HAUNTED
DANGER
ZONE
A SERIES OF CAUTIONARY TALES
BY JANE J. WICHERS
Part Two: Lumen Pestis
The Truth About Orbs
ORB
GHOST SUBMITED BY: STEPHEN
RICE
“But their orbs, without beam,
To thy weariness shall seem
As a burning and a fever
Which would cling to thee for ever.”
– Poe
ORBS
DEFINED?
Orbs are generally agreed to be small spheres of
varying sizes, colors, and opacity appearing primarily
in photographs and alleged by some to be a form
of basic spirit energy in the genesis of manifestation.
Very seldom seen in any verifiable form with the
naked eye, the onset of affordable home digital
photography in the mid-1990’s has overwhelmed
the field of paranormal inquiry with a flood of
orb and orb-like phenomena appearing in hundreds
of photographs submitted as “proof”
of the existence of ghosts and the supernatural.
Though often the photographs were the result of
legitimate investigations into the veracity (or
lack thereof) of hauntings in particular locations,
the vast majority of orb photographs have originated
with groups of avid “ghost hunters,”
hobbyists, really, during eager “investigations”
in cemeteries throughout the hills, plains, and
backwaters of the US and Europe. Occasionally, and
with increasing frequency, it might be noted, orbs
have appeared in photographs taken at other locations
with no connection whatsoever to hauntings, such
as the homes and workplaces of these intrepid paranormal
enthusiasts. These orb manifestations have been
just as eagerly documented and often generate a
proliferation of initial excitement among the enthusiastic
little groups involved – surely, they insist,
this is only further proof of the existence of ghosts
and the supernatural?
Though orbs can be acceptably defined there are
different schools of thought on what these bizarre
little globules actually are. Many, most especially
detractors of the use of digital photography, believe
the spheres of light to be merely the presence of
debris – dust, pollen, water droplets - on
the camera lens or at best the failure of the digital
technology to maximize available light (flash or
ambient) in particular situations resulting in gapping
that appears suspiciously three dimensional in comparison
to the remainder of the photograph. To this group,
there is nothing whatsoever supernatural about the
orb phenomena.
Another group, while remaining skeptical about the
validity of orbs as actual manifestations of spirit
energy, nonetheless adhere to the belief in at least
the existence of the spirit world and in the ability
of its denizens – usually operating under
some strict law of natural physics – to manifest
themselves in any number of forms, including orbs.
This line of thought is usually further qualified
with astute and informed scientific validations
regarding the spirit use of nascent available energy
sources – such as those emanating from batteries,
power and utility lines, and people – to “get
their energy” in order to appear in orb form.
That the form would be globule or sphere-like in
nature is also conjectured as the most “natural”
form of manifestation available to the spirit entity.
Then there is, of course, the large mass of “believers”
in the orb phenomenon as indisputable proof not
only of the existence of ghosts and spirits, but
also of their unfailing propensity to appear most
often as little, supposedly innocuous balls of light.
Sometimes the little spheres have faces –
smiley faces, frowny faces, and even animal faces.
That these enthusiastic orb supporters generally
produce copious volumes of photographic “evidence”
of sphere-like ghosts in action in reputedly haunted
places, most often in cemeteries, only muddies the
water for those who seek undisputable, scientifically
verifiable proof of paranormal phenomena.
To state it simply, each of these concepts is, basically,
correct.
That said, however, it is when orbs are stripped
of the science, the speculation, and the smiley
faces, and when the possibility is acknowledged
that at least SOME of the “orbs” captured
are actual manifestations of spirit beings, that
the phenomenon begins to take on validity and to
speak to us with a cautious sensibility. Not all
spheres recorded in photographs are orbs, and not
all spirit manifestations occur as orbs. Nevertheless,
orbs are very real.
SO, WHAT ARE THEY?
STANLEY HOTEL GHOST
ORBS SUBMITTED BY DAVID B.
