What are Ghosts & Orbs? by J.Eaton
The below statement is evidence based on the knowledge that is presently known concerning these things. Yes, ghosts are real and they do share space with us in this life although in a different realm of existence. Orbs are also believed to be ghosts of people as well as other life forms.
Orbs are believed (by many) to be ghosts in the form of balls of light. They are life forms that travel in groups and are believed to be the human soul or life force of those that once inhabited a physical body here on earth. Psychics claim to talk to them on a regular basis, and ghost hunters encounter them quite frequently. It is said that they are those spirits that have willingly stayed behind because they feel bound to their previous life or previous location for whatever reason. Because of this obsession they tend to become similar to a psychotic human beings. It should be said that the majority of us when we die proceed gladly and willingly to the next level of existence after saying our quiet good-byes, which means we're off to the spirit world. Then again, as stated, a select few elect to stay behind because of a refusal to move on. Apparently the longer they stay behind, the harder it is to find their way to the next level, which again, is the spirit world.
Ghostly orbs are the most photographed anomalies caught on film by ghost hunters and are quite photogenic (when they want to be). They can be completely transparent or display themselves in a bright solid form. It is not hard to capture them on film in their circular form. It is theorized that ghosts prefer the form of an Orb (ball of light) because it takes less energy thus being the mode of choice among the ghosts. The consensus is that small orbs take up the least amount of energy and apparitions and other fuller shapes take up the most. In the colder parts of the year, it seems that ghosts tend to find it easier to take on shapes other than orbs. That's when there is the most static electricity in the atmosphere. Those months being October through February. It is also believed that they are able to draw on our own energy when needed. I've listed these ways but there are obviously many ways for ghosts to draw energy from the atmosphere and environment but I won't take the time for that here.
If you're wondering, ghosts are normally harmless for the most part and have relatively no desire to bring harm to anyone nor do they have much of an awareness to act as such. Ghosts however, have been known to disrupt the lives of those that they effect and play pranks and move things about. To state it plainly, they are actually limited in the activities that they are able to carry out in their frame of existence. Non-human forms as well as evil spirits and demons, who have never had a body, have additional powers and have the ability to sway our thoughts and tempt our reasoning. This is why Ouija boards and other similar devices should be shunned! They have the ability to open windows into other realms of existence and can attract evil or bad spirits. If you are experiencing what you consider to be the effects of an evil spirit or demon in your life then it could be the location where you are living, but you must also consider your life style as well. In other words, how you are living or the activities that you involve yourself in that might inadvertently be drawing them to you.
I might also mention a word or two about spirits in this forum. First of all, as I have alluded to earlier, ghosts and spirits are not quite the same. Spirits are capable of continuing a full existence on the other side with their full mental and emotional facilities intact, unlike their counterpart the ghost. You will most likely not encounter a spirit on a ghost hunt as you would a ghost. When they are detected, it is believed that their appearance might be in the form of ectoplasm mist, as well as a full bodied apparitions. They are permitted to visit on occasion and even communicate a message when they have permission to do so but for the most not they will not be picked up on any ghost detection devices or be photographed by any cameras (for the most part). Many believe that we have spirits assigned to watch over us, and that might very well be true but you won't normally be detecting them unless they have a special purpose in making there presence known. In other words Spirits (not ghosts) seem to have a finer spirit tissue that is for the most part undetectable.
There are other theories concerning ORBS. I have in the past heard such theories that orbs might simply be Nature spirits or Airborne protoplasm as you would find under a microscope, except far more advanced.
Other types of ghostly phenomenon are the vortex (funnel shaped appearance) and Ectoplasm (it has a mist or foggy appearance) also called Ecto Mist. These are often picked up on film and video as well but are much more rare. I'm not making any determinations to their origin but welcome any of your opinions on the subject.
J. Eaton

http://www.ghoststudy.com/a_what_are_orbs.html

What are Orbs? by Cambridge Paranormal Research Society

 

What are orbs? Are they the early manifestation of a spirit or do they have a more rational explanation?
Orbs are small round shapes of light that vary in size, brightness and density. With the increasing popularity of digital cameras orbs have become the most popular photographic anomaly recorded to date. Here at the CPRS we have seen thousands of photographs captured by ourselves and submitted by members of the public. We are of the firm opinion that an extremely high percentage of all orb related photographs are of a natural origin and not related to spirit.
A natural explanation.
Most of the orb photographs out there have been captured with the use of digital cameras and nearly always with the use of the cameras built in flash.
Only very rarely are they caught with SLR cameras with high mounted flash units or in natural daylight conditions with out any the use of an artificial light source.

