your preparation try to collate as much information as you can. This can be via research on the web, books and via interviewing people who are associated with the location or who have experienced something. My personal belief is mediums should never be briefed on the location, but the investigator should know as much as he or she can.
When researching a location make notes, get copies of the material or if on the web print it out so you can refer to it later. When interviewing again make notes or even better record the interview so again you can refer to it later.

Preparing for A Paranormal Investigation

When possible visit the location in the clear light of day. Knowledge of the layout is always beneficial. Draw or obtain a ground plan of the location, this will enable you to plan the vigil better by knowing in advance how to split up your group etc. Mark on the plan sources of drafts, natural sources of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), temperature readings in each room and area in case of natural cold spots and even mark up creaking doors and floorboards, this enables you to dismiss natural ocurrances from possible paranormal ones. This technique of preparation is known as Base Line Testing.

Paranormal Investigation Equipment

NotePad or Dictaphone
To record the events of the vigil. Make note of times you start each part of the investigation and anything that is picked up on. I would also recommend make a note of start and end times on your camcorder and start and end point of photographs from the counters This is useful later if two areas are similar you have a reference point to identify the time and exact location.

Digital Camera
With the introduction of digital cameras there is much discussion of Orbs, something that couldn’t be caught on a film camera. To catch these orbs or other light anomolies and analyse them later use the highest mega-pixel setting on the camera. This allows you to be able to zoom in on anything caught on camera. Dust and water droplets, as well as flies and spiders can often be mistaken as such and it is only when you zoom in you find your orb or anomaly actually has legs or wings! ( See the Orb Zone Theory. )
Good advice is to use a camera that focuses and shoots as quickly as possible. Some cheaper models can be quite slow and you need to capture anything you see as quickly as possible.
On a recent investigation it was also found that the use of a polarising or UV filter that protects the lens of SLR cameras is not recommended

Camcorder
A night vision (Low LUX) camcorder can be used to record vigils in the dark and also to act to record personal feelings when solo. The cost of these has greatly reduced allowing the novice to be able to afford DVD or memory card based models.

Digital Thermometer
These are now relatively cheap and are essential to obtain temperature changes quickly. More advance models are laser thermometers, they give you temperature of where you point the laser, thus are very use for taking fast readings of different areas without moving.

EMF Meters
There is heavy research that suggests there is a connection between the paranormal activity and changes in electro magnetic fields. These fields are all around us and these are higher near electrical equipment, cables and power outlets. This is why when you carried out you baseline tests you recorded natural sources of EMFs. The EMF meter comes in various guises using LEDs and meters, some with fixed settings, the dearer models with differents ranges etc.. The criteria for such a meter is that it picks up changes between 2 to 6 mG, the recognised readings for paranormal activity.

Walkie Talkies and Remote Listening Devices (Baby Monitors)
These are two fold one they allow members of your group to communicate. Secondly they allow you to listen to anything that may be occurring in a room currently unoccupied.

Motion Detectors
These are two part devices that emit an infrared beam between each device, when the beam is broken an audible alarm sounds. These are useful to ensure no-one enters a locked off area. Another use is to detect if a spirit bases through the beam, Phil Whyman, a high respected paranormal investigator, however pointed out recently if a manifestation is transparent will it break the beam ?

Tape Recorder & MP3 Recorders.
These are used for recording possible EVPs. Electronic voice phenomena (EVP)’ are “spirit voices” that are said to manifest themselves on audio recordings. It is a widely used technique to set up a recording device when conducting a séance to see if anything is picked up that is not heard audibly.
The most important thing to remember when analysis your recordings is if you hear something be sure to get others opinions on what you have recorded. NEVER share your view on what you think you can make of the recording, i.e. create suggestion. If you all think you hear the same without conferring, then the result is positive.

What to Look For

Outward Manifestations.

