Spontaneous Human Combustion

Spontaneous Human Combustion is not recognized by modern science, despite the evidence of coroners, pathologists, police and fire authorities, most doctors dismiss these inexplicable occurrences as simply “unsolved deaths.” But what do I think?

SHC is a well documented phenomenon in which a victim’s body bursts into flames and burns without any contact from outside sources of fire.

In many cases the room in which the burned bodies are found is covered in some kind of slime and/or a sickly sweet odor is present. Even though the body is often reduced to nothing but ash, (which would require a heat source of some 3000 degrees) an intact leg or hand or just fingers is found. Another puzzling thing is that often except for some slight scorching of nearby objects, the rooms are perfectly intact, even the clothes the victims had on, or the bed where they lay escape relatively unscathed.

In one interesting case from October 1964, a 75 year old former actress, Mrs. Olga W. Stephens, burst into flames and died while sitting in her parked car on a Dallas, Texas street. Several people witnessed the strange event but before any of those could help her she was reduced to ash. Firemen later confirmed that the car was “hardly damaged at all, but did smell of a very, very sickly sweet odor.” The Dallas authorities further announced that the car contained nothing that could have caused the fire.

Historically SHC cases of the 17^th and 18^th centuries were most often of people who were either over weight , heavy drinkers or both and was often dismissed as the Wrath of God. By the 19^th century some researchers began to look for more common causes, flammable intestinal gases and static electricity were both suggested s possible causes. In the 20^th century, most of the suggestions were proven not to be the cause. Also in the 20^th century, with the exception of a few “fringe” researchers the subject has simply been dismissed by most scientists and medical professionals. No one can say yet how the 21^st century will view the subject but with more scientific advances in store as the years go by, who knows.

Well, that’s my thinking, but who knows what may turn up in the future to alter my opinion, that’s why I invite you to keep and open mind and keep walking in this big weird world of ours!

I’m Average Joe