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What are Shadow People?

The presence of shadow people is a common report that we receive when people contact us. During our investigations, we have seen this phenomenon firsthand many times. These shadow people or shadow figures typically move very quickly and are not associated with anyone or anything visible. What then is this?

Typical reports are that the shadow figure (also called a dark mass) is seen through the viewer's peripheral vision and by the time the viewer has turned around to look at the shadow figure, it is gone. If you are lucky enough, you may be able to view one with your direct vision – and some simply lurk instead of moving very quickly.

The stereotype is that shadow figures flee in the presence of humans – especially if they are seen. We have encountered this on our cases, but we have encountered many shadow figures that do not flee, but come closer to check us out. We have experienced shadow figures who want to be seen – so we do not preach that they all flee. Shadow figures can move through walls or any other obstacles – they are not bound by physical limitations that we encounter. Often their movement is described as unnatural – they can be very fast and disjointed. They can move naturally then appear to quickly transport to another location within the environment.

As for the actual shadow figure, it seems to be made of a dense energy that is impenetrable to light. From our own experience light seems to be absorbed in the black mass and it will not shine through the figure. The light does not reflect either – the beam of light just stops on the figure. There is one common element to shadow figures; they have no discernible features (except for shape). One cannot recognize style of clothing and there is no discernible mouth, nose, facial expressions, or eyes (although a growing number of reports claim red eyes).

Forget Your Predispositions

Many believe that shadow figures are demonic or evil. While some may have ill-intention, most of them, if not the majority are harmless. They just are a different representation of a spirit than most associate with the paranormal. Most people know apparitions, balls of light, vortices, and paranormal mists. These entities are able to project in a different "format". Since most people confuse the feeling of evil with their own fear of the unknown, most assume that these figures are evil.

No one really understands the science behind dark masses and shadow people. It is theorized that this phenomenon represents a body composed of a matter that is not visible to the human eye. Light will not pass through this figure because it is too dense and the result will create a shadow.

Human eyes cannot see x-rays and gamma rays, but yet they exist. We have been conditioned in life to think that we must see something in order for it to be true. Belief is that these entities are in a frequency that our human eyes are not capable of seeing - but they are there! In other words our eyes and brains cannot fathom the picture that is painted and the brain finishes the image for us showing us something is there.

While we are confident that most shadow figures are harmless, we also know that some can be a bit nasty. As in all paranormal entities, their personalities vary – just like living humans. Spirits keep the same personality they had while alive – so if someone was a mass-murdering creep, odds are they would be a nasty spirit. Until the spirit enters the light, they will retain any emotional and physical baggage with them.

Negative Feelings

Many reports of shadow figures include a strong sense of negativity. Is it because the witness is scared of the unknown or do they sense the emotional and physical baggage that these spirits still have with them? Until the spirit enters the light, they carry their baggage they had while alive. Since there is a reason they have not crossed, we are more apt to feel negative feelings.

Possible Alternatives

As with all paranormal claims, one must be careful in not mistaking alternative explanations as a paranormal entity. If one thinks their home is haunted – every little thing becomes magnified and everything becomes paranormal in their mind.

If you think you saw a shadow figure with the corner of your eye, look to rule out other scenarios first. Could headlights from a passing car create a shadow from a piece of furniture? If you spotted something – concentrate on the area and see what happens if another car passes.

Some alternative explanations for shadow figures range from tricks of the eye with normal light play to optical illusions. If you ask a doctor or skeptic they may tell you that shadow figures can be caused by ocular distortions or floaters within the vitreous fluid of the eyes. Some alternative explanations include:

Pareidolia: Our peripheral vision is linked to an area of the brain that senses and recognizes patterns. It provides less detail than macular vision, which is within your direct line of sight. This can create a condition called pareidolia, which is when the brain incorrectly interprets natural patterns of light and shadow or texture as familiar patterns, such as faces and human figures. This is similar to a term we refer to as matrixing.

