Orbs, a freight-train rumble, and a shadow orb in a former chicken coop
A caller in northern New Mexico tells Art Bell that their house has had activity since they moved in two years ago. They say the government built it in the 1950s as a chicken coop. They report hundreds of orbs in developed photographs about a year ago. They also report a freight-train-like rumble that shook windows and upset their dogs that evening, and a “shadow orb” that flew at their face while they were reading in bed the previous night. The host interrupts the caller before they finish another story, about feeling something like a cat on their bed.
This clip comes from the source recording. AI chose where it starts and ends, so it may start or end a little early or late. The word-for-word transcript is not published. You can hear the source recording on the Internet Archive (file “Ghost to Ghost 2001-3.mp3”, starting at 1:10:18). Is this you, or someone you know? Ask for a correction or removal.
The story as told
A caller from northern New Mexico tells Art Bell that they have “ghost activity” in their house tonight, though they say it had not happened for about the last half hour. They say the government built the house in the 1950s as a chicken coop. They have lived there alone for two years and have three dogs. They say they have never felt unsafe. They report that about a year ago, photographs returned from the photo lab were filled with orbs, [quote withheld] The caller tried to dismiss them until they saw similar pictures on Art’s site.
The caller then describes the evening’s events. About three hours before the call, while they were working at the computer, it sounded like a freight train was coming through the house, and the windows were shaking. The wind had been blowing, so they first wondered about a tornado. But when they looked out the window, the winds had calmed and the dogs were “going nuts.” The caller recalls a similar event before that centered on the chimney, rattled all the windows, and seemed to come down the chimney and fade away in the fireplace. Tonight they tried to dismiss it. About ten minutes later, they say, one dog ran through the dog door and behaved like the dog in a scene from the film Poltergeist, barking and running in circles. They then recall that the previous night, while they were lying in bed reading, a “shadow orb” flew right at their face. They dropped their book, and the dog jumped about a foot. They wondered whether they had nodded off. They say the dog’s reaction tonight gave them [quote withheld] The caller begins to describe another experience, the feeling of a cat walking on their bed, but Art interrupts and asks the caller to hold the story until after the news.
Reported events, in order
- 0:05
The caller says they have ghost activity in their house tonight, though it stopped about half an hour earlier.
- 0:30
The caller says the government built the house in the 1950s as a chicken coop.
- 0:53
The caller says they have lived there alone for two years and have three dogs.
- 1:18
The caller reports that about a year ago, photos from the lab were filled with hundreds of orbs.
- 2:05
About three hours before the call, the caller says, it sounded like a freight train coming through the house, and the windows were shaking.
- 2:22
The caller says the wind had calmed and the dogs were going nuts.
- 2:32
The caller recalls a similar earlier event centered on the chimney that rattled the windows and faded away in the fireplace.
- 2:55
About ten minutes later, the caller says, a dog ran through the dog door and acted like the dog in a Poltergeist scene, barking and running in circles.
- 3:33
The caller says that the previous night a “shadow orb” flew at their face while they were reading in bed. They dropped their book, and the dog jumped.
- 4:09
The caller says the dog’s reaction tonight gave them tangible validation.
- 4:26
The caller begins to tell another story about feeling a cat-like weight on their bed, but Art interrupts and asks the caller to hold it.
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 0:05
The caller says there is ghost activity in their house tonight.
- observation· 1:18
The caller says photographs came back from the lab filled with orbs.
- observation· 1:33
The caller says there were hundreds of orbs in the photos.
- observation· 2:05
The caller says it sounded like a freight train was coming through their house.
- observation· 2:22
The caller says the wind had calmed and the dogs were going nuts.
- observation· 2:32
The caller recalls an earlier event centered on the chimney that rattled all the windows.
- observation· 3:03
The caller says their dog acted like the dog in a scene from Poltergeist.
- observation· 3:33
The caller says a shadow orb flew right at their face.
- interpretation· 3:45
The caller wondered whether they had nodded off when the shadow orb appeared.
- interpretation· 4:17
The caller says the dog’s reaction gave them tangible validation.
