Need an answer

[James S]

Very simply (and rather coldly analytical), you were not in the path of least electrical resistance!

Electricity will always take the easiest path, which at the time can seem somewhat random. The fact that you felt nothing is evidence of this. Had you been in a suitable pathway for the electricity, you'd have definitely felt it just before the lightning hit.

There could possibly be some sort of supernatural explaination to this, such as what ultimately directed the path of the lightning, but without knowing this, what is left to comment on is the simple physics of the situation.

Regards,
James.

[Dark Knight]

Crim were you near anything that could act as a grounding unit at the time? Electrical Socket? (God help me, Physics was 8 years ago).

[The AlphaOmega]

You could have been grounded by something, that's the only explanation I have.  To be struck by lightning with no effect at all is something I have NEVER heard of.  It doesn't sound very likely.  Sure it wasn't a powerful shock during a storm?  Most people struck by lighting die, and those that don't experience serious injuries.  No effect at all.  Either you were mistaken, or it was an act of God!

[James S]

You're on the right track guys, but your physics is frack to bunt!

If Crim were properly grounded, she would almost certainly have been struck as she would have created a higher point of ground potential than the course the lightning actually followed . This is what lightning rods on buildings and power stations are all about - getting the ground potential to a physical height above the things that could be damaged by lighning.

It's likely that she was actually insulated, possibly even by the shoes she was wearing or the surface she was standing on at the time. Whatever the case, the lightning found her to be a less attractive offer at the time.

Nothing personal Tammy, you're probably quite an attractive woman, but fortunately for you at the time the lightning didn't think so. []

Regards,
James.

[SpectralDragon]

quote:Originally posted by CRIMINALMIND63

A few  years ago I should have been struck by lightening. It was storming outside and i was by the window. I seen the lightening come in through the window and came to my chest area. It stopped or atleast appeared to have stopped. I was not effected by it. No pain no electricity feeling shock of any kind.
Does anyone have an explaination of this. I can come up with a few but would rather not tell I would like some suggestions first.

(I am Assuming you were on the top floor...) the only explanation that I can think of is that you were directly in the "intended" path of the lighting, but that, like James said, there was a better path and it was "serching out" something else in the room that goes to the ground. Was anything in the room hit?

And out of curiosity, what did the room feel like after the incident?

[Dark Knight]

That's why I'm a chemist not a physicist, James []

I'll leave the physics lessons to you

[CRIMINALMIND63]

Hi, thanks for the information. James thanks for the compliment. Actually it was the middle floor I was on. I heard it hit the window but it went through it. It appears to have come to my heart area and maybe went through me. There was a big wooden table behind me. I seen the ligh come to my chest area. I did sense something but I thought more of it being from fear of what just happened. I assumed it ended when it reached me but it may have gone farther but I believe it would have gone through me.
I was told with me having attacks I need to get grounded. From what is being said to me I lack the ground need for the lightening to have effected me.
There is another explaination, I'm not sure what all it may contain but it may not have been the lightening we see in the sky. It could have been another light that came to me. It was lightening outside what ever it was hit the house even if just the window. I believe that I stopped it. I believe it has something to do with the charge of my aura field.
I was never shocked, just an odd feeling, maybe a little fearful know what could have happened, kinda in awe.
Act of God, that's interesting, it's almost like that. I have had near death experiences or events that could have caused death. I onced even had my name called to bring me back to consciousness when nobody was around.

[James S]

Ok, that makes things a little stranger!

The scientific approach - wiring or plumbing or framework inside the wall could have ended up acting as the lightning rod, effectively saving you. As to the not really lightning idea - quite possible. Certain charged particles in the air have been known to luminesce in the vicinity lightning. The particles themselves don't carry enough of a charge to be of any harm. I've always been fascinated with electrical storms, and some of the hows and whys of lightning are increadible, almost like its alive and sentient.

The not so scientific approach - it was not your time to die.
Your description of an NDE supports this. It indicates that there is something you are meant do while you are here on Earth.

Kind regards,
James.