The main reasons for this is the sensitivity of the CCD technology used with digital cameras and the use of an artificial light source close to the camera lens. Dust may contain moulds, fibres, and dander from dogs, cats, and other animals, as well as tiny dust mites. Dust particles close in to the camera focal range are the normal culprits for most orb photographs.
When a digital photograph is taken using the flash any airborne particles within the focal range and focal angle of the camera lens are illuminated by the flash and reflected back to the lens. As they are so close to the lens they are out of focus and therefore appear often as translucent blobs. The shape of the orb, normally round is due to the particular aperture type of the camera being used. Virtually every kind of indoor environment will contain an amount of dust in the air. Any movement in a building will cause the dust to circulate and carry on the streams of air caused by natural draughts, air condition units or central heating.
Dust itself is does not have a particular reflective quality and therefore it will be only the odd particle within the cameras focal field and angle at the time the flash goes off that will be picked up. Moisture particles are a lot more reflective and by taking photographs outside at night with flash on a night of high humidity will also give the appearance of an abundance of orbs on your photographs.

http://www.cambridgeparanormal.co.uk/orbs.html

What are Orbs? from Shadowseekers.co.uk
Orbs appear in photographs as small spheres of light. They range is size and vary in transparency and color. Many groups will claim that orbs are ghosts and restless spirits, proof of the haunted state of the location where they were photographed. Several groups even claim a correspondence between an orbs color and the emotions and intent of the spirit-orb being photographed. The truth is, there is little to no evidence that suggests orbs are spirits or ghosts in any way. We tend to lean towards the explanation that orbs are nothing more than naturally occurring particles photographed by today's highly sensitive cameras. Before digital cameras found there way into every household, orb photos were extremely rare. Have you ever seen an orb photo from the 70's or 80's? Probably not. In fact, low end and first run digital cameras are very likely the cause of this "paranormal" phenomenon.

Digital cameras are the latest and hottest invention, and many groups will tell you that they are perfect for ghost hunting. Rumors abound that digital cameras are capable of photographing the infra-red spectrum, and because of this, will allow you to photograph ghosts..ghosts in the form of orbs. And since many digital shots contain these round anomalies, at first glance such statements may seem true. In fact, the highly sensitive lens of a digital camera will photograph not only the object you are intending to shoot, but any dust, dirt or moisture in the air. When a camera engages it's flash, light reflects of everything in the lens' view..including the particles in the air. Also, the digital imaging chips in digital cameras vary from those in standard film cameras. When these chips try to function in a low light setting, they will often be incapable of recording the entire range of the lens' view, and any gaps in the pixels will show up in the picture as white circles. In fact, the recent debate on orbs has prompted a response and explanation from film industry giant FUJI Films A simple experiment to aid in proving this theory would be to shake out a rug in your living room then snap a pic with a digital camera. You most likely will have several orbs in the photo. Also, look closely at a beam of sunlight that shines through a nearby window. In the sun's beam, you will see several tiny molecules of dirt and dust moving randomly in the air. It is these particles that are often illuminated by the intense light of a camera flash and then captured by the camera's lens

As you look from group to group and encounter orb photo after orb photo, you will encounter a variety of theories and defenses for the "evidence" many groups so ardently defend. Some will claim that no dust or dirt was present when they photographed a particular orb. The truth is, the only dust free environment known to man exists in outer space, and a simple breath is capable of stirring up dirt and debris in the air. Some groups will claim that an orb is a spirit because it looks different form one that they admit is dust. In fact, dust particles look vastly different from snow particles, which look different from rain particles, which look different from dirt molecules. Thus, you can have several orbs in a photo, each looking quite different from the other, yet none being anything paranormal in nature. The color of particles in the air can be altered by atmospheric conditions and moisture, thus helping to explain the varying colors of orbs. Many investigators will claim that because the orb was capture in a reportedly haunted location, it must be evidence of a ghost. By that logic, a picture taken of a man in the same location would mean that the man was also a ghost.

http://www.shadowseekers.org/orbs.html

The Gauss Master

The Gauss Master EMF Meter is the ghost hunters EMF meter of choice.

