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ORBS
The word
orb comes from the Latin orbis 'circle' and is
another name for a round object, especially a disk or a
sphere.
Orbs have always held a mystical place in the
paranormal. The moon was considered the seer by night in
heaven in many early civilizations including the Egyptians,
Greeks and Romans. The sun and planets also held
special powers as orbs in early societies.
Stories of earthbound orbs can be traced back through mythology, where
balls of light seen hovering above swamps were thought to be
imps or spirits. Since these apparitions, known as "Will o'
Wisps" or "Jack-o-Lanterns" are isolated to swamps in the
mythology, today's skeptics believe that the stories were
actually about naturally occurring phenomenon, like ignition
of methane gases in swamps, or phosphorescence of plant life
in swamps.
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In modern times an orb is a phenomenon that can be seen by some people
with the naked eye, though more usually are captured on
camera. Orbs are considered by some to be paranormal
(non-natural or "spirit" orbs) and by others to be caused by the camera flash
reflecting off dust (natural).
In photography and video, orbs appear to be balls,
diamonds, or smears of light with an apparent size in the
image ranging from a golf ball to a basketball. Orbs
sometimes appear to be in motion, leaving a trail behind
them.
Spirit orbs are sometimes claimed to exist more densely
around certain haunted regions, or to be the spirits of
departed loved ones. These types of orbs sometimes appear to
have faces, often with discernable expressions and sometimes
of recognizable persons. Some feel the size of an orb
indicates how great of an impact a life force had in its
lifetime. The paranormal belief in orbs is not so
straightforward as those who believe that they are simply
photographic artifacts. While an oft-encountered quote is "orbs are
considered by some people to be the simplest and most common form of
a disembodied spirit", this concept is not supported by all within
the paranormal faction.
The orb which
becomes the moon
Does not forget where it came from
And the river, too, does not forget what was taken from it
And endlessly they stare at each other
As the orb swims through the long night
And yearns for its circular form
To grow a translucent, silver tail.
Lily Chan, Where There is
a River
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