SHC Phenomenon: Spontaneous Combustion Mystery

      One of the most bizarre phenomena in the world is Spontaneous Human Combustion, also known as SHC. 

    

     What is SHC? 

     

     SHC can be described as 'humans spontaneously catching fire'. Strangely, no source of fire or ignition is found near the victim. 

      

     Even more peculiar, often the victim's body is found completely burned, while objects around them show no signs of damage as if untouched by fire at all. 

     

     The SHC phenomenon first came to public attention when a Danish anatomist named Thomas Bartholin revealed it in 1663. 

     

     The strange incident involved the discovery of a woman's body in Paris, reduced to ashes on her bed. Strangely, only the ashes were smoldering, while the sheets and bed remained unburned. 

     

      In 1763, this phenomenon began to garner widespread attention when a Frenchman named Jonas Dupont published an account of an SHC event titled De Incendiis Corporis Humani Spontaneis. 

     

     Charles Dickens, a renowned writer and author, also immortalized this phenomenon in his novel, Bleak House. 

      

     Following a series of such events, scientists began to conduct serious studies on SHC to further understand the causes behind these occurrences.  

     

     The results of the study were quite surprising. It turns out that the phenomenon of SHC has occurred frequently, but many are not widely known. For example, it was reported in 1731 that a woman known as Countess Cornelia di Bandi from Cesena, Italy, was found dead due to burning in her bedroom.

     When her body was found, the woman's legs were still wearing stockings and part of her head was still intact. Strangely, the rest of her body was burned.

     This case was considered puzzling because in typical house fires, the limbs are usually burned first. However, in this case, the victim's body turned to ashes while her legs and head remained intact. 

     The strange incident involving SHC is hard to comprehend because it can happen suddenly. For example, on August 27, 1938, Phyllis Newcombe and her fiancé Madge Knight had just left a party at midnight in Chelmsford.

     Suddenly, Phyllis' dress, made of crinoline material, caught fire out of nowhere. However, she managed to take off the dress but suffered severe injuries and was taken to the hospital. Several hours later, this woman was confirmed to have passed away.   

     Another incident involved a woman dancing with her partner in a disco. While enjoying the dance, suddenly the woman's body was engulfed in flames. Eventually, she passed away inside the disco before the fire could be extinguished.

      The incident, which occurred in 1950 in London, was not successfully resolved by the police. The investigation conducted failed to determine the cause of the woman's burning. According to witness statements, no one was smoking in the disco at that time, and there were no candles on the table.

     In addition to that case, in October 1963, another victim, Olga Woth, also died from being burned alive in her car.

     The police conducting the investigation confirmed that they found no signs or easily flammable chemicals in the victim's car. Strangely, only Olga Woth's body was burned while the car seats remained intact. 

     The next victim of SHC was Dr. John Irving Bentley, who was found dead burned in his bathroom in December 1966. Only his feet were intact while the rest of his body was completely charred.

     Interestingly, the items in the victim's bathroom were not damaged at all. This case is also one of the most famous SHC cases in the world.

     After this incident, scientists studying the phenomenon concluded that one of the most popular causes of SHC, known as the 'wick effect', was responsible.

     All the victims involved were said to be unconscious due to a heart attack or excessive alcohol consumption.

     The nearby source of fire, such as a cigarette butt, easily ignited and burned the victim's body due to the assistance of alcohol as a highly flammable agent. 

    However, this theory is considered weak. In fact, during the incidents, many victims were actively engaged in activities when SHC occurred. Additionally, sources such as cigarettes cannot be accepted as the main factor capable of burning the victim's body.

     There are also studies linking the phenomenon of SHC to the presence of 'storage' of the Earth's magnetic field. This hypothesis states that certain individuals have the ability to accumulate magnetic waves until they reach a peak, forming a fire pile that allows the body to suddenly catch fire.

     Another hypothesis is the theory of methane gas and static electricity flow within the body, which is associated with SHC victims. This theory suggests that SHC occurs when methane gas mixes with static electricity inside the body, resulting in a fire explosion.

     This theory seems plausible. However, the question remains: can electricity and methane gas inside the body create a fireball explosion that turns the victim into ashes?

     Until now, the phenomenon of sudden human body combustion remains a mystery that is difficult to unravel for scientists and researchers.

Source from Mastika magazine and the Internet.