Hand-held, lightweight and durable, with an easy to read scale (0-10 mG), and audio signal. It can also measure between 0.1 -1mG by holding in the button on the side of the unit. A Great meter for demonstrating the presence of dangerous EMFs as well as for paranormal work. Requires one 9V battery (not included). Calibrated at 50-60 Hz.

This EMF meter is an excellent introduction to ghost detection equipment. This is the same item as used and featured in UK Living Most Haunted Program. Put your mind at rest, perform professional investigations: we are not all born with the natural ability to detect ghosts! .

This meter measures the level of EMF magnetic field radiation from power lines, computers, kitchen appliances, and more! The easy to read scale, unique built-in audio signal and auto shut-off make it simple to use and a great way to find hidden sources of EMF frequency magnetic fields.
Includes a useful introduction to Ghost Hunting with EMF meters. You will also have fun taking readings with the EMF meter, of signals that surround us during everyday life. Most experts agree that chronic exposure to more than 2.5 milli-Gauss is inadvisable. This meter will show you which areas are above or below 2.5 milli-Gauss in the 50 - 60 Hz

http://gaussmaster.com

What are Orbs? by Dave Juliane

What are these balls of transparent light we find in photos taken in allegedly haunted places? I won't tell you I know the answer to this question. No one has the true answer to this question yet, but that's part of the job of researchers and investigator.

One of the leading theories concerning what orbs are and the one that I lean towards the most is that they are not the spirit at all. The orb is the energy being transferred from a source (i.e. powerlines, heat energy, batteries, people, etc) to the spirit so they can manifest. This may not even be a conscious thing the spirit is doing, just a natural way they get their energy. This would explain why the orbs are round balls. According to the laws of Physics energy being transferring like that would assume is natural shape of a sphere. This theory can also be tied into the EMF readings we get during spirit activity.

I always approach things with a bit of skepticism, so when I saw all these websites start showing off these photos as ghosts, I was just as weary as most of you. I just had to try it for myself. I took a 35mm camera that I had used regularly for 6 years in all types of lighting and weather and had never gotten an orb or other unexplainable photo before and went out with a few seasoned field investigators on a cemetery investigation. One of the investigators was psychic and she pointed out a few areas we should take photos, so I did. I also had ghost footsteps walkup behind me twice and I turned around quickly and took photos of the empty air. When I got my photos developed, I had these orbs and fog in those photos that I was told to take, as well as the footstep ones. All my other photos were normal. Coincidence?

Since we do not know what orbs truly are, just that they seem to be found mainly in areas where there is ghost activity, I will tell you what they are not. On a normal investigation there are about 10 people using 10 different cameras, 35mm and digital, and many speeds and brands of film. They all get their film developed at separate places. Let's say only half of these investigators get some orb photos. Are these water spots or dirt on the lens? That would mean that 5 people all had similar dirt on their lens and all 5 did not clean their lens either. Are these orbs film processing errors? Well the 35mm cameras all had their film developed in different locations and used different film so that is very unlikely. The digital cameras can't have film-processing errors. I am aware that some people feel that the orbs on a digital camera are an error in the digital processing of the image. When that error does occur in digital photos, the objects tend to be square in nature, not round and they cannot be semi-transparent, the pixel behind would have to be corrupted also. I will not even address the precipitation theory, no legitimate researchers takes photos in any form of precipitation. What about dust and dirt being stirred up? Can that be the cause of the orbs? If that were the case, I would think that there would not be normal photos in a sequence of photos from the same camera and location. All of the shots in a sequence should have the dust or dirt in it. We find that most orb photos do not appear in consecutive photos. All photographers present should get orbs if it is dust being stirred up as well.

