There’s a lot of variety to be found in the human experience. Wander through the world and you’ll see an amazing number of different cultures and beliefs. Likewise, examine the history of any of those regions and you’ll see an equally rich tapestry of hopes and dreams. But for all the differences to be found by time and place there are still some constants. One of those constants is people’s belief in something intrinsically special about the human condition. This seems to be an inherently human concept. We see evidence of this belief in some of the oldest human remains. One of the more recent examples dates back to 34,000 years in the past.
To the best of our knowledge humans are the only beings with a solid awareness of time and our own mortality. This awareness has led to a lot of consideration regarding the nature of one’s inner being. What is the link between mind and body? What is a soul and does it persist after death? If something of us does remain then what form would it take?
How Emotion Helps to Cement People’s Legacy
Some people view life after death more in terms of a continuing legacy. This often takes the form of a great work bearing one’s name. However, there’s a larger theme of emotion which links most concepts of life after death. When people talk about feeling the presence of a figure from the past, that emotional description is important. In part because people keep the memory of inspiring figures alive. This is true both for those who inspire us to new heights and those who offer cautionary examples.
It’s also here that we see a bridge between almost every culture through most of human history. Different people and different cultures have a wide range of beliefs about the afterlife. However, almost everyone agrees that areas involved with both death and emotion tend to resonate with the living. Even more, there are certain phenomena associated with these places. Many believe that all of this taken together shows evidence of a lingering presence which transcends death. One of the most common examples of this phenomenon is something called an orb or a ghost orb.
Orbs Appear on the Scene
People love to take pictures of their various adventures. It’s natural that places associated with emotion, both positive and negative, would have a lot of people grabbing their cameras. Over time people began to notice an odd trend with these pictures. Photographs meant to capture a moment in time seemed to have something in them which nobody remembered. Instead of capturing a moment in time, the pictures may well have transcended it.
People began to notice that their pictures of cemeteries, old houses or historical sites would often feature glowing orbs. Nobody would remember seeing anything like that when the picture was taken. But presence of an orb would often match up to feelings of disquiet or emotional intensity. This naturally led to speculation that the photographs might be evidence of some form of ghostly activity. Other people maintain that orbs are a trick of the environment. Yet others still take a moderate position between the two and suggest that it’s important to carefully examine each individual case before coming to a conclusion.
Examining the Nature of Orbs
Skeptics make the case that orbs are usually a reflection of light on small particles in the environment. There’s indisputable evidence that motes of dust or the like are capable of creating orb-like images in photographs. However, believers maintain that this only explains a subset of the larger body of evidence.
The middle position instead suggests that people judge the available evidence first before jumping to conclusions. There’s often no way to firmly determine where an orb is coming from when it appears in a picture. However, people who take a middle ground between the two extremes suggest looking at where the orb appears.
If the orb appears to be partially behind a person or object then it’s probably not a reflection off of dust or similar debris. The larger object would block light reflection or refraction. They also suggest looking for signs of density in the orb. Finally, observers can see if the orb appears to move independently of wind or airflow.
For example, a picture might have evidence of wind from the incline of grass or people’s hair. If someone took multiple pictures in such a location and the orb is moving against the direction of the wind then it’s a sign that the orb isn’t arising from a reflection off of airborne particulates.
This might seem like a wide divergence of opinion at first. After all, one side of things suggests absolute proof of the afterlife. Another states that we’re just seeing an illusion created by dust and light. But both of these touch on a fundamental point about orbs. Whatever the reason behind orbs, we do know that they’re real. This is one of the elements which is often lost within the larger debate about what an orb is.
For example, consider the nature of a lovingly painted portrait. We could go into endless detail about the nature of the paints used to create it or the material used for its canvas. But in doing so we’d miss the entire point of a painting. A painting serves to evoke emotion. We feel emotion when looking at a painting no matter what the underlying substrate may consist of. And we feel emotion when looking at orbs no matter what they might be.
An orb is almost always something seen in areas which have a heavy emotional context. As such, beyond any material cause, they’re an expression of emotion. We see colors and patterns in places which resonate with the wide range of emotions people bring with them. In looking at the larger meaning of an orb we can discover how people view life, death and the world around them. So how can we look into what orbs mean rather than what they might be on a material or supernatural level? The answer is to look at color.
