Orbs
Orbs
are a phenomenon I find particularly interesting. This article considers the
paranormal aspect of these light anomalies and weighs up both sides of the
argument that currently exists. As for the conclusion, well, it depends how
convinced you are! There is a well-divided camp on what orbs actually are.
Most people with a digital camera will probably have an orb or two within some
of their snap-shots. You only need to know what to look for if they’re
not immediately obvious. Why do I find orbs interesting? Simply because;
- I have a load of photos containing orbs and
- The possibility of what orbs could be.
Now let me stress the words possibility and could from the last paragraph. As a sceptic on par with Dana Scully from the X-Files, I don’t automatically believe that these are spirits or pre-manifested entities. The idea that these could be and that they can be captured on camera is what interests me. Orbs have increased in popularity mainly due to the fact that digital cameras have become more affordable, are of a higher quality and are now used by the majority of people, thus pushing the traditional 35mm camera into the ‘dark ages’. The benefits of digital cameras over film are simple: instant review, delete snaps and storage convenience. Film can be considered expensive, time-consuming when it comes to developing pictures and lacks the ability to review shots unless you’re prepared to fire off loads of rolls for that one great shot. The benefit of film though, is the all-important negative. The negative can be of great benefit if you capture an unusual image as faking a negative is far more complicated than faking a digital image, thus promoting its credibility.
This brief article looks at the evidence for and against Orbs as a spiritual entity.
Pro Orbs
The pro-orb camp has a lot of things to say about orbs and a lot of time has been dedicated to exploring the mystery behind them. Orbs are linked with the term light anomaly and they share some characteristics of ghost lights. There is some debate on the correct paranormal explanation of their existence but the majority of research considers them to be any of the following:
- Pre-manifestation of a spirit.
- A spirit drawing energy from its surroundings.
- A spirit in its natural form.
- They have individualistic features.
- Psychoactive energy, which empowers the spirit.
- Thought projections look similar to orbs.
- A spirit moving between planes of existence.
- They can follow instructions.
- A race of multidimensional beings.
Of
course, none of these theories can currently be proven or disproved.
It is because of this that believers are convinced of their true existence.
There are a number of factors that fuel the orb theory. During research on a large number of occasions where EMF meters have been employed, successful photos of orbs have been taken when the meter has indicated that a higher than normal electro-magnetic field is present. These fields can be naturally occurring, given off from electrical equipment and supposedly a power source for spirits to materialize, as they too apparently require some form of energy to appear.
Orbs are said to inhabit haunted locations, but then where isn’t haunted? Most of the photos I’ve seen have been anywhere from your average cemetery to an ordinary living room. Does that mean that everywhere an orb is photographed the location is haunted?
It has been claimed that orbs exist in a slightly different light spectrum, namely infrared and ultraviolet. As digital cameras are claimed (though some people disagree due to complex filtering systems in the camera) to capture more infrared light on its CCD (Charge Coupled Device - an image sensor used in digital cameras) they have a better chance of capturing something that exists in that field – which film cameras do not. That is not to say film cameras do not capture orbs. There have been reports of orbs being captured on both Polaroid and film, but their occurrence is not as common as digital. On a few rarer occasions still, they have apparently been seen with the naked eye!
Recent research has found that the flash on a camera is not the only requirement to enable orbs to be photographed. It appears as though orbs absorb the energy from the flash to emit radiation in the visible or near-infrared spectral range (luminescence). Apparently the orb is able to decide on which camera it will allow it self to be captured if more than one camera is being used.
Orbs
that I’ve found particularly interesting are those caught on video.
They glide effortlessly across the shot then disappear or float through
a wall. Their appearance looks soft and slightly opaque. They drift in
what looks like a gentle but controlled manner – not on a breeze.
A lot of the stills taken of orbs appear more solid, usually circular;
contain what looks like a ring or two and a nucleus. I can’t find
any evidence to suggest that this is how the orbs caught on videotape
would appear if caught on a photograph instead, so I’d be interested
to find out.
A number of sceptics have claimed that orbs are a by-product of the flash and contamination of some kind. What they don’t explain is how orbs are captured in daylight or without a flash! I have captured both. Another question is why are there only one or two orbs in some photos but not all, especially when taking multiple shots in the same room in the same direction?
When I visited Chillingham Castle, I took about 80 photographs, which amounts to about a few in each room. The only room ‘on this occasion’ to have orbs was the Museum Room. Even the dungeon and cellar were void of the little critters. The camera was set to flash on all shots and the castle is a very dusty place. Yet only two of the 80 shots had orbs present – see the Gallery for these images.
There
have been claims that orbs have intelligence and can respond to mediums.
