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AT RANDOM: D)aura, the explorer

Photo oddity leaves journalist stumped for answers
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I’ve never been much of the hippy-dippy, spiritual type but a certain oddity took place lately that the investigative journalist in me just can’t explain.

And no, I’m not talking about the wildly insane U.S. election sideshow. I know we all keep pinching ourselves to see if this dream, or nightmare, will end.

My bizarre incident took place during a trip to Vancouver Island recently. I had actually been discussing the concept of orbs and auras with a new friend, who was eagerly discussing all her recent orb sightings while I listened, somewhat skeptically.

It wasn’t a day later when I was walking along the beach, taking my usual over-abundance of pictures including a plethora of selfies, when something strange happened.

I didn’t notice it at first. It wasn’t until I was looking back at the cell-phone photos that I noticed something very unusual in one of them. It was a picture of myself with a bird flying in the background, but there was a reverse-shadow attached to the bird. This isn’t your typical light glare or dust particle fragmented in a photo. It is quite distinctly what appears to be a shadow, impossibly attached to a bird in flight, but instead of being dark, it is light.

Of course, my discussions the day prior led me instantly to the belief that this must be some out-of-this-world effect.

I almost jumped out of my skin seeing it because it was obviously nothing I could explain from a photography standpoint. It didn’t make sense, it wasn’t in the exact same photo taken a half second prior or the one after.

I’ve racked my brain trying to rationalize it.

Perhaps the salty ocean air was getting to me and I was just seeing things.

They say that auras can be visible if you have a migraine, a certain form of epilepsy, a visual system disorder or a brain disorder. I instantly assume I have the latter.

But the thing is, I’m not the only one who can see this – there’s photographic evidence. It’s not as if I had some strange bout of retinal fatigue. Everyone I show the photo to sees it too. And like me, their eyes usually grow and an alarming response is emitted.

I don’t know how else to explain it, except that, the aura surrounding the bird has something to do with my mom. It’s a fitting explanation, considering the Island is the last place I saw my mom (she passed away there nearly three years ago). She loved the Island, she loved birds, she loved walking along the ocean and well, she loved me (and all her family).

So part of me believes that she is still there, her spirit, or soul or aura or whatever. And she was there with me that day walking on the beach.

It might not be the best explanation, but it’s comforting and I like it.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.



Jennifer Smith

About the Author: Jennifer Smith

Vernon has always been my home, and I've been working at The Morning Star since 2004.
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