A Heads-Up for Ghost Hunters – One-Shot Story

I’ve lived an extraordinarily paranormal life without ever trying. I never know when the next “experience” will come.

Some Reading for a Dark Night

Here are a few 35mmc articles about some of my experiences (click the lines to open them):

• In a haunted antiques shop
• One very paranormal neighborhood
• A supposedly real UFO
• My most terrifying experience ever
• A creepy incident in Venice, Italy
• An extraordinary NDE
• Photographing a “pre-decisive” moment
• And in a haunted retirement cabana

That’s just a sample. To gauge how many incidents there have been, I once printed a single-spaced list in 12-point type, with one line per event. It was two-and-a-half-pages long.

And yet, I don’t consider myself to be a psychic medium, ghost hunter, or any other such thing. I can’t “call up paranormal skills” on-demand, like the pros apparently do. Instead, I just seem to be hyper-sensitive to any oddities that happen to float my way.

A Discovery About “Ghost Orbs”

A year ago, I could not have penned this piece. I was (and remain) somewhat skeptical about so-called “ghost orbs.” (Though the incident in that last bullet has softened me a bit.)

Then early last year, I bought one of those outdoor security cams that looks like a large light bulb. After dark, it automatically switches to IR night vision… and has revealed what may be a lesser-known cause of many “orb” photos and videos I’ve seen on paranormal cable shows.

Yes, rain, snow, dust, bugs and tree seeds can trigger IR orbs. But I’m shocked at how often they also seem to be caused by nothing more than moist air. That, and invisible fog. Just last night, for instance, we expected dense fog to roll in, and when our bulb cam suddenly went crazy, I peeked outside. Saw nothing but clear, pre-fog air that was simply growing more moist. I think some of the larger– but invisible– floating droplets registered as those orbs.

NOTE: In IR, however, visible fog looks like a winter blizzard!

Drowning in Orbs!

Now, I’m drowning in orb stills and clips that look and behave exactly like the ones I’ve seen credited to ghosts on paranormal shows. The opening photo is just one frame.

In my original footage, the orbs are brighter and more defined than you see above. They look slightly washed out here because I had to enlarge the image to 35mmc’s standard dimensions. Also, you can’t tell this from a single frame, but these are not rain drops. A second-floor screened porch keeps those well away from the camera. 

Also, when a gentle breeze blew toward the house, most of the orbs actually flew upward from the ground. While others flew in circles near the lens as if under intelligent control… and then blasted straight into the distance at very high speeds

So be careful, paranormalists! the same can easily occur in humid buildings, barns and basements. If the air is even slightly moist, you may capture non-ghost orbs… even in visually clear, dust-free air!

–Dave Powell is a Westford, Mass., writer and avid amateur photographer.

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