Leaving aside the scientific jargon and the boring
technicalities of how digital cameras function,
and setting aside wide-eyed, uninformed insistence
that all orbs photographed MUST be something supernatural,
it is valid to state that many orbs are, indeed,
a form of spirit manifestation – just not
of the type usually suggested or expected.
That these spirits utilize the energy surrounding
them to subsist, function, manifest, and even to
survive, is undeniable. That they always manifest
in accordance with set rules of physics, however,
or that they are bound to the strictures of any
other science known to man, though not impossible,
is nonetheless highly improbable. That these orb-like
spirits do, on rare occasions, represent the spirit
form of a discarnate human being who is newly-navigating
the pathways of death, is very possible.
Nevertheless, the fact remains that the appearance
of legitimate orb-like manifestations captured on
film – wherever the capture may be –
is proof of the presence of discarnate, non-human
entities that are all around us at any given time
and to whom we are very likely nothing more than
prey.
“Just as the physical world has scavengers
– worms, crows, fungi, and so on – that
break down dead physical bodies and return their
components to the ecosystem, so the etheric world
has larvae, who serve the same function.”
Greer
Orbs, spheres, globes, globules, energy balls –
all are primarily forms of spirit larvae.
Larvae are “etheric beings living entirely
on the level of subtle energy” and because
of their attraction to decay and other etheric “waste”
products, larvae are most often found where the
food source is most highly concentrated, that is
to say cemeteries and to a certain degree mortuaries
and funeral homes. But larvae have also been known
to plague other areas where disease and death frequently
occur such as hospitals, nursing homes, and the
“squalid etheric environments of modern cities.”
The cast-off etheric shells of dead human beings
make up the primary food source for these parasitic
spirits and it is more than safe to say that those
cemetery photographs containing truly unexplainable
orb-like anomalies (those which cannot be attributed
to any other factor) are, in fact, images of these
larvae at work in their natural habitat. Content
to feed on the energy sources around them –
decomposing corpses, dying flowers and vegetation,
the etheric patterns in animal feces and other waste
products – larvae spend most of their time
making a somewhat positive contribution to the etheric
spiritual plane.
When exposed to the thriving etheric energy of living
human beings, not only those paranormal enthusiasts
mentioned above but also individuals in states of
extreme grief who pay frequent visits to dead loved
ones, and even gravediggers and caretakers, larvae
can be thrown into a state of excited flux. Confronted
with groups of individuals toting electronic equipment,
battery packs and other power sources, and exuding
adrenaline energy in the form of excitement, anticipation,
or fear – whether ghost-hunting hobbyists
or paranormal “experts” – larvae
will respond with all the eagerness of flies to
honey.
“Slow, mindless, and persistent, larvae will
occasionally seize on a damaged human etheric body,
and in such cases can cause weakness, poor health,
and wasting illness.”
Greer
Dealings with spirit larvae present hidden dangers
to the unwary. By their very nature, these spirit
“pests” can be harmful to humans and
continued exposure to them is unhealthy for most
human beings.
Cemeteries, as the primary “home” for
these pests, present the most obvious threat. Generally
speaking, visitors and other passers-by are usually
not open to attack by these parasitic spirits, except
in cases where such visits are lengthy or frequent
and combined with unresolved feelings of grief or
despair. Because larvae can more easily attach to
such “wounded” living etheric bodies,
it is best to discourage persons suffering from
extremes of despondency from spending too much time
attending the grave of a deceased loved one. As
the period of mourning passes and the etheric body
of the individual heals, that person becomes much
less appealing to spirit larvae.
Easier and less wary prey is never far away for
cemetery larvae, however, and it is only a matter
of time before they once again encounter living
etheric bodies lingering in their otherwise dismal
domain: Enter the paranormal experts and ghost-hunting
enthusiasts, pranksters and teenage dares, tourists
and curiosity seekers, and, possibly the easiest
prey of all, the uninitiated practitioners of all
sorts of ersatz “black magic” rituals.