[CRIMINALMIND63]

I know now I have been placed here for a purpose. I spent some time preparing for my attack. I have been giving information about attacks and other spiritual knowledge. I had telepathical experiences at about the age of twelve. I also knew of the harm that existed in the world and the pain we cause each other and knew it doesn't have to be. I have experienced much suffering in my life and have observed people for years to gain knowledge. I knew I had not suffered for my family to suffer what other's place upon each other. We have all been thought to change other's to conform to what we want then to change ourselves. There is much use of magic on other people to conform them to what we seek then to change our view. There has been to much use of magic to harm people and it's to be stopped. I have had angels come to me. I have been taking places. Shown things. I was too learn things that I hadn't learned. I had been shown the universe. I'm here to stop what has been told to us. It comes from ancient times and beliefs. Base it on religion, social, cultural perspectives.
We ate from the fruit of knowledge to know good from evil but we know no meaning of either one. What is good or evil can be the opposite to the other. There is so much I know in my mind I could fill a book with it.
There is a new bible that needs to be written a new philosophy to be learned and a new world to be created.

[SpectralDragon]

Anybody ever hear of "ball lightning" it's sounding more and more like that is what it was. "ball lightning" is a  charge in the air that doesn't shoot out as fast, from what has been explained to me of it.

[Nay]

Ball of lightning..I believe I have seen those.  Years ago I woke up to a serious thunder storm.  As I stood at the window looking out onto the neighborhood, I started seeing these "balls of light" rolling down the rain drenched street.  The lightning was pretty continuous, with these balls of light every once in a while.  They were always on the ground and rolled, for a pretty good distance I might add.

It was quite the spectacular scene!  I have never seen anything like it since.

My father was hit by lightning..well, not directly but the truck he was leaning on, was hit and he was thrown a good 30ft away from the truck.  I have been in my car driving and the car was hit, that was cool..[^]  I always thought it was the tires that protected you, but actually it is the metal frame that makes a car the safest place, besides your home, to be in while lighting is around.

[Mick]

quote:Originally posted by Nay


I have been in my car driving and the car was hit, that was cool..[^]  I always thought it was the tires that protected you, but actually it is the metal frame that makes a car the safest place, besides your home, to be in while lighting is around.

This is known as a Faraday cage where being wrapped in metal provides protection as with aircraft. The old idea that tyres save is interesting as they would often be wet anyway and due to the potentials involved lightning is able to span several miles of air which is I think a better insulator so rubber is a minor hindrance A house is not that safe due to its height and the mix of materials, as such the path of least resistance is very undefined.
As James said copper piping and electrical wiring may well be safety factors but with more and more plumbing using plastic this possible protection is likely being reduced. Lightning travels down streamers established by the rise is potential between the Earth and clouds. These streamers are drawn up from the earth and can be seen in video footage, when the potential is sufficient lightning will travel down through these streamers to Earth sometimes switching streamer paths as it travels as conditions change.
Having said that I was reading something the other day that said that our understanding of lightning is still in its infancy

[James S]

I've seen ball lightning only once and it only maintained its form for a few seconds. This is one of the weirdest electrical phenomena around. That and red sprites and blue jets that you get above the storm clouds.

Ball lightning (for all you science junkies out there interested) is actually a charged plasma reaction. It can also be almost any colour. The one that I saw was a rich green. I'd thought that some chemicals on someones property had gone up from a lightning strike, but after learning about ball lightning, I realised I was seeing a big green plasma ball.

Sorry Crim, bit off your topic here, but the whoe thing with lightning and ball lightning is something I find fascinating.

James.

[nthjbam]

Crim,

Start a cult, you can be the leader! lol  You can be the higlander, those guys get hit by lightning all the time and only get stronger.  Have you ever considered that maybe it wasn't lightning at all, but maybe some other sort of energy that you were acutely aware of?  If you weren't hit by some other target occupying the space, it is a good clean explanation, but if you were hit, then you should feel lucky, very luck, and I would take that as a an experience with a higher meaning.  Otherwise don't go dropping toasters in to the bathtub while you're in it, just to prove a theory.

Be well,
J

[Mick]

quote:Originally posted by James S

This is one of the weirdest electrical phenomena around. That and red sprites and blue jets that you get above the storm clouds.