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
The story is firsthand, fairly specific, and consistent. But ordinary explanations fit several events, and the story is cut off midway.
Evidence for and against
- The caller gives a concrete setting and sequence: a former chicken coop in northern New Mexico, two years living there, three dogs, and events tied to specific times.
- The caller separates some perceptions from possible explanations, wondering whether they nodded off after the shadow orb.
- The caller’s answers to Art’s questions fit the sequence they describe.
- Wind, photo flaws, and drowsiness are easy explanations for parts of the story.
- No names, address, or independent records that could be checked are given.
- The story is interrupted before the caller finishes the account of the cat on the bed.
- The labels showing who is speaking shift during the call, so who said some individual lines is not fully certain.
- The excerpt ends before the story is complete.
- 1:18
- 2:05
- 2:22
- 3:45
What the model inferred (not said on air): The firsthand detail is weighed against the easy ordinary explanations and the unfinished ending. This is a judgment about what the caller says, not a claim about what actually happened.
The story rests on the caller’s word and claimed photographs, which are not examined on air. No independent witness speaks.
Evidence for and against
- The caller gives specifics that sound checkable, such as northern New Mexico, a house built in the 1950s as a chicken coop, and a photo lab.
- The caller claims hundreds of orbs in photographs.
- The photographs are not produced or examined during the broadcast.
- No second witness speaks on air.
- The dogs’ reactions are reported, not documented by anyone else.
- The story is incomplete, and no physical evidence is presented.
- 1:18
- 1:33
- 2:22
- 4:38
What the model inferred (not said on air): Evidence strength is low because the only support is the caller’s live word plus photographs that were not examined.
The story has several unsettling elements: a house-shaking rumble, panicking dogs, and a shadow orb flying at the caller’s face while they are alone in bed.
Evidence for and against
- The freight-train sound and shaking windows create a sense of intrusion.
- The dogs are said to be going nuts, and one dog behaves as if frightened.
- The shadow orb is described as flying right at the caller’s face.
- No figure is clearly described, and no harm occurs.
- The story is interrupted and ends before a climax.
- The caller gives possible ordinary explanations for some events.
- The story is incomplete, so the tone may change in the missing part.
- 2:05
- 2:15
- 3:03
- 3:33
What the model inferred (not said on air): Creepiness is judged from what happens in the story, especially the sudden loud noise, the animal panic, and the shadow orb at the bedside, not from how the caller sounds.
The story uses familiar elements such as orb photographs and animals reacting. The “shadow orb” and the chicken-coop setting are somewhat distinctive.
Evidence for and against
- The setting is unusual: a house built as a government chicken coop.
- The phrase “shadow orb” gives the bedside event a distinctive label.
- The story combines several common motifs.
- Orbs in photographs and dogs reacting are stock ghost-story elements.
- A loud rumble or house-shaking sound is a familiar haunted-house motif.
- The story is incomplete, so how distinctive it is cannot be fully judged.
- The excerpt ends before the story of the cat on the bed is told.
- 0:30
- 1:18
- 3:33
- 3:03
What the model inferred (not said on air): This is a familiar frame with a few distinctive details, not a wholly new story.
Scoring confidence 0.70 · analysis confidence 0.75 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: The caller’s firsthand live story; Claimed photographs with orbs, not examined on air; Dogs said to have reacted, not heard on air. The originality score blends the model's score (52) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- Wind gusts or air-pressure changes could rattle windows and the chimney, with the dogs reacting to the noise. · The caller says the wind had been blowing, the windows were shaking, and an earlier event centered on the chimney.
- The orbs in the photographs could be dust, moisture, lens flare, or flaws from film processing. · The caller describes hundreds of orbs in photos and says they tried to dismiss them in various ways.
- The shadow orb and the later cat-like feeling on the bed could be drowsy perceptions while falling asleep over a book in bed. · The caller was lying in bed reading, wondered if they had nodded off, and then began a story about feeling a cat on the bed.
What stands out
The story combines photographic orbs, a house-shaking rumble centered on a chimney, and a “shadow orb” said to fly at the caller’s face, all in a former government chicken coop. It is also cut off midstory when the host interrupts for a news break.
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