I find it fascinating that most of the paranormal web sites tout orbs as a no brainer and insignificant... yet, my orb picture continues to receive more hits/views than any of the other pictures.

You would think my orb picture would have received far less than the other pictures...

I'm guessing this means there's alot of 'closet orb supporters' out in here in the world...

Isn't that a hoot?

Thanks for sharing that fact, Dawn! It is very enlightening. I must say that of my galleries, orbs are also the largest drawers, followed closely though by werewolves and then by fairies and littlies. Amazing, eh? I'm glad you brought it up because it is quite an interesting commentary. Human spirits are way down on the list as are pets, at present, drawing only a fraction of viewers (maybe 15% of the amount viewing orbs).

A theory that occurs to me is maybe orbs are so popular because they are quite prevalent and hence more people have had personal experience with capturing them in a photo. Once spirit knocks on your door, it is much harder to ignore and much more exciting to pursue. I think people in general want to believe there is more to existence than work, death and taxes. I know that is how I felt, and I know that orbs were the first physical phenomenon I experienced through capture in photos. And once it became personal, I was hooked and more doors were opened.

I have since seen orbs on a few occasions without aid of a camera, but plenty of people see them this way frequently. Some see the littlies (Chris for a good example)! And OMJ has had a really cool orb experience (which I hope he will share though a post).

And another theory (that is more of a personal belief) is that the greater the number of people that believe and focus on a thing such as orbs, or anything really, the more powerful that reality becomes. More begets more; snowball effect. So I expect that orb captures and interest is here to stay. And I also believe that anyone can capture them on film if they want to (as I have said).

You start such excellent topics, Dawn! And you come up with interesting angles that I hadn't thought of that I really enjoy exploring! Thanks, Dawn!

Great comments Alisa. I agree with you.

I've decided that perhaps the 'orbs' are the new 'fae' of our times. I mean that only in a figurative way...
~Obviously, lots of people really feel orbs are significant, but they fear the wrath of skeptics if they voice a positive opinion on the possibilities... It's sad.

Truth is, people want a connect with the otherside and I think it hurts their hearts when skeptics go ballistic about dust & pollens...

So, the 'orb supporters' quietly and covertly go in search for others, like themselves... They search for that one picture or bit of info that confirms what they feel...

It's a shame...

I don't know what you mean?

Here is a great opportunity to share some of my views.

I don't fear skeptics, but I don't indulge them either. I went the rounds with the skeptics in a forum for a while. It was worthwhile and sometimes fun, but it could also get a bit touchy. As is the nature of belief systems.

I base this forum on belief of spirit, paranormal, supernatural, etc., and all the things that this entails. It is a haven, though I am sure there are others, that provides a nurturing atmosphere to discuss things from a non-skeptical angle. It doesn't in anyway mean a person has to believe to participate, but like a forum on religion, cars, space, etc., or anything else, it is here for discussing aspects of the subject, exploring the subject, as opposed to debating whether it is subject. That's how I see it anyway.

I agree that people who view the idea of orbs as a meaningful phenomenon go in search of others with similar beliefs. I also think right now a lot of people just want to know the truth and are looking for as much diverse and convincing information (either way) as they can find so as to decide. It is hard to just write orbs off when you capture them with faces, and appearing upon request and in meaningful situations, etc., even if you are skeptical. But to embrace them as "real" is maybe sometimes even harder.

Dawn, I sincerely appreciate your though-provoking posts and topics, as I said. This forum is so much, much richer for your participation. I get the impression that you don't believe in some of these things we discuss, but I'm not altogether sure. Whatever the case, you are very fair and clever and I want to keep learn more of your thoughts.

In the fashion world, they say pretentious things such as... pink is the new red of the season. It means that this season pink is the number one color to dress in.
By my saying, orbs are the new fae of our times... I was making a play of words on the fashion saying meaning that I think nay-sayers have chosen 'orb believers' to 'pick on' the most right now.

Orbs are real. I don't know what they are, but they are real.

Aaaahhhh, I gotcha!

