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Let's talk about you and me,
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things
That may be
Let's talk about Orbs
Let's talk about Orbs.........
Sorry - one of those days, and in one of those moods
Anyway - let's get to the matter at hand.......
Orbs have been a part of the supernatural phenomena for decades whether we, as investigators, like it or not. There have been plenty of suggestions over time about their origin and composition, from backscatter (also known as near-camera reflection), an optical illusion (light refraction, typically from a flash used during photography, upon airborne matter such as dust, pollen and flying insects), all the way through to 'unearthly' visitors from the cosmos. What I present in this article today, is my personal view of this phenomenon.
Generally, almost 97% of all orb reports can be put down to either backscatter or other known light effects. This can be substantiated by a number of observations made in any evidence presented, some of which are:
In the first instance, we have the typical, all-too-common 'orb' pictures, and videos, that plague paranormal investigators and paranormal forums the world over. I like to classify these as 'Photo phenomena' and a perfect example of the backscatter effect. It is a simple case of misinterpretation, possibly through the lack of understanding of this optical illusion, or through the wanting for something paranormal to happen around them. Unfortunately, false claims of orbs have also been 'fed' to us through the ever-growing number of paranormal shows.
Secondly, there are the unexplainable 'orb' sightings. Within this category, I also include light phenomena observations; reports of 'whispy light formations', for example, moving in recognised patterns (i.e. a walking movement, a hand movement, etc). I refer to these events as 'Illuminance phenomena'. Within this category, observed occurrences can sometimes be seen with a coloured hue (typically white, red, orange or green).
I am not going to spend any time delving into photo phenomena as I feel that this speaks for itself. Instead, I am going to try and use scientific knowledge to explain two theories I hold behind Illuminance phenomena events.
The first is very simple - light reflection. Whatever these entities are, they have a mass of some description. This has to be true in any ghost sighting. To physically see a spirit, it must possess the capability to reflect light, which is then captured through the observer's eyes and the information fed to the brain. It must also be true for the capture of an entity on film or digital media. This is a scientific fact that cannot be denied. It may be that photographic media can capture light below the capability of the human eye, and explain why images can be captured, but not physically seen, but it still involves light reflection - albeit, that it just may be in the infrared or ultraviolet ranges.
The second is a bit tougher to 'chew', but I ask that you 'go into it' with an open mind.
I strongly believe that after we die and leave our earthly vessel, we continue on as an energy form with intellectual capabilities. The majority of the time, these energies, which I will refer to as 'souls' (purely for ease, and as a 'common' belief amongst many) for the rest of this article, move on to a centralised plane of existence - whether in this time and universe, or in another, but with the capability to return to the 'here and now' should they wish. Other souls, for whatever reason, are either not capable, or choose not to, cross over and continue on with their journey amongst the living.
Now, again, due to the fact that some Illuminance phenomena have been viewed emitting their own luminescence and, typically, are normally only caught under certain lighting conditions, there is obviously a light source involved. But what if I told you that I believe that these entities are actually generating this themselves? That, an energy form of life as we know it, could emit, naturally or through energy conversion, an infrared light source that could only be captured on night-vision apparatus, for example. Would you find this hard to believe?
Let us look at the science behind this theory.
Infrared is actually electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths that are 'longer' than visible light. As such, and as most of us already know, it is invisible to the human eye. Infrared is generally accepted to include wavelengths from below the red 'edge' of the visible spectrum at frequencies of 430THz (700 nanometers) and 300GHz (1 millimetre). As a form of electromagnetic radiation, infrared generation is promoted through the interaction of energy and momentum, with properties corresponding to both those of i) a wave and ii) a particle (the photon).
Wait a minute - energy and movement? Do most entities not move? And there is a LOT of belief in the paranormal community that entities ARE energy-based lifeforms, based upon the belief in how relative the law of Conservation of Energy is to our passing. If both of these suggestions are indeed true, then it is almost a certainty that an entity has the potential to generate, and emit, infrared (again, as an example) from 'the source'.
Delving into the law of Conservation of Energy deeper, it states that, 'energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another' [Source: Wikipedia]. This means that it is totally acceptable for Electromagnetic Energy (which Infrared is) to transform to Light Energy - which includes visible light frequencies - through some currently unknown process, but potentially, at a level that the study of quantum mechanics may be able to explain one day.
Based on scientific knowledge, the theory is 'sound'. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before we can say that this is what is actually going on..............
Feel free to leave your own thoughts and comments on this
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things
That may be
Let's talk about Orbs
Let's talk about Orbs.........
Sorry - one of those days, and in one of those moods
Anyway - let's get to the matter at hand.......
