When our daughter, Megan, was a young teen, she wanted to go on a ghost tour during a visit to St.Augustine, Florida, known as the oldest city in North America. (The village of Oraibi on the Hopi reservation is actually older.) She was very interested in using her new digital camera in hopes of catching a ghost. So, she took photos of many of the houses and buildings we visited, using a flash, and numerous orbs–spots of light–appeared.
I (Rob) didn’t think much of it. I’d read technical explanations about why orbs appear sometimes on pictures taken with digital cameras. But I’d also noticed that Megan seemed to have better luck photographing orbs than I did, unless I was taking pictures of her. See the one above. That photo was taken during an unusual sunset when the atmospheric conditions had turned the sky deep red. (Also notice the horizontal face above Megan’s head – an extra spooky effect!) All the pictures that evening were charmed with orbs.
Was it synchronicity that Megan was there and so were the orbs? In other words, Megan was interested in orbs, and they appeared in the pictures. I’d snapped similar dramatic sunsets without Megan, or anyone else, in the viewfinder, and no orbs appeared in the photos.
The first time I noticed an orb in one of my photos was a shot of Megan when she was eight or nine. The orb had a tail, like a comet, and appeared as if it was coming from outside the frame, striking Megan in her mid-section. I took that photo with 35mm film.
So what are these orbs? There are lots of opinions. Here’s what C. Norman Shealy, M.D. says: “Orbs may be to the atmosphere what crop circles are to the earth. Having seen orbs and had them photographed while I am speaking, it is great to know that we are receiving cosmic energetic communication.”
“Orbs may just be evidence that can only be explained outside of the box of current limiting and reductionist worldviews,” wrote James O’Dea, president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences.
“The orbs are certainly not creatures of our spacetime world. This type of photographic evidence should be accessible with even higher-dimensional life-forms under the appropriate circumstances,” commented William A. Tiller, Ph.D professor emeritus, Sanford University.
Those comments suggest that orbs are something more than stray reflections, moisture particles, spots on the lens, dust or pollen particles, or optical flares, as skeptics maintain. None of the above writers, however, offered specific ideas on the identity of orbs.
But JZ Knight did in the foreword to The Orb Project, by Miceal Ledwith and Klaus Heinemann. Knight is the well known channel for the entity known as Ramtha, who several years ago gave “a long set of teachings on what he called the ‘orb entities.'” In her autobiography, State of Mind, Knight wrote: “They are not just a ball of curious light but rather what you and I are out of our bodies! We are the Ball of Light that is the life-force of our brain and body.”
Knight also wrote that she has seen orbs herself on numerous occasions. So have a lot of other people. My mother, who is psychically sensitive, saw a ball of light in her house in the weeks after my father died. She also saw his nickname, MAC, scrawled in frost on a window next to the chair where he used sit and read. But are these sightings the same thing the digital cameras are picking up?
Personally, I’d rather have a dust speck causing an orb than some dark misguided entity messing up my picture. On the other hand, I openly welcome highly evolved spirits in my world and my photos for guidance and inspiration!
We’d love to hear your experiences and ideas.
Thanks, David. Good to know!
A great place to take photos of orbs is inside old buildings. In St. Louis we have lots of old buildings – it doesn't matter whether they have a good vibe or not, they tend to be filled with them!
I shouldn't have read this post. Now I'm jealous that so many of you have seen (and/or photographed) orbs while I've seen nary a one. Ever. Energy from the other side only appears to me in human form. (pout)
Seriously now, what a great pic of your daughter! And the face above her, is it anyone you recognize?
To my knowledge, my one sensitive daughter never saw the Dearly Departed in cemeteries, but before she could read, she'd go straight to the graves of babies and toddlers in cems we'd never been to previously.
Cole, thanks for your comment. There might be a connection between certain individuals and the appearance of orbs. Miceal Ledwith in The Orb Project wrote that the more he focused on orbs, the more appeared in his photos.
He either got the technique down for shooting photos with orbs or his focused intention attracted them. I'm not sure. Orbs and crop circles are controversial topics, with various explanations. But no one explanation covers all cases.
Rob
Hi Trish and Rob,
What an exciting and magical picture of your daughter!
I was struck by something you said Rob in your post. " In other words, Megan was interested in orbs, and they appeared in the pictures. " I just posted, all be it a very long post, a post on ghosts and my experience here at our house.
I don't have an explanation for it, but I have thought about the possibility of seeing things, just because I somehow was open to it more one day than another and therefore creating its appearance, rather than something else being truly here.
I don't know if that is what you are trying to say about Meg and the orbs. But I would be interested in your opinions, if you have the time. Also, my oldest daughter, which I talk about in the post, back when she was 3 years old talked about glowing lights within her room as well.
It is curious for sure. I too have seen the smily in the orbs, but thought it was just coincidence! Who knows now.
Interesting post as always.
Cole
It all comes down to the mysterious. We don't have all the answers. We can be skeptics or believers or something in between, but in the end, orbs are part of the big cosmic questions like: okay, what happens when we die? If there's an after world, what's it like? Are my parents and grandparents floating around as orbs?
Einstein proved that energy can't be annihilated. Maybe orbs inhabit that weird border between science and mysticism.
I'm one who has seen orbs in pics but not with the naked eye. My friend has done experiments with cameras, taking pics of the same spot in a room every few minutes. The orbs were always in a different place or size-so they move around. I will believe orbs are an energetic something, angels, spirits, or souls, and probably all of the above and more.
My youngest daughter was going to prom the night before my mom's wake. In the picture taken of my daughters face, there was a huge orb almost as large as her face, right beside her head. All of us that saw that picture just feel compelled to say, "Hi, Mom!" (or Hi Grandma!) It really was a thrilling and comforting feeling to see the orb in the picture. And it's fully formed with a thick outline and nice variations within.
