10 Mind-Blowing Facts About Ball Lightning You Didn't Know

8. Ball Lightning's Interaction with the Human Body

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Eyewitness reports of near-death experiences with ball lightning have revealed a spectrum of physiological reactions on the human body, some of which defy our knowledge of how electromagnetic events interact with biological systems. Those who have come into close proximity to ball lightning have reported experiences of heat, tingling, and occasionally brief paralysis. These studies have motivated researchers to look at how ball lightning's possible electromagnetic and thermal impacts can affect living things. Some scientists speculate that the strong electromagnetic fields connected with ball lightning can cause electrical currents in the human body, therefore influencing muscle control and neuron activity. Others propose that the claimed effects could result from the ionizing radiation or high-frequency electromagnetic waves produced by the phenomena. Research on the interaction of ball lightning with the human body affects not only safety issues but also possible medical uses. Knowing these consequences can help those living in high-risk areas for ball lightning events to have better protection. Furthermore, some researchers hypothesize that the special qualities of ball lightning could have medicinal uses, like in the focused energy distribution to particular body parts for surgical operations. Nevertheless, experts still find great difficulty doing controlled studies on the biological impacts of ball lightning since its frequency and nature are so rare.