The term orb is the popular name given to typically circular anomalies appearing in photographs. In photography and video, orbs appear to be balls, diamonds, or smears of light with an apparent size in the image ranging from a golfball to a basketball. Orbs sometimes appear to be in motion, leaving a trail behind them.

There are two main schools of thought regarding the cause of orbs in photographs. The first school sees it as a fairly clear-cut case of flash reflection off of dust, particles, insects, or moisture droplets in the air in front of the camera, i.e. they are naturalistic. The opposing school maintains that orbs are paranormal in nature, i.e. non-naturalistic and ghost like.

Some people claim that paranormal orbs are more likely to appear in certain locales, or are attracted to human actitivities, especially those involving children. The images on the internet for those devoted to orbs are taken in graveyards, backyards, attics, and kitchens, living rooms, as well as bars, convention centers, and city streets – in short, anywhere people may be taking photos. Locations in which orbs are frequently observed are often said to be associated with other 'supernatural activity' and haunting taking place.

As orb photos may demonstrably be gained anywhere, the position of "ghost hunters" who claim orb photos are more common in allegedly haunted areas is significantly weakened. That orb photos can be gained anywhere has, however, been adopted into the position of conspiracy theorists who maintain that orbs are probes/devices being used by an alien culture to monitor human activities.

Orb photos have become so common that some ghost hunting organizations are no longer accepting submissions of them, or specifying that only "exceptional" examples be presented.

Naturalistic orbs are most commonly gained using digital cameras and built-in flash. While photographers with archives of photos report having occasionally seen "orbs" in their photos gained with film cameras, the recent rise in reports of orb photos may be directly related to the common availability of digital cameras and associated rise in the number of pictures taken.

It should be noted also that the size of the camera is another consideration in the recent proliferation of orb photos. As film cameras, and then digital cameras, have steadily shrunk in size, reports of "orbs" increased accordingly. As cameras became smaller, the distance between the lens and the built-in flash also shrank, decreasing the angle of reflection back into the lens.

There are a number of naturalistic causes for orbs in photography and videography.

• Solid orbs/dust orbs - Dry particulate matter such as dust, pollen, insects, etc.  A solid orb, or dust orb, is created because a reflective solid airborne particle, such as a dust particle, is situated near the camera lens and outside the depth of field, in other words out of focus. The pinpoint of light reflected from the dust particle that would be seen if it were at the hyperfocal distance, the distance from the film or charge-coupled device (CCD) to the object being photographed wherby the object is in focus as accurately as possible, grows into a circle of confusion with increasing distance from it.
• Liquid orbs - Droplets of liquid, usually water, e.g. rain.  A liquid orb is created because a drop of liquid, most often a rain drop, is situated near the camera lens and outside the depth of field, in other words out of focus. The pinpoint of light reflected from the drop of liquid that would be seen if it were at the hyperfocal distance, the distance from the film or CCD to the object being photographed whereby the object is in focus as accurately as possible, grows into a circle of confusion with increasing distance from it. The appearance of the circle of confusion is modified by aberrations such as chromatic aberration or coma.  Orbs are usually seen through the lens of a camera.  They are also often caused by water or water spots remaining on the negatives during photo processing. Often times simply cleaning the negative and reprinting the film will eliminate the orbs.

• Foreign material on the camera lens

• Foreign material within the camera lens

• Foreign material within the camera body

There are also orbs showing up without any "environmental" explanation i.e. no visible dust, no rain, no moisture, no snowing, no light reflections, etc. However it should be noted that dust particles are present in our environments at all times.

On a personal note, V.T.P.R. has not come to a formal conclusion as to whether "spirit orbs" are the actual ghost/spirit themselves.  We do feel that "true orbs"  are an indicator of paranormal energy and activity.  We are hoping to learn more on this phenomena through our research and investigations.

Electromagnetic energy is the movement of photons.  It encompasses a wide range of energy from radio waves, through visible light specturms, all the way to the x-rays and gamma rays.  It is everywhere and exists in everything.  We ourselves put off a EMF field constantly (as well as plants and animals).  It may also be called our aura.

Parapsychologists study a number of paranormal phenomena, including:

• Precognition: Also called premonition. Obtaining information about future events, where the information could not be inferred through normal means. Many people report dreams that appear to be precognitive.

• Clairvoyance: Sometimes called remote viewing; obtaining information about events at remote locations, beyond the reach of the normal senses.

