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Khyron

The K-Files

10.04.06

Welcome to the latest installment of The K-Files. Having finally gotten over the terrible nightmare I suffered from last week, it's time to get back to the usual paranormal opinionating that you've come to expect from The K-Files.

For two weeks in a row now, I have managed to listen to Ian Punnett's Coast to Coast Live program. Last Saturday, he featured one of my most cherished esoteric topics: Spontaneous Human Combustion. Fascinated with this phenomenon for as long as I can remember, I was glad this interesting subject hasn't completely faded from people's minds. This week I present to you my $0.02 on the episode and on human combustion in general.

You'd better get ready, 'cause here come The K-Files...

:: Special Report::
It seems I've been using him to intro these K-Files quite a lot lately, but it looks like I'll be doing it again this week. The man I'm referring to is none other than Ian Punnett, host of the Saturday evening radio broadcast, Coast to Coast Live. I've expressed my appreciation of Mr. Punnett on many an occasion, but unfortunately due to my work schedule, I rarely have the opportunity to listen to Ian's Coast to Coast spin-off show. Yes, I do have the option to download the shows on a later date using the Streamlink service, but--and no offense to my main man Ian--none of his shows lately have seemed worthwhile enough to download.

That is until last Saturday.

I've always been fascinated with those paranormal or otherwise otherworldly topics that fit under the definition of the esoteric. The main reason for this was my early exposure to such shows as Sightings and Unsolved Mysteries. One of my earliest memories of these programs is an Unsolved Mysteries piece on spontaneous human combustion (Please note: because 'spontaneous human combustion' is a real pain to have to type out and because Ian had so much fun abbreviating it as such during the interview, from here on out, I will refer to the phenomenon as 'spon-com'). In the episode, they detailed a reported account of spon-com involving an elderly man who apparently burnt to dust inside of his bathroom. In the kind of reenactment that made Unsolved Mysteries as good a show as it was, it showed a paid actor getting set ablaze through the reflection of a mirror. Suffice to say, at the age in which I watched it, that image has been permanently burned (forgive the pun) into my memory. Ever since then, I have always held a special place in my heart for spon-com.

Now, to the interview last Saturday. Joining Ian for a 3 hour interview was author Larry Arnold. They discussed all the different aspects of the phenomena, including well documented cases, possible scientific explanations, and even a somewhat interesting religious aspect. Having not listened to Ian in a while, I was pleasantly surprised as to just how entertaining a host he is. Perhaps it was because I listened to it earlier in the day when I wasn't so tired, but the general feeling of the show was so much more lighthearted than the usual Noory fare that I'm used to. I find the biggest difference between the two hosts is that with Noory, I'm usually laughing at him and his attempts at humor...Ian, on the other hand, is genuinely funny.

But what I think is really important here is that spon-com is actually getting some publicity again. After a brief stint of popularity in the early to mid 90's, I've certainly noticed an extreme lack of acknowledgment as of late. I guess this means people aren't bursting into flames anymore? What surprises me about this drop-off, however, is that it seems like such an explainable phenomenon.

Let's look at the facts: first off, the people in these spon-com cases are dead. It's possible some cases spread for the sake of creating an urban legend aren't real, but let's assume that these are real people that have really died. Secondly, the cause of death is certainly due to fire. Unlike essentially every UFO sighting that can be passed off as an intentional hoax, this much of the phenomenon can't be disputed. Alright, now this is where the controversy comes in, as it seems the fires that caused these deaths aren't typical. As a for instance, in the Unsolved Mysteries piece that first got me interested in spon-com, the poor old man was burned to ashes, yet the bathroom fixtures and nearby flammable objects--including a portable oxygen tank--were left untouched. Boom. Right there, we have ourselves a real scientific mystery that I feel needs a real explanation.

Assuming this isn't a case of God smiting the wicked, something is causing fires that burn so hot, so fast, that they reduce the human body to ash, while not effecting nearby objects. The cause of such fires are often poorly explained as cigarette accidents. That flat out doesn't make sense...there's no way a cigarette flame catching to your clothes could create a blaze hot enough to incinerate you. Personally, I've always subscribed to the electrical impulse theory. Basically, it involves the body's powerful electrical current increasing dangerously out of control until it overloads, causing your flesh to burn from the inside. It's certainly not the most plausible of things that can happen, but considering spon-com is such a rare occurrence, we should be looking for some pretty outrageous causes.

Such a fascinating topic this is, hopefully continued publicity such as this can restart the spon-com explanation movement. But until the day that an explanation and possible prevention can be found, I will forever fear the risk of bursting into flames spontaneously whenever I get a fever. Damn Unsolved Mysteries...


:: Dead End ::

 

Well, that's all for this week. I trust you enjoyed your trip into this shadowy nether-realm known only as the K-Files.

For the latest updates on the world of Khyron, bookmark http://www.khyron.net/. With content updated regularly, you're sure to find your fix for all things entertaining and paranormal. As always, feel free to send any questions/comments/suggestions to KFiles@khyron.net.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next  K-Files, arriving sometime next week. Later.

~Khyron, 2006.

Khyron

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