These are often in the forms of noises (crying, growls, whispers etc) and knocks, smells, light anomolies and orbs and moving objects.
Sudden changes in temperature and ‘cold spots’ are good scentific evidence that something is abnormal.The feeling of being touched is probably one of the most alarming things, but for other members of the group and sceptics, there is obviously no evidence of this is purely relying of trust. However injuries (scratches and brusies) are not uncommon and provide more tangible evidence.

Actual manifestation

In the form of a haze or spirit form is the most positive evidence you can get. This can be transparent or solid in form, may not be complete or even on the same ground level as yourself.

Three Types Of Haunting

When investigating there are three types of haunting you may well encounter

Active Hauntings
These traditional hauntings involve the prescence or a sentient spirit.

Imprint Hauntings
These are where an imprint has been left behind and what you encounter is a ‘playback’ of an event that took place, more often than not of a violent or emotional event. The theory behind this is the because the event was traumatic the persons energy was ‘burned’ into the environment.

Poltergeist
This type of haunting involves throwing objects, movement of larger objects and/or disturbing noises rather than actually being visible. (The word poltergeist is in fact German for noisy ghost.) Poltergeist activity is actually triggered, normally by one person who created the connection, and research has shown that often this is a child. Also the activity may stop as suddenly as it starts. It should be noted when investigating that this is regarded as the most dangerous type of haunting to be involved with and many feel it is connected with demonic forces. Caution should be taken if you attempt to communicate with it

Analysis

Once you have conducted an investigation the investigator should always be rationional and open minded with his analysis; was there something there, what was it and why was it here. Here you see the importance of researching a location first.

Paul L. Griffiths, 2008

The word Seance comes from French séance, ’seat’, ’session’, from Old French seoir, ‘to sit.’ In French as in English the word came to be used specifically for a meeting of people to receive spiritualistic messages (a sense first recorded in English in 1845), but earlier in French and English the word had been used for meetings more generally.

Part of our human conditioning tells us that we are part of something more than third dimension. We envision gods, angels, guides, and others on the other side who sometimes interact in this realm. As we expand our conscious awareness – we seek to hear their messages and make a connection that is far more powerful than that in 3D. It is how we are programmed. humans have always sought to connect with their creators – who exist above this realm.

The history of seance communication can be traced back to the third century. Often a seance was connect to Occult practices brining fear to those who attended or heard about them. To many people – the concepts of spirits on the other side who wished to communicate seemed impossible often linked to Black Ceremonial Rituals and Magic and of course the Trickster. This comes from Fear of the Unknown. FEAR is part of human consciousness. As a soul group we are often ruled by our issues and fears.

It was during the 1800’s that the seance became popular mainly due to the stardom of the Fox sisters who began a spiritualist movement. Spiritualism is about Life After Death – the Spirit Realms.
The Spiritualism movement began with what Allen Kardec termed typtology. Typtology is a mode of spirit communication in which spirits lift and tilt a table during a seance to produce rapping sounds. In organized seances, a number of people would sit around a table, hold hands, concentrate, and ask questions of the spirits. The spirits would then answer their questions through a series of raps, or knocks, similar to someone knocking on a door. In order to question the spirits, sometimes a simple yes or no would be indicated by a prescribed number of knocks. In another method, called alphabetical typtology, letters of the alphabet were recited and when the letter that the spirit wanted to draw attention to was called, a rap could be heard; thus spelling out words, sentences, and so on. Using this method, it was possible to hold lengthy, detailed conversations with the mysterious entities responsible for spirit-rapping.
The first recorded spirit-rapping began in America in 1848 with the playful efforts of Margaretta and Kate Fox to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Much to their astonishment, they succeeded in establishing a ghostly dialogue with the spirit of Charles Haynes. Using rapping noises as its means of communication, Hayne’s spirit conveyed the message that he had been killed and buried in the basement of their home. When bones were found in their basement, what had begun as innocent fun became a sensation. From these humble beginnings, what came to be known as the Spiritualism movement took root and grew to international proportions. As a result of their spiritualistic activities, the Fox sisters were condemned and lived in constant danger. They were attacked by religious fanatics in their community, and besieged by angry mobs several times. They were also exploited, and eventually betrayed by their own sister, Leah, who was said to have been the beneficiary of most of the donations collected from those who came to the Fox sisters for spiritual counseling.