• ESP: Extra-sensory perception; a general term for obtaining information about events beyond the reach of the normal senses. This term subsumes telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition.

• Psychokinesis: Also called PK; direct mental interaction with physical objects, animate or inanimate.

• Bio-PK: Direct mental interactions with living systems.

• NDE: Near death experience; an experience reported by those who were revived from nearly dying. Often refers to a core experience that includes feelings of peace, OBE, seeing lights and other phenomena.

• OBE: Out-of-body experience; the experience of feeling separated from the body, often accompanied by visual perceptions as though from above the body.

• Reincarnation: The belief that we live successive lives, with primarily evidence coming from the apparent recollections of previous lives by very small children.

• Haunting: Recurrent phenomena reported to occur in particular locations that include apparitions, sounds, movement of objects, and other effects.

• Poltergeist: Large-scale PK phenomena often attributed to spirits, but which are now thought to be due to a living person, frequently an adolescent.

• Psi: A neutral term for parapsychological phenomena. Psi, psychic, and psychical are synonyms.

According to the Parapsychological Association, parapsychologists do not do not study all paranormal phenomena, nor are they concerned with astrology, UFOs, Bigfoot, paganism, vampires, alchemy, or witchcraft.

The definitions for these terms may not reflect their mainstream usage, nor the opinions of all parapsychologists and their critics. Many scientists, for example, feel that parapsychologists are engaged in the study of phenomena that disappear under more stringent conditions or are otherwise normal processes.

Residual Hauntings --   A Residual haunting is thought by some to be a replayed haunting in which no intelligent ghost, spirit, or other entity is directly involved. Much like a video tape, residual hauntings are playbacks of auditory, visual, olfactory, and other sensory phenomenon which are attributed to a traumatic event, life-altering event, or a common event of a person or place, like an echo of past events.

Time Slips-- This type of haunting is most usually seen as sounds and transparent shadows.  This has been documented for years.  This may also be a type of residual haunting.  What may be occuring is actually from the past, another time in life slipping into our time.  This has yet to have much study on it. 

A time slip is an alleged paranormal phenomenon in which a person, or group of people, travel in time, without the aid of a time machine.  Reports of time slip experiences seem to date largely from the twentieth century.

Many time slip witnesses report that, at the start of their experience of the phenomena, their immediate surroundings take on an oddly flat, underlit and lifeless appearance, and normal sounds seem muffled. This is sometimes accompanied by feelings of depression and unease. In some respects, this facet of the phenomenon is similar to the Oz Factor identified by British UFO researcher Jenny Randles in some reports of encounters with supposed extraterrestrial craft.

Reports vary as to whether those experiencing time slips can take an active part in the event, interacting with the time being "visited". In the Versailles case, the two ladies were apparently seen, and spoken to, by people they saw. The French holidaymakers in 1979 went further, staying in a hotel and eating dinner and breakfast in the course of their experience. Both these cases are also unusually prolonged experiences, taking place over at least several hours.

In other cases, the subject is a passive observer of the "past" scene, and it seems that the "typical" time slip lasts only a matter of a few minutes.

Crisis Apparitions-- These are apparitions of dying or recently dead.  This is the most frequently reported apparition.  This type commonly involves one-time visits to someone with whom the apparition had close emotional ties to.  This encounter usually seems to be a type of farewell, sometimes important or useful information is passed on to the "viewer".  This is usually a visual image that appears in waking visions or dreams. 

Apparitions of the dead--  These are apparitions of people who have been dead for a while.   There are 2 types of these: 1) those that make one or several visits to someone ( they may not have known this person while alive) and 2) apparitions that linger for months or years around a particular location or person they associated with when alive.

Deathbed Apparitions-- Visual images of devine beings, religious figures, luminosity's and dead loved ones that are reported by the dying in the last moments of life.

Apparitions of the living (Bilocation/OBE)-- Also called BILOCATION or OBE (out of body experience). 

Bilocation is a term used to describe the ability/instances in which an individual or object is said to be, or appear to be, located in two distinct places at the same instant in time.

Bilocation is said to be a physical, rather than spiritual, phenomena, and a person experiencing it is supposedly able to interact with their surroundings as normal, including being able to experience sensations and to manipulate physical objects exactly as if they had arrived through natural means.  In most instances, bilocation is said to be involuntary and not to have been directed by the individual concerned in terms of time or space.