Color and the Larger Meaning of Orbs
Color is one of the main methods in which people communicate emotion without words, letters or symbols. It’s something which everyone who looks at a photograph of an orb would understand. Likewise, if an orb is viewed as a ghost, then it makes sense that color would be a valuable form of communication. Imagine an existence where speech is impossible. Where even sign language is out of the question. Where you might even find yourself linguistically separated through the evolution of language over time.
How would you express yourself if you only had light to use as a medium? The simple answer would be that you’d use color. Once again this is a common element no matter how people look at orbs. Color is always going to be important no matter where the orb might arise from.
The next step is to look at specific colors in the context of communication. What would color mean if it’s a message stemming from orbs? People have come up with several ideas about the message different colored orbs have for us.
Green Orbs
Different colors tend to have a lot of subjective meaning to different people. However, almost every culture on earth can agree that green is usually linked to nature. Green growing things form the basis of all human civilization in one way or another. There’s never been a human being who isn’t linked to nature through this color.
The intrinsic link between nature and the color green implies that this is true for green orbs as well. A green orb might arise as a reminder about the particular needs of an area. For example, imagine the scene of a lone and reportedly haunted stone house in the middle of a forest. Some people might have ideas about knocking the small house and the surrounding trees down to start a new construction effort. In this case the orb may well serve as a plea to let nature, and the stone house, remain.
Red Orbs
People often jump to the conclusion that red is associated with anger. But it’s important to keep context in mind. Red is just as often associated with strong passions. In particular, red will often suggest a strong desire to protect something or someone important. Remember too that red is often seen as the color of passionate love.
A red orb is often seen as a caretaker of sorts. This is similar to the earlier example of a green orb acting as a protector within natural environments. A red orb would be more firmly tied to a specific ideal than the earlier examination of green orbs. The example of a green orb shows an intent to protect the natural balance of an existing combination of forest and building. A red orb may be more tightly focused on protecting an individual building. It may even be tightly bound to something like a burial plot.
Blue Orbs
Blue is usually seen as a calm and restful color. It’s the color of relaxing skies and calm waters. Likewise, blue orbs are often associated with calm guidance. Some people also associate blue with truth. This all ties together to suggest a type of orb which has a spiritual message for people. A blue orb’s message may be less tied to material affairs than that of a red or green orb. If you see a blue orb show up in a picture then it might be a perfect place to rest and reflect on your life for a while.
This also shows why it’s so important to look past the underlying reasons for orbs as a phenomenon. If the meaning from an orb is a message from the afterlife, then you’d want to spend time communing with it at a conductive location. But if the meaning of an orb comes from your own unconscious associations, then you’d want to perform the exact same action. Whether the message is coming from within or without, a blue orb would still indicate that something can be gained through peaceful meditation at a certain area.
Dark Orbs
People often associate black and brown with more negative emotions and messages. It’s important to remember that we’re looking at color as a means of communication. If something means harm it doesn’t announce that fact. To do so would be to warn people away from an area. A malevolent force doesn’t warn people away from harm. Therefore, we should look at black and brown orbs as more of a statement about potential dangers. This might mean that dwelling on an area’s past could have bad consequences in the long run.
It’s obviously important to understand some of the negative events of the past in order to avoid repeating them. Likewise, understanding the worst incidents of the past can act as a way to honor the innocents involved in them. But dwelling on negativity often invites it into ourselves. A black orb may serve as a message to avoid dwelling too much on the events of a particular place. This is especially important when considering that orbs are typically associated with locations where people have died.
White Orbs
On the opposite end of the color spectrum we find the white orbs. White or silver is usually linked to a wide variety of positive emotions. Shining white light is typically associated with blessings and important guidance. White orbs are also sometimes linked to messages of protection for people in the area. We can think of it as the opposite message of black orbs. Black is usually a message to go away. White is a message to stay for a while.
Clear Orbs
Finally, many orbs are translucent. People often see this as a message without any strong meaning to it. Think of it as somewhat similar to a casual greeting to a stranger you pass on a hiking trail. You say hi as a way to announce yourself and that you don’t mean any harm. A clear orb may just be a similar greeting to indicate that you’re sharing the path with someone or something else for a while. As such you shouldn’t feel worried or upset if you notice anything out of the ordinary in the area.