Hypnogogia: This is a medically-documented condition in which a person is between being conscious and asleep. During this condition, a person can be both aware of their surroundings and in a dream-like state where images from their subconscious are added.

Chemical-induced Hallucinations: The use of both prescribed medications and narcotics can produce hallucinations with shadow-people.

Abnormally High Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs): When people who are sensitive to EMF levels are subjected to high amounts, their brain can create auditory and visual hallucinations. We also believe however, that high EMF's can provide an energy source for legitimate paranormal entities.

Neurological Conditions: Some people with diagnosed neurological conditions can have hallucinations of shadow figures.

Some Far-Out Ideas

Manchester Paranormal Investigations concentrates on spirits and ghosts. We do not focus any efforts on other fields of studies such as UFOs and cryptozoology – saying that, there are others who believe shadow figures are the result of some other ideas. The most common include aliens or disembodied spirits of living people who practice astral-projection. There a few who think that shadow figures are actually living humans who are in the midst of a NDE (near-death experience) or human time travelers sent from the future to observe us as a history lesson. Many rationalize their quick movement and their ability to stay in our peripheral vision is that they are easily startled and just as afraid of us as some are of them. Some believe that shadow figures are inter-dimensional beings where part of a dimension is bleeding through to ours.

It is not our interest to prove or disprove any of those theories. We believe that shadow figures are spirits that are trapped in this realm and this is the only way those particular spirits can manifest themselves.

Types of Shadow Figures

Shadow Figures

Shadow figures are black masses in the shape of humans. Some shadow figures can prevent any light to shine through, while some are more porous allowing some light to pass through.

Creepers

From experience, these are the most unnerving shadow figure to behold. We experienced one of these in the Old Barnstable Gaol. These shadow figures literally crawl along the floor, up the walls, or along the ceiling. As with any shadow figures they can move slowly or deliberately to extremely fast. Many assume these are evil creatures, but we cannot state this because we like to look at intent before one is classified as evil or harmless. The creeper we encountered did not seem evil as it left when prompted to. If it was truly evil, it would have disregarded our request.

Dark Mass

We term another group as a dark mass as it has no discernible form. They can vary in size and shape and often move slower than shadow figures or creepers.

Dark Mist

This is exactly as it sounds; a dark and smoky feature is present. Many are accustomed to the white or gray mists captured on photos; this is a cousin of those features. These mists allow some light to pass through and move as if it had a purpose.

Interesting Case Study

Every once in a while, we are proven wrong – and that is a good thing. We have to maintain an open mind to all possibilities and we have to look for alternate explanations before we can claim a location is haunted – and we require evidence to do so. While investigating an urban legend – we thought we sufficiently debunked the presence of a spirit who appeared as a shadow figure (some groups even gave this entity a name). We rationalized that headlights from a car in an adjacent parking lot casts shadows that locals mistake as a shadow figure. During our second investigation, sure enough we saw a shadow figure run to the location where rumor exists. After heading toward that area, we did indeed capture an EVP – confirming the boy's name. Then the shadow figure appeared again, ten feet from us. He was peeking at us. The full moon was behind our back and it revealed the shadow figure had no facial features or other details; it was just a black figure. He then saw us staring directly at him and he slowly retreated from view.

Hat and Red Eyes?

One interesting trend that we see is multiple reports of a shadow figure with a hat and usually red eyes. We have been contacted several times with this description and it is a phenomenon some call "the hat man". This is one trend we need to further research. Traditionally the color red is described as intense anger. Why would a spirit want to manifest this anger in a way that we can see? Is it an attempt to intimidate, an odd way to communicate, is it a spirit with ill-intent, or is there a movie people see and have this image in their subconscious? This is a question we hope to answer one day. We have seen countless shadow figures, none with a hat or red eyes, so we cannot answer that yet.

Orb- Paranormal or Normal?

Orb – Paranormal or Normal?