I find it so interesting that some people see orbs with the naked eye, some are skeptics, and some perceive orbs as our own energies. Theories all over the place. But in the end, the only experience we can trust is our own and what we feel about it.
Maybe all the theories are true. Skeptics don't see orbs, people who have died and returned see them as one thing, sensitives see them as something else. Maybe it all boils down to belief.
I just love that photo, Wow!
Little Noah (3) tells me he sees balls of light in his room at times.
I have never seen one…not even in the ton of photos I have taken. 🙂
Oh! and I loved Jenean's story.
Many Thanks.x
We've been getting an internet upgrade today, but now we're back on, at least with laptops. All these comments are thought-provoking!
I have ALWAYS been skeptical of orbs until recently when I have started to see them with my naked eye. I see them flash in and out usually. Sometimes they are bigger than others, but normally they just look like a spot of light. Whenever I see them I first think A.)Perhaps there is some strange chemical reaction going on in my brain, causing me to see these lights, and/or B.) These must be the orbs that people catch through photographs. Who knows which, if either is correct?
In regards to energy hanging out in a cemetary I used to wonder about that too.
Years ago we were visiting my husbands grandfather's grave, my two daughters wanted to wait in the car so after a few minutes I joined them. At the time they were 4 and 7. While we were sitting in the car my youngest told me she wanted to leave because she didn't "like all of the people" staring at her.
I asked her what people and she began pointing at different gravesites and saying things like "that old man" (was 80 at death), "that little girl" (was 8 at death) "that lady" (50 at death).
I was really taken back, and for me that takes a lot since I've been having experiences since I can remember. I started pointing at different grave markers and asking what she saw and she got every one correct but she really got upset when she saw a baby.
Needless to say we left shortly thereafter.
She still remembers that day and can no longer "see" spirits like that but does remember how sad she felt. She says the spirits hovered over or right beside the grave. They didn't interact they just seemed to be there.
I have no explanation for this but it does seem an energy which is attached to the body still exists after death.
I too will see flashes of light sometimes.
What a great photo! Re orbs, I'm a bit of a photog geek in that I never-ever use a flash, so I don't get much orb action, but I did get an amazing shot in a cemetery once, which is strange because why would energy be hanging out at a cemetery? Anyway, it's a beautiful flash of light (not an orb) exactly above the center of a grave marker. I can send it to you if you'd like to see it.
Also, I don't see orbs in person, but I do see quick flashes of light. Scientifically, I assume these to be natural eye/brain glitches, but the weird thing is that they are always in one of three colors: sparkly white, bright blue, or black.
I have seen orbs in some pictures that I have taken but the most interesting was some pics. my husband took.
2 years ago our family traveled to Paris France. One of our visits was to Notre Dame Cathedral (which was beautiful). My husband was taking several pictures and took some of a statue of Jesus. When we looked at the pictures later we saw several orbs around the statue and when we zoomed in on the brightest one we could see a face with a smile! I kid you not.
We began to check other pictures and we have seen the happy face in other orbs.
When my oldest daughter was around 2 she began telling me about the shiny balls of light that she would sometimes see in her room. She told me that the angels were in these and that they would "smile at her". She said the angels would arrive in the balls and then the ball would disappear as the angel appeared.
I had forgotten about this until we saw the smile in the orb. I even taped her telling me about these happy balls of light when she was around 3 1/2 (1992) And at that time in my life I had never heard of orbs so none of us were talking about it.
I also remember when I was about 3 or 4 seeing a ghostly apparition of a child but I could only see him from the waist up and I remember describing him as being in a circle of swirling mist. My sister also saw him the same way.
We saw him nightly and didn't think much about it until we were older and comparing notes of the events.
I definitely believe that orbs are some type of spirit. Your daughter has lovely playful energy so I am not surprised that a smiling little orb would want to join her!
of the orbs themselves, i tend to follow knight's assessment of their being our own light – maybe that comes from my own experience with NDE/OBE –
but i also think that there may be some orbs that have a different etiology –
this photo of megan is phenomenal! and perhaps a point that certain people do attract more of the unexplainable just by their receptivity and openness to such experiences –
while this story does not involve the orbs of which you speak here, your mentioning your mother's having seen your father's initials on the window reminded me of what i saw many moons ago –
i must have been about 12 years old at the time and we were living in winnfield louisiana across the street from my paternal grandmother – winnfield is a small little "courthouse square" southern town where everyone knows everyone else –
in any event, my grandmother and aunts were discussing the death of a lady who had died at her home and whose family planned a home wake – but, just after her death [in her own bed], there appeared on her bureau/dresser mirror an image – an image in color – it was an exact image of the lady as she lay in her deathbed – on the mirror –
all of which left the family in a state of concern as to whether or not they should still have the wake at home – and by then, word of this "miracle" had spread to my grandmother's home where it was the subject of conversation –
i was somehow allowed to attend the wake and will never forget it – the casket was set up in the living room – the house was full of people and after paying respects in the living room, we were allowed to view the mirror in the woman's bedroom –
there it was, a big round mirror in a wooden frame and in the center of the mirror was the colored image of this lady as she lay in bed – funny how i remember the colors of pink and lavender – some people went up to the mirror and tried to rub the image off but it didn't budge –
it was the talk of town for a long time afterward – i don't remember ever hearing that the image had faded or gone away – but it certainly has not faded from my own memory –
on orbs, I am still a skeptic for sure. In my urban exploration, I've seen a TON of orbs in flash photos of dusty places (sand mines, etc) that there's no reason to think would be infested with hundreds of spirits.
I guess I can't rule out that SOME orbs might be something else, but … very unlikely.