Orbs: Photographic Evidence of the Paranormal or Dust Particles?

I like to believe that in death, our souls transform into pure energy and departs from our physical bodies. Imagine being able to explore the universe or check in on our loved ones in an eyeless blink! The possibility that we only get one life and we cease to exist after death, is difficult to cope with. It's only natural that we would hope there's more... and maybe there is. Believing in a spirit world - the idea that the departed are among us, is a belief in the existence of ghosts. Whether you believe in ghosts or don't believe in ghosts, is not the purpose of this article. What you accept as evidence or proof of the spirit world, is the actual subject at hand.

Orbs have been the subject of much debate among paranormal investigators. Unfortunately, lots of people believe that orbs are proof positive of ghosts or spirit energy despite that the notion has been repeatedly and thoroughly debunked. Orbs are typically small, white in color, circular, semi-transparent blobs in still photographs. There may be one, there may be several per photograph. They are not visible to the naked eye which is why you will not see one until you review the picture you snapped last night. People often believe they see faces, (sometimes recognizable faces) within the orbs. This photographic anomaly has increased in frequency as a result of the use of digital cameras.

So, what are orbs anyway? It appears there are several possibilities. Airborne dust is the most likely culprit, while insects and water vapor/moisture are also very possible. Several conditions must be met before an orb can magically appear in a photograph. Para.Science's investigation revealed that first, the camera's flash must be used. Second, "Airborne material must be located within a few centimeters of the camera lens and the material must also be within a narrow range of angles relative to the lens center axis for the material to be able to reflect the light from the flash into the lens." Para.Science, through an exhaustive series of tests, was able to debunk this anomaly as paranormal. Despite this proof and many other debunking successes made by other organizations and professionals, people continue to believe that orbs are evidence of the spirit world. Thank you The Discovery Channel, for being one of the few entertainment channels that admits to this silly misconception.

Perpetuating myths does a huge disservice to legitimate scientists who are trying to prove or disprove the existence of an after life. Self-deception doesn't help the psyche. If you are a believer who is seeking the truth, at least have some common sense and practice skepticism, it is your sharpest tool for the job.

Sources:
http://www.parascience.org.uk/articles/orbkill.htm
http://www.yourdiscovery.com/paranormal/ghost_hunting/orbs/index.shtml
http://www.ghostorbs.com/ (image borrowed from here)
http://www.ghostresearch.org/ghostpics/fake/orbs.html
http://ghoststudy.com/a_what_are_orbs.html
http://www.moonslipper.com/ghostlightsandorbs.html

Orbs--paranormal or easily explained?

One question that always sparks some interest as well as debate is the existence of orbs. While there are many believers to the theory that orbs resemble a doorway into the unknown, skeptics maintain that orbs have nothing at all to do with the paranormal. Although much has been written both for and against the existence of orbs, there are still many unanswered questions as to what exactly orbs are and whether or not they actually exist.
At http://ghoststudy.com/main/fakepageorbs.html, which is based in Sacramento, California, these advocates do their best at explaining the reasons behind the life of orbs. Orbs are described as being fast moving, floating balls of light; the light ranges in strength of its luminescence as well as its size. The orbs are believed to be either spirits of the deceased or a whole separate life form. Although these advocates recognize the fact that many of the so-called orbs seen in pictures, for instance, can be explained as being false-positives, they give several tell-tale signs that prove their existence. When viewing a photograph, one should look for a bright, vibrating ball of light; apparently, these are more likely to be real than faded ones. The less the amount of orbs, the better; multiple “orbs” in a photo can usually be better explained as dust motes. Also, when looking into the authenticity of orbs, another key element is usually whether or not the orb leaves a slight trail within the photograph.
The other take on orbs is that not only are they not paranormal, but they are also nonexistent and can, in fact, easily be explained. Troy Taylor, a skeptic who is both the author of the “Ghost Hunter’s Guidebook” as well as the president of the American Ghost Society, has an entire webpage dedicated to disproving the life of orbs. He has done several studies on the existence of orbs and has reported both his findings and views online. At http://www.prairieghosts.com/trouble.html, Taylor begins by saying that orbs are not unexplained phenomena. Before the existence of digital cameras, orbs were virtually unheard of. He believes that a majority orbs can be seen with the naked eye, and when they do apparently show up in photographs, it can usually be blamed on either having been taken by low resolution, low pixel cameras or as a result of a refraction of light from the camera lens. He also gives examples of many semi-microscopic particles that can cause these so-called orbs to appear, including dust, moisture, and hair, just to name a few. Taylor also maintains that although there are pictures containing orbs that have been taken at haunted places, they show up literally all over the place.
In close, the existence of orbs cannot be entirely discounted. After doing some research on this topic, both the advocates and skeptics of these floating balls of light make valid points on their existence and nonexistence. And although many of these so-called orbs that appear in photographs are easily explained by something else, as a believer in paranormal activity, and a possessor of some of these photographs, there is always room left for the unexplainable.