With the birth of digital cameras, orbs became the rage in the paranormal investigation world. Somewhere, the legend of the orb was born. We cannot discount an orb – remember nothing can be definitively said about the paranormal – it's an ever-evolving field and one in which the answers are not there, yet. Until a spirit sits down and discusses all these mysteries, we may never know ourselves until we ourselves cross that line between the living and the dead. It is our experience that orbs can be easily duplicated and more often than not are caused by normal circumstances.

An orb is a bright circle that appears in a photograph or video. We are not discounting lights and orbs of energy that can be seen by the naked eye, just the millions of photos with "orbs" in them. Manchester Paranormal Investigations will never present the typical orb photos as evidence of paranormal activity. If other groups do, that is fine as everyone has different theories. We are not saying that we are right and they are wrong – it's a personal belief. We, however, were successful in recreating orbs that we know are not paranormal.

Search the internet and you will find many photos in cemeteries with orbs. Unfortunately, these photos caused a rush into cemeteries and problems with trespassing. Are these photos paranormal? 99.99% of these are not, and here's why. Take any photo at night with a flash and chances are you will have photos with orbs in them. Orbs can easily be explained and duplicated with experiments. Those photos are nothing more than dust, pollen, bugs, airborne sediment, moisture, or any natural substance floating in the air. The flash from the camera reflects off an airborne item and the result is a circle that appears to be illuminated. Even if one does not use a flash, light from other sources (street lights, flash lights, passing headlights) can create the same effect.

If you are adamant about orbs, try this experiment. In a dark room, with your flash on, have someone throw flour, salt, or dust in the air and take a photograph. Chances are you will have orbs. When someone enters an area (even outside) they will stir up dust, sediment, pollen, and the like and when the photo is taken there is enough airborne material to create orbs.

Some claim that orbs contain faces or any other body part. This can be explained by matrixing. The mind has a way of creating an image that is not there. Tricks of shadow and light create an incomplete image and then your brain will finish an image to something that is familiar. If you're looking for paranormal and looking for a face, your brain will complete that image for you.

Are all orb photos non-paranormal? We cannot say that, but the majority can be attributed to natural conditions. If you want to take photographs at night, one of the best hints I heard is to take many photographs of dust, pollen, rain, snow, fog, or any conditions you may encounter in order to have a comparison.

A way of avoiding orbs is to make note where the light sources are. Avoid taking a picture towards a bright light as the light will bounce around the lenses in the camera causing "orb-like" features. Also make sure your camera is free of dust or moisture on the lens as orbs can appear as a result of a dirty lens.

Are there orbs that can be associated with the paranormal? Yes, but those photos are rare. An actual orb that can be attributed to the paranormal will have a contrail, as the orb is in motion. (Beware the contrail associated with slight camera movement). It is theorized as photographic evidence has been recorded that a truly paranormal "orb" will stop and expand into a paranormal vapor. True paranormal orbs can be seen as a white ball of light shooting through a room and through solid surfaces.

So yes, we believe a true orb is paranormal, however many of the photographs of "orbs" are easy to duplicate and do not have the signature of a paranormal phenomenon.

Misconceptions of a spirits Communication

Misconceptions of a Spirit's Communication

Many times the intentions of a benign spirit are often misunderstood. In some cases people take a harmless attempt to communicate and add intent to them. We often hear claims that a house is harboring a demon, a poltergeist or a malevolent spirit. Many times, the culprit is a benign spirit that is often confused, distraught or even a bit agitated that their attempt to effectively communicate has failed miserably.

Believe me, there are such things as malevolent spirits and demons – and they certainly cause serious problems, but this article will focus on benign spirits. A paranormal investigator can help you determine which type of paranormal entity you have as well as possible intention and help guide the spirit to the other side. Manchester Paranormal Investigations provides these services for free within Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

If a picture falls off the wall or a door slams by itself, the first thought many people have is that the offending party is a negative entity. The truth is there just may be a benign spirit who just may be a little agitated that you do not hear them or understand their messages. There in fact may be no reason to fear. Sure, the thought of a deceased person sharing your living space may be a tad unnerving, but we cannot jump to conclusions about their intent without proper evidence.