It has been said that mediums communicate with orbs the same way they
would with spirits – so I presume this would indicate that orbs
and spirits are technically the same entity – except we can now
see them! But if these orbs are the true nature of a spirit then why
do we have apparitions? Again, it is claimed that the spirit chooses
to appear in its human form so the witness can identify them. This would
make the theory of the orb sphere being the natural shape and structure
of a spirit more plausible. According to the laws of physics, energy
in the process of being transferred would assume the natural shape of
a sphere. If the spirit were a form of energy, then the spherical shape
would be a natural form to take.
Finally, why are orbs different shapes, colours and densities? This is believed (by some) to show the age, mood and stage of spirit manifestation or how the orb feels at that moment! It is also claimed that within the orb structure, faces can be seen though this could simply be co-incidence of finding a familiar shape with-in a random pattern. The shape may also indicate authority or rank. Yes, some people believe this and no one can prove them wrong (or right).
Anti-Orbs
The term ‘anti’ suggests against orbs, but on this occasion it refers to evidence to dispel orbs as a paranormal object.
A lot of research has been put into finding out what these orbs actually are. Originally it was believed by some to be a defect in the digital camera, and many cameras were returned to the manufacturers only to be returned with the response that the image defect did not come from the camera itself!
It has became widely accepted by the sceptics that orbs are nothing more than contamination of the photo by any of the following:
- Dust
- Rain
- Snow
- Insects
- Contamination within the camera or on the lens
- Light refraction/reflection
- Moisture
- Lens flare
- Highly ionised blob of plasma held together by its own magnetic fields
- Various forms of energy
Sure enough, all of the above have been used to recreate orbs that look identical to the considered ‘genuine’ orbs. If orbs can be so easily recreated then why do people still believe in the paranormal aspect? Because it is believed that all of the list above can be ruled out on some occasions, which leaves you with a ‘paranormal’ situation. Paranormal is used in the sense that there is currently no valid explanation for the image; it is not necessarily a supernatural one.
The majority of orb photos consist of a shot that includes the use of the camera’s flash. It is believed that the flash causes any object, even a particle of dust to reflect the light and depending on how far it is from the lens, it may make that particle appear bigger, patterned (rings, halo, aura etc) or blurred. This also depends on the quality of the camera, the resolution of the image it captures (measured in megapixels), the speed and timing of the flash. Weather plays a significant part in the shot too. If moisture is in the air, it can add to the reflection, quantity and quality of the orb picture. Dry places or breezes can stir up all kinds of contamination to create orbs. It is because of the ease with which orbs can be recreated that so much scepticism is poured on the paranormal theory.
Night
shots of orbs also help them to stand out on a photo giving them a false
sense of luminescence – remember, had you not used the flash they
would not be visible at all and therefore they are not luminous themselves
but a manifestation of your flash (though it is claimed that they absorb the energy of the flash in order to become visible). Density and colour of the orbs change
too, but this can simply be from various contaminants. For example, water
droplets refract light and splits colour into the spectrum – because
of this nature and the angle of the camera, flash etc, you may get different
colours. If the droplet contains dust, sand etc, it may effect the density
or even the shape. As digital cameras can only catch so much information
before digitising the remaining image itself, it is said that it captures
the orbs closest to the lens and loses the faint, smaller ones – hence
most photos are not crowded with orbs.
I'm not entirely convinced on this theory as modern cameras are so much more accurate, faster and maintain a higher level quality yet they still continue to capture orbs.
As for people seeing faces in the orbs, well this is simply not just a case of coincidence or the mind trying to make sense of a random pattern. The brain will analyse a random image and see things that are not actually there in order understand it. Faces tend to be the most common feature that people will see.
It is also believed that a high electro-magnetic field can falsely give you the impression of sensing something. It can affect a person’s mood and has been claimed to cause people to believe they have experienced paranormal phenomena when in fact it was just too much electro-magnetic radiation. It may also be high levels of EMF that could cause orbs from the area it affects to appear in photographs through contamination of the air with dust etc, as opposed to an actual spirit.
There are incredible amounts of information on the net dedicated to orbs and analysing every aspect of them. See below for further information.
Conclusion
Whichever way you look at it, both sides of the story are interesting. As much as I like the idea of finally being able to see spirits, the sceptic in me believes this is just too easy a solution to accept as final. A lot more open research needs to be done by both sides to reach the ultimate answer to these mysterious spheres. Until conclusive evidence is found to prove either argument, I’ll keep an open mind – even Dana Scully eventually believed; though it took an alien abduction and impregnation to convince her!
A book called The Orb Project has since been written and contains some well researched evidence in favour of orbs and goes on to explain some fascinating facts.
Further Reading
Mystery Mag
Orb Study
ASSAP
Prairie
Ghosts 1
Prairie
Ghosts 2
Institute
of Paranormal Research
Para.Science
Ghostweb
Burlington
News
New
Scientist