"I just read a
rather non-derisive article on abcnews.go.com (strange, for the snooze
news) on moving lights sighted over New Jersey by at least 15 people.
The photo they show bears a striking resemblance to the Phoenix lights.
(The AZ public is still POed about the derisive reaction to those, and
the non-explanation that followed.) People who observed these New Jersey
lights described these orange orbs variously as UFOs, 'a miracle' and
'very peaceful.'" Add
your comments or read others'
They appear in the distance
with a regularity that seldom disappoints those who come to view them. Glowing
in the night with an eerie, soft color, they sometimes pulse, sometimes dance about, usually near the ground or horizon. Their source is a mystery. When the
curious try to approach them, they vanish, as if purposely keeping their true
nature a secret.
They’re called "spooklights"
or "ghost lights" and they have baffled observers for centuries. Many
theories have been offered to explain their presence, including hallucinations,
UFOs, automobile headlights (either direct or reflected), ball lightning,
electrical discharges caused by tectonic forces, swamp gas – and even, as the
name implies, ghosts.
Continuously appearing
spooklights are found around the world. Here is a roundup of several of the most
well-known spooklights. Perhaps there is one near you.
Big
Thicket Ghost Light BRAGG,
TEXAS This light can be
found along Black Creek near the old ghost town of Bragg in eastern Texas.
Viewed on a dirt road that leads into swamp land, this spooklight carries the
well-known but almost certainly fictitious legend of the railway brakeman who
was accidentally beheaded by a passing train and who now searches the area for
his head with a gas lantern; the spooklight is said to be that lantern. The tale
is folklore that has been attributed to several spooklights. The Big Thicket
Ghost Light has been
described as starting as a pinpoint of light among the swamp trees that grows to
the brightness of a flashlight, then dims and fades away. Its color has been
likened to that of a pumpkin. Website:Ghost
Light of the Big Thicket
Brown
Mountain Lights BROWN
MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA Sightings of these
lights go back at least 800 years when the native Cherokees thought them to be
the spirits of slain warriors. That these lights go back so far rules out any
man-made illumination, such as auto headlights. The lights have since been well
documented by subsequent residents of the area. There have been dozens of observations by
explorers, some dating back to the 1700s, and by Civil War soldiers; several newspaper reports
and magazine articles have been written about the lights. They have been
described as being white, yellow or red; some say they are stationary while
others testify that they move around. According to the L.E.M.U.R. team, which
has studied and photographed the lights, they often "line up into 'troop
formation' and 'march' across the ridge, disappearing over the top." The
peak time for viewing is in the Fall. Websites: The Brown Mountain Lights
website offers photographs, history, directions and a map. The Brown
Mountain Lights.
Dovedale
Light RIVER
DOVE, DOVEDALE, UK Strange lights are
said to dance above the river in the scenic "Peak District" of the UK.
One notable encounter took place in March, 1993 when two students watched two
very bright round lights of unknown origin "dance" above the river in
perfect synchronization. They watched the lights for about three minutes and
estimated that they moved from between 10 to 100 feet above the surface of the
river. The lights were again seen by more witnesses several months later. Website:The
Peakland Spooklights
The
Gurdon Light GURDON,
ARKANSAS This ghost light has
been seen by hundreds of witnesses who live near or travel to the area around this
small Arkansas town about 75 miles south of Little Rock. Seen along a stretch of
railroad tracks, this light is also explained with the "headless
brakeman" legend. Because of its remote location (you have to hike about
2-1/2 miles off the road to the spot where it can be seen) auto headlights have
been eliminated as a possible cause. Those who have seen it say it is usually
white or blue in color, and sometimes orange. One distinguishing feature is that
it has a distinctive border to it. Website:Haunted
Arkansas: The Gurdon Light
The
Hebron Light HEBRON,
MARYLAND Hebron has been home
to the mysterious Hebron Light for decades. One of the most remarkable incidents
involving the light occurred in July, 1952 when two officers of the Maryland
State Police allegedly chased a 10-inch ball of light down a dark road in their
patrol car. There have been sporadic sightings of the light before and since,
but many say that it has been inactive since the mid-1960s. Website:The
Hebron Light and Others
Hessdalen
Valley Lights RØROS,
NORWAY The lights seen in
this valley in central Norway were first noticed in 1981. The appearances seemed
to start suddenly with the unexplained lights winking on throughout the valley
near people's homes and beneath the ridges of the surrounding mountains. Most of
the lights were described as spheres, although some witnesses also reported cone
shapes. Various colors were attributed to them, but the predominant hues were
white or yellow-white. Blue flashes of light appearing in groups of three and
forming a triangle were also seen. Østfold College has undertaken a study of
the phenomenon. Website:Project
Hassdalen
The Hornet Spooklight
(Tri-State Spooklight or Joplin Spooklight) NORTHEAST
OKLAHOMA Located on the very
northeast corner of Oklahoma, where the state borders Kansas to the north and
Missouri to the east, in an area sometimes called "The Devil's
Promenade," you can find the Hornet Spooklight (otherwise known as the
Tri-State Spooklight or Joplin Spooklight). This is a single glowing
orb or "necklace of lights" that appears at the end of a dark gravel
road. Sightings go back well over 100 years when settlers traveling by wagon
train took note of the strange lights. Usually golden or red in color, it has
also been described at times as yellow, orange, green or blue. One witness said
that the light was so bright and close that it provided light for him to work by
at night. Websites: Spooklight
- provides a history and several anecdotes. The Tri-State
Spooklight - offers a map and detailed directions. The Hornet Spooklight The Hornet
"Spook Light
Have You Had a
Paranormal
Experience?
Send me your true tales of strange, unexplained
and paranormal experiences. E-mail them
to me
for inclusion in a future article or story
archives.
Or post your stories and comments about
this article on the
Paranormal Phenomena
Forum.
| 