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes

The best way to understand their frustration is to imagine yourself in their predicament. Why are they slamming those doors, flipping pictures off the wall, stomping on the floor? Think if it this way.

Imagine for a moment that you arrive home from a long day of work and you see someone sitting in your favorite recliner. Your first instinct is to say "Who are you and why are you in my house?" Now imagine if that intruder does not acknowledge your question or even look at you. What do you do next? You will more than likely get in their face and repeat yourself. If they still ignore you, you will then get a bit peeved.

So you start yelling in their face, "Are you deaf? Who are you?" and get their attention anyway you know how to. You make noise, lots of it. You know that doing something drastic will get their attention.

If someone does not acknowledge a spirit, they usually do something drastic to try to get your attention. Usually it works. Spirits have many different reasons why they remain behind. The above illustration can be applied to many applications. Whatever their reason, the degree of difficulty to communicate causes them to do what they can to get your attention.

Early Wake-up Call

It is often stated that 3am is the peak of activity. Remember, paranormal activity can occur at any time and day - most people notice it more during early morning. It is not that the spirit wants to scare you (well some do) it's just that you will notice it more.

This is because there is less distractions - televisions and radios are off, there is less traffic, less talking, and in darkness your other senses are heightened. Some spirits also realize this and take advantage of the fact that it is quieter and would be easier to be noticed.

The spirit is not taking pleasure keeping you up at night, they are not high-fiving their spirit friends telling tales of their deeds. The majority of benign spirits do not want to scare or inconvenience the living - they just want to be heard.

What do they have to say? Since spirits are individuals, they all have different things to say. We as the living just need to learn how to listen.

Before you jump to conclusions, ask yourself "How would I react in their shoes?" Imagine yourself being lost and every person you encounter does not see or hear you.

Orb Zone theory

Orb Zone: a case study

A Scientific Case Study: The Orb Zone Theory

It can sometimes be difficult for those without relevant training to appreciate how science works. Science works differently to everyday life. In the world of science, for instance, it is evidence that counts over everything else, including personal opinion. To better appreciate just how the scientific process works, here is a case study to consider. It concerns orbs, which are thought by many to be paranormal.

In essence, the scientific process goes as follows. Someone makes novel observation of a phenomenon and formulates a theory to explain it. They produce predictions from that theory and test them with experiments or more observations. If the new theory proves to be correct, then it might replace existing theories. There are two conditions that determine if this happens, though: (a) the new theory must explain everything the old theory did, as well as the new observations, (b) the new evidence must be beyond reasonable doubt and any experiments must be rigorous. In addition, scientific theories should fit in with existing science in related areas of science. If you invent a new agency to explain orbs, for instance, this might contradict evidence from other areas of science. Bearing in mind that these other areas of scientific knowledge are supported by their own hard-won evidence, you would need to demonstrate that they were wrong too before your theory could be accepted. Most paranormal theories do not achieve these conditions.

The Orb Zone Theory explains why cameras record orbs. Serious photographers recognised these 'orbs' straight away as 'circles of confusion' (a technical term in photography). They were bemused by the enormous interest orbs attracted among paranormal researchers. Knowing the orbs' origins, they felt no need to explain them in any detail. As a result, it was left to paranormal researchers themselves to expand on the simple idea of 'circles of confusion' to explain the various aspects of the orb phenomenon in detail. This was how the Orb Zone Theory appeared.

Introduction

Orbs were first noticed in the early digital photographs. These grey or white circles, sometimes opaque but usually translucent, were never seen when the photo was taken. For this reason some people thought they were paranormal. It was quickly realised, however, that they could be easily reproduced by blowing dust (or similar small particles) just in front of the lens when flash photographs are taken. Many paranormal researchers left it at that, assuming that all orbs were caused by dust. Others were not so sure as variations on the classic orb theme, like coloured or oddly shaped versions, began to appear. Then photos appeared that seemed to show orbs behind other objects in the picture. Some people claimed that orbs only appeared in particular places, such as haunted houses, or around particular people. It was clear that a more detailed answer to the orb question, beyond simply saying 'they're all dust', was required. The Orb Zone Theory was created to fill that gap.

