What Are Orbs?

Orbs, light anomalies, globes, spheres, globules, call them whatever you like because if ever there was a subject that has caused contention amongst Paranormal Researchers, then the subject of orbs must be right up there at the top of the list.

In the past decade, the digital photography boom has resulted in an abundance of these strange light anomalies. Although most often caught on digital equipment, orbs have also been captured on 35mm cameras and video. Some people argue that the reason they seem to be captured more often on digital is that we are able to instantly review the shots taken, whereas 35mm film is examined by developers prior to the final prints being handed over. The developer may well have viewed photographs of orbs as being faulty and simply removed the shot completely and rejecting it.

So what exactly are orbs?

Well let's start with what they look like. Most orbs - as their name suggests - are round. Some are perfectly circular, and others more irregular. Paranormal Researchers have seen many colours of orbs, but the most common appear to be white, grey, blue, orange, and black. They come in a variety of sizes and opacity, some with a dense centre and translucent and hazy outer edge, and some with a definite outer edge and a transparent centre. Some orbs have what looks like a pattern or nucleus in their centre. Orbs are often photographed with a bright trail of light suggesting rapid movement and when captured on camcorders, can appear to move erratically or with what seems to be a predetermined passage. They are sometimes captured singly, or as part of a cluster.

Which brings us back to the subject of what they are.....

The current standing is that orbs are the Basic Spirit Form (BSF), and the first stage of a ghost manifestation. It is widely accepted that there are four stages of a ghost manifestation:-

Energy Genesis or Orbs
Energy Vortex - Often captured as coils of light or cylindrical tubes
Ectoplasmic Formation - Often captured as a white, grey, or blueish swirling mist, smoke like in appearance
Full Manifestation/Materialisation

There is no conclusive evidence to date that suggests a stage 1 manifestation can communicate with the living on any level, as it is deemed to have insufficient energy. Evidence suggests that communication is possible with a stage 2 manifestation, although tactual phenomena and scents are believed to only be possible with a ghost in the 3rd or 4th stage of manifestation.

Sceptics have a very different opinion of orbs. Their current standing is that orbs are a result of light refractions on the camera lens, moisture in the air, airborne dust particles, or even digital pixel fall out. Even the proximity of the flash to the lens has been blamed for these strange anomalies. Pixel fall out as an explanation can be challenged by orbs that have been captured partially behind a person or object.

In FujiFilm's official website, orbs are 'explained' as being blurred images of dust particles, typically grey in colour. This does not explain why orbs are captured in many different colours as mentioned before, or why some are captured in motion on camcorder footage.

Whatever the consensus, there does appear to be a high correlation between haunted locations and the appearance of orbs.

The jury is still out on the subject, so until there is a satisfactory explanation, the research continues.

For full reports on some of the Investigations Hawick Paranormal have been on please visit our official website - www.freewebs.com/hawickparanormal

In it's archaic meaning, the term 'ghost' refers to the animus or disembodied soul of the departed. Followers of Spiritualism believe that ghosts are souls of the earth trapped on Earth because they are unaware that they are dead, have unfinished business to attend to, or are in a state of confusion.

Frederic WH Myers- a founder of the Society for Psychical Research in London, defined ghosts as "A manifestation of persistent personal energy, or an indication that some kind of force is being exercised after death which is in some way connected with a person previously known on Earth."

These are just some of the definitions of ghosts.


The word ghost is generally used to describe something we cannot explain. The term is usually used for an entity which is mostly invisible to the naked eye and which appears to behave against all rules of current scientific understanding and logic. It is generally accepted in the field of Paranormal research, that ghosts fall into several categories, each with their own characteristics.

Here are some examples:-

ONCE SENTIENT GHOSTS

Ghosts of humans and animals that once lived.

INANIMATE GHOSTS

Ghosts of objects that have never been sentient.

POLTERGEISTS

Location based Poltergeists are usually centered on a specific site

Person based Poltergeists are centred on a specific person who is the focus of it's attention

Poltegeists are mischievous and often malevolent Spirits or energy that is characterised by noises, moving or throwing of objects and general physical disturbances

DOPPELGANGERS

Human, animal and inanimate doppelgangers. Sometimes called doubles, vardogers, or bi-locators. These are entities who take on the physical appearance of someone living.

TIMESLIPS

Retrocognitive Timeslip - Where the percipients witness experiences from the past as if they were actually physically there

Precognitive Timeslip - Where the percipients witness experiences from the future.

ELEMENTAL GHOSTS

Intelligent entities that have never been sentient. These entities are born from bad or negative energy, or turbulent or depraved actions. The most primitive of ghosts, they are often malevolent and unpredictable.

MISCELLANEOUS GHOST PHENOMENA

All Phenomena which cannot be categorised in the above ways


These are the seven categories of ghosts. Below is some explanation of the characteristics of their appearance.



INTERMITTENT GHOSTS

These ghosts behave in no particular or obvious pattern. There may be several sightings in one day and then nothing for weeks or months after.

CYCLIC GHOSTS

These ghosts cause phenomena to occur at specific or regular times, usually at the same time of day or the same day each week.

ANNIVERSARY GHOSTS

Ghosts which cause phenomena to occur on a day that was important to them during their lifetime.

REACTIVE GHOSTS

Ghosts described as reactive, cause phenomena to occur as a reaction to actions taken by the living. They can cause phenomena to occur as a result of renovations to property that they had a strong connection with in their lifetime, the removal of items from the ghosts previous home, or in response to the livings emotional state of mind.

ONE OFF GHOSTS

These ghosts can cause phenomena to occur on the one occasion without there being any obvious or apparent reason.

CIRCULATIVE GHOSTS

Ghosts described as circulative are reputed to haunt several locations.

WANDERING GHOSTS

These ghosts have been sighted at different locations, but do not have a circulative pattern of haunting.

Ghosts also have personality and awareness characteristics.

CONCIOUS ghosts appear to interact with the living. They show signs of intelligence, and are just as aware of us as we are of them. CONCIOUS ghosts can often communicate with the living through the help of a medium or by using a ouija board. They can often interact physically with the living by making physical contact such as tappi