The Street Light Interference People…
Have you heard about Street Light Interference? I hadn’t until my husband, then my boyfriend, pointed out that more often than not a street light would flicker or go out completely when I passed by. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this phenomenon has a name and that many other people experience similar light-altering effects!
Have you ever had one of these “SLIder” experiences yourself? Is this an endearing trait or is it just utterly creepy?
SLIders: The mystery of street lamp interference
By Hilary Evans
Illustration by Etienne Gilfillan (Fortean Times)
“Streetlight Interference (SLI) is an alleged phenomenon in which it is claimed that certain people, passing near a streetlight at night, cause it to spontaneously extinguish (or if off, come on). Although there are hundreds of reports by both SLIders and witnesses, the subject remains controversial. Though trivial at first glance, closer study shows SLI to be a complex process, rich in paradoxes and contradictions. If true, however, the claims carry profound and exciting implications for science and for our knowledge of human potential.
People respond to Streetlight Interference with amusement or amazement, with belief, disbelief, or relief at learning that it happens to others as well as to themselves. SLI takes many different forms, and people react to it in many different ways. The best way to discover what happens when SLI occurs is to have it happen to you. For those of us who have not had the benefit of personal experience, though, the next best way is to learn what SLIders say happened to them. Jane de la R, a SLIder from Surrey, England, reports:
When living in London, I was able to do it almost at will – I have as witnesses my husband and a large group of friends who, over the years, came to regard my ability as an endearing trait….”
For the complete article click here to go to Fortean Times.
Newsletter
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Goodreads