Orb Zone primer

The Orb Zone Theory (OZT) is essentially an extension of the 'circle of confusion' explanation for orbs given by camera Orbingmanufacturers and serious photographers. In essence, an orb is a circle of confusion which is an out of focus highlight. If you look at a photograph with out of focus objects, like the one on the right, you will see that instead of just going fuzzy, objects going out of focus turn into many overlapping circles of light (circles of confusion). Do they look familiar?

Obviously, the brightest circles of confusion, produced by highlights on the objects in the photo, outshine the darker ones completely. If you look at any shiny object you will see that, no matter what the colour of the object, the highlights are always white (or the colour of the light source). As orbs reflect the light from a white light flash, that is why most are white (or grey if more diffuse).

So, what is a circle of confusion? It is the smallest detail that a lens can resolve. When it is projected onto a film or sensor chip it appears as a tiny circular dot. These dots are deliberately made small enough so that people cannot see them as individual dots. Instead the picture appears as continuous shapes, rather than thousands of dots. It is a bit like the way a TV picture is made up of many lines that you can see if you look closely enough. Note, however, that circles of confusion are not the same as pixels!

When an object in a photo is out of focus, its circles of confusion expand to appear as circles (see diagram and photo above). The larger the circle, the fainter it is, because the light is more spread out. Eventually, when the circle becomes too large, it is no longer visible at all. This places a limit on the largest 'orb' you can see in a photo. This is why you never see orbs over about one tenth of a frame size*. If orbs were real objects 'out there', you would not expect them to have such a limit on their size in a photo.

A crucial question is - why did orbs suddenly appear when digital cameras arrived? The sensor chips in digital cameras are almost all physically smaller than the size of a 35mm film frame (most are less than half the size). This meant that wider-angle lenses were needed for digital cameras so they could show the same area of view in a frame as a 35mm film cameras (otherwise digital cameras would have shown a much smaller area of view). These wider-angled lenses had a much greater depth of field. Depth of field is the area in front of a camera where objects are in focus. If objects are too close to the lens (and sometimes when they are too far away) they will be out of focus and break up into circles of confusion (see pic above). The increased depth of field in digital cameras meant that the closest distance where objects were in focus came much nearer to the camera. It also brought the area that was just out of focus much closer. Importantly, it brought these two zones much closer to the flash unit. In many digital cameras this created an Orb Zone. The orb zone is the area where the flash is strong enough to illuminate tiny particles, like dust, water droplets or small insects, that are just too close to the camera to be in focus. Such objects produce expanded circles of confusion or orbs! Since most bits of dust are tiny, they only have a single highlight and so produce individual orbs. Some larger objects, like small insects, may have several highlights and so produce multiple overlapping orbs.

Though the vast majority of orbs are circular, they can be other shapes. Though the basic shape is derived from the circle of confusion, it can be modified by the diaphragm in a camera lens. This diaphragm is an adjustable opening inside the lens ('the aperture') which varies in size to let more or less light in (note that this has nothing to do with the camera shutter). Though it is usually circular, it can be other shapes, notably a diamond or hexagon. Cameras that produce diamond shaped orbs (or other odd shapes) will always produce them in this shape because of their diaphragm. Since the diaphragm varies to control how much light is admitted to the camera, the diamond (or other shape) shape may be more pronounced in some photos than in others (depending on the size of the aperture) and may even vanish completely in some shots. Orb shapes can also be modified by vignetting, as explained below, and by overlapping with other orbs.

Various factors affect the brightness, structure (internal shapes, such as concentric circles, if any), edge sharpness and evenness of shading. These are mostly down to the camera lens. Photographers talk about the bokeh of a lens when discussing this subject.