Interestingly until these were captured on video from space aircraft crew would occasionally report them and be told that they were seeing things

[SpectralDragon]

quote:Originally posted by James S

I've seen ball lightning only once and it only maintained its form for a few seconds. This is one of the weirdest electrical phenomena around. That and red sprites and blue jets that you get above the storm clouds.

Ball lightning (for all you science junkies out there interested) is actually a charged plasma reaction. It can also be almost any colour. The one that I saw was a rich green. I'd thought that some chemicals on someones property had gone up from a lightning strike, but after learning about ball lightning, I realised I was seeing a big green plasma ball.

Sorry Crim, bit off your topic here, but the whoe thing with lightning and ball lightning is something I find fascinating.

James.

Oh, so that's what it is. But, uh, what's plasma again?[xx(]

heh. kidding. I know it's a state of matter. I heard they made ball lightning in a lab some years ago.

[James S]

Yes they did Spectral.

In fact about 10 years ago some guy in the US was experimenting using artificially created ball lightning as an alternative form of nuclear fusion to the more traditional Tokamak reactor. He was able to keep the plasma levels stable enough to get a fairly constant 10 megawatt. The trouble was the kilowatts of juice needed to keep the reaction going wasn't considered cost effective.

James.

[xander]

quote:Originally posted by James S

The trouble was the kilowatts of juice needed to keep the reaction going wasn't considered cost effective.

James.

Cost effective by whose standards? mans or natures?

Xander

[James S]

By man's standards for sure.
Because current technology fusion reactors require a "warm start" process that is actually fairly expensive to get started, they are considered not to be as economically viable as fission or normal fuel combustion reactors.

Personally I think its because the oil and mining giants of the world don't stand to make any long term money out of fusion reactors. Lets face it, what does hydrogen cost?

James.

[SpectralDragon]

quote:Originally posted by James S
Lets face it, what does hydrogen cost?

James.

From what I hear, not that much. It's easy enough to make provided you have the right piece of equipment. Granted, though, that piece of equipment was $300 when I was in chemistry class a few years ago.

Might want to ask DK about that.

[Dark Knight]

About what, the cost of Hydrogen?

Not that much. I use a ton of hydrogen at all my jobs as they are used as the gas for Gas Chromatograph Detectors (FID, specifically) and occasionally as a carrier gas.

Never mind the chemistry, it's cheap, I personally have had to order tanks and we're not talking a massive amount of money at all.

I could probably find out, if you want.

[SpectralDragon]

Don't have to, DK.

I think it's the process that's so expensive, James. I heard that they got it to work, once, but it didn't work again.

[James S]

The reactions are (or were) repeatable, so that's not really a hassle. Nor is the Hydrogen / Deuterium production.
The biggest cost is in manufacturing fusion plants to a decent commercial scale, and the ammount of electricity that has to be syphoned off the generator's output to keep either the plasma containment fields running in a Tokamak reactor, or the Tesla coils fed in the case of the Ball lighning reactor. This is why cold fusion is the holy grail being searched for - little to no running costs.

Ummm....sorry Crim, I've kind of hijacked your topic and sent it off on a tangent. [:I]

James.

[Dark Knight]

PLasma, plasma, plasma, now we're inching out of my field.

Sorry I'm more knowledgable in flame ionization and electron capture, but if my new boss ever lets me muck about with the ICP, then maybe I can join the conversation.

[James S]

Believe me DK, I'm well out of my field there too. I understand the basics and the concepts, but thats about where it stops. Fusion is mostly about containment, so we're talking magnetic fields & superconducters and all that kind of fun stuff.

Mind you, there's an interesting little experiment involving plasma you can do at home if you've a microwave oven you're not terribly attached to.....

Stick a toothpick down beside the wick of a small candle, one that doesn't have a metal wick holder thingy at the bottom. light the toothpick (the candle wick should help keep it alight), stick it in the microwave, turn it on full for a minute or so, and after about 15-20 seconds you should start seeing some small colourful plasma balls come off from around the flame and float around inside the microwave.
Supposedly it doesn't cause any damage to the internals of the oven.

James.