Ball Lightning?
This is a bit of a screed but has to be to explain what I saw on TWO occasions.
This is a bit of a screed but has to be to explain what I saw on TWO occasions.
I have looked everywhere on the web and in libraries etc., and have never been able to find anything about this whatsoever. I have been told that it was ‘ball-lightning’ BUT I have actually seen ball-lightning both in the UK and the USA where I lived for several years since the following occurrences and I can categorically say that it was NOT ball-lightning that I saw; on both the occasions in question; in any case, there was no stormy weather about and the weather was calm.
In November 1972 at about 4pm. I went into a back bedroom of my home, looked through the west facing window and noticed that it was a calm clear late afternoon with the sun setting low in the sky. I turned away from the window towards my right and suddenly noticed, slowly revolving about to two feet above and about two feet in front of me a slowly revolving, brilliant sphere – it seemed to be a gold orb, about the size of a large orange; as
it revolved it seemed to give off scintillating flashes as if it was covered in diamonds or other jewels.
It was utterly silent and I just stood and looked at it as it was so astonishing and utterly beautiful; I was totally unafraid and had a distinct knowledge that whatever it was it would not hurt me – I just wondered what it was. I also was and still am, absolutely convinced that
this ‘phenomenon’ was there to tell me something.
As I stood watching it, after about two or three minutes, it just ‘went’ -that is the only thing I can say – one second it was there, the next it was gone!
Exactly the same thing occurred in July 1978 but in a different house as we had moved by that time; it was about 7.50pm. and a calm fairly cloudy evening – I was looking through the north-east facing window of our living room and again noticed the object to my right about two feet above and two feet away from me. The same events occurred.
On both occasions, I suffered no ill effects whatsoever; I have just been left with a longing to know what it was and why it was there.
I do also have to tell you, as I do not know if perhaps it may have some bearing on what you think, that I am psychic and have been since as far back as I can remember. Psychic in the way that I have very accurate fore-knowledge of events sometimes and very often am able to tell people what they are thinking. I can also leave my body at will – I have always been able to do so and did not think anything of it until I was in my teens and read about ‘psychic projection’.
I am also a Christian and have a very strong conviction of the after-life.
I hope you have heard of this before and can perhaps shed some light on it.
Thanks, anyway.
Judy Lugg
Re: Ball Lightning?
I am so jealous that you’ve seen ball lightning TWICE! I’ve never seen it once. Regarding your revolving sphere, your calm attitude is unusual for someone faced with something unknown. Have you ever seen anything similar on TV or in a movie?
Re: Ball LIGHTNING
Before I go any further it is actually ‘ball LIGHTNING’
The word lightEning means making something less heavy or shedding light on.
I obviously have seen film and TV programmes concerning many similar type subjects but none of them have contained anything remotely resembling what I saw.
I have seen REAL ball lightning on several occasions both here and in Florida, USA, when accompanied by other people and I can categorically state that what I saw on these TWO occasions was NOT that!
I have throughout my life seen many things, including departed loved ones and other unrelated spirits so am never afraid of anything of that nature – I am just SO curious as to what these two sightings were and if anyone else has seen anything like it, as no matter whom I ask or where I look I cannot find anyone who has seen anything like this.
Actually ball lightning looks like a ball of fire, either yellow, white or fiery red and as such is readily recognised – it usually bobs about and rolls, often following lines of energy, eg. electricity wires – I have seen it vary in size from the size of a ping-pong ball to about that of a beach-ball; there is normally an extremely loud explosion accompanying the disappearance of the phenomenon. It usually leaves an ‘after impression on the retina as it is so bright.
Florida, USA is the lightning capital of the USA and ball lightning is a VERY common occurrence there, so I am not unique by any means. I have seen it in the UK on two occasions, once when I was eleven years old, during an extremely violent, night-time thunderstorm, when THREE houses in the street, including mine, were struck by lightning – I saw a large white ball of lightning roll across my bedroom ceiling even though I was UNDER THE BEDCLOTHES – this actually followed the TV aerial and imploded the television set – the explosion accompanying it was like a bomb blast
The second occasion was on my grandfather’s farm when an oak tree in a nearby field was struck and the ball lightning rolled across the ground away from the tree. The noise again was terrific when it exploded and although this was in day-time the light from the ball lightning lit up all the surrounding area.