An out-of-body experience (OBE or sometimes OOBE), sometimes explained as a Wake-initiated lucid dream, is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and, in some cases, seeing one's physical body from a place outside one's body (autoscopy). About one in ten people claim to have had an out-of-body experience at some time in their lives.

In some cases the phenomenon appears to occur spontaneously; in others it is associated with a near-death experience, use of psychedelic drugs, or a dream-like state. It is possible to induce the experience deliberately, for example through visualization while in a relaxed, meditative state. Recent studies have shown that OBEs can be induced by direct brain stimulation. Relatively little is known for sure about OBEs.

The subject may have willed themselves out of their bodies or found themselves being pulled from their bodies (usually preceded by a feeling of paralysis). In other accounts, the feeling of being outside the body was something suddenly realized after the fact; the subjects saw their own bodies almost by accident.

The experience may be attended with spiritual epiphany or a more general feeling of peacefulness and love. Others have experienced fearfulness and anxiety and for some there is no direct spiritual experience other than the OBE itself.

The OBE is not generally long; on the order of a minute or so. However the subjective experience may be described as being much longer than the objective time which passed.

The OBE may or may not be followed by other experiences which are self-reported as being "as real" as the OBE feeling; alternatively, the subject may fade into a state self-reported as dreaming, or they may wake completely. The OBE is sometimes ended due to a fearful feeling of getting "too far away" from the body. Many end with a feeling of suddenly "popping" or "snapping" and sometimes a "Pulling" back into their bodies, some even report being "sucked back" into physical form.

A majority describe the end of the experience by saying "then I woke up". However it's worth noting that even those who describe the experience as something fantastic that occurs during sleep, and who describe the end of the experience by saying "and then I woke up", are very specific in describing the experience as one which was clearly not a dream; many described their sense of feeling more awake than they felt when they were normally awake. One compared the experience to that of lucid dreaming, but said that it was "more real".

People often report having these experiences after suffering from traumatic experiences such as motor vehicle accidents. They are able to recall the accident as if observing from a location outside the vehicle.

Whether the OBE reflects reality remains controversial. It is reported that some of those who recall the experience remember visiting places and people they have never been to or seen before, only to find that they in fact do exist when the individual attempts to retrace their travels physically. 

Currently there seem to be 3 main types of OBE's:

1.Initiated during/after sleep:  OBEs are often initiated through Lucid dreaming, though other types of initiation also are used. In many cases, people claim to have had an OBE, reported being asleep, on the verge of sleep, or having been asleep shortly before the experience. A large percentage of these cases referred to situations where the sleep was not particularly deep (due to illness, noises in other rooms, emotional stress, exhaustion from overworking, frequent re-awakening, etc.). In most of these cases, the subjects then felt themselves "wake up"; about half then noted a feeling of sleep paralysis.

There appear to be 2 common forms of such lucid experiences. The first involves lucid dreaming, where the subject is immersed in unrealistic worlds, or in a modified form of the reality with impossible or inconsistent features. A second experience is of a more physical nature where the environment is consistent with reality; this is often called an etheric or ethereal experience. This type can be frightening, as extremely realistic physical sensations may occur, often including magnetic and vibrating phenomena, loss of balance, and confusion. The person believes he has awoken physically and panic can be caused by the realization that limbs appear to be penetrating objects. Transition can occur between these states one or several times; this transition may feel much like awakening, including the sensation of numbness often felt on awakening.

