Bright flashes from nowhere?

I saw a crazy flash out of nowhere once. I am accustomed to all types of health related issues, as I have spent quite a bit of time around hospitals. Through this medical knowledge and experience, I can usually tell what is an internal issue as opposed to something truly strange. I know of internal eye phenomeon such as floaters, and flashes. Floaters are brought about by the clumping of the vitreous cells/gel within the eye. Usually this occurs more so with older age, but it can happen to younger folks as well. You usually see black spots every so often when looking around, or cobweb, or even amoeba like objects floating across your line of vision. However, a similar effect can also be seen due to allergies and overproduction of mucus within the eyes. Flashes on the other hand occur when the vitreous cells/gel actually pull and/or rub on the retina. This can again occur due to the clumping of the cells/gel, which can also occur to mucus overproduction due to allergies and the like.

Now as for the flash experience, I was standing out front of my house last year talking to a friend who was in their car. They were coming back from work at around 2 AM, and I caught them driving by as I walked my dog, they stopped and we just began talking. I put the dog back inside, and came back outside to talk some more. All of the sudden I saw a white flash, real bright, and my friend said "What the hell was that?" I was standing outside of their car talking to them with their window rolled down, and I saw the flash reflect off of the left rear-window (4 Door Sedan). I at first thought maybe it was a bright meteor, but the sky was completely cloudy, with a low level ceiling, any meteor that close that had produced a flash that bright should have made a noise.

My friend said he saw the light in his windshield mounted rearview mirror, and that it came from the direction down the street. I tried everything to figure out what it was, I even walked down the street looking with my flashlight to see if there were some pranksters behind it. It was Halloween night, and there is a small patch of woods behind the houses, and being able to see clearly between the houses, and everywhere else, that was the only direction someone could go to hide. I never did find anyone however, and I was left puzzled. I thought possibly an annoyed neighbor mighy have flashed a camera at us because we were talking too loudly (it is really easy for voices to carry around here between houses, without even realizing it).

Afterwards however I learned that around the same time we were out talking is when a neighbor down the street goes to work. They drive an SUV with HIDs, and they live in the direction from where my friend said he saw the flash. It would make sense in regards to the flash because due to the hill in the street, and the rise in the hill being the point where they would turn onto the next street, their lights would appear quickly as a flash, especially if they hit their high-beams. So, all things considered I feel this explains what I saw, but nonetheless I felt my experience was relevant to this discussion. I am surprised at how many people claim to see the same thing. Maybe my neighbor is making global appearances now.

[edit on 2-28-2008 by TheAgentNineteen]

Who is trying to bash anyone, Im merely saying that there are billions of people who make similar claims and I find it quite plausible that not every single one of them are being truthful, perhaps next time I should blindly follow the words of others?
Deny Ignorance!

Also, It's very easy to say things such as "this is of a supernatural order" and than "I have studied it extensivly" But where is the proof? There are people saying that all over the place, While input is a good thing no doubt, I think any claims of the likes should at least be explained and layed out.. not just point blank "This is the way it is". I've had a similar experience and I thought it could very well be anything, I kept an open mind, which is exactly what I was doing when I asked this person a sincere question, seems as if your trying to protect someone else in an attempt to gain praise. Perhaps thats just my warped perception tho
In either case, maybe next time you won't jump to a random conclusion, or if the little voice in my head was accurate, (*IF* it's right) you won't go praise searching.
In any case please do and try stay open to the possibility your not always right! Such definite responses are quite ignorant in my "humble" opinion.

While im posting at an irregularly fast pace, might I also suggest that when you and your family saw the light flash in the sky, without clouds, it could have been heat lightning? just a thought!

Originally posted by jpm1602
It's ok Regi. Some folks around here try to beat down people to make themselves feel more empowered and wise. Truth is, no one knows why this is, but apparently is becoming more prevalent. If suddenly 100 people post to say 'ya I got that too', perhaps we could extrapolate a new happening that needs to be investigated further.

It's okay. It was a valid question. Not only have I seen these things personally for several years now, but many of my close friends have also. We know what they are. Whether or not others choose to accept it, is up to them. No harm done.

Thanks for your post though, it's appreciated.

Personally, I encourage others not to take my word for it and to investigate into what I've shared here themselves. Do some research and experimentation. Get out a camera (Infrared or digital) and see what you get. Meditate with your eyes open in a dark room (or closed, works both ways because you're seeing with your 3rd eye and not your actual physical eyes). The results will show what I've said to be true because I've done all this myself as have my friends.

It's easy to say, "Prove it!" - well, prove it or disprove it yourself is what I say. I have my proof.

The other option of course....is to remain ignorant.

[edit on 28-2-2008 by ReginaAdonnaAaron]

I've meditated in a dark room with my eyes open quite often, I had the intention of facing my fears, and yes I saw lights popping, and wherever I go I see lights popping, probably 3 times a minnute for the past 4 years, How does is this truth in your eyes, that spirits are among us, or that they are in fact some form of spiritual presence.
I am seriously interested in this matter, To find out for myself this is truth would be an amazing thing, But... Just seeing lights doesn't quite cut it for me

I actually had another one of these experiences a few nights ago.

I had just lied down in my bed, and a huge white flash came from the direction of the bathroom door.

The whole doorway was covered in bright light. It was not a eye abnormality, this was a real experience that much I am sure.