ORBS RULE!!

hehe, I hope it is overly cool, scared the begeebaz out of me when I saw it. T'was in my old house, in my room. It was a small box room with to much in it, The walking space on the floor was about a foot across, maybe less! Anyways, one Night, I woke up in the middle of it, pitch black it was. I then was dragged to look to the top of my doorframe, Hell knows why I did, it was as if someone dragged me to look at it. But I sware to you, I was awake, and just above that was a blue sphere, about the size of a bowling ball, a white spiral in the middle of it. It was spinning quite quickly. I widened my eyes and hid under the covers, and when I dared, I looked back, and it was gone. I was young at the time, and it was my first expirience with spirits, but the memory is seared into my brain.

The scairets thing of all, was the feeling it gave off. I remember that the stongest. It filled the room like a thick blanket. It was a static heat, like a red hot heat with electrisity inside of it, pushing down on me. but unlike any heat on earth. I cant explain it, but I'd love to. The pressure was like it filled the room so much, it was pushing all around of me.

Orbs are undoubtably true, and I dont think everyone of them are spirits. Ever heard of a being named Gaia? She's a spirit of the earth, and within the earth, is a natural energy that flows everywhere, but more stongly in some places, like currents in a sea. This energy gives off a static, untapped energy, which which has no form, and can be given one. I think some orbs are this energy.

(ps. that energy theory is my own. so yeah.)

What a scary thing to happen to you. I understand why it's seared into you memories. Spirits are so strange in their intentions of wanting us to see them and then scaring the heck out of us when we finally 'look'.
Perhaps it needed an extra jolt of power and chose you to get it from. I've read that our fear gives some spirits power.

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I agree with your theory on natural energy flows in the earth.

Maybe. Or maybe it was a beast of hell, Thats what it felt like

and thanks for the agreeing with my theory thing.

Thanks for sharing your story, OMJ!

So, was it a good orb, or not? Do you think the unfamiliarity made it seem frightening, or was it trying to scare you?

Interesting what you said, Dawn, that "Perhaps it needed an extra jolt of power and chose you to get it from."

One encounter I had with a spherical "thing"...I was watching TV in bed late at night. I was very relaxed, but still awake when a bubble, the size of a baseball, came floating toward me heading for my face. It looked like the type of bubble you blow using a wand and suds. Not thinking much about it at all (strangely), I moved aside with the thought that I didn't want it to pop in my face and splash me like a bubble will do. But it reached me before I could move entirely out of the way and disappeared as if into my lips.

The strangest thing of all, is that I just continued to watch the movie and said or thought nothing of it until a few days later.

Thinking about the story of the bubble in my previous post...it is rather interesting to me that it had no real impact until a few days later. And that reminded me of a similar instance that happened about a month ago. My husband and I were in the car and he was driving. I looked out the window as we came to a clearing in which a good stretch of valley could be seen out to the West. The sun was setting and the sky on the horizon was orange. There was only a second or two time frame before trees obscured my view again, but in that window of time I saw out in the distance a perfectly oval, donut-shaped cloud, much like a smoke ring, but it must have been hundreds of feet in diameter. A woman was stand beside a car that was stopped on the side of the road. She was looking out at the horizon with her hand to her brow shading her eyes from the sun. I briefly wondered if she had stopped to look at the sky donut.

I wanted to see more of it but we were past that clearing so quickly. I didn't think my husband would be happy to turn around with all the traffic so I let it go, and it literally left my mind. I didn't think of it again until about a week later.

It makes me wonder if we are in some sort of collective trance that we are slowly beginning to lift in order to see what else is really there.

It is as if there is a veil, that shades our eyes from much ongoing phenomena. Some of us have lifted it, some are in the process of lifting, some have just discovered there may be a veil and others don't notice it and are quite content with the way things are.

We are all at different stages. It is not a contest, but it certainly would assist the collective consciousness if more of us became aware of what else there exists around us, beside the flesh and blood, physical reality.

Great thoughts, Chris. I particularly like the part about it not being a contest.