Orbs

Form of energy unknown origin that can't be seen by the naked eye but which can be seen through infrared monitors and recorded on photographic film. They aren't the same as ghost lights, which are visible. Orbs are not dust particles, static discharge, moisture or stray lights, and they are not strong enough to set off motion detectors. They seem to float and change direction at lightning speed. They react to people around them and appear both indoors and outdoors, and are particularly strong at haunted sites. According to modern ghost investigators orbs offer the strongest evidence for spirit activity. The Ghost Research Society has pioneered the investigation of orbs with high-tech night vision equipment and has recorded numerous cases.

Orbs are not to be confused with arcs of light on the camera lens that often appear in photographs, especially those from a digital camera. These are caused by light bouncing back from reflective surfaces and light sources not visible to the eye. False orbs are typically pale blue or white whereas genuine orbs appear dense and bright on film. For those who believe that at least some orbs are paranormal, there are many beliefs regarding their purpose and how they came to be.

» Orbs are a method for spirits to show people that they are there.

» They are energy emitted by people and objects, which the spirit uses for its own energy.

» They are viewing instruments for spirits and in the atmosphere.

» Orbs are the souls of spirits manifesting on earth as a ball of energy.

» Orbs are energy from past events that has been held within the atmosphere of a place. The idea here is that the atmosphere records events and the more energy dispersed in a place - such as a violent murder - the more energy is absorbed and held in the form of an orb.

An alternative explanation for the existence of orbs, apart from the supernatural, has also been put forward and can be examined in more detail at www.orbstudy.com. The theory goes along the lines of orbs being natural energy structures that are a normal part of the physical world but have gone undetected until recently. The orb is an electrical object - a plasma - which for some reason holds together in a spherical shape, so is considered a stable plasma; something which physics cannot reproduce or explain.

How can you tell if an orb is paranormal?

The word orb has been assigned by popular usage to the circular anomalies that are present on some photographs or videos. Orbs are typically spherical and of varying intensity and color, although they are often white. Some orbs give the appearance of having been in rapid motion when caught by the camera, illustrated by a blurry effect traveling away from the orb. If you think you may have photographed or videoed an orb the first thing to do is to eliminate all natural possibilities.

The appearance of orbs can be caused by dust, moisture and light reflection and refraction. If your photographs were taken in a clean, dust-free, moisture-free clean room, which also has all known causes of light reflection removed, it is impossible to eliminate completely the possibility of an orb having a supernatural explanation. If this is the case analyze the time before and after the orb was taken - were there any unusual circumstances? Did you or anyone else sense anything in the atmosphere?