As the spiritualism movement got underway in America and Europe, the strange but well-documented manifestations of spirit communication such as spirit-rapping and seance channeling were regarded as weird and unexplainable events. The great majority of Americans and Europeans viewed it as nothing more than a bizarre form of entertainment. For those who took the spirit communications seriously, however, it quickly became apparent that something more was happening. Many of the messages received from the spirits were discovered to be quite accurate. In addition to the messages, other phenomena were being witnessed and verified by many of the most credible individuals in American and European society. By 1854, spirit-directed paranormal phenomenon had reached the level of an interdimensional invasion. Leading spiritualists in the United States decided that it was time to undertake an official investigation. The erudite and well-respected spiritualists petitioned Congress to appoint a scientific commission to investigate the perplexing paranormal phenomenon that had been witnessed by so many people.

The petition entitled ‘A Memorial’ described the phenomenon produced by the spirits in great detail. The object of the investigation was described in the petition as: 1) an occult force, exhibited in sliding, raising, arresting, holding, suspending, and otherwise disturbing, numerous ponderable bodies, apparently in direct opposition to the acknowledged laws of matter, and altogether transcending the accredited powers of the human mind; 2) lights of various forms and colors, and of different degrees of intensity, which appear in dark rooms, where no substances exist, which are liable to develop a chemical action or phosphorescent illumination, and in the absence of all the means and instruments whereby electricity is generated or combustion produced; 3) sounds which are extremely frequent in their occurrence, widely diversified in their character, and more or less significant in their import; and 4) how the functions of the human body and mind are often and strangely influenced in what appear to be certain abnormal states of the system, and by causes which are neither adequately defined nor understood.

This document was delivered by the former governor of Wisconsin, Nathaniel Tallmadge, to Senator James Shields to be presented before Congress. Much to the consternation of the petitioners, Shields scorned the spiritualists by saying, “the prevalence of this delusion at this age of the world, among any considerable portion of our citizens, must originate, in my opinion, in a defective system of education, or in a partial derangement of the mental faculties, produced by a diseased condition of the physical organization. I cannot, therefore, believe that it prevails to the extent indicated in this petition.” Responding to Shield’s criticism, Eliab Capron, a chronicler of the spiritualism movement, wrote, “It is not probable that any of the Memorialists expected more favorable treatment than they received. The carpenters and fishermen of this world are the ones to investigate new truths, and make senates and crowns believe and respect them. It is in vain to look for the reception or respect of new truths by men in high places.” The widely documented and verified invasion of the spirits described above never received a plausible explanation and is still regarded as a mystery.

In the fifty years that elapsed between the publication of Kardec’s books and the incorporation of the Union, the spiritualism movement declined in the United States and Europe. Numerous scandals undermined the credibility of some of its foremost proponents. By 1888, both of the Fox sisters confessed that they were cheats. In fact, both sisters had developed serious drinking problems over the years. At the behest of her sister Leah, Kate Fox’s children were taken from her by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and placed in foster care. This act led to a great deal of bitterness and anger against Leah by both Margaretta and Kate. Feeling exploited and betrayed by their sister Leah, who had collected and spent the great majority of the money paid to them…Margaretta and Kate appeared publicly at the New York Academy of Music.

Margaretta confessed that she had made all the rapping noises that fostered the movement by means of a double-jointed big toe. Kate remained silent and would neither confirm nor deny the confession of her sister. It was later learned that a reporter had offered $1,500 to them if they would confess and give him an exclusive on the story. Desperate for money and liquor, the sisters apparently agreed, and then proceeded to drink their earnings away. Margaretta recanted her confession in writing shortly before she died in 1895. Kate never recanted, and died shortly afterwards. Both sisters were buried in pauper’s graves.

