Illuminated Omens: Theory Of Rare “Earthquake Lights” May Explain Some Paranormal Phenomena

Mysterious Universe

There are a variety of cultural beliefs that have been associated with impending disasters, ranging from the appearances of owls, howling wolves, and various other natural occurrences which may have ghostly overtones, given the right circumstances. Another type of omen long believed to be associated with bad luck and danger involves the appearances of mysterious lights in the sky, of seemingly unexplained origin. 

There have been a number of essays, articles and books dealing with the subject of so-called “ghost lights”, which include R. C. Maclagan’s Ghost Lights of the West Highlands, a classic work of folklore that incorporates the idea of superstitions regarding omens and, in particular, death that exist among the European traditions. Even the famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats had described seeing strange lights as a child, which he attributed to being some kind of supernatural presence.

While these folk traditions do sound like mere superstitions for the most part, recent scientific studies regarding the apparent presence of unexplained aerial illuminations have incorporated a speculative theory that could account not only for why they occur, but also how some appearances of “ghost lights” could have become linked with doom and disaster.

A recent article in USA Today featured a study that appeared in the publication Seismological Research Letters, an academic journal devoted to the study of earthquakes and the propagation of seismic (elastic) waves through the Earth. The new study proposes that sightings of strange aerial illuminations may occur in conjunction with earthquakes in certain parts of the world, where geological conditions are found to be conducive to piezoelectric discharges that occur from tiny defects in crystalline deposits occurring in rocks like basalt and gabbro.

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Reposted with permission