In any given group described above, the likelihood
of one or more individuals being suitable for an
unhealthy attachment of spirit larvae is extremely
high. Since we, as humans, cannot effectively leave
our “emotional baggage” at the cemetery
gate, we become instantly more vulnerable to these
entities whose very nature is designed to exploit
and feed upon weakness in other beings. Emotions
such as fear and excitement, and mental conditions
such as depression and hyperactivity disorder are
just as enticing food sources as grief and mourning,
and all are more “nourishing” than the
dispersing essences of the decomposing dead. Thus
it is that living humans in the environment of the
dead hold a particular attraction for these spirit
pests.
Adolescent pranksters and teenagers present the
“slow, mindless, and persistent” spirit
larvae with an additional kind of enticement, that
of surging post-pubescent hormones and pure adrenaline.
There are probably hundreds of teen pranks that
have started out or ended up in a cemetery, and
graveyards have held an overwhelming appeal to youth
in all cultures primarily because of the taboos
and dangers associated with these places. Spirit
larvae, with their dull, worker-bee mentality, will
find such luminous energy irresistible, and, as
if in support of this very theory, folklore is full
of accounts of practical jokers who have run away
from cemeteries and ducked under their bedsheets
in fear, only to find later that the joke’s
on them and something has, indeed, followed them
home…
Tourists (and their guides) and other curiosity
seekers represent another vulnerable part of the
spirit larvae food chain. Attracted to cemeteries
in the spirit of expectation, most graveyard tourists
harbor a strange desire to be scared witless or
to have a personal encounter with the supernatural.
Often, they get their wish, but in the case of a
spirit larvae attack this is only revealed slowly
and subtly, as the larvae remain with the victim
until his or her health – both physical and
emotional – begins to suffer and the surrounding
environment slowly becomes infected with a tangible
malaise. Months, even years later, victims of prolonged
spirit larvae infestation have been left pondering
the results – mental and emotional problems,
family, job and other life challenges, streaks of
bad luck that all seem to have come out of nowhere.
Uneducated dabblers in ritual magick and bokor voodoo,
and other self-styled practitioners of the “black
arts” will often find, to their dismay, that
the cemetery is the place where, as it were, the
bullet hits the bone. The fact is, unless one is
a genuine magickal adept or a legitimate initiate,
those who fumble with ritual workings among the
dead are placing themselves at tremendous risk.
If the cemetery in question has a history of attracting
ritual activity of this sort, it is very likely
that spirits such as elementaries and demons are
already present and it is doubtful that they will
resist responding to ritual workings, even those
of mediocre magicians. The presence of spirit larvae
in such a magically charged environment is a given
and the use of magick by the unwise or uneducated
will only increase the flow of etheric energy resulting
in nothing less than a “feeding frenzy”
on their part. Because of this, the presence of
botched (and to some extent legitimate) workings
of ritual magick in cemeteries will also effectively
“addict” the spirit larvae to this type
of energy and their craving for it will cause an
added danger to the otherwise healthy etheric bodies
of other living things.
Invariably, these attachments, especially if developed
over time or through repeated visits, will be sufficiently
strong enough for the larvae to begin affecting
the emotional and physical state of the etheric
body of the living human being. It must also be
considered that the study or interest in the paranormal
and unexplained which first brought the human into
contact with the spirit larvae will probably be
continued by the human host after the larvae have
taken up residence in his or her environment. Ironically,
larvae appearing as “orbs” in photographs
taken during this attachment period will only be
seen by the living as further proof of the existence
of spirit orbs and other ghostly phenomena, ultimately
encouraging more exposure.
Another danger to consider when larvae are present
is the possible presence of more potent spirit entities
that may be the source of prolonged entity hauntings
in a given location. The invading entity and the
spirit larvae thrive in a kind of symbiotic exchange
of energy that enables each to manifest in the environment
and also to feed off the shared energy. Although
the question of whether or not spirit larvae are
able to evolve from their larval state, developing
into other spirit forms such as elementals or astral
spirit forms, is still debated in the magical community,
when dealing with spirit larvae it is safer to assume
that this may sometimes occur. Proceeding with caution,
and keeping in mind the magical dictum, “Every
energy is an entity and every entity is an energy,”
enables us to relate to the possible dangers from
spirit larvae in a less impersonal way.