There has been a lot of investigation concerning Spiritualism, but not about Spiritualism in general. The early and later researchers were all concerned about how to prove or disprove Spiritualistic mediums, the Spiritual world, the eventually afterlife or to explain strange phenomena’s that occur during seances, or PK and telekinesis, among other related phenomena which all are claimed to rest upon spiritual or (occult) mental power.

The seances in the 19th century tended to be filled with theatrics. These seances usually took place in darkened parlors with a round table that sometimes moved.

A seance generally involves communication between the physical realms and one or more entities in other dimensions. It is also called Mediumship. A Medium is the person who contacts ‘the other side.’

We live in an age when many people are connecting with those on the other side through a psychic medium – on their own – or in dream time. The seance does not have to be negative, scary or spooky.

I have acted as a ‘medium’ for many seances. I have personally never had a negative experience.

As a Medium I speak with deceased entities in many of my daily readings. I do not consider these experiences – seances as there is none of the fan-fare involved with what we associate with that word.

You really don’t have to do ’spooky stuff’ to communicate with spirits. They are around us all the time and are generally ready to communicate if someone in third dimension is able to tap into their frequency.

A group of people mentally calling to spirits will create a stronger energy field than one person. That is why people often feel that group energy is needed – called a seance.

When planning a seacne there are many factors to consider – especially with teenagers are around as their energies sometimes attract souls that are dysfunctional.

An experienced medium should be part of the group to understand the symbols and messages given by Spirits. If a medium is not present – one person should lead the group.

History
The use of talking boards has roots in the modern Spiritualism movement that began in The United States in the mid-nineteenth century. Methods of divination at that time used various ways to spell out messages, including swinging a pendulum over a plate that had letters around the edge or using an entire table to indicate letters drawn on the floor. Often used was a small wooden tablet supported on casters. This tablet, called a planchette, was affixed with a pencil that would write out messages in a fashion similar to automatic writing. It should be noted that many of these methods predate modern Spiritualism.

During the late 1800s, planchettes were widely sold as a novelty. In 1890, businessmen Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard had the idea to patent a planchette sold with a board on which the alphabet was printed, and thus had invented the first Ouija board. An employee of Kennard, William Fuld took over the talking board production and in 1901, he started production of his own boards under the name “Ouija” [1].

The Fuld name would become synonymous with the Ouija board, as Fuld reinventing its history claimed that he himself had invented it. Countless talking boards from Fuld’s competitors flooded the market and all these boards enjoyed a heyday from the 1920s through the 1960s. Fuld sued many companies over the “Ouija” name and concept right up until his death in 1927. In 1966, Fuld’s estate sold the entire business to Parker Brothers, who continues to hold all trademarks and patents. About 10 brands of talking boards are sold today under various names [2]. See also: Ka-Bala
How is it done?
A Ouija board is operated by one or more users. They place the planchette on the board and then rest their fingers on the planchette. The users start moving the planchette around the board and speaking to the entity (or entities) they wish to summon; They then begin asking questions of it. Eventually the planchette will come to rest on one letter after another, spelling out a message. Often an additional participant records the messages on paper. As with automatic writing, the messages are often vague and open to interpretation, or complete gibberish.

Some talking boards have words or phrases written on them to simplify the interpretation of the messages. Tarot, zodiac, and other esoteric symbols are frequently incorporated into talking board’s design, along with dramatic and mystical artwork. Some users prefer to improvise their own Ouija board. They may use a sheet of paper with the alphabet written on it or lettered cards placed around a table, together with an object like an overturned glass or coin as the indicator. Hand-made Ouija boards produced by artists are valued by talking board enthusiasts and collectors.

Many users feel that the spirit with whom they are communicating is controlling their motions to guide their hands, spelling out messages. They see the board as a tool or medium through which they communicate with the spirit realm. These believers often take offence at the dismissal of the talking board as merely a game. Other users contend that they are in control of their own actions, but that the talking board allows communication with their inner psychic voice or subconscious.