These are just a few things for the skeptics to think of when they are condemning an orb photo as a fake or fraud and some things for investigators to consider when checking their photos for positives.

http://theshadowlands.net/ghost/orbs.htm

Ouija Boards

History
The use of talking boards has roots in the modern Spiritualism movement that began in The United States in the mid-nineteenth century. Methods of divination at that time used various ways to spell out messages, including swinging a pendulum over a plate that had letters around the edge or using an entire table to indicate letters drawn on the floor. Often used was a small wooden tablet supported on casters. This tablet, called a planchette, was affixed with a pencil that would write out messages in a fashion similar to automatic writing. It should be noted that many of these methods predate modern Spiritualism.

During the late 1800s, planchettes were widely sold as a novelty. In 1890, businessmen Elijah Bond and Charles Kennard had the idea to patent a planchette sold with a board on which the alphabet was printed, and thus had invented the first Ouija board. An employee of Kennard, William Fuld took over the talking board production and in 1901, he started production of his own boards under the name "Ouija" [1].

The Fuld name would become synonymous with the Ouija board, as Fuld reinventing its history claimed that he himself had invented it. Countless talking boards from Fuld's competitors flooded the market and all these boards enjoyed a heyday from the 1920s through the 1960s. Fuld sued many companies over the "Ouija" name and concept right up until his death in 1927. In 1966, Fuld's estate sold the entire business to Parker Brothers, who continues to hold all trademarks and patents. About 10 brands of talking boards are sold today under various names [2]. See also: Ka-Bala

How is it done?
A Ouija board is operated by one or more users. They place the planchette on the board and then rest their fingers on the planchette. The users start moving the planchette around the board and speaking to the entity (or entities) they wish to summon; They then begin asking questions of it. Eventually the planchette will come to rest on one letter after another, spelling out a message. Often an additional participant records the messages on paper. As with automatic writing, the messages are often vague and open to interpretation, or complete gibberish.

Some talking boards have words or phrases written on them to simplify the interpretation of the messages. Tarot, zodiac, and other esoteric symbols are frequently incorporated into talking board's design, along with dramatic and mystical artwork. Some users prefer to improvise their own Ouija board. They may use a sheet of paper with the alphabet written on it or lettered cards placed around a table, together with an object like an overturned glass or coin as the indicator. Hand-made Ouija boards produced by artists are valued by talking board enthusiasts and collectors.

Many users feel that the spirit with whom they are communicating is controlling their motions to guide their hands, spelling out messages. They see the board as a tool or medium through which they communicate with the spirit realm. These believers often take offence at the dismissal of the talking board as merely a game. Other users contend that they are in control of their own actions, but that the talking board allows communication with their inner psychic voice or subconscious.

Proponents of Ouija boards do not believe there is any harm in communicating with spiritual entities, provided basic guidelines are followed. These rules often vary from user to user, but usually include things like never playing alone, beginning and ending a séance "properly", and always using the board in "comfortable" environment. Numerous superstitions surround Ouija board use.

Skeptical view
Few people who have investigated Ouija boards from a skeptical viewpoint accept that a piece of cardboard sold as a game can conjure spirits, evil or benevolent. The accepted theory among psychologists and skeptics is that the participants are subconsciously making small, involuntary, physical movements using a well-known, and well-understood, phenomenon called the Ideomotor effect. Experiments consistently suggest that, at best, the messages are received involuntarily from the participants themselves, and, at worst, by a manipulative player, possibly with the connivance of confederates within the group present.

In some instances, users of talking boards have communicated with "ghosts" of people who were not dead, as demonstrated by the British mentalist Derren Brown in his 2004 television special Derren Brown: Séance. Skeptic and magician James Randi, in his book An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural, points out that when blindfolded, Ouija board operators are unable to produce intelligible messages. Magicians Penn & Teller performed a similar demonstration in an episode of their television show Bullshit!.