*Lens flare, which resembles orbs, can be bigger than one tenth of the frame size. Lens flare is associated with bright light sources either in the frame or just outside it. It is usually quite easy to recognise.

Has the Orb Zone Theory been tested?

For a scientific theory to be validated, it needs to produce predictions and these need to be tested. Ideally, these predictions should be of things not already observed. If a theory only 'explains' existing observations, but cannot predict any others, it could be no more than speculation. Several predictions of the Orb Zone Theory have been formally tested to scientific standards. These include:

that orb numbers vary according to the depth of field in a particular photo
that orb numbers are unaffected by whether photos are taken in haunted or non-haunted locations
In each of these tests, everything was done to hold other variables (that were likely to affect the outcome) constant. It was then possible to see if there was any statistically significant relationship either supporting or refuting the predictions.

The first test concerned the central basis of the theory - that it is the distance of the closest point at which objects are in focus is what determines how many orbs will be seen. Such a relationship is unlikely to be predicted in paranormal theories of orbs which aren't usually concerned with the mechanics of taking photos. The second test concerned the widely-held idea that haunted places produce more orbs. Some people propose, for instance, that orbs are actually ghosts or are the precursors of ghostly manifestations.

When these predictions were tested in rigorous conditions, they were all confirmed.

In addition, the OZT has explained many 'odd' kinds of orbs that were seen by some as 'beyond the dust theory', and so possibly paranormal (see the next section). The OZT has successfully explained many types of orb from hundreds of photos taken with dozens of different camera models in many different places and in all sorts of different conditions. These unusual orbs have also been successfully reproduced using the principles of the OZT.

Another interesting test that ASSAP once proposed was Project Orbit. The idea was to see if two cameras could record the same orb. OZT predicts that because the zones are so close to the camera lens, the same orb will NOT appear in both shots, showing it is a bit of dust or other particle very close to the lens. For various reasons Orbit never happened but paranormal research group Parascience has done similar tests and confirmed what the OZT predicted. See here for details.

What does the Orb Zone Theory explain?

When scientists discover a general principle or theory, they usually assume it applies to all known examples of the phenomena. For instance, when Newton discovered gravity he assumed it applied to all objects. He didn't think that, though gravity held Mercury and Venus in their orbits around the Sun, something else kept Jupiter in its orbit!

So, if dust causes most orbs, it is logical to infer that it causes all orbs. However, some paranormal researchers have said that certain orbs are so different that they must have a different explanation. There is a problem with this argument, however. Orbs only appeared widely with the arrival of digital cameras. Why should digital cameras just happen to be good at detecting both dust orbs and the proposed paranormal orbs? Some people have said it is because digital cameras are more sensitive to infra-red than film cameras but this is not true. Though their sensors are indeed highly sensitive to near infra-red, digital cameras are fitted with permanent internal filters to block most infra-red. Overall, they are no more sensitive to infra-red than were film cameras.

With the OZT, it has been possible to explain all aspects of the orb photographs so far examined in detail, including some oddities. Here are a few examples of things explained by OZT:

that the vast majority are white or shades of grey (because highlights are the same colour as the light source as explained above)**
that orbs sometimes appear truncated around the edges of frames in some photos (caused by vignetting as the dust is very close to the lens)
how orbs can appear in front of backgrounds too close to be in focus (because they are very close and out of focus themselves, not in focus objects 'out there')
how orbs can appear to be moving (they are multiple overlapping orbs caused by objects with several highlights, like insects)*
how orbs can have tails, usually fading away downwards (because they are falling raindrops)
why orbs are never larger than around one tenth of the size of the photo frame (see above)
why cameras that produce odd-shaped orbs, such as diamonds, always get the same shape in all orbs
* Some people claim to have tracked individual orbs moving between photos taken in rapid succession and so have concluded that they are moving very quickly. One obvious difficulty here is, how do they know it is the same orb in both photos? Most orbs are featureless amorphous grey or white circles. Even if one could prove that the sane orb appears in two successive photos, it doesn't mean they are moving fast. The orb could indeed be caused by exactly the same bit of dust. However, it only needs to move a very short distance slowly in the orb zone, which is very small and close to the camera, to appear to move a long way in the photo.
** Some orbs do have colours other that white or grey. However, these can be explained by Moire fringes, refraction in water droplets and chromatic aberration, none of which contradict the OZT.