2.  Induced OBEs:  Some people have attempted to develop techniques to "induce" an OBE:

• Attempting to fall asleep without losing consciousness. This method is generally believed to be what causes involuntary OBEs. Inventor Thomas Edison was known to use the sleep state to tackle problems while working on his inventions. He would hold a rock above a metal bucket while sitting in a chair, and let himself fall asleep. This would cause the rocks to fall into the bucket and wake him up. Deliberately teetering between awake and asleep states is known to cause spontaneous trance episodes at the onset of sleep which are ultimately helpful when attempting to induce an out-of-body experience, as reported by Robert Monroe and Robert Peterson.                
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• Deep trance and visualization. The types of visualizations vary; some common imageries used include climbing a rope to "pull out" of one's body, floating out of one's body, getting shot out of a cannon, and other similar approaches. This technique is considered hard to use for people who cannot properly relax. Common sensations can arise such as deep vibrations, impressions of very high heart rate (when it actually is in a relaxed state) and these sensations are likely to cause anxieties.
• Audio/visual stimulation intended to bring the subject into the appropriate state. The use of binaural beats to induce theta brain wave frequencies was observed as effective by the Monroe institute (and corroborated by others). Another popular technology uses sinusoidal wave pulses to achieve similar results. The beta/theta simultaneous brainwave patterns were also observed as effective, apparently easing the lighter sleep condition. The theta frequency is observed monitoring brains of dreaming patients, notably in REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, while the beta frequency range is that of normal, relaxed awakened individuals. It is believed that one of the unsuspected powers of the drumming of the American natives during religious ceremonies caused the brain to shift among frequencies to become more receptive to the "other worlds" using similar means.
• Chemically induced experiences. OBEs induced with drugs are generally considered to be hallucinations (i.e., purely subjective), even by those who believe the phenomenon to be objective in general. There are several types of drugs that can initiate an OBE, primarily the dissociative hallucinogens such as ketamine, dextromethorphan(Dm or DXM), and phencyclidine (PCP). It has also been reported under the influence of tryptamine psychedelics including dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and ayahuasca. Being under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs are commonly referred to as being in a psychedelic state.  The OBE state has been reported as induced by inhalation or ingestion of the entheogen, salvinorin A, derived from the herb, Salvia divinorum (aka Salvia, Diviner's Sage, Magic Mint, and Maria Pastora). Methamphetamine has also been known to cause OBEs, not in itself but through lack of sleep. It has been reported that it felt like the person was talking above and behind them and, being under the influence of the drug, had no idea what was happening.
• Magnetic stimulation of the brain, as with the helmet developed by Michael Persinger.
• Electrical stimulation of the brain, particularly the temporoparietal junction.
• Sensory deprivation or sensory overload. Various techniques aim to cause intense disorientation of the subject by making him lose his space and time references. The first technique, attempting to fall asleep without losing consciousness, can be considered to be a passive form of sensory deprivation. The brain tends to fill in the gaps when there is nothing getting into the senses for some time. Sensory overload consists of the opposite, where the subject can for instance be rocked for a long time in a specially designed cradle, or submit to light forms of torture, to cause the brain to shut itself off from all sensory input. Both conditions tend to cause confusion and this disorientation often permits the subject to experience vivid, ethereal out-of-body experiences. This tends to happen when the subject believes he or she is in a particular position, whereas his or her actual body is either rocking in a cradle actively, or still lying down. Consciousness suddenly transfers to the mental body.
• Some people who practice BDSM desire to be placed in extreme bondage (mummification) because it may allow them to have an out-of-body experience. These experiences have been reported by some people placed in extreme bondage. It is worth noting that being placed in extreme bondage is like being placed in a sensory deprivation tank, and that the OBE may be induced by the resulting sensory deprivation.

3.  Near-death experiences:  Another form of a spontaneous OBE occurs during a near death experience (INDEE or NDE). The phenomenology of an NDE usually includes physiological, psychological and transcendental factors such as subjective impressions of being outside the physical body (an out-of-body experience), visions of deceased relatives and religious figures, transcendence of ego and spatiotemporal boundaries and other transcendental experiences. Typically the experience follows a distinct progression, starting with the sensation of floating above one's body and seeing the surrounding area, followed by the sensation of passing through a tunnel, meeting deceased relatives, and concluding with encountering a being of light.

Apparitions from another plane or time--  There are reports of apparitions who act as frightened of us as we are of them.  In some cases, they indicate that we, not they are the ghosts.  In reports such as these, the observed ghosts appera to be "normal" and "alive" as we know it, (although the setting and dress may be of a different era or locale).  Given our incomplete understanding of time and space and the likelihood of additional planes of existence or dimensions, perhaps reports indicate that two distinct spatial or time dimensions can somehow merge and coexist for a time.

Intelligent apparitions--  These are manifestations of a spirit that is visible to the ey as well, but seem to have a consciusness of there own.  These have been known to interact with people by speaking, manifesting themselves, moving objects and other forms of communication. 

An intelligent haunting is thought by some to be a haunting by a responsive entity, and dynamic in nature unlike a residual haunting. A characteristic of an intelligent haunting is the ability of the phenomenon imposed by the entity to have free will or to make conscious decisions.

Researchers of the paranormal theorize that not all intelligent hauntings are the result of a ghost or spirit, and these hauntings may sometimes be linked to a Poltergeist.

