Reply #19: I actually watched this type of event form in an enclosed room. [View All]

It was in the mid to late 1950s. It started in the midst of a massive lighting storm. A glow began to develop between the bells of a hand crank telephone that hung on the south wall of the house. That glow developed into a ball of light that grew larger and larger until in became a kind of crackling fire about the size of a softball. It detached itself from the telephone and slowly floated into the middle of the room. There was a detonation about on par with a shotgun being fired off. And then nothing, except my ears ringing.

I should also add that there was no external AC power to this house, lighting was only kerosene lamps; heating was a wood/coal stove. A propane bottle supplied gas to a small range top in the kitchen but 90% of all cooking was done on a wood cook stove. The telephone was a hand crank DC powered system that was connected to a local telephone network that provided communication over a party line system (three longs two short).

Decades later a physicist friend told me that what I had observed was something that labs were continually working on re-creating.

It was neat to see first hand.

But no - I don't think this particular phenomenon explains "ufo" type activity. I think that is most excellently discussed by jacques vallee and carl jung.

I did like this story - thanks for jarring the memory! Recommend.