I had no been drinking, doing drugs, etc.

Before I saw the flash, I was staring up at the ceiling. Then I look towards the wall by my feet and suddenly see this flash over to my right.

No cheap parlor tricks on this one.

It may have been a spirit, it may have not been. However, it was a real experience that much I'm sure.

well.. this is intresting thread.. because I had to get up at about 1am 2 nights ago and see why there was a 'thud', which sounded like someone had pounded on one of our house walls. 90% of the time I wear foam ear plugs to insure I sleep all the way thru the night till the alarm goes off; this was actually last Saturday night.

When I rose up out of the bed, I saw a faint 'flash' of light on the whole right side of the mirror which is located on the oppisite wall directly from the foot of the bed. I leaned over to check to see if it would do it again, and nada; couldn't repeat it.

I walked into the living room and asked my daughter if she heard a 'thud' and she said she thought it was one of us in the bedroom that had knocked over something against the wall.

[edit on 19-3-2008 by Komodo]

I'm glad someone's taken this subject up. Iv'e been seeing these flashes for years but only recently have to gotten daily. I do not see them everywhere though. Mostly at home in my living room and rarely in my bedroom. Me and my partner have seen them at the same time on many occasions.

I work in front of a computer all day so I am wondering if it can have something to do with that. But saying that when I was young and did not have a computer I used to see coloured orbs and flashes of light as well.

Sometimes it looks like something is trying to show itself and sometimes they look like holograms, they vary from instant flashes a few millimeters in size to lasting for several seconds and being entire room lighters.


I guess we'll soon find out what they are - maybe solar wind or other electromagnetic influences on the electrons in the air ANYONE?

reply to post by C0le



I see you posted this a month ago...
Well, in the past month, I've noticed the very same phenomenon myself.
Not very often - only three or maybe four times - but that's plenty for such a weird experience.

The flashes are extremely brief - like a fraction of a second - and I've never experienced anything like that before.

(And no, I don't have migraines or headaches...)

Originally posted by klawsraught
Who is trying to bash anyone, Im merely saying that there are billions of people who make similar claims and I find it quite plausible that not every single one of them are being truthful

Where are those "billions" - or even "millions", heck, or even "thousands" - of people who make such claims? That statement requires "proof", too, you know.

And, more importantly, it doesn't take "every single one of them" to be truthful - even one would be enough.

reply to post by biggie smalls


My experience exactly.
(And the rest of it as well.)

Now I am really intrigued...

Originally posted by C0le
I didn't know where to post this I figured this would be the most appropriate place but I dunno...

On multiple occasions within the past couple of months, Just randomly in my peripheral vision, Ill notice a giant white flash like a very bright camera flash, This has happened with both lights on in a room and completely dark at nigh...

When it first happened I just kinda ignored it and thought nothing of it, then it happened a few more times, my eyes are perfect no problems , had em checked recently so all is good there... so I dunno, is this a common thing or does anyone think theres something more to it?

[edit on 22-2-2008 by C0le]

This could be a neurological problem. I would mention this to a qualified physician.

This could be a neurological problem. I would mention this to a qualified physician.

That was my first thought, too, especially because I've experienced scotoma (not at all "the same" thing, of course, but still) two or three times in my life, although not in the past six or seven years.

The trouble is - especially with physicians - that the fact that something could be the cause of something, it does not follow that it actually is the cause - not at all.

And I am only interested in the truth about any given situation.

If I were you I'd go see a doctor, bright flashes in vision can be early symptoms of a detaching retina.

I and a friend had the same happening in the same room at the same time i was in a door way and he was sitting, we saw the same bright flash of white in 08. Later i found out my mother who was at work saw the same thing at the same time. I think it is more than an illusion or trick of the eye. Every time i recall the light i think Rapture which is weird for me as I have never been a religious person. But though I know it is not a religious happening i wonder what it might be.

I did see a camera flash, at around midnight, and checked no one was there - a bit odd at that time of night. For some reason, walked further past and then saw was like a shooting star, only it was fatter white beam of light and seemed to come from the ground, going diagonally. It happened so quickly I barely had time to understand what was going on.
It was very quiet - no engine noises etc. All I could think of was a visitation of an alien being, as was no logical reason for what I saw.
I was in a residential area at the time and close to the countryside. This was going back above 3 years ago

reply to post by C0le


Crazy as it sounds, the flashes may be due to cosmic radiation.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by DJW001


I guess we're in the wrong place to be suggesting these mysterious bright flashes in the night sky are ordinary events
I've seen a few spectacular ones myself but was able to trace them all back to high voltage (11kV or more) feeder faults (being in the business). Sometimes there will be 2 or more flashes spaced 10-30 seconds apart and that's the 'auto-reclose' operating which is used on almost all overhead feeders. If the fault is still there after the recloser has done its thing, the protection locks out requiring a manual local reset after the fault has been found and fixed.

Those flashes are blinding and can light up the entire sky from over the horizon under the right conditions but they are very brief so you have to be looking in the right direction at exactly the right time for most of them. It happens a lot and not necessarily just in bad weather as summer nights here claim a lot of possums despite measures taken to keep them from climbing the power poles.

mushrooms once had me seeing bright flashes of round light like a fairys wand in front of my face it was quite entertaining. of course these were portabello mushrooms must be real sensitive lol. Always wanter to know what caused it thanks for letting me know it was a phosphene