By Tim Binnall
Of all the mysteries in the realm of the paranormal, few are as frightening as the controversial concept of spontaneous human combustion (SHC). The YouTube channel Dark5 has compiled a chilling overview of cases where it is believed that people fell victim to the fiery phenomenon. These incidents, spanning centuries and occurring in various parts of the world, share one thing in common: an unfortunate individual found dead via an inexplicable inferno which seemed to erupt from within them.
Among the stories covered in the collection is a 1725 case credited with being the inspiration for the first in-depth study of the phenomenon. At the center of the tale is a French woman named Nicole Millet, who was found burnt to death in her bedroom, yet none of the furniture around her seemed to be any worse