Spontaneous Human Combustion

Cases of spontaneous human combustion in Scotland, including its first recorded case in 1829 when an Edinburgh man burst into flames whilst talking to his brother.

Several case studies are profiled here with a few black-and-white photos (warning: some are a bit graphic).

SHC is the alleged burning of a person's body without a readily apparent, identifiable external source of ignition. Here's a history along with some cases and theories.

This article looks at the strange phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion, and examines what believers have to say about it and tries to separate the scientific truth from the myths.

In this article from the Skeptical Inquirer, Joe Nickell attempts to debunk some well-known cases of SHC.

Details surrounding several SHC cases, some dating back to the 1930s. Some B&W photos.

A good examination of the phenomenon, the possible explanations for it, and some of the notable cases. (Some graphic images.)

The idea that human beings can be consumed from an internal heat source so intense as to consume even the bones, but leave the immediate environment relatively unburned, has been a subject of controversy since the nineteenth century.