Proponents of Ouija boards do not believe there is any harm in communicating with spiritual entities, provided basic guidelines are followed. These rules often vary from user to user, but usually include things like never playing alone, beginning and ending a séance “properly”, and always using the board in “comfortable” environment. Numerous superstitions surround Ouija board use.
Skeptical view
Few people who have investigated Ouija boards from a skeptical viewpoint accept that a piece of cardboard sold as a game can conjure spirits, evil or benevolent. The accepted theory among psychologists and skeptics is that the participants are subconsciously making small, involuntary, physical movements using a well-known, and well-understood, phenomenon called the Ideomotor effect. Experiments consistently suggest that, at best, the messages are received involuntarily from the participants themselves, and, at worst, by a manipulative player, possibly with the connivance of confederates within the group present.

In some instances, users of talking boards have communicated with “ghosts” of people who were not dead, as demonstrated by the British mentalist Derren Brown in his 2004 television special Derren Brown: Séance. Skeptic and magician James Randi, in his book An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural, points out that when blindfolded, Ouija board operators are unable to produce intelligible messages. Magicians Penn & Teller performed a similar demonstration in an episode of their television show Bullshit!.

These failures indicate, as skeptics believe, that people are simply very willing to fool themselves, for example, by the Forer effect. The public (and frequently energetically flaunted) expression of native and genuine fears and subconscious desires, often concerning death or sex, while appearing genuine, can frighten impressionable people, or cause them to loosen their purse strings (or both). It is for this reason alone that many skeptics suggest that the Ouija board is best avoided, particularly when each player may not absolutely trust, or know, every other player.

Source: wikipedia

Anyone who has become interested in the field of paranormal research today has probably heard of the gadgets that the modern researcher uses. Among those instruments is a devise called an electromagnetic verify probable hauntings. EMF meters provide a starting point and can eliminate things that we can not see in the walls and floors, etc. Such meters make our job a little easier as we struggle to document or disprove a haunting. However, the EMF meter is only a tool that can help us; it can not “prove” a ghost is there.

What is an electromagnetic field (EMF)? An electromagnetic field occurs any time electricity passes through a wire or an appliance that is operating. An appliance that is plugged in, but not turned on emits an electrostatic field, not an electromagnetic field. For the purpose of studying parapsychology we will only need to learn about electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic fields weaken with distance from the source. Electromagnetic fields are measured in units called mill Gauss. A high mill Gauss reading indicates a strong electromagnetic field. The EMF meter will measure these fields but you must determine what is an unusual field. What is considered a normal field, though? Most buildings generally have an ambient background reading of .5 to 2 mill Gauss (mG).

There are several factors to consider when using an EMF detector inside a building.
1) Walls are not barriers to EMF. Something on the other side of the wall may be causing your reading. Find out what is on the other side of the wall and decide if that could be the source.
2) Electric wiring with current running through it gives off a slight EMF. Look for possible wiring around the area where you are picking up a reading. Active wiring will only register if you are within a few inches.
3) Electric junction boxes or fuse boxes will register stronger than wiring. Be aware of their locations.
4) Fluorescent lights give off an EMF that could register. Incandescent lights give off a minimal, usually undetectable EMF.
5) Appliances of all types give off an EMF when operating. These include, but are not limited to, televisions, computers, microwaves, refrigerators, and electric ovens.

You can determine the strength of an appliance’s EMF by taking readings from different directions and distances. If you are picking up a reading that is appliance related it the EMF reading should drop off significantly when you are a couple feet from the appliance.
Likewise, there are specific factors to consider when using an EMF meter outside. Technically there should be no EMF readings outside. If you find EMF readings outside, consider these factors:
1) Are there any buildings close by? It is possible that a nearby building is causing your reading.
2) Consider power lines. These will cause an increase in the EMF reading. You should be aware of overhead and buried power lines in your area.
3) A high iron content in the ground could also give you a higher than expected EMF reading. This is the same reason that a compass will not work properly in an area that is rich in iron ore.
Now that you know some things that could give false positive readings, what do you look for? If you do find a higher reading that expected, and one not explained by normal electrical sources, then you may have found something paranormal. Remember that you have to account for all the factors above before you can hope to reach any true conclusions.
Look for EMF’s that appear and disappear. The area you are investigating must remain constant to pick up appearing and disappearing fields. If you have the lights on when the high reading appeared, then they must still be on when the lower reading is recorded. The same would apply for all appliances and equipment. Never turn off anything while in the middle of a search. If you find a field that appears and disappears when the background remains constant, then you may have activity.
EMF’s that seem to move are a significant indicator of activity. The background needs to remain constant in order to locate such fields. I have found moving EMF’s in several locations. They will either move away from you or follow you. In one case I was able to follow a moving EMF through two floors of a building. On another occasion, I followed a moving EMF into a room and through a wall. Closer inspection of this wall indicated that there had once been a doorway there.
I hope that you now have a better understanding of electromagnetic fields and what can cause them. If anyone is interested in obtaining an EMF detector, they can be ordered through any major electrical supply company. I ordered mine through Hite Company in Altoona for less than fifty dollars. Now when you see me with my box of little red lights, you will know what I am doing. Good hunting. Working together as a team a photographer and a person with an EMF meter can sometimes capture bursts of energy called orbs. when he is picking up anomalous readings at a location and I snap a photograph with my digital camera, we will have captured an orb. Almost always there is a temperature change happening at this time if an orb is present. These we call cold spots that often signal a ghost or spirit is present. What is believed to happen is that the ghost uses the energy in that spot to manifest itself and, in return, produces a cold mass. These spots can sometimes be extremely cold. (Cold spots are normally defined as unexplained temperature variances not accounted for by normal means i.e.: cold leaking from the seal of a refrigerator, breezes, open windows etc.)

The Gauss Master EMF Meter is the ghost hunters EMF meter of choice.

Hand-held, lightweight and durable, with an easy to read scale (0-10 mG), and audio signal. It can also measure between 0.1 -1mG by holding in the button on the side of the unit. A Great meter for demonstrating the presence of dangerous EMFs as well as for paranormal work. Requires one 9V battery (not included). Calibrated at 50-60 Hz.

This EMF meter is an excellent introduction to ghost detection equipment. This is the same item as used and featured in UK Living Most Haunted Program. Put your mind at rest, perform professional investigations: we are not all born with the natural ability to detect ghosts! .

This meter measures the level of EMF magnetic field radiation from power lines, computers, kitchen appliances, and more! The easy to read scale, unique built-in audio signal and auto shut-off make it simple to use and a great way to find hidden sources of EMF frequency magnetic fields.
Includes a useful introduction to Ghost Hunting with EMF meters. You will also have fun taking readings with the EMF meter, of signals that surround us during everyday life. Most experts agree that chronic exposure to more than 2.5 milli-Gauss is inadvisable. This meter will show you which areas are above or below 2.5 milli-Gauss in the 50 – 60 Hz

http://gaussmaster.com/

Orbs appear in photographs as small spheres of light. They range is size and vary in transparency and color. Many groups will claim that orbs are ghosts and restless spirits, proof of the haunted state of the location where they were photographed. Several groups even claim a correspondence between an orbs color and the emotions and intent of the spirit-orb being photographed. The truth is, there is little to no evidence that suggests orbs are spirits or ghosts in any way. We tend to lean towards the explanation that orbs are nothing more than naturally occurring particles photographed by today’s highly sensitive cameras. Before digital cameras found there way into every household, orb photos were extremely rare. Have you ever seen an orb photo from the 70’s or 80’s? Probably not. In fact, low end and first run digital cameras are very likely the cause of this “paranormal” phenomenon.