Orbs have been a part of the supernatural phenomena for decades whether we, as investigators, like it or not. There have been plenty of suggestions over time about their origin and composition, from backscatter (also known as near-camera reflection), an optical illusion (light refraction, typically from a flash used during photography, upon airborne matter such as dust, pollen and flying insects), all the way through to 'unearthly' visitors from the cosmos. What I present in this article today, is my personal view of this phenomenon.
Generally, almost 97% of all orb reports can be put down to either backscatter or other known light effects. This can be substantiated by a number of observations made in any evidence presented, some of which are:
- Familiar movement patterns
- Activity around the observation (i.e. moving of bedding, rising up from a sofa, walking along a carpetted hallway, draughts, etc.)
- That fact that there is always some sort of light source involved (i.e. 'visual' light or infrared)
- No previous history of paranormal activity
- Have random and unpredictable movement patterns including, at times, hovering and unnatural changes in direction
- No other physical, or atmospheric, activity occurring around the area of the capture
- There is no 'false' light source noted, with witnesses seeing the phenomena in daylight, as well as within total darkness, and occasionally seen with what appears to be a source of 'self-illuminance'
- Typically noted within areas that have a history of high paranormal activity
In the first instance, we have the typical, all-too-common 'orb' pictures, and videos, that plague paranormal investigators and paranormal forums the world over. I like to classify these as 'Photo phenomena' and a perfect example of the backscatter effect. It is a simple case of misinterpretation, possibly through the lack of understanding of this optical illusion, or through the wanting for something paranormal to happen around them. Unfortunately, false claims of orbs have also been 'fed' to us through the ever-growing number of paranormal shows.
Secondly, there are the unexplainable 'orb' sightings. Within this category, I also include light phenomena observations; reports of 'whispy light formations', for example, moving in recognised patterns (i.e. a walking movement, a hand movement, etc). I refer to these events as 'Illuminance phenomena'. Within this category, observed occurrences can sometimes be seen with a coloured hue (typically white, red, orange or green).
I am not going to spend any time delving into photo phenomena as I feel that this speaks for itself. Instead, I am going to try and use scientific knowledge to explain two theories I hold behind Illuminance phenomena events.
The first is very simple - light reflection. Whatever these entities are, they have a mass of some description. This has to be true in any ghost sighting. To physically see a spirit, it must possess the capability to reflect light, which is then captured through the observer's eyes and the information fed to the brain. It must also be true for the capture of an entity on film or digital media. This is a scientific fact that cannot be denied. It may be that photographic media can capture light below the capability of the human eye, and explain why images can be captured, but not physically seen, but it still involves light reflection - albeit, that it just may be in the infrared or ultraviolet ranges.
The second is a bit tougher to 'chew', but I ask that you 'go into it' with an open mind.
I strongly believe that after we die and leave our earthly vessel, we continue on as an energy form with intellectual capabilities. The majority of the time, these energies, which I will refer to as 'souls' (purely for ease, and as a 'common' belief amongst many) for the rest of this article, move on to a centralised plane of existence - whether in this time and universe, or in another, but with the capability to return to the 'here and now' should they wish. Other souls, for whatever reason, are either not capable, or choose not to, cross over and continue on with their journey amongst the living.
Now, again, due to the fact that some Illuminance phenomena have been viewed emitting their own luminescence and, typically, are normally only caught under certain lighting conditions, there is obviously a light source involved. But what if I told you that I believe that these entities are actually generating this themselves? That, an energy form of life as we know it, could emit, naturally or through energy conversion, an infrared light source that could only be captured on night-vision apparatus, for example. Would you find this hard to believe?
Let us look at the science behind this theory.
Infrared is actually electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths that are 'longer' than visible light. As such, and as most of us already know, it is invisible to the human eye. Infrared is generally accepted to include wavelengths from below the red 'edge' of the visible spectrum at frequencies of 430THz (700 nanometers) and 300GHz (1 millimetre). As a form of electromagnetic radiation, infrared generation is promoted through the interaction of energy and momentum, with properties corresponding to both those of i) a wave and ii) a particle (the photon).
Wait a minute - energy and movement? Do most entities not move? And there is a LOT of belief in the paranormal community that entities ARE energy-based lifeforms, based upon the belief in how relative the law of Conservation of Energy is to our passing. If both of these suggestions are indeed true, then it is almost a certainty that an entity has the potential to generate, and emit, infrared (again, as an example) from 'the source'.
Delving into the law of Conservation of Energy deeper, it states that, 'energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another' [Source: Wikipedia]. This means that it is totally acceptable for Electromagnetic Energy (which Infrared is) to transform to Light Energy - which includes visible light frequencies - through some currently unknown process, but potentially, at a level that the study of quantum mechanics may be able to explain one day.
Based on scientific knowledge, the theory is 'sound'. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before we can say that this is what is actually going on..............
Feel free to leave your own thoughts and comments on this