The Orb Defined

An orb is loosely defined as "the soul of a once living person or animal that appears in photographs as a spherical[ly] shaped light." Both ghosts and spirits can manifest as an orb (The Orb Controversy, Miller's Paranormal Research, 2001). Many paranormal investigators pooh-pooh most orbs in photographs as dust, small flying insects, light refractions, et.al. Whatever. All I know is that we, at Ghost Hunters of Asheville Tours, get a lot of them. 

An orb is the lowest-energy manifestation of a ghost or spirit. Ghosts need energy to manifest and move, but cannot create energy -- only steal it. Common sources of such paranormal theft on our tour include lightning, electrical wiring, cell phone batteries, even us! Once ghosts' reservoirs are full, they tend to be conservative with their supply so most often choose to manifest as orbs since these take the least amount of their energy.

If you get an orb in a photograph, you might want to zoom in on it as faces and words can sometimes be embedded in them.

A last, sobering thought regarding orbs: Guests reveal that the most orbs they've ever gotten in photographs are at Ground Zero.

All Ghosts: Say Cheese! (Part I)

Capturing a ghost on film always involves a rather large dose of luck. There are, however, things you can do to increase your chances of obtaining an authentic, paranormal photograph. The following tips will help you win that Paranormal Photo Lottery!

1.  Realize it's a numbers game. The more photos you take, the greater your odds for a paranormal photo. Sources say the odds of catching an anomaly is 1:50 so take lots of pictures!

2.  Ghosts are everywhere all the time. They just don't always show up on film even though they're there.

3.  Take photos at night using a flash. Yes, ghosts can show up on daytime photos, but the odds of photo capture increase with evening hours.

4.  ANY type of camera will capture a ghostly image, even throwaways.

5.  Ghosts are EVERYWHERE; they're not just in cemeteries or old buildings. Take a picture whenever, and wherever, the mood strikes you.

6.  If using film, go with 400 speed. It's a great all-purpose film that works in most conditions.

7.  Avoid taking pictures of objects with shiny surfaces such as glass or polished tombstones.

8.  Don't take photos through a glass window as it can create shapes that aren't there. The older, wavy glass is the worst.

9.   Keep a spotless camera lens. A smudge can cause false anomalies to show up in pictures.

10. Keep stray objects away from the camera lens: camera strap, lens cover, thumb, fingers. Long hair should be tied back.

11. Never take pictures when it's windy, foggy, rainy, dusty or snowing. Particles in the air can translate into non-ghostly orbs. A false reading.

12. Hold your breath when taking pictures in cold weather. Exhaled breath can appear as ectoplasmic mist (fog) in the picture. Another false reading.

Stay tuned for the next blog: All Ghosts: Say Cheese!  (Part II)

The Brown Mountain Lights

They've been seen by thousands of people for over a century. They were first recorded in print in 1913. They have been the subject of a hit folksong, documentaries, an X-Files episode, and many a story told around the campfire. And they are still as much of a mystery today as they ever were.

"They" are the Brown Mountain Lights. Mystically appearing in Burke County, NC, the lights are described as orange-like orbs that bob and weave their way across the mountain. Folks have seen them from several vantage points along the Blue Ridge Parkway plus the Brown Mountain Overlook on NC Hwy 181; others have seen the orbs shoot past within a few feet of them. The U.S. Geological Survey investigated the phenomenon in 1913, determing they were reflections from locomotive or car lights. In 1922, the USGS then determined that the natural combustion of march grasses were causing the Lights.

Most recently, Dan Caton, professor of physics at Appalachian State University, has taken on the challenge of finding the cause. Caton hopes to set up cameras at various sites on the mountain to capture evidence of the orbs. Although he believes that 95 percent of reports have a natural explanation, he also thinks the Lights are worth investigating and may be ball lightning, a rare but naturally occurring phenomenon.

 Over the decades, other explanations for the cause of the Lights have included UFOs, U.S. military activity, moonshiner signals, phosphorescence from decaying stumps and logs, chemical reactions, St. Elmo's Fire, radium emanations, and brush fires.

Defining Shadow People, Pt. III

They called it the Supermoon. On March 18th, 2011, the moon would be closest to our earth than it had been in 18 years. It would appear noticeably larger and brighter in all its full-status glory, and although a full moon has never really influenced our ghost-finding results, this Moon -- Super as it was -- proved a different story. Particularly when coupled with the prodigious paranormal powers of the LBJackson Building.

