Paranormal United Bridgnorth » Orbs

What are Orbs? from Shadowseekers.co.uk

Paul Griffiths — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:17:53 +0000

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? by Cambridge Paranormal Research Society

Paul Griffiths — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:15:51 +0000

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

What are Ghosts & Orbs? by J.Eaton

Paul Griffiths — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:13:35 +0000

The below statement is evidence based on the knowledge that is presently known concerning these things. Yes, ghosts are real and they do share space with us in this life although in a different realm of existence. Orbs are also believed to be ghosts of people as well as other life forms.
Orbs are believed (by many) to be ghosts in the form of balls of light. They are life forms that travel in groups and are believed to be the human soul or life force of those that once inhabited a physical body here on earth. Psychics claim to talk to them on a regular basis, and ghost hunters encounter them quite frequently. It is said that they are those spirits that have willingly stayed behind because they feel bound to their previous life or previous location for whatever reason. Because of this obsession they tend to become similar to a psychotic human beings. It should be said that the majority of us when we die proceed gladly and willingly to the next level of existence after saying our quiet good-byes, which means we’re off to the spirit world. Then again, as stated, a select few elect to stay behind because of a refusal to move on. Apparently the longer they stay behind, the harder it is to find their way to the next level, which again, is the spirit world.
Ghostly orbs are the most photographed anomalies caught on film by ghost hunters and are quite photogenic (when they want to be). They can be completely transparent or display themselves in a bright solid form. It is not hard to capture them on film in their circular form. It is theorized that ghosts prefer the form of an Orb (ball of light) because it takes less energy thus being the mode of choice among the ghosts. The consensus is that small orbs take up the least amount of energy and apparitions and other fuller shapes take up the most. In the colder parts of the year, it seems that ghosts tend to find it easier to take on shapes other than orbs. That’s when there is the most static electricity in the atmosphere. Those months being October through February. It is also believed that they are able to draw on our own energy when needed. I’ve listed these ways but there are obviously many ways for ghosts to draw energy from the atmosphere and environment but I won’t take the time for that here.
If you’re wondering, ghosts are normally harmless for the most part and have relatively no desire to bring harm to anyone nor do they have much of an awareness to act as such. Ghosts however, have been known to disrupt the lives of those that they effect and play pranks and move things about. To state it plainly, they are actually limited in the activities that they are able to carry out in their frame of existence. Non-human forms as well as evil spirits and demons, who have never had a body, have additional powers and have the ability to sway our thoughts and tempt our reasoning. This is why Ouija boards and other similar devices should be shunned! They have the ability to open windows into other realms of existence and can attract evil or bad spirits. If you are experiencing what you consider to be the effects of an evil spirit or demon in your life then it could be the location where you are living, but you must also consider your life style as well. In other words, how you are living or the activities that you involve yourself in that might inadvertently be drawing them to you.
I might also mention a word or two about spirits in this forum. First of all, as I have alluded to earlier, ghosts and spirits are not quite the same. Spirits are capable of continuing a full existence on the other side with their full mental and emotional facilities intact, unlike their counterpart the ghost. You will most likely not encounter a spirit on a ghost hunt as you would a ghost. When they are detected, it is believed that their appearance might be in the form of ectoplasm mist, as well as a full bodied apparitions. They are permitted to visit on occasion and even communicate a message when they have permission to do so but for the most not they will not be picked up on any ghost detection devices or be photographed by any cameras (for the most part). Many believe that we have spirits assigned to watch over us, and that might very well be true but you won’t normally be detecting them unless they have a special purpose in making there presence known. In other words Spirits (not ghosts) seem to have a finer spirit tissue that is for the most part undetectable.
There are other theories concerning ORBS. I have in the past heard such theories that orbs might simply be Nature spirits or Airborne protoplasm as you would find under a microscope, except far more advanced.
Other types of ghostly phenomenon are the vortex (funnel shaped appearance) and Ectoplasm (it has a mist or foggy appearance) also called Ecto Mist. These are often picked up on film and video as well but are much more rare. I’m not making any determinations to their origin but welcome any of your opinions on the subject.

J. Eaton

http://www.ghoststudy.com/a_what_are_orbs.html

What are Orbs? by Dave Juliane

Paul Griffiths — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:03:59 +0000

What are these balls of transparent light we find in photos taken in allegedly haunted places? I won’t tell you I know the answer to this question. No one has the true answer to this question yet, but that’s part of the job of researchers and investigator.

One of the leading theories concerning what orbs are and the one that I lean towards the most is that they are not the spirit at all. The orb is the energy being transferred from a source (i.e. powerlines, heat energy, batteries, people, etc) to the spirit so they can manifest. This may not even be a conscious thing the spirit is doing, just a natural way they get their energy. This would explain why the orbs are round balls. According to the laws of Physics energy being transferring like that would assume is natural shape of a sphere. This theory can also be tied into the EMF readings we get during spirit activity.

I always approach things with a bit of skepticism, so when I saw all these websites start showing off these photos as ghosts, I was just as weary as most of you. I just had to try it for myself. I took a 35mm camera that I had used regularly for 6 years in all types of lighting and weather and had never gotten an orb or other unexplainable photo before and went out with a few seasoned field investigators on a cemetery investigation. One of the investigators was psychic and she pointed out a few areas we should take photos, so I did. I also had ghost footsteps walkup behind me twice and I turned around quickly and took photos of the empty air. When I got my photos developed, I had these orbs and fog in those photos that I was told to take, as well as the footstep ones. All my other photos were normal. Coincidence?

Since we do not know what orbs truly are, just that they seem to be found mainly in areas where there is ghost activity, I will tell you what they are not. On a normal investigation there are about 10 people using 10 different cameras, 35mm and digital, and many speeds and brands of film. They all get their film developed at separate places. Let’s say only half of these investigators get some orb photos. Are these water spots or dirt on the lens? That would mean that 5 people all had similar dirt on their lens and all 5 did not clean their lens either. Are these orbs film processing errors? Well the 35mm cameras all had their film developed in different locations and used different film so that is very unlikely. The digital cameras can’t have film-processing errors. I am aware that some people feel that the orbs on a digital camera are an error in the digital processing of the image. When that error does occur in digital photos, the objects tend to be square in nature, not round and they cannot be semi-transparent, the pixel behind would have to be corrupted also. I will not even address the precipitation theory, no legitimate researchers takes photos in any form of precipitation. What about dust and dirt being stirred up? Can that be the cause of the orbs? If that were the case, I would think that there would not be normal photos in a sequence of photos from the same camera and location. All of the shots in a sequence should have the dust or dirt in it. We find that most orb photos do not appear in consecutive photos. All photographers present should get orbs if it is dust being stirred up as well.

These are just a few things for the skeptics to think of when they are condemning an orb photo as a fake or fraud and some things for investigators to consider when checking their photos for positives.

http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/orbs.htm