These failures indicate, as skeptics believe, that people are simply very willing to fool themselves, for example, by the Forer effect. The public (and frequently energetically flaunted) expression of native and genuine fears and subconscious desires, often concerning death or sex, while appearing genuine, can frighten impressionable people, or cause them to loosen their purse strings (or both). It is for this reason alone that many skeptics suggest that the Ouija board is best avoided, particularly when each player may not absolutely trust, or know, every other player.

Source: wikipedia

Séance

The word Seance comes from French séance, 'seat', 'session', from Old French seoir, 'to sit.' In French as in English the word came to be used specifically for a meeting of people to receive spiritualistic messages (a sense first recorded in English in 1845), but earlier in French and English the word had been used for meetings more generally.

Part of our human conditioning tells us that we are part of something more than third dimension. We envision gods, angels, guides, and others on the other side who sometimes interact in this realm. As we expand our conscious awareness - we seek to hear their messages and make a connection that is far more powerful than that in 3D. It is how we are programmed. humans have always sought to connect with their creators - who exist above this realm.

The history of seance communication can be traced back to the third century. Often a seance was connect to Occult practices brining fear to those who attended or heard about them. To many people - the concepts of spirits on the other side who wished to communicate seemed impossible often linked to Black Ceremonial Rituals and Magic and of course the Trickster. This comes from Fear of the Unknown. FEAR is part of human consciousness. As a soul group we are often ruled by our issues and fears.

It was during the 1800's that the seance became popular mainly due to the stardom of the Fox sisters who began a spiritualist movement. Spiritualism is about Life After Death - the Spirit Realms.

The Spiritualism movement began with what Allen Kardec termed typtology. Typtology is a mode of spirit communication in which spirits lift and tilt a table during a seance to produce rapping sounds. In organized seances, a number of people would sit around a table, hold hands, concentrate, and ask questions of the spirits. The spirits would then answer their questions through a series of raps, or knocks, similar to someone knocking on a door. In order to question the spirits, sometimes a simple yes or no would be indicated by a prescribed number of knocks. In another method, called alphabetical typtology, letters of the alphabet were recited and when the letter that the spirit wanted to draw attention to was called, a rap could be heard; thus spelling out words, sentences, and so on. Using this method, it was possible to hold lengthy, detailed conversations with the mysterious entities responsible for spirit-rapping.
The first recorded spirit-rapping began in America in 1848 with the playful efforts of Margaretta and Kate Fox to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Much to their astonishment, they succeeded in establishing a ghostly dialogue with the spirit of Charles Haynes. Using rapping noises as its means of communication, Hayne's spirit conveyed the message that he had been killed and buried in the basement of their home. When bones were found in their basement, what had begun as innocent fun became a sensation. From these humble beginnings, what came to be known as the Spiritualism movement took root and grew to international proportions. As a result of their spiritualistic activities, the Fox sisters were condemned and lived in constant danger. They were attacked by religious fanatics in their community, and besieged by angry mobs several times. They were also exploited, and eventually betrayed by their own sister, Leah, who was said to have been the beneficiary of most of the donations collected from those who came to the Fox sisters for spiritual counseling.

As the spiritualism movement got underway in America and Europe, the strange but well-documented manifestations of spirit communication such as spirit-rapping and seance channeling were regarded as weird and unexplainable events. The great majority of Americans and Europeans viewed it as nothing more than a bizarre form of entertainment. For those who took the spirit communications seriously, however, it quickly became apparent that something more was happening. Many of the messages received from the spirits were discovered to be quite accurate. In addition to the messages, other phenomena were being witnessed and verified by many of the most credible individuals in American and European society. By 1854, spirit-directed paranormal phenomenon had reached the level of an interdimensional invasion. Leading spiritualists in the United States decided that it was time to undertake an official investigation. The erudite and well-respected spiritualists petitioned Congress to appoint a scientific commission to investigate the perplexing paranormal phenomenon that had been witnessed by so many people.

