OK, so I am one of the most highly charged people in terms of static electricity that ever lived



I request your fine ATS minds to help me find the answer to this simple, but most likely completely natural phenomenon that I have just experienced

I say that I am so static electric because unlike most people I shock myself on just about everything. lol
When I get out of my car I have to make contact with the door by first touching the back of my hand to the handle. This always results in making the electro-static shock easier to handle. I then keep my hand touching the door and rotate it around before grasping and pushing it closed. Otherwise...
If I reach for it with my hand/fingertips, I get a shock that is way too unpleasant. Now, here is the crux of this thread.

For the past two nights in a row I have shocked myself ,on my own comforter for god’s sake, and seen electricity. I have seen a spark and a mini bolt of lightning. I ‘m talking like a bolt of static electricity , but it looks like lightning. It lights up the way lightning would.

Can you help me ATS understand how that happens? Is it normal that my hand touching the comforter on my bed could cause enough static electricity whereby I could actually SEE the electricity?

The comforter is black, and the room has been pitch black on both occasions where I saw this. So it was easy to see.

I’m sure it’s perfectly normal and that there is a perfectly good scientific reason behind having seen this electricity

And do any of you know what I can do to lower my overall level of static electric conductivity ?

Well, I have definitely been in the dark before and touched something and physically saw a mini lightning bolt. So it does happen.

But hm, that is interesting that is happens to you a lot. The weather where you are might add to the static electricity.

I have no idea why this happens (although I would suspect something to do with clothing and or shoes may have an influence), but you are not crazy or imagining it. I went through a period of a few years where I had the exact same problem (I was terrified I would end up setting the gas on fire at the gas station while filling up. Quick tip: if it does happen, resist the urge to pull it out of the gas tank and spray the gas/fire everywhere. The Mythbusters say to slam it back into the gas tank where the lack of 02 will extinguish it). It went away as mysteriously as it came, and now I have the regular amount of shocks in my life. I know my cat seems to charge herself quite a bit from rolling around on the floor, perhaps animals have something to do with it?

Total guesses here, I just wanted to affirm your experience and let you know that at least for me, it did stop and everything went back to normal. Best of luck!

I am highly charged too!

This is what i do. I use dryer sheets to reduce static on everything. I also touch something before i touch what i really want to touch. Let me explain.
Say you're reaching for your blanket....run the fingers you will be grabbing your blanket along the sheets first, or the sofa, or whatever...that will reduce the shock.

Do you get a green lightning spark?? I do. I just hate it when that happens.

Same with doors, i usually give the door a little tap with a finger and that kind of grounds me to open the door without being blasted to Kingdom come.

Really. Try it. Unfortunatly, i'm always on "full charge" so i'm very aware of my little problem and take these silly precautions.

There is also a static cling spray. I spray myself before i leave the house.

How about when someone goes to give you change and you BOTH get zapped?????

Anyway, good luck. S&F Good subject.

Originally posted by SolarE-Souljah
Well, I have definitely been in the dark before and touched something and physically saw a mini lightning bolt. So it does happen.

But hm, that is interesting that is happens to you a lot. The weather where you are might add to the static electricity.

So you've seen it too. Cool.

It happens too much as far as I'm concerned. The weather might add to it like you say. I spend a lot of time playing the electric guitar, but none of my friends who play electric guitar or electric bass have ever mentioned anything to me along these lines.
If I were sewing all day I would have my hands on an object that has electricity running through it, so it's no different from playing an electric instrument right?
But with all the people in the world who spend lots of time touching objects that have electricity running through them in a similar fashion then you would think that loads of people would be like this. But it's not the case.
So I don't think it's the electric guitar/sewing machine factor.

Thanks for reply.

Originally posted by DeathTribble
I have no idea why this happens (although I would suspect something to do with clothing and or shoes may have an influence), but you are not crazy or imagining it. I went through a period of a few years where I had the exact same problem (I was terrified I would end up setting the gas on fire at the gas station while filling up. Quick tip: if it does happen, resist the urge to pull it out of the gas tank and spray the gas/fire everywhere. The Mythbusters say to slam it back into the gas tank where the lack of 02 will extinguish it). It went away as mysteriously as it came, and now I have the regular amount of shocks in my life. I know my cat seems to charge herself quite a bit from rolling around on the floor, perhaps animals have something to do with it?

Total guesses here, I just wanted to affirm your experience and let you know that at least for me, it did stop and everything went back to normal. Best of luck!

Oh my god, bro. Setting the gas on fire at a gas station with my supercharged conductivity?

Or maybe the appropriate emoticon would be



Or



Hope I never do THAT one!
Thanks for reply

I'm glad to hear that things eventually went back to normal.

