I hear dead people

Sheila and I were watching television the other night and we came across this show on ghosts and paranormal phenomena. As part of the demonstration of "proof" of hauntings, several photographs with strange glowing orbs floating through them were presented. I suddenly got extremely creeped out.

We live in a renovated farmhouse, in a second floor apartment, in Connecticut. I don't know how old the house is, exactly, but I do know it was likely built before WWII. I'm not really a believer, so to speak, in paranormal phenomena. I love thinking about it and a good ghost story is hard to beat, but I'm a pretty matter-of-fact sort of person, possessed of very little imagination, and so I tend to dismiss or try to explain away most ghost stories. I do admit, however, to the occasional speculation that my house, especially my bedroom, is haunted. Why? Well, the usual things - my cats are always popping up from a dead sleep, hearing or seeing something I don't. And this is going to sound crazy, but there have been a couple of times, when I have been juuuust about to fall asleep, that I have heard someone say my name, whisper it actually. Up until now I have written that off as one of those moments you have when you're floating somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, where you can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.

Then I saw that show with those pictures and recalled the photo that I took of my room and posted here in the In My Life gallery:


view larger image here.

Yikes. I got myself into a state that night and by the time I got to bed I was Shaggy and Scooby. I laid there in bed, willing myself to sleep despite the fact that my body was completely rigid with fear. I jumped out of my skin every time one of the cats would push open the door on the way in or out of my room. All of a sudden, my door slammed shut, making me shoot right up in bed. I nearly freaked right out when I realized that my room was bathed in a bright, flashing light. A few seconds later I realized it was the wind that slammed the door shut and the light I was seeing was a police car outside my window, but damn, that scared the shit out of me! It's amazing how easily I just freaked myself out.

I found a site today, Ghost-Hunter.com, that features paranormal photos. This is what it had to say about "orbs":

"The orb or globule- round transparent balls (sometimes rumored to be the wayward souls) that are produced by spirits. (Watch out for water spots or dust particles on your camera lens- especially under adverse conditions!) Globules are usually white to yellow in color and are normally translucent but are sometimes known to appear on film in every color, size, shape and translucency. Sometimes only one may appear on film or, if taken at a graveyard, you may find numerous globules.

Did you ever wonder why most of these "orb" photos occur outside or in dusty basements and old homes? Some interesting research has been conducted over the past several months, and the number one cause for these objects - SKIP THIS SECTION IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN MYSTIFIED - is dust, pollen, and fibers in the air. When caught in transit, close enough to the camera lens with a bright enough flash and quick enough film, you too can produce your own "orb" photos to delight and mystify all."

I would like to think that those moons over my bed are simply dust particles - God knows there are plenty of those to go around in my house - but I just don't know... I was using a disposable camera, which does not have a particularly bright flash or fast film. And none of the other photos on the roll had those moons.

What do you think? I know one thing - my mother gets that room!