Anti-Gravitational "Mystery Spots"

Statement

There are several places that claim to be "mystery spots"; i.e., gravity appears to reverse there. These include St. Ignace, Michigan, and Spook Hill in Lake Wales, Florida. In these and other places, objects from small balls to large automobiles appear to roll uphill rather than downhill, hanging objects appear to hang crooked rather than straight, people appear to stand at a slant, et cetera.

But there is no mystery. It is all due to optical illusion. The rolling places look as if they are uphill, things appear at a slant, but that is due to misleading views from where one is standing. When seen from other views, their true downhill or straight orientation becomes apparent.

It is well known that optical illusions exist. It is also been confirmed since the time of Isaac Newton that the laws of physics apply universally. Why should the laws of physics take exception to these particular spots? Since these spots can be shown to be optical illusions, and since there is no reason the laws of physics should take exception to these particular places, any mystery about these spots should disappear.

Sources

  1. Wolf, Rainer. "Believing What We See, Hear, and Touch: the Delights and Dangers of Sensory Illusions.", Skeptical Inquirer (May/June 1996), vol 20, #3, pp 23-30.
  2. "Explore the World Famous 'Mystery Spot.'" , Leaflet, Saint Ignace, Michigan, n.d.
  3. Wilder, Gus, "Spook Hill: Angular Illusion", Skeptical Inquirer, (Fall 1991), vol. 16, #1, pp 58-60.

Home | Search | Meeting Program | Feedback | Skeptical Blurbs | Newsletters | Skeptical Links | Send E-mail