Re: Ball LIGHTNING
[quote=judylugg]Before I go any further it is actually ‘ball LIGHTNING’ The word lightEning means making something less heavy or shedding light on.[/quote]
I’ve corrected the title spelling. My fault, sorry.
Re: Ball Lightning?
Hello Judylugg,
I must say, you have had some fascinating experiences with ball lightning.
It would seem as you say that the alleged phenomena is more prevalent in the US than in the UK.
Judyllugg wrote: [quote]Florida, USA is the lightning capital of the USA and ball lightning is a VERY common occurrence there, so I am not unique by any means[quote]
I was not aware that Florida was the ‘Ball lightning’ capital of the US. I do know someone from Texas who has seen similar things on quite a number of occasions. The person in question called them “Plasma spheres,” for quite obvious reasons. However as far as I am aware, the strange thing was the spheres where not always accompanied or preceded by stormy weather.
In your opinion, do you think the apparent higher incidence of ball lightning in the aforementioned area? Maybe a function of higher temperatures/humidity, with Florida being so close to equatorial regions?
Albeit the existence of ball lightning is still the subject of debate and conjecture amongst scientists and researchers.
Re: Ball Lightning?
[quote=Hellboy]Albeit the existence of ball lightning is still the subject of debate and conjecture amongst scientists and researchers.[/quote]
Scientists don’t dispute that ball lightning exists. However, it is not clear exactly what it is yet.
Re: Ball Lightning?
[quote=Mysteryshopper][quote=Hellboy]Albeit the existence of ball lightning is still the subject of debate and conjecture amongst scientists and researchers.[/quote]
Scientists don’t dispute that ball lightning exists. However, it is not clear exactly what it is yet.[/quote]
Really, is this the majority of scientists in the field or just a small minority?
If the former is true could you please provided me with any relevant info/ links.
Re: Ball Lightning?
Hi Hellboy,
I did not say actually say that Florida is the BALL lightning capital of the USA – I said it is the LIGHTNING capital, having more actual lightning strikes per day than anywhere else in mainland US.
I do know that one of the main reasons for Florida’s high incidence of thunderstorms is the very high humidity there and the high day-time temperatures, causing what are known as ‘thunderstacks’ to form ( they actually look like great extremely high stacks of white or pale grey cloud with a type of anvil shape at the top). They reach up as far as 50,000 feet, I think. When they become top heavy enough they ‘fall over’ thus causing precipitation and thunderstorms to form. You are right in that Florida is also known as a sub-tropical zone, being fairly close to the equatorial regions.
I suppose that ‘plasma spheres’ could be a good description of the ball lighting which I have seen. – I looked up the definition in the Oxford English dictionary:
PLASMA:
a gas of positive ions and free electrons with approximately equal plus and minus charges.
It does seem to fit , I think but I am not a physicist so do not truly know.
Anyway it still does NOT fit the TWO sightings I described of the slowly revolving small sphere.
Re: Ball Lightning?
[quote]Really, is this the majority of scientists in the field or just a small minority?[/quote]
There doesn’t seem to be much recent stuff on ball llghtning but the Royal Society published a report on it in 2001. See http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1720-ball-lightning-scientists-remain-in-the-dark.html for instance (you don’t get much more mainstream in science than the Royal Society). See also http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/360/1790/107.abstract
Re: Ball Lightning?
Thanks for that, I will have a proper read when I get the time.
Re: Ball Lightning?
While the positively electrical debate on ball lightning is fascinating, I think we’re getting off subject here, since she’s stated that what she was asking about was not that, and the crystalline effect she’s describing do not match any description of our friendly little electrical orbs that I know of, though I can’t rule them out, either.
I really can’t say what they WERE unfortunately, it sounds like a remarkable experience to have seen though. In the end, there’s simply too much we DON’T know about the world. I’m still scratching my head over a flying light case in Western PA. Thing was the size of a basketball, and not in the sky, as it passed between the building I was in and the trees around it (about 30 feet) and was as bright as a spotlight. It orbited the building twice and then flew away. Was it ball lightening, or something else? I don’t know.
Sorry I wasn’t able to shed any light on your case, but I’m hoping that it brings the discussion back to the subject at hand a bit.
Summum Nec Metuam Diem Nec Optima
Re: Ball Lightning?
BaronIveagh!
Thank you, thank you – you have realized what I actually said that my sightings DO NOT match up with what is colloquially lumped together as ‘ball lightning’.
Just hope someone someday says they have seen the same thing
Dum spiro spero