In spontaneous human combustion, a person allegedly bursts instantly into flames, immediately burning up, leaving behind only ashes and burned body parts. Incidents have been mentioned in the literature of unexplained phenomena, with the impression that peculiar, unknown forces must be responsible.
But the phenomenon may not be all that mysterious. Forensic investigators Joe Nickell and John Fischer assembled 30 case files of alleged spontaneous human combustion. In nearly all of them, the following circumstances applied. The victim was alone, with no other people nearby; the victim was elderly or otherwise unable to move about easily ; on medication or potentially intoxicated (alcohol doesn't make a body more burnable, just less able to move); a flame source was nearby; the victim was wearing flammable clothing and other flammable items were nearby; and the victim was not discovered until at least several hours after he or she had last been seen. What does all this suggest? Simply that the victim, unable to move about very well, may have accidentally ignited something flammable on or near himself or herself, eventually catching hair, skin, and underlying body fat on fire, and that he or she slowly , over hours, entirely burned up, like a slow-burning candle.
The cause of what seems to be spontaneous human combustion remains unknown. Yet, considering the circumstances it occurs in, it does seem less mysterious, more capable of explanation and no less horrifying to the individuals involved.
Home | Search | Meeting Program | Feedback | Skeptical Blurbs | Newsletters | Skeptical Links | Send E-mail
Copyright 1992-2005, The Association for Rational Thought