Orbs are a very debated subject amongst the paranormal community. They can be interpreted in many ways; and of course, to skeptics orbs are no more than lens flares or dust particles.  For educational purposes we will include several of the theories here in this article. Please Note We believe there is no wrong way to interpret the paranormal. Everyone has their own belief systems and we believe in respecting everyone no matter our own personal beliefs. The below information is for educational purposes to give you a bit of an overview on the topic of orbs and by no means a personal attack against anyone's believes.

       So, what are orbs in the paranormal community? They are those tiny white orbs caught in your photos you take during investigations, or the unexplained ball of lights caught on your videos while recording. To many they are the manifestation of spiritual energy. To others it is a spirit pulling energy from an object nearby or person to try and manifest.; so, the orb is not a spirit per say but the energy the spirit is pulling. It is a commonly believed theory that spirits need energy to manifest so they can pull energy from technology around them or people that are around. Following this theory If you feel extremely tired during an investigation out of nowhere as an orb appears its most likely a spirit pulling your energy to manifest or grow in power! In other paranormal circles, orbs are considered angelic beings protecting their loved ones, for instance an orb seen in a wedding photo could be considered as the presence of a loved one.  Lastly others may believe orbs are spiritual guides. In many cultures it is believed that spirit guides are a higher innate energy whose job is to guide, comfort and advise. So, seeing an orb in a picture of a loved one or yourself could represent your spirit guide appearing to give you a sign to heed their advice or be more open minded. 

      Lastly if you look at orbs from a scientific standpoint or a skeptics view, they are considered backscatter. Backscatter in photography terms is an optical phenomenon resulting in circular shapes on an image, due to the camera's flash being reflected from unfocused dust, water droplets, or other particles in the air or water. In layman's terms its dust floating in the air, or a bug flying in the background of your video. For many non-believers the belief that energy could form as a ball of light in your photos or videos is a falsity. Therefore, orb photos are very commonly dismissed and if you are really trying to prove the afterlife exists to a non-believer this may not be the best way to go.

    As you can see there are many different opinions on what orbs are but one thing that is the same for experienced paranormal investigators is that we tend to be  more cautious about orb photos, yet we don't always discount them as being caused by dust, bugs, or photographic artifacts. The best way to go about presenting your orb photos as evidence is making sure to properly debunk your photos and know your equipment and the area you are investigating thoroughly. See our article Debunking Orb photos for more information on how to double check your photographic and video orb evidence. Also stop by our comment section and let us know what your theory is on orbs! Where do you stand on their meaning?