UFOs and Earthquake Lights
The small earthquake here in Los Angeles yesterday got me to thinking about theories connecting UFO sightings (and even abduction episodes) and plate tectonic strain. There were no light phenomena associated with this earthquake, since it occurred at about 11:45 AM and people probably couldn’t see any if they were present.
There are plenty of stories about UFOs and other mysterious lights observed before and after earthquakes and volcanic activity, so there seems to be a connection with strain on rocks (especially quartz-bearing or other igneous strata.) There have in fact been studies of this effect in lab settings, but the transient light phenomena observed are small and short-lived.
In 1975, Dr. Michael Persinger published his Tectonic Strain Theory of UFOs, which argued that UFO sightings occurred near faultlines. In the 1980s, he conducted research on the effects of magnetic (and possibly electromagnetic) fields on the human brain. Many of his research subjects had mystical or numinous experiences when using the so-called “God Helmet.” Persinger expanded his theory to propose that naturally occurring magnetic fields were responsible for UFO sightings and “alien” experiences. Of course, this didn’t explain everything, and ETH proponents were quick and virulent in their criticism of Persinger, but the theory might be valuable as an adjunct to other ideas about our interaction with the natural environment and the long history of anomalous phenomena.
Paul Deveraux’s book Earthlights proposed that naturally occurring magnetic fields caused many (if not all) UFO reports that remained unexplained, but left the door open for the possibility that the altered state produced allowed humans to access other realms in the manner of shamans and mystics. Deveraux wrote a good summary of the subject for Fortean Times.
Ghost lights and other anomalous light phenomena also have a history of exhibiting intelligent behavior, which sort of puts a damper on the “nothing but” school of thought. This has been written about by Deveraux, John Keel, and researchers at Project Hessdalen, who have been studying a recurring light phenomenon that continues in a valley in central Norway. J. Allen Hynek visited the researchers there in the 1970s and declared that something apparently unknown was indeed occurring. I do not know if he included these findings in his theories about UFO origins.
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Jul 30 2008 
July 30th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
This is a perfect example of why their should be a more rigorous study of unexplained aerial phenomena. Many of these ghost or earth lights are well known and frequent like the Brown Mountain lights in NC or the Marfa Lights in Texas. I remember a video expose in the 90’s where a researcher simply turned several cameras on the sky for 24/7 for several days in an urban US city. He recorded dozens of unidentified aerial phenomena most of them during the day. Given the advances in imaging technology especially in the infrared and other invisible light spectrum frequencies, the amount of hard scientific data could revolutionize the study of the phenomena as well meteorology. The Iraqi UAP videos posted in Jan that was recorded with night vision equipment was a perfect example of UAP that could recorded and cataloged.
July 30th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
I’ve seen lots of flashes in the mountains where I live, as have others. They might be light, or an electromagnetic effect that bypasses the optic nerve, and they’re not that uncommon. But nothing like UFO’s although I once saw one that was very bright and right in front of me. You’d think someone would be studying it though, then again, it can take a long time to latch on to a new idea even if it isn’t that new.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
From Will Storr Vs. The Supernatural:
“Soon after this, I found out that scientists in Sweden have been trying to replicate Persinger’s experiments - except, this time, the helmet-wearers were not warned that they were going to be exposed to magnetic fields. When the Swedes followed this all-important ‘double blind protocol,’ they concluded that magnetism has no discernible effect at all.”
Of course, “some scientists in Sweden” is maddeningly vague, isn’t it?
To be more exact, the Swedish scientist is Pehr Granqvist and his team of researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden.
You can find the story here:
http://www.mindpowernews.com/GodInLab.htm
August 1st, 2008 at 8:35 am
Here are two more books that deal with earthlights:
In the Big Thicket, by Rob Riggs. Primarily Ch. 2.
Examining the Earthlight Theory: The Yakima UFO Microcosm, by Greg Long. See especially pages 89, 97-102, and 116-18. He finds the Persinger Tectonic Strain Theory badly wanting.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:25 am
crg,
I didn’t know about that experiment recording the sky. Can we read about it anywhere online?
August 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Euphemystic,
I’ve read and written about “ghost” and other unexplained lights. Once I spent a night watching Orriflame mountain in Anza Borrego State Park was described by prospectors in the 19th century, but I didn’t see anything, dammit.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:42 am
Dick,
Good news. Now someone else has to replicate the experiment and make sure that they are using the exact same equipment, field strengths, etc. THe article seems balanced enough.
I’m also glad that the article mentioned the work of Wilder Penfield, who stimulated areas of the frontal lobes directly with electric current and got similar results to Persinger.
August 1st, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I corresponded with Persinger about my “actual Matrix Plan” expose and he commented that he was actually keen on Puharich’s brilliant (but very scary) book, “BEYOND TELEPATHY.” Persinger knew Puharich fairly well I guess. Puharich sort of extends Persinger’s theory with Puharich’s “psi-plasma vortex” as a spirit channeling paranormal model (it’s using Dirac’s quantum relativity). So Puharich relied on ELF waves in line with the earth-ionosphere resonance a la Tesla — I guess he was selling some sort of ELF protector watch or something in his final days. ELF being the alpha-theta (dream) state of brain consciousness and the focus of Project HAARP which could create earthquakes possible (or hurricanes, etc.)
August 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Greg, I can’t find it but I remember it being on the Discovery/The Learning Channel from 97-99 time frame. This was when I had satellite TV. I gave it up for a computer and the internet. I’ll keep an out for it.