What Are Orbs In Pictures Paranormal Activity Explainer

Skip navigation!ADVERTISEMENTStory from SpiritADVERTISEMENTWhat’s Actually Going On With That Spooky Photo You TookSara CoughlinAugust 29, 2017, 9:20 PM Photographed by Alexandra Gavillet.It's not easy having an interest in the paranormal while holding firm to the idea that seeing is believing. In theory, ghostly photographs — ones that feature silhouettes of the deceased or levitating orbs — should seal the deal for anyone who's on the fence about the spirit world's existence. Unfortunately, in a field of fakery, paranormal photographs are some of the most easily disproven pieces of evidence of the other side.The thing is, most supernatural photos that turn out to be, well, natural are rarely taken with malicious intent. Most of the time, when an orb shows up in photo, it's due to dust, dirt, or even bugs that the would-be ghost hunter disturbed the moment they snapped their pic.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENTYou may wonder how dust can make that much of impact on a photograph, but think about the types of places ghosts are believed to call home. More often than not, haunted places are old or abandoned buildings, if not actual graveyards. It'd be a little scary if these locations weren't on the dustier side.Beyond the shabby upkeep of so-called haunted sites are the mind games they can play on people who already believe in ghosts. A 2014 study suggested that "ghost encounters" tend to occur when people already expect to see something supernatural. In other words, if you visit an abandoned hospital hoping to witness some paranormal activity, you're more likely to believe you saw (or, for our purposes here, photographed) something truly not-of-this-world.None of this is to say that you should ignore that creepy feeling you get from your attic. If you want to believe in spirits but crave some kind of proof, there are other, more effective means of ghost detection than photography. Besides, even if you come away from a haunting without anything tangible to show for it, you'll still have a spine-tingling story to share.AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT HoroscopesYour March Horoscope Is Here — & You’ll Begin To Move Throu...March opens like a dream you’re half-awake inside. Mars enters Pisces, and suddenly motivation doesn’t look like grinding harder, it looks like followiby Dossé-Via TrenouHoroscopesBuckle Up! The First Mercury Retrograde Of 2026 Has ArrivedR29 babes — sorry to say this, but the winter blues we’re all feeling aren’t immediately going to get better from Mercury’s backspin in Piby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 22 To 28Cosmic beings, you survived the Aquarius Solar Eclipse and the launch of the Year of the Fire Horse, and honestly… that was a lot. This week shifts the pby Dossé-Via TrenouAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTUnbotheredBlack Grief Practitioners Are Protecting Black Life In DeathLike so many other injustices, Black people face magnified problems in death and dying wellness spaces. These women, aka "death doulas" are working to solvby Stephanie LongHoroscopesPisces Season Is Here — & Drama Is IncomingRejoice! As we enter Pisces season, we’re also getting closer to spring. From February 18th to March 20th, the sun will be splashing around in the enby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 15 To 21R29 babes, this week begins in the dark of the moon, and we can all feel it. In the days leading up to the Aquarius Solar Eclipse, emotions run high beneatby Dossé-Via TrenouHoroscopesEclipse Season Is Here! Here’s How To Get Through ItEclipse season is here! The onset of the annual solar and total lunar eclipse is bringing a fateful chance for us to transform. We are shifting our ideas aby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Valentine’s Day Horoscope Is HereHappy Valentine’s Day! This year, we are reflecting on the importance of connection and acceptance — not from others, but from the relationship we haveby Lisa StardustHoroscopesSaturn In Aries Is Here — & It’s Time For You To Take ControlTime stands still for no one, or so the planet Saturn teaches us. Saturn is leading us into Aries on February 13th. As we move onward in life, the austere by Lisa StardustHoroscopesVenus In Pisces Is Here — & Now Let Your Own Fairytale UnfoldIn the midst of all the chaos going on in the world, it’s nice to know that Venus in Pisces is bringing us a fairytale vibe. Venus in Pisces, which lby Lisa StardustHoroscopesYour Horoscope This Week: February 8 To 14Cosmic beings, this week opens with the Last Quarter Moon in Scorpio, a liminal checkpoint between what has already climaxed and what is about to be rebornby Dossé-Via TrenouSin VergüenzaYour 2026 Valentine’s Day Tarot Reading Is Hereby Tatianna TarotAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENT