According to paranormal-encyclopedia.com, a spirit orb is defined as “an anomalous globe-shaped spot, either white or coloured, that shows up in photographs taken at allegedly haunted places”
In the nineties digital cameras became insanely popular. For paranormal investigators or enthusiasts this meant that they could take many and quick pictures of the sites that they were visiting. It also meant that the quality of the images was a lot better. Because of this they were photographing fewer anomalies and finding explanations for anomalies that were previously captured on film. With disappointment at an all-time high and an eagerness to prove the existence of the paranormal the investigators created a hype around the orbs they were capturing in their images.
Naturally, people jumped at this theory. It is possible that at the start of digital photography they felt that they did not have an explanation for the orbs that they were capturing. It is also comforting to people that their lost loved ones might still be around and watching out for them. When going through a time of loss and grieving we will grasp on to any evidence that our loved ones are still around.
Ninety-nine percent of the time a “spirit orb” can be explained by something tangible. There are rare occasions where an orb is captured that is really out of the ordinary. This might just be something to look into but only under certain circumstances. An orb captured in broad daylight is still explainable but is rather unusual. So an image of an orb in broad daylight would be one to put aside for later to look at. If you are making a video and you capture an orb that behaves differently. If it moves in the opposite direction to the wind direction, for example, you might want to have a closer look at the footage and the surroundings and do some further research. If you capture the same orb at different times and dates in the same exact location you are potentially capturing something paranormal. If you capture an orb that is also visible to the naked eye then it would also warrant further investigation. Although this has never happened, if you capture an orb following commands (slide to the left, slide to the right, cha-cha again) then you have really, really hit the orb jackpot!
The most common explanation for orbs in photography or videography is rain, pollen, dust or bugs. Literally anything small and slightly out of focus or a small something on the lens could account for the orbs in your images.
Above is an example of a photograph taken in light rain.
The above is an image taken after kicking dust into the air.
Orbs are the product of desperate paranormal enthusiasts eager to prove themselves right. Most groups that accept orbs as proof of paranormal activity will have some kind of money-making scheme in the background that relies on them finding paranormal evidence. Anybody that is truly interested in research of the paranormal will likely roll their eyes at the mention of “spirit orbs”, for no other reason than the lack of supporting evidence that this is in fact anything paranormal at all. Believing in “spirit orbs” is the same as saying that every time you sense a cold spot you have been visited by a spirit…dramatic.