FOOD OF THE GODS? WHAT TO DO.
Kelly Cochran JACKSON
VILLE GATES ORBS Jacksonville, FL
The noted ritual magick expert Greer describes the
spirit larvae cum orb perfectly: “…pale,
half-transparent bubbles or baglike shapes drifting
through the air, or hovering around a food source.”
Though he further acknowledges the useful purpose
these larval orbs serve in their “proper place,”
human beings are distinctly warned away from prolonged
exposure to spirit larvae and their environment
and, he states, “they [larvae] should be driven
away as soon as possible.”
Since it would be ignorant to assume that any amount
of caution will prevent individuals with an enthusiastic
curiosity about the unexplained from traipsing through
cemeteries, abandoned asylums and hospitals, haunted
buildings and battlefields, it is at least encouraging
to be able to state that dealing with spirit larvae
is relatively easy.
Among the camera and techno-gizmos in the ghost-hunters’
tool bag should be a small spray bottle filled with,
of all things, common household vinegar. The domestic
product with a thousand uses now has, again according
to Greer, a thousand and one. When conducting investigations
in cemeteries or other possibly infested locations
as described above, it is recommended that the surrounding
air be spritzed with undiluted vinegar at the conclusion
of the investigation. Vinegar prevents the spirit
larvae from forming the essential connection to
the etheric energy of a living human being and although
it does not destroy the larvae, it will successfully
drive them away, ensuring that none of these pests
will follow anyone home.
If home is the place of a larval infestation, small
dishes of vinegar left to evaporate in the area
should clear them out. Banishing incenses such as
asafoetida and/or sage can also be burned in the
infested environment, especially if the individuals
who dwell there frequently take part in paranormal
investigations or ghost hunts. Additionally, the
introduction of iron into the environment, in the
form of nails or talismans, will also drive away
larval pests.
If it is suspected that larvae have, indeed, fastened
onto the etheric body of a living human being, “a
sharp iron or steel object (such as a dagger) should
be moved in short, quick stabbing motions through
an area three to five feet away from the victim’s
body in all directions. This will disrupt the etheric
bodies of the larvae and detach them from their
victim.” This, combined with the banishing
techniques described above, should be sufficient
to dispel the unhealthy larvae in the infested environment.
However, if it is suspected that a larval infestation
has been present for a long period of time, or that
such an infestation has attracted other, more dangerous
spirit entities, a competent ritual magician or
priestess should be consulted to perform a proper
ritual banishing or exorcism.
Considering that larval infestation has the same
effect on the human etheric body that cancer can
have on the physical body, the infestation must
be addressed seriously and quickly: delay can be
costly.
“In magical terms, any force in the cosmos
can be understood and treated as a conscious being:
when this is done, it becomes possible to relate
to the force in ways that a purely impersonal relationship
won’t allow.”
-- Greer
PHOTOGRAPHING SPIRIT LARVAE:
SOME HINTS
California Cemetery
Ghost Photos WITH ORB by Sean Mallett
Many years ago, when I was learning about photography,
I found my most challenging subject matter to be
the one I wanted to master most: rock concert photography.
More times than I care to mention, my photos came
out dark and grainy, or, worse, washed out by a
too-bright flash that showed everything close in
glaring light while failing miserably to cast even
a glow on the subject. Through practice and professional
training, I came to understand the challenges and
requirements of low-light photography. Simple adjustments
and applications ensured future success where previously
there had been only failure.
A lot of what I learned is readily applicable when
attempting to photograph spirit larvae, cemetery
orbs and graveyard specters, and other paranormal
or unexplainable manifestations.
The first thing to do is: leave the digital camera
at home.
Second: Since it’s my firm belief that sometimes
technology gets in the way of genuine accomplishment,
I always rely on my trusty manual 35mm single-lens
reflex (SLR) camera for the best low-light results.
So, if you’re frequenting cemeteries and other
haunted locations in hopes of getting some good
low-light captures, I’d recommend you invest
in one of these.