The petition entitled 'A Memorial' described the phenomenon produced by the spirits in great detail. The object of the investigation was described in the petition as: 1) an occult force, exhibited in sliding, raising, arresting, holding, suspending, and otherwise disturbing, numerous ponderable bodies, apparently in direct opposition to the acknowledged laws of matter, and altogether transcending the accredited powers of the human mind; 2) lights of various forms and colors, and of different degrees of intensity, which appear in dark rooms, where no substances exist, which are liable to develop a chemical action or phosphorescent illumination, and in the absence of all the means and instruments whereby electricity is generated or combustion produced; 3) sounds which are extremely frequent in their occurrence, widely diversified in their character, and more or less significant in their import; and 4) how the functions of the human body and mind are often and strangely influenced in what appear to be certain abnormal states of the system, and by causes which are neither adequately defined nor understood.

This document was delivered by the former governor of Wisconsin, Nathaniel Tallmadge, to Senator James Shields to be presented before Congress. Much to the consternation of the petitioners, Shields scorned the spiritualists by saying, "the prevalence of this delusion at this age of the world, among any considerable portion of our citizens, must originate, in my opinion, in a defective system of education, or in a partial derangement of the mental faculties, produced by a diseased condition of the physical organization. I cannot, therefore, believe that it prevails to the extent indicated in this petition." Responding to Shield's criticism, Eliab Capron, a chronicler of the spiritualism movement, wrote, "It is not probable that any of the Memorialists expected more favorable treatment than they received. The carpenters and fishermen of this world are the ones to investigate new truths, and make senates and crowns believe and respect them. It is in vain to look for the reception or respect of new truths by men in high places." The widely documented and verified invasion of the spirits described above never received a plausible explanation and is still regarded as a mystery.

In the fifty years that elapsed between the publication of Kardec's books and the incorporation of the Union, the spiritualism movement declined in the United States and Europe. Numerous scandals undermined the credibility of some of its foremost proponents. By 1888, both of the Fox sisters confessed that they were cheats. In fact, both sisters had developed serious drinking problems over the years. At the behest of her sister Leah, Kate Fox's children were taken from her by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and placed in foster care. This act led to a great deal of bitterness and anger against Leah by both Margaretta and Kate. Feeling exploited and betrayed by their sister Leah, who had collected and spent the great majority of the money paid to them...Margaretta and Kate appeared publicly at the New York Academy of Music.

Margaretta confessed that she had made all the rapping noises that fostered the movement by means of a double-jointed big toe. Kate remained silent and would neither confirm nor deny the confession of her sister. It was later learned that a reporter had offered $1,500 to them if they would confess and give him an exclusive on the story. Desperate for money and liquor, the sisters apparently agreed, and then proceeded to drink their earnings away. Margaretta recanted her confession in writing shortly before she died in 1895. Kate never recanted, and died shortly afterwards. Both sisters were buried in pauper's graves.

There has been a lot of investigation concerning Spiritualism, but not about Spiritualism in general. The early and later researchers were all concerned about how to prove or disprove Spiritualistic mediums, the Spiritual world, the eventually afterlife or to explain strange phenomena's that occur during seances, or PK and telekinesis, among other related phenomena which all are claimed to rest upon spiritual or (occult) mental power.

The seances in the 19th century tended to be filled with theatrics. These seances usually took place in darkened parlors with a round table that sometimes moved.

A seance generally involves communication between the physical realms and one or more entities in other dimensions. It is also called Mediumship. A Medium is the person who contacts 'the other side.'

We live in an age when many people are connecting with those on the other side through a psychic medium - on their own - or in dream time. The seance does not have to be negative, scary or spooky.

I have acted as a 'medium' for many seances. I have personally never had a negative experience.

As a Medium I speak with deceased entities in many of my daily readings. I do not consider these experiences - seances as there is none of the fan-fare involved with what we associate with that word.

You really don't have to do 'spooky stuff' to communicate with spirits. They are around us all the time and are generally ready to communicate if someone in third dimension is able to tap into their frequency.

A group of people mentally calling to spirits will create a stronger energy field than one person. That is why people often feel that group energy is needed - called a seance.

When planning a seacne there are many factors to consider - especially with teenagers are around as their energies sometimes attract souls that are dysfunctional.

An experienced medium should be part of the group to understand the symbols and messages given by Spirits. If a medium is not present - one person should lead the group.