can anyone explain what orbs are?

There are many theories and varied beliefs out there as to what a orb really is. Most believe that an orb (true orb) is energy, the energy of a spirit or ghost that presents itself in the shape of an orb which also appears to have some light or color to it. That is why many orb pictures appear to be little balls of light. Things like dust, light reflection, insects etc. can also cause an orb shape appearance in some pictures. If you browse through the posts in this forum along with the ghost photos/EVP's and psychic things there have been a few disucssions on orbs and many pictures to look at. That should give you a good start to see what many of us feel or believe orbs to be. At the end of the day though it does boil down to ones individual belief, as with many things in life which is why so many pictures are the cause of debate. Hope that helps a little. Cat =)

I believe that when you die, only your body dies, but your spirit continues to exist as a form of energy. Most spirits cross over into an alternate dimension after the body dies (Heaven, or the other side, or whatever you want to call it). Some, for one reason or another, stay behind instead of crossing over, which is what leads to hauntings.

Many believe that the orb is the state that requires the least amount of energy to maintain, therefore ghosts/spirits tend to be in the "orb" state most of the time. With enough energy, the orb can become visible, or it can manifest itself in other shapes, such as a mist or apparition. Cameras are more sensitive than the human eye and can often pick up orbs that are otherwise invisible.

This is just my thoughts, I'm sure there are as many theories out there as there are orb pictures. =)