Parasitic Entity--  An entity that is of bad intensions.  It must feed off of something (ie stress, anguish, drug problems, emotional problems, fear, etc.).  It can be very problematic within a household, a little less subtle than a poltergeist but still enough to reek havoc.  Sometimes associated or confused with poltergeists.

Reports of shadow people are similar to ghost sightings, but differ in that shadow people are not reported as having human features, wearing modern/period clothing, or attempting to communicate. Witnesses also do not report the same feelings of being in the presence of something that 'was once human'. Some individuals have described being menaced, chased, or (more rarely) attacked by shadow people. There have also been reports of shadow people appearing in front of witnesses or lingering for several seconds before disappearing. Witnesses report that encounters are typically accompanied by a feeling of dread.

Most accounts of shadow people describe them as black humanoid silhouettes with no discernible mouths, noses, eyes, or any expression whatsoever, though purported witnesses have also described child-sized humanoids or shapeless masses. Some reports also include glowing red eyes. Generally, they are described as lacking mass, though their specific nature varies from a two-dimensional shadow to a vaporous or distorted three-dimensional form. Their movement is often described as being very quick and disjointed; they may first move slowly, as if they were passing through a heavy liquid, and then rapidly "hop" to another part of a witness' surroundings. Some witnesses describe this movement as though the shadow entities they have seen "danced" from one wall to the next, or as moving around the room "as if they were on a specific track".  Some accounts differ from the above and instead describe a completely black creature with red eyes, a cloak, and a gentleman's hat. This variation has become known as "the hat man". Various depictions and artists rendering have been posted on the internet.

Several explanations have been proposed to explain the phenomona of shadow people.

Paranormal

Explanations for shadow people have been drawn from the fields of parapsychology, metaphysics, cryptozoology, demonology, religion, and the occult:

• A creature/s in an alternate reality whose dimension occasionally overlaps with ours, allowing it to be partially visible. 
• A Manifest Thoughtform, ghost or demon created by negative psychic energy and related to a places or event in which extreme emotional or physical stress/trauma has taken place. 
• A creature in some way linked to Grey and Reptilian aliens 
• An unattended shadow or shade (mythology), said in some cultures, to be similar to that of a ghost, a flicker of a life unable to end for some reason.

Scientific

Several non-paranormal hypothesis for the phenomena of shadow people exist, including optical illusions or hallucinations brought on by the physiological/psychological circumstances of the witnesses.

Pareidolia

In most instances, witnesses report seeing shadow people in the peripheral areas of their vision. This areas of vision is linked to the areas of the brain that recognizes patterns, however it provides less detail to the brain than macular (center-forward) vision. This can lead to a condition know as pareidolia, in which the brain incorrectly interprets random patterns of light/shadow or texture as being familiar patterns such as faces and human forms. The same condition can also be observed in macular vision in low light conditions, or when viewing a complex but random image. A common example would be perceiving a shadow, thrown by an item of furniture in a darkened room, as being a person.

Hypnogogia

Also known as waking-sleep, hypnogogia is a documented physiological condition in which a person is part-way between sleeping and waking. During hypnogogia, a person can be conscious and aware of their environment, but also in a dream-like state where they can perceive images from their subconscious. People experiencing waking-sleep commonly report the sensation of lights or shadows moving around them, as well as other visual hallucinations. A feeling of dread is also a sensation that occurs when experiencing hypnogogia. Hypnogogia is sometimes known as 'the faces in the dark phenomenon' because sufferers commonly report seeing faces while experiencing waking-sleep. Similar hypothesis have been put forward linking this condition to a number of other apparent paranormal experiences, including alien abductions and paranormal nocturnal visitations.

Chemical agents

The use of narcotics and psychotropic agents, including methamphetamine and LSD, can produce shadow person-like hallucinations. Dopaminergic drugs such as pramipexole can sometimes cause these hallucinations. Common over-the-counter medication can also have a similar effect if taken in sufficient quantity.

Electromagnetic fields

Under the right conditions, electromagnetic fields can interfere with the functions of the temporal lobe; creating altered states of perception in which auditory and visual hallucinations can occur.

Using electromagnetic fields, researches have been able to recreate many of the experiences reported during paranormal encounters under laboratory conditions, including those of shadow people. Researchers have also documented correlations between variances in naturally-occurring magnetic fields and areas where paranormal events have been reported.

Neurological conditions

Certain neurological conditions, such as photosensitive complex partial seizures, have also been shown to cause sufferers to see shadow people.