The Marfa Lights: My Eyewitness Account

a reply to: maria_stardust

What's truly amazing is that these ghost lights are singular events. There are similar occurrences across the world.

By coincidence, last week I was looking at the cultural view of Japanese demons. Their folklore details these wandering lights and characterise them as mischievous and scary personalities.

I'll see if I can find the particular demon and post the image in here shortly.

ETA - it was the 'Furaribi' that caught my attention. There are more called the Janjanbi who sound similar to the Tabor light and the Marfa lights. They were lights that pursued, teased and otherwise unsettled people out in the sticks or near places of death. The Chochinbi actually sounded like 'Chinese lanterns' and who's to say? Maybe they were

Here's a snip of the 'Furaribi:'

a reply to: Kandinsky

I do. And thanks for the other link. As in the goodies above me here. Awwe.. no wine😯

a reply to: maria_stardust

Squintinnnnnnggggg.... oh! Enlarge the frame. Ah ha! I see them now. Sweet.😃

a reply to: Quantum12

Stars are not whipping around. The light is. So camera is still. Nice pic. 👍

a reply to: Bigburgh

How is your day? I too enjoyed Kandinsky's post. Well done.
Have a great day!

The only issue I have with the headlight theory.. Is that I read the first reports of the lights were from 1883. Was there that much highway traffic back then? And how long into the past had the apaches been watching them I wonder?

originally posted by: onehuman
I agree with everyone else, you did an excellent job presenting this lovely family experience of magical lights with us.

I'm with the others too that the car theory doesn't cut it.

Frankly, my guess is that they are just distant cousins and family members of
Night Star! Fairies run wild...

So that's where my cousins went! I was wondering about that! LOL

Great report on the Marfa lights. I have been there and the lights appeared to be in the sky at about 45 degrees above the horizon from a vantage point ten miles south of Marfa. We stopped on the highway near the red beacon light that seemed to be on the top of a radio tower. In daylight the area seems rather flat so the lights would have been suspended in the sky nearly overhead.
We were out of our car with the engine off. The was no noise. I feel certain we were not seeing aircraft landing lights.
The year was 1997, border patrol was more relaxed then. We stopped and talked with border patrol at their station when we left and went north back to Marfa. These days this would likely be a hassle in the dead of night.

The lights were visible for around 15 seconds, They divided and then merged and faded out just as you said. The color and intensity would be a match for mercury vapor street lights from a distance of 200 yards. Moonless night with no light pollution.

It is an out of the way place but it is worth the trip from anywhere. I was a skeptic, now I am just puzzled.

originally posted by: Ceeker63
Your explanation is plausible, for modern times. However, how do you explain the lights where seen before automobiles and trucks where around. The Indians in the area have seen those lights for hundreds of years. I do not think covered wagon would transverse the area at night with lanterns.

Maybe, just maybe… the "reflections" off shiny soil" could be accounted for by the moon overhead, being obscured by broken clouds. They would appear in different places spending on the location of the viewer, coming and going as the clouds did.

Interesting. Someone who lives nearby should do some more investigating.

Possible explanations-

-Aliens
-Supernatural
-Natural phenomenon

I think we can rule out humans at this point.

a reply to: maria_stardust

the stories from back then said they thought it was campfires....so if the soil is reflective and was back then, could it be when someone lit a campfire in the right spot, the lights were reflected over to where the area where the lights are still seen today (reflected from the car lights?)

I like the idea of the drone flying over just to get more input on the phenomenon.... by the way...great thread!

I grew up out there and am still fascinated by them. The idea that these are somehow caused by headlights can easily be disproven. I have been out there many times in the dead of winter when there is absolutely no vehicular traffic and the lights are still present. My great grandfather, who was the sherriff of Brewster county, wrote of watching these lights in the early 1880's. I am pretty sure that the traffic back then had no headlights. Glad you enjoyed them.

Fantastic subject matter and very well presented. I wish more members would contribute such well-written threads.

I agree with the above stated query regarding "What about the events happening prior to their being automobile lights"? I find that highly strange and yet rules out much conjecture. But has anyone considered "piezoelectric charges", some type of geological activity that creates electrical activity?

If I missed this being mentioned prior, then my apologies.

a reply to: maria_stardust

Very well done! It seems like whenever there is a phenomenon that has been observed and recorded historically, but is still occurring today, it is explained in terms of current conditions and technology. The historical data is dismissed in favor of a more scientific explanation. Scientists say there is dark matter and dark energy but have no clear evidence to prove it. We humans have great difficulty dealing with mystery and the unexplained. The Marfa lights are now on my bucket list. Thanks again! S/F

The one recurring question or point that keeps popping up is that of historical prominence versus scientific inquiry. The fact remains that stories and anecdotes of the Marfa ghost lights have been passed on orally well before the invention of the automobile. Given that the town is located at the edge of a sparsely populated and fairly desolate desert area easily explains why the phenomenon was not widely known outside the immediate area until accounts were published in the 1950s.

So, yeah, the mystery behind the ghost lights isn't so easily explained away.

Many thanks for all your thoughts and replies!

a reply to: maria_stardust

Fascinating information and great flow with your OP The Marfa Lights were on our to-do list as we drove our rental truck pulling our car 20 years ago from California to Florida. Hailstorm and other weather strangeness diverted us much further north when we left Socorro and New Mexico.

Question: When you were at the platform, were you facing to the north to see the lights? Reason I ask, is it seems difficult (as you said) to completely attribute the lights to east/west traffic.

Okay another question: Did the lights appear to flicker at all and change elevation from your perspective?

How cool is that to see such a thing with your family ;o)

Great thread.