# Most or all reports are phosphenes or afterimages caused by lightning, not objects.

> Disputed: Most or all reports are phosphenes or afterimages caused by lightning, not objects.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/answers/ANS0D40A76M1VDG/most-or-all-reports-are-phosphenes-or-afterimages-caused-by  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Ball lightning](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning)[Is ball lightning a physical object, distinct from afterimages, hallucinations and misperceived ordinary lightning?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/questions/QST0D40A5846ZE5/is-ball-lightning-a-physical-object-distinct-from)Answer

Answer · Ball lightning

# Most or all reports are phosphenes or afterimages caused by lightning, not objects.

Most or all reports are phosphenes or afterimages caused by lightning, not objects.

**Disputed** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Disputed** One piece of evidence for, two against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Reports cluster very close to strikes and are seen by single observers.
- Nothing is recorded by cameras.

## What would rule it out

- Instrumental recordings of balls, or multi-witness reports far from any strike.

## Evidence 1 for · 2 against

[Long repetitive discharges can induce magnetic fields comparable to transcranial stimulation near the strike.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/evidence/EVD0D40A7EE6Z6P/long-repetitive-discharges-can-induce-magnetic-fields)

Speculative

FOR

[The 2012 ball was recorded by instruments at 0.9 km.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/evidence/EVD0D40A7Y25N42/the-2012-ball-was-recorded-by-instruments-at-0-9-km)

Supported

AGAINST

[The authors' correction shows induced fields are more than ten times smaller, reaching thresholds only within…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/evidence/EVD0D40A7P80PN6/the-authors-correction-shows-induced-fields-are-more-than)

Supported

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[Is ball lightning a physical object, distinct from afterimages, hallucinations and misperceived ordinary lightning?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/ball-lightning/questions/QST0D40A5846ZE5/is-ball-lightning-a-physical-object-distinct-from)

Most likelyBall lightning is a physical luminous object produced in or near thunderstorms

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Most or all reports are phosphenes or afterimages caused by lightning, not objects. [Answer ANS0D40A76M1VDG]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0D40A76M1VDG
```

Key

**ANS** 0D40A76M1VDG

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

Added by

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