Third: While you’re doing that, I’d
also suggest you add the following to your inventory:
a tripod, a remote operated shutter cable, and a
good automatic flash.
Fourth: When it comes to film, although it is essential
to use a fast film (400+) for low or ambient light
situations, negative 35mm film is not always the
best choice, as this tends to produce grainy results.
I recommend using professional grade slide film
in all low-light situations. Experimenting with
the recommended film speed will also help you identify
the best speed for your use; “pushing”
the speed is also an option, for example you can
push a 400 slide film to 800 or better, as long
as the film is developed for the accelerated speed.
Once your inventory has been properly established,
you are ready to go into the low-light environment
and begin photographing. Whether you are taking
exterior or interior photos, you should plan to
spend time in a particular location, perhaps shooting
only one or two locations in a night. This is because
you will be required to manually expose each photo
and, depending on camera speed and the desired results,
each exposure might require several minutes.
Be certain that the camera speed is set extremely
low allowing the maximum amount of light through
the camera’s aperture during each exposure.
The lowest speed setting on a manual SLR will allow
the photographer, using the shutter cable, to keep
the lens open for as long as he or she desires.
Experimenting with speeds in different situations
and gauging the results is really the only way to
find what works best for you.
With the camera loaded with the proper film and
set at the desired speed locked onto the tripod
set and the remote shutter cable in place you should
be able to photograph almost any ambient light situation.
The only thing left to determine is the appropriate
location. In dealing with allegedly “paranormal”
situations I usually follow the suggestion of the
medium or psychic sensitive that is present. In
the absence of this kind of “expert,”
it is a good rule of thumb to go with your gut feeling
about a certain area. You may also know through
information provided by others which area in the
location has experienced the most paranormal activity
and may thus concentrate your efforts in this particular
area.
If you do not have access to a dark room for exposing
your film, it can be brought to a commercial developer,
so long as you remember to note that you have altered
the film speed: this will affect the development
process.
Developed slides will be returned to you and these
are best viewed with a battery-operated magnifying
slide viewer, available at any good photographer’s
shop. Once you have singled out slides with the
best possible results, you can have these developed
into prints, enlarged, or transferred to disks,
at your discretion.
A second-best method, using a manual 35mm SLR and
negative film, is to shoot a the location at a fast
speed (400+), alternating use of flash with low-light
shots (remembering to adjust your camera speed appropriately).
Negatives will be developed along with the prints,
and study of the photographic negative has sometimes
been the deciding factor in whether or not one has
truly captured an anomaly on film.
A word about black and white and infrared films:
Black and white negative film is probably one of
the most undervalued films in the amateur photographer’s
mind. Who wants to look at black and white photos
these days when so much vibrant color is available
in film and digital mediums? Black and white film,
however, is extremely valuable, especially in the
kinds of exterior shots one desires when investigating
cemeteries and other haunted locales. Nothing can
“hide” from the black and white exposure;
further, nothing is “blended” as in
color film. What is there, is there, and in stark
black and white contrast. While professionals use
black and white for a myriad of artistic and thematic
purposes, black and white film, a good flash and
a good 35mm camera can be one of the best friends
a psychic investigator can ever have.
Infrared film, on the other hand, is highly specialized.
It functions well in low-light environments because
it will record ambient temperature variations from
frame to frame, allowing comparison and study by
the paranormalist. However, maintaining the integrity
of infrared film for use in the field is a challenge
as temperature and other factors must be constant
in order to assure the best results from this type
of film. I would suggest experimentation with a
roll or two prior to making a large investment in
infrared film. Nevertheless, you may find this to
be your favorite type of film when venturing into
haunted locations, if only for the truly surreal
results it will return.
Though this methodology may seem time-consuming
and cumbersome to those of you who are used to the
convenience of digital and throwaway cameras, when
dealing with the capture of paranormal manifestations
on film taking time to learn about the subject and
putting in a little extra effort can mean the difference
between success and failure, proof or ridicule.
-- Carter Modjeski
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