Apparitions: spirits that is in human form and can be seen with the naked eye

Orbs: Believed to be spirits, souls or energy of individuals who have died.

Mists/Shadows/Dark Shadows: Are usually seen on video or camera but can also be seen with the naked eye. Some believe these to be demons (especially the dark shadows) and some believe they are just souls who are still in the darkness.

"Ghost Hunting" or Paranormal investigations are becoming common-place. However, debate still rages over the existance of paranormal activity. It has become so much of a science, that there is an entire list of terms used in paranormal investigation.

In my opinion, there are three types of believers:
Believers who are skeptic, Skeptics who are believers, and pure believers. I am a skeptic who is a believer. This is my breakdown of orbs, apparitions and shadows. Everyone will have their own opinions of course.

ORBS: I believe these to be too easily explained in most cases. There are too many things that can reflect both off a camera lens, and your eyes. Orbs are probably the easiest to debunk. Some hold some curiosity, but most are determined to have a reason. I do not rely on Orbs as proof of paranormal

APPARITIONS; These can possibly be they eyes playing tricks, however, depending on the person having the experience, and the experience itself, I also believe these exist. Well, okay, I've seen some. Believe me, I tried to explain them away, and rationalize them, being the skeptic I am, but could not.

DARK SHADOWS: These, again, on camera could be ordinary shadows. Witnessing one first hand is more credible in my opinion. I can say that because, again, I HAVE experienced it first hand and it was one of the most terrifying brushes with the paranormal I've ever had. You may have your own interpretation of each. I base mine on years of experience, and casual but thorough study.

The Pioneers in attempting to apply scientific standards to "ghostly" experiences were; Frederick William Henry Myers (who coined the term "telepathic"), Edmund Gurney, and Frank Podmore. They belonged to the Society for Psychical Research.

In the 1970's the study took a different direction. The research by Celia Green and Charles McCreery noted that the real experiences of apparitions given by people was starkly different than traditional "ghost" stories.

The first accounts of apparitions from the 1800's showed that apparitions normally appeared when the person was at a low stress level and doing a common task, such as housework. Also noted was the fact that the apparitions did not normally frighten the people, but in a sense gave comfort. Apparitions were normally recorded as solid, not transparent. Earliest recordings of apparition sightings do not mention any audible experiences, only visual.

I am attempting to make my way to the next round of Giant Squids! I have 35 lenses to date and am really enjoying squidoo. Not just writing, but reading other lenses.

I have a Table of Contents that lists my Articles by topic. You can find it HERE>