The 'Orbs' Phenomenon

© Brian Allan

Word count: 2,293

Authors note:

It is not my intention to upset or offend anyone with deeply held religious beliefs; this article is a serious attempt to quantify an alleged phenomenon often found and photographed at the site of paranormal happenings. I am also aware that many of the subjects touched upon are extremely complex but due to considerations of brevity, they not covered in great detail.

One of the most recent manifestations to enter the bizarre world of the paranormal is the phenomenon of 'Orbs', small, floating spheres that frequently appear on videotapes and photographs taken at the scene of allegedly 'haunted' locations. It is difficult to establish a definite timeline for this manifestation, but they appear have become relatively common only in the past twenty years or so. Sceptics refuse to accept their existence at all, attributing the abundant photographic evidence to light reflected off particles of airborne dust, fog, smoke, flying insects, or alternatively, dirty lenses and camera malfunctions. While in certain cases some or all of these explanations may be possible, they do not furnish all the answers. Another point raised by doubters is the claim that there is no clear, proven link between orbs and paranormal phenomena, but in the course of this article I shall attempt to demonstrate that this is not necessarily the case. The sceptical view also suggests that if alleged energy in the form of a 'soul' leaves the body at the time of death, then (a) could it be photographed? And (b) if it could be photographed, would it appear as an 'orb'? These two points are reasonable and deserve an answer because they open up an extremely difficult and fascinating paradigm regarding the reality, nature and substance of the soul.

What is Spirit?

Of necessity this requires that we briefly examine the nature of the soul and begin by accepting that the soul is a reality and not some fictional device invented by the early church fathers to justify their interpretation of mankind's spiritual link with God. Traditional teaching tells us that the soul is not ours per se; it is in effect an immortal gift from God given at birth and upon death it leaves its earthbound husk and returns to its effective and original 'owner'. Incidentally, according to the biblical tradition of the Old Testament, the original gift of a soul to human beings was also the reason that the former archangel, Lucifer, was expelled from heaven for refusing to accept that human beings were now partly angelic in nature. While respecting traditional religious considerations, is it also reasonable to argue that the soul could be defined as a facet of consciousness? Because if it is, then very recent developments in quantum physics indicate that consciousness is not some notional abstract construct that is a purely a by-product of brain function, but exists in its own right. Indeed, quantum science is inching inexorably towards the conclusion that like matter, consciousness in its most fundamental form, like more tangible examples of reality, consists of sub-atomic particles. If this is the case then consciousness and/or the soul is a purely electromagnetic (EM) function and is therefore energy in some form.

Leaving theoretical considerations aside for the moment, there are more practical aspects to deal with; returning to point (a). Since it is normally the case that orbs are not visible to the naked eye and either appear only on photographs after the event or, on a television monitor in real time when viewed through a video camera, then they must operate in a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, it also follows that if they can be seen and also reflect light they are therefore capable of being photographed. Point (b) asks if energy would necessarily appear as an orb or sphere? Since EM energy in the form of plasma normally manifests as a sphere due to the polarity of the sub-atomic particles of which it is composed then it is entirely possible that it would. This reason may also be valid for the spherical nature of ball lightening.

The Alternatives

Among paranormal researchers there have been several plausible reasons proffered attempting to explain them, some bizarre in the extreme, but as with the sceptics so far none of them appear to supply all the answers. From the suggestions offered, two of the most popular indicate that they may be either 'psychic energy' in the form of disembodied souls, or devices sent from other dimensions; both explanations have their attractions. The hypothesis that they are intangible remnants of the dead is the one most often put forward by mediums and psychics. This explanation credits orbs with a degree of inherent intelligence and purpose and suggests that they are in effect discrete entities. Some psychics even go so far as to suggest that rather than intrinsically sentient, the orbs themselves are functionally inanimate fragments of energy and only serve as building blocks used by 'spirits' to materialise in our reality. This particular explanation transfers the notion of sentience and rationality to spirit, a concept we will return to later.

The technology based definition of orbs suggests that they are a variety of machine, a species of remote sensing device sent here directly from an alternate universe, tunnelling their way through subspace to act as both observers and markers for 'entry portals'. Once again the originators of this type of orb are assumed to be altruistic with the ultimate well being of humanity as their ultimate goal. Evidently our distant cousins are intent on preventing, once again, our total annihilation from some impending catastrophe between 2001 and 2004. This 'end times' justification is far from new and is merely a variation on older, more traditional 'space brother' notions espoused by George Adamski, George Hunt-Williamson, et all. This opinion also holds that there are different varieties of orb, each with its own distinct function. Examples of this are allegedly demonstrated by the range of orb shapes and colours, tetrahedron orbs, orbs with 'tails' and orbs without tails. As a pre-requisite this requires both a belief in the 'Extra Terrestrial Hypothesis' (ETH) and acceptance of a variety of technology as yet totally alien and unknown to us. While it is only too easy to dismiss claims like these as delusional nonsense, we should bear in mind that in the circumstances they are as valid as any other and illustrate a genuine attempt to rationalise a phenomenon into a form acceptable to those who perhaps find the idea of 'spirit' equally nonsensical.

