| On Orbs, Spook Lights, St. Elmo's Fire, et al. I have been hearing a lot of talk from both members and visitors to our site about ORBS, Spook Lights and balls of light. So much so that I decided to try and explain the difference. ORBS are believed to be random collections of energy. They do not represent a ghost, spirit or elemental. Nowhere in the literature is it assumed to be such, In genuine Orb photos and videos they are seen as moving points, distinguishable by their erratic movement. They are not viewed in real time by the photographer or any other investigator, they appear on film, video tape and digital images. Unfortunately, the majority of ORB photos are from lens flair, dirt, moisture, condensation, or in the case of a disposable or less expensive film camera, the effect of light at a given angle through a plastic lens. It can also be reflected light off dust particles in the air. This is not to be misidentified with other phenomenon. Spook Lights, those pesky balls of light most often associated with Railroad tracks, is something completely different. Spook Lights, even though the name would suggest otherwise, is a natural phenomenon, and proven to be scientifically reproducible on demand in a lab setting. It is the physical effect of parallel steel bars, over certain types of crushed stone, under given limits of barometric pressure, temperature and humidity. This is in the realm of electrical engineers, not parapsychologist, so I will leave it at that as far as an explanation of the phenomenon. © Vestigia. – All rights reserved.a This is a photo of a spook light taken in the mid-1970’s by a reputable research group in New Jersey. I was present with other members of ASUP, saw the swaying light that appears here and actually saw it move, first away from us on a railroad track bed, then toward us at remarkable speed. It is not a UFO, it is not ghostly or paranormal, it is explainable and as I said before, reproducible in a lab. Unlike ORBS, this light is easily viewable to the naked eye. There are other natural phenomenon that creates similar visual effects, including among them ball lightening and St. Elmo's Fire, the later being a beautiful, eerie form of atmospheric electricity that usually appears in stormy weather around church spires, sailing masts, and airplane wings. During thunderstorms, the air between the clouds and the ground becomes electrically charged, resulting in a "glow discharge" -- the same phenomenon used in fluorescent tubes. This electricity is drawn to the closest conductor, usually the top of a tall building. This is not the same as the "Northern Lights" effect, although some folks tend to lump them together. Finally UFO related Orbs are not orbs at all. They are UFOs in that we don’t know what they are, they too are visible to the observer and photographable, but that is yet another story. The fact that real orbs, both in the haunting casebooks and UFO investigations are associated with power surges that are detectable in the field, suggest that they are, for the moment, dedicated ENERGY. No one has offered any tangible explanation for these objects, neither the one which is visible, the other not visible but photographable and both detectable with various field instruments. When asked about ORBS, it is risky to tell a someone that their photos are simply photographic flair, dust or lens anomalies. In more than 75% of the cases, that is what it is, but you risk a smack in the mouth for your frank interpretation of such photos. Simply explain that they are “interesting” and that orbs are considered “energy” and no real explanation is available, but if pushed, you can add that they have never been proven to be found in haunting situations or the like. They are best left to the electrical engineer to study further, not a paranormal investigator. But also remember, 25% of those photos are genuine. I hope this helps all concerned to understand the differences. PS: My thanks to Peter Jordan, a co-founder of ASUP and Vestigia, a well know group in New Jersey for the photo and background information from their North Jersey Spook Lights investigations. |