The LBJackson Building has always reputed to be a sensational place for haunted happenings. Thirteen individuals have purportedly jumped from the structure and our photographic evidence has been as varied as streaks, orbs and now shadow people.

This post includes an original photograph taken by a guest on the night of The Full Moon with a shadow person clearly seen in one of the windows.

The only other sighting we've had in four years is pictured below, taken during a paranormal investigation. The shadow person can be seen in the open doorway with its ubiquitous glowing eyes. The top of its head is clearly seen breaking up against what should be the even horizontal line of the wainscotting in this particular room.

For the definition of shadow people, see blog entry Defining Shadow People, Pt. 1. Pt. II outlines the prevailing theories of how these entities exist.

Ghosts Over the Pond

Tim Prevett

We get guests from all over the United States and even some beyond our borders -- most recently the Bahamas and Britain. Tim Prevett, the British fellow, joined the Ghost Hunters of Asheville downtown tour and was a sheer delight as he is a fellow ghost tour guide and ghost hunter back in the UK. He runs two tours -- one in Crewe, the other in Nantwich. Tim Prevett started running ghost tours back in 2007, and while in the States, went on a few of the spirit hunts we feature here. It was the greatest of fun to compare experiences, photos and war stories while he was here. Although we stay in touch via the Internet, he is most certainly missed.

Tim says that American tour guests differ quite a bit from those in England. While Americans tend to quickly and eagerly embrace that they've captured orbs in their photographs, Brits are quite the opposite: "A spot of dust." "It must be a night fly." "A sprinkle of water."  Tim says they are so cynical, they come up with any semblance of reason why the image is not an orb -- the very opposite of  Americans. There is probably more reality to their perspective, but I have to think that our way tends to be more fun!

Tim is an excellent photographer. You can check out his stuff at http://www.crewetours.com/. (Feel free to weigh in with any corrections or info, Tim.)

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Reach Out and Touch Someone

Nearly all photos featured on the Ghost Hunters of Asheville tours were taken during our nightly ventures. This is a rare exception.

The story behind the photo...

The Mountain Xpress newspaper sponsored a photographic event known as "A Day in the Life of Asheville." They put numerous throw-away cameras around town for people to pick up and snap pictures with them. This image was captured on Asheville's infamous Eagle Street. The spirit originates from one of the corner windows above Limones Restaurant. It is an excellent example of a rare photo allowing a glimpse into the daylight world of the paranormal.

Spirits are always around us although -- photographically -- orbs, mist and such show up far better at night-time as the camera flash helps illuminate and reflect the many colors and anomalies in haunted locations.

Man Naked!

Yet, another first for the Ghost Hunters of Asheville tour tonight. While surveying the multi-windowed historic Battery Park Hotel, we captured a full moon -- and it wasn't of the planetary variety. I've been asked what has been my weirdest experience on the tour and I always ask for clarification: Does the questioner mean paranormally or courtesy of the locals?!

The tour was particularly interesting as we had three guests who were hardcore ghost hunters. David and Jennifer of Naples, FL had all the bells and whistles equipment and Matt has been on numerous investigations as a member of a Mississippi Paranormal Investigation team. Jennifer got orbs at almost all our haunted venues and Matt was a wealth of information for all -- perhaps the most well-versed guest I've ever hosted. The spirits responded!

Man Arrested!

Last night the Ghost Hunters of Asheville tour had yet another first: We saw someone arrested!

A lone man had approached our group on Church Street, eyeing us (no doubt trying to figure out what we were doing with all the flashing and beeping ghost equipment), and cheerfully yelling "Boo!" at us as he moved on down the street. Two blocks later we caught up to him, handcuffed and sitting on the curb, being questioned by officers. Another three blocks later, here he came -- strapped in the backseat of an electric police car on the way to jail. He'd been friendly enough, didn't seem inebriated, but we all agreed: There's just no dignity in being hauled to jail in the equivalent of a golf cart, strapped into the back seat so you don't fall out the side!

The ghosties were active -- orbs of many colors (rose red, pilot blue, white, and green) plus a spiritual fog between the City Hall and County buildings.