Fortunately, the ET view is not entirely without precedent; several years ago, a respected American researcher John A. Keel in his thought-provoking book 'Operation Trojan Horse' suggests that rather than UFO's being a purely extraterrestrial phenomenon they originate from other continuums. He called them 'Ultraterrestrials' and suggested that reports of a range of colours displayed by UFO's, from blue to red, may indicate that they are 'warping' or travelling through our range of visible light, i.e. beyond ultraviolet to below infra red and vice versa. We only see them when they occasionally stop and become visible within our limited range of perception. This in itself opens up another range of questions regarding what may or may not exist outwith our limited range of senses. Although we use instruments to detect these invisible frequencies, we cannot physically 'see' what lies there. How would we interpret images that came from, say, the microwave or gamma end, what would we see and how would our untutored brains make sense of this?

Quantum Realities

Once again this concept touches upon ideas currently being explored in quantum science, particularly 'Membrane Theory' (M-Theory). The mathematics of M-Theory, which is a spin off from 'Superstring Theory' suggest that there may be an eleventh dimension containing an infinite number of realities or 'branes', ranging from the impossibly small to the prodigiously large. Each of these 'branes' is a complete universe in its own right and perhaps even contains its own set of unique physical laws. It is also possible that these 'membrane realities' exist literally inches from our own, but totally invisible to us because they exist at a different frequency. This is a variation on the same physical law that prevents us from falling through a chair when we sit on it, or indeed falling through the very earth beneath our feet. Each physical object, irrespective of what it is, is composed of atoms and an entire zoo of exotic, subatomic particles that comprise them. In effect, objects at a subatomic level, and our chair is a case in point, consist of more space than solids, the reason that we do not fall through is because we exist at the same frequency they do, it's that simple and this is not theory this is proven fact. How does this combine with the concept of spirit and especially orbs? The answer once again lies in the invisible realm of sub-atomic particles and the cutting edge discipline of quantum science.

This branch of science, although sharing the mantle scientific respectability, has struggled to gain acceptance from within the long established bastions of Newtonian principles that have served rationalist science for millennia. However, with recent advances in technology that allows proof of these theories to be established, mainstream science has no choice other than to accept the inherent unpalatable premise of apparent impossibilities. Many of the concepts within this incredibly complex discipline are every bit as abstract as those encountered in paranormal research. For example, the 'Many Worlds Theory,' which states that during any give event every possible outcome happens simultaneously, or the concept of the 'superstate' (an aspect of 'The Observer Effect') in which nothing becomes real until it is observed, are but two. Perhaps at the most fundamental level of all it becomes increasingly obvious that absolutely everything is inexorably interconnected, a view held by eastern beliefs and admirably expressed it the book, 'The Tao of Physics'. On a more accessible level, this itself is not as implausible as it may first appear; if, for example, for over two millennia mankind has for the most part unquestioningly accepted the existence of an institutionalised, invisible, supernatural entity, existing outwith time and space viz. God, then other, alternative beliefs may seem reasonable. It may also be reasonable to extract strands from both camps and blend them together with quantum physics in an attempt to explain the phenomenon. Returning to the earlier point about intelligence and spirit, if as has been suggested, orbs are not in themselves intelligent and serve only as the raw material of spirit manifestations, then perhaps their manipulation indicates a hitherto unsuspected understanding of the reality of 'spirit' and with it implications of an intelligence that survives death. This also raised issues regarding the nature of consciousness and intelligence, the two are not necessarily synonymous although in the case of spirit survival it appears that they are. Perhaps it also opens a doorway into our understanding of consciousness itself, if as has now been suggested, consciousness is not a purely abstract concept and can exist remotely from the brain and outside the confines of the skull, then this must surely also indicate the possibility of spirit as a physical reality.

Capturing images of Orbs

Turning now to the method by which images of orbs are captured, one of the main elements common to the majority of 'orb photographs' is the type of camera used to capture the images, i.e. the use of digital photography. Traditionally, photographs were taken using conventional analogue cameras using photographic film that converted the images focussed upon it into a chemical reaction on the emulsion of the film itself. However, in the case of digital photographs, the images viewed through the lens are converted into electronic impulses, stored in the memory of the camera and later downloaded via a computer programme and printer. We should also consider the possibility that since the image is not normally seen at the time the photograph is taken; perhaps the image is not captured directly via the lens at all, but at the atomic level directly affecting the integrated circuits and processors that comprise the mechanism. It is perhaps here that the apparently ability of digital cameras to readily gather images of orbs lies. However, we should be clear that pictures of orbs have also been captured using conventional cameras, but not to the extent of digital devices. It has also reported that orbs have been glimpsed by the naked eye, but this event happens very seldom indeed, so rarely in fact that for our purposes we should perhaps discount it.

While no one is absolutely sure of the composition of orbs, it is reasonable to assume that they are forms of residual electromagnetic energy. If this indeed the case and since it is frequently noted that electronic equipment malfunctions at allegedly 'haunted' locations and these cameras function electronically, there may be a natural affinity between the two. I can personally vouch for this phenomenon having witnessed it several times during case investigations and evaluations. Measurements of ambient electrical and magnetic fields, both natural and artificial, at these locations frequently show higher levels of EM energy than is normal in standard background levels and this may also contribute to the phenomenon. Whilst the use of digital photography has vastly increased the number of images of orbs, as with images of ghosts and other examples of 'spirit', their appearance cannot be guaranteed, although statistically the likelihood is greater. While the argument about orbs indicating the presence of paranormal phenomena continues unabated, we would do well to remember an old aphorism stating that for believers no proof is necessary, and for non-believers no proof is sufficient.