What cannot be explained?

A theory cannot be considered scientific unless it is falsifiable. This means, there must be some evidence that could appear, or an experiment that can be done, that would prove the theory wrong. If a theory cannot be falsified then it explains everything and therefore, effectively, nothing.

Consider the following possibilities that might falsify the Orb Zone Theory:

a) Supposing there was a photo showing an orb partly behind an object in the picture. This could not be explained by the OZT where orbs are caused by objects just in front of the camera lens. Such photos do exist. However, in all the examples so far examined, the faint translucent orb was overwhelmed by a highly saturated colour in the object supposedly obscuring it. In other words, the missing portion of the orb could not be seen because it was overwhelmed by the more strongly coloured object behind it (particularly if it is highly coloured or very dark or light). Digital photography is more prone to this sort of effect because it has a smaller latitude (degree of detail visible in dark or light areas) than film*. See this page for more information. In fact, it is a legitimate question to ask why, if orbs are really 'out there' (as opposed to being very close to the lens), they always appear to be in front of the many varied subjects of orb photographs (covering a wide range of distance from the camera)? There ought to be lots of photos showing orbs partially obscured by other objects but in fact such pictures are extremely rare. The effect of a partially obscured orb is quite easily reproduced!
* Interestingly, you can sometimes the effect that the colour of the orb has on the object behind (usually making it slightly lighter) even though the shape of the orb cannot itself be made out. If the orb was really behind, it should have no effect on the colour of the object.

b) Another confounding type of photo might be one showing an orb with a shadow. These, too, have been reported and some examined. However, in all cases the 'shadow' was usually either a coincidental dark shape or, more often, the result of over-processing the photo.

c) What if orbs appeared more frequently in haunted locations or around particular people or events? Research has shown no evidence of more orbs in haunted locations than in non-haunted places. However, there have been claims that certain people or places 'attract' orbs or even that some people can 'will' them to appear. To test such claims requires more than just examining photos. All such claims of orbs around particular people or places could just be coincidence. It requires a carefully designed controlled trial, similar to the one that showed that haunted places are no more likely to have orbs than non-haunted places, to test the claim.

d) What if orbs were seen by witnesses at the time they were being photographed? This has been reported, though very rarely. Even if it is demonstrated to be true, it does not affect the OZT. This is because, the OZT does not cover such 'orbs'. Such phenomena should not be considered orbs at all. The OZT is only concerned with 'orbs', which are defined as NOT being seen when the photograph was taken. Lights have been reported in haunting cases for decades, long before the advent of digital cameras, and are nothing to do with orbs despite a superficial similarity. Indeed, the widespread interest in orbs may be affecting such reports.

Is there a better theory?

All scientific theories are only provisional, current only until something better comes along. This usually happens when an observation is reported that can't be explained by the existing theory. However, any new theory must still explain everything that the existing theory does, as well as any new observations.

A rival theory to the OZT would therefore need to explain not only the novel observations but also:

why orbs are so much more common on (though not exclusive to) digital cameras than film camera
why the vast majority of orbs are white or grey
why the number of orbs seen is affected by the depth of field of a camera lens
why you can take photos of orbs in front of backgrounds too close to be in focus
why some orbs are truncated on the edges of some photos
why orbs never exceed about one tenth of the frame size
why orbs are always in front of the many varied subjects in orb photos
why some cameras always produce odd-shaped orbs (such as diamond shape)
There are lots of other more minor things that would also need to be explained but explaining everything on this list would be a good start to a better theory.