As requested, here are some answers:-

42
They're both the same
Christina Aguilera
x squared +3
The Boston Red Socks
Albany, New York
No, they're actually mammals
The Big Dipper, The Great Bear
Only when it snows

Hope that's of help.

Originally posted by dgtempe
I am highly charged too!

This is what i do. I use dryer sheets to reduce static on everything. I also touch something before i touch what i really want to touch. Let me explain.
Say you're reaching for your blanket....run the fingers you will be grabbing your blanket along the sheets first, or the sofa, or whatever...that will reduce the shock.

Do you get a green lightning spark?? I do. I just hate it when that happens.

Same with doors, i usually give the door a little tap with a finger and that kind of grounds me to open the door without being blasted to Kingdom come.

Really. Try it. Unfortunatly, i'm always on "full charge" so i'm very aware of my little problem and take these silly precautions.

There is also a static cling spray. I spray myself before i leave the house.

How about when someone goes to give you change and you BOTH get zapped?????

Anyway, good luck. S&F Good subject.

Without being blasted to Kingdom Come

You totally know what I'm going through. Do you walk around with the dryer sheets in your pockets?
Oddly enough I once read that dryer sheets are great for tents and campers when out in the wilderness; they keep away mosquitos.

I might try that.
It really is all about the grounding that you talk about. Those are some awesome ideas. Thanks!

The spark seemed to be white. The bolt was white with a possible sort of blueish tint. It was so fast I can't be sure if there was color other than white. But it was wild

Oh boy, calm down you are not electro static. Every human has the ability to shock himself or someone else. Our bodies are highly conductive after all.

Originally posted by aristocrat2

As requested, here are some answers:-

42
They're both the same
Christina Aguilera
x squared +3
The Boston Red Socks
Albany, New York
No, they're actually mammals
The Big Dipper, The Great Bear
Only when it snows



Hope that's of help.

42, a Douglas Adams fan are you?
Christina Aguilera, answer to what I bid you?
x factor variable and Boston Socks,
What's this got to do with electric shock?
Albany , mammals, stars and weather
You have no input here , man, whatever

Originally posted by SuperSlovak
Oh boy, calm down you are not electro static. Every human has the ability to shock himself or someone else. Our bodies are highly conductive after all.

I don't understand why you are telling me to calm down, Slovak.
I know these things you mention , but I've not heard of anyone having these experiences on this level and I wanted to ask.

Is that a crime? Is that not something you can ask about under Milosavich?

your dragging your feet. My dad used to shuffle across the floor without really picking his feet up, and now at 25 I find myself doing the same thing when I go grab a beer at night. lucky for me, i have hardwood floors, so I rarely build up a charge, but I did all the time when I had carpet at my old house.

your quite likely dragging your feet to an extent, because it is the easiest and fastest way to build up a charge

I've heard speculation it may simply be the type of shoes you wear. What brand of shoes do you wear? My own speculation would be lack of an anti-static sheet in your laundry. Do you use an anti-static sheet with your laundry?

One huge tip I have from being shocked so many times is to wear a large metal ring. I actually use a set of keys but think a ring would work even better. When you think you will be shocked, contact the ring with the object such as the car before you touch it. The shock will go through the ring and you'll feel a lot less shocked as a result!

my daughter has high amounts of electro static as well.
She is not allowed on computers or to touch TV, DVD players or anything else that might be burnt up with her charges.

Yes she has crashed computers and fried our DVD players and TV before.
It is strange but is just her.

And when you hug her you will get shocked.

Originally posted by drsmooth23
your dragging your feet. My dad used to shuffle across the floor without really picking his feet up, and now at 25 I find myself doing the same thing when I go grab a beer at night. lucky for me, i have hardwood floors, so I rarely build up a charge, but I did all the time when I had carpet at my old house.

your quite likely dragging your feet to an extent, because it is the easiest and fastest way to build up a charge

That IS an excellent point. I will have to make sure that I don't do that. Though with all respect it does not explain all of it. Thank you though.

Originally posted by truthquest
I've heard speculation it may simply be the type of shoes you wear. What brand of shoes do you wear? My own speculation would be lack of an anti-static sheet in your laundry. Do you use an anti-static sheet with your laundry?

One huge tip I have from being shocked so many times is to wear a large metal ring. I actually use a set of keys but think a ring would work even better. When you think you will be shocked, contact the ring with the object such as the car before you touch it. The shock will go through the ring and you'll feel a lot less shocked as a result!

The pair I have now could be increasing it , though it happens regardless of my shoes.
I DO need to get some anti-static sheets into the laundry. Thanks.
The metal ring sounds awesome. Do you know if it could be ANY kind of metal ring?