Digital cameras are the latest and hottest invention, and many groups will tell you that they are perfect for ghost hunting. Rumors abound that digital cameras are capable of photographing the infra-red spectrum, and because of this, will allow you to photograph ghosts..ghosts in the form of orbs. And since many digital shots contain these round anomalies, at first glance such statements may seem true. In fact, the highly sensitive lens of a digital camera will photograph not only the object you are intending to shoot, but any dust, dirt or moisture in the air. When a camera engages it’s flash, light reflects of everything in the lens’ view..including the particles in the air. Also, the digital imaging chips in digital cameras vary from those in standard film cameras. When these chips try to function in a low light setting, they will often be incapable of recording the entire range of the lens’ view, and any gaps in the pixels will show up in the picture as white circles. In fact, the recent debate on orbs has prompted a response and explanation from film industry giant FUJI Films A simple experiment to aid in proving this theory would be to shake out a rug in your living room then snap a pic with a digital camera. You most likely will have several orbs in the photo. Also, look closely at a beam of sunlight that shines through a nearby window. In the sun’s beam, you will see several tiny molecules of dirt and dust moving randomly in the air. It is these particles that are often illuminated by the intense light of a camera flash and then captured by the camera’s lens

As you look from group to group and encounter orb photo after orb photo, you will encounter a variety of theories and defenses for the “evidence” many groups so ardently defend. Some will claim that no dust or dirt was present when they photographed a particular orb. The truth is, the only dust free environment known to man exists in outer space, and a simple breath is capable of stirring up dirt and debris in the air. Some groups will claim that an orb is a spirit because it looks different form one that they admit is dust. In fact, dust particles look vastly different from snow particles, which look different from rain particles, which look different from dirt molecules. Thus, you can have several orbs in a photo, each looking quite different from the other, yet none being anything paranormal in nature. The color of particles in the air can be altered by atmospheric conditions and moisture, thus helping to explain the varying colors of orbs. Many investigators will claim that because the orb was capture in a reportedly haunted location, it must be evidence of a ghost. By that logic, a picture taken of a man in the same location would mean that the man was also a ghost.

http://www.shadowseekers.org/orbs.html

What are orbs? Are they the early manifestation of a spirit or do they have a more rational explanation?
Orbs are small round shapes of light that vary in size, brightness and density. With the increasing popularity of digital cameras orbs have become the most popular photographic anomaly recorded to date. Here at the CPRS we have seen thousands of photographs captured by ourselves and submitted by members of the public. We are of the firm opinion that an extremely high percentage of all orb related photographs are of a natural origin and not related to spirit.
A natural explanation.
Most of the orb photographs out there have been captured with the use of digital cameras and nearly always with the use of the cameras built in flash.
Only very rarely are they caught with SLR cameras with high mounted flash units or in natural daylight conditions with out any the use of an artificial light source.

The main reasons for this is the sensitivity of the CCD technology used with digital cameras and the use of an artificial light source close to the camera lens. Dust may contain moulds, fibres, and dander from dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as tiny dust mites. Dust particles close in to the camera focal range are the normal culprits for most orb photographs.
When a digital photograph is taken using the flash any airborne particles within the focal range and focal angle of the camera lens are illuminated by the flash and reflected back to the lens. As they are so close to the lens they are out of focus and therefore appear often as translucent blobs. The shape of the orb, normally round is due to the particular aperture type of the camera being used. Virtually every kind of indoor environment will contain an amount of dust in the air. Any movement in a building will cause the dust to circulate and carry on the streams of air caused by natural draughts, air condition units or central heating.
Dust itself is does not have a particular reflective quality and therefore it will be only the odd particle within the cameras focal field and angle at the time the flash goes off that will be picked up. Moisture particles are a lot more reflective and by taking photographs outside at night with flash on a night of high humidity will also give the appearance of an abundance of orbs on your photographs.

http://www.cambridgeparanormal.co.uk/orbs.html