Orbs. Those floating balls of light that manifest themselves in photos.

Some orbs float, while others appear to be caught in the moment of zipping across the image.

Look closer. Is that the face of a loved one? Aunt Minnie? Grandad?

One of the benefits of doing live mediumship evenings across the country is meeting attendees after the event during meet-and-greets. I love it.

At virtually every event someone either asks–or shows–a photo with orbs in it.

I'm often asked for a spiritual explanation of what the orbs are.

My explanation is always met with mixed feelings. Some in the crowd will laugh, others will often be upset, and others will will shrug it off.

My goal is not to hurt or offend people. That said,  there are many who believe in things that are just not the truth. My job–my mission–is to get people focused on the truth and not the lies.

Listen: spirits do communicate, they are around and I'm telling you that you don't “die” ever. You and your loved ones will get to the other side aka: heaven. But there are myths that I can't support and this is one of them!

WARNING: Some may be seriously offended by what I'm about to reveal. And please also note that I'm addressing orbs in photographs, not orbs seen with the naked eye, which is an entirely different matter.

What Are Orbs In Pictures, Blair?
Orbs are specs of dust. Period.

Orbs OFTEN only appear when a flash is turned on and used in taking a photo.

Here's how they occur: the flash hits a spec of dust and illuminates it. Due to the fact that the camera is set to take a picture of something in the distance (depth of field), it makes the spec out of focus.

Voila. A ball of light. An orb. Ta-da!!!

You don't have to believe me. Instead, test it out for yourself.

Go outside at night when it's dark. Take two pictures of the same thing: preferably something illuminated in the distance like a lamp post.

1. Take a picture WITHOUT the flash.

2. Turn the flash on, and take a second picture.

The first photo will not have orbs. The second photo will.

Consider This
Think about it for a minute. Your loved ones ARE around you, take my word on that. I'm a psychic medium and can assure you of that. Why on earth would they go to the trouble of getting inside your camera to appear in a picture?

The answer is, they wouldn't.

Instead of taking photos and looking for orbs in pictures, why not make yourself more aware of the presence of spirits around you? They are there. Forget the pictures and FEEL their presence! Isn't that a better idea?

I think so.

I consider orbs in photos to be a distraction from the REAL relationship you can be having with spirit, your spirit guides and your loved ones.

Instead of looking for false manifestations, why not experience spirit daily? Feel them around you. Feel the love.

History
The history of spirits in photos goes way back. In the early days of photography, anomalies in photos were considered ghosts.

And, upon realizing that a photo plate could be used twice, fake photos could be created as well.

History is filled with photos of ghosts and in virtually every case that I have seen there's a physical explanation.

Have Fun!
Want to freak a friend out? Turn your flash on on your camera. Take a dirty and dusty rag and shake it above your head. Then, quickly take a photo of your friend.

Look at the photo. Orbs!!!

Freak your friends out for fun! Try it, it's fun!

My Orbs
The orbs you see in my photo were taken with my iPhone and using a tissue. I simply shook the tissue vigorously and then snapped the shot.

Note that most of the orbs “stand still” but also note the “moving” orb to the upper left.

While there are spirits in my home, these orbs aren't them. These orbs are imposters! 🙂

When I posted this to my Facebook page, hundreds saw faces, images and people in the photo. While there is absolutely no doubt that the grain of the wood has patterns, the wall is painted a solid red color and the lighting was natural.

Are those people who saw faces delusional? NO, not at all! But we must make sure we aren't chasing after things that aren't authentic, as this distracts us from what IS AUTHENTIC: and that's that our loved ones are near us right now.

Here's An Important Caveat

Am I saying that spirits couldn't ever appear in a photo? No, not at all!

I'm sure if a spirit really wanted to be photographed, it would be. But if Uncle John really wanted to be photographed, I would like to think his image would be infinitely cleared than a spec on the shot. Heck, if it were me, I'd be PHOTOBOMBING the pic with a goofy face!

I'm not alone in this belief. Orbs are the bane of professional photographers seeking the perfect picture. Stephen Wagner, who hosts the Paranormal page on About.com agrees and even wonders how this thinking even came to be.

Chip Coffey, in his book Growing Up Psychic (p22) agrees they are contaminants in the air.

An excellent article by the Southern States Paranormal Research Society does a terrific job of providing technical explanations.

You Be The Judge!
You be the judge. Some of you will read this and simply choose to continue to believe that the specs of dust are family members. And that's fine by me.

But I do hope that my explanation helps a majority of you to understand that your loved ones aren't in the pictures. They are around you right now. Don't miss the boat.

My goal is to show you that love never dies, your loved ones ARE around you and that you don't need specs of dust to give you false hope. Instead, connect with your loved ones on a real level: in your heart.

One final thought: it would be much easier for me to “agree” that they are spirits. I believe that's why many other mediums do just that, as it's an easy ‘out.' But I'd be lying, and I cannot do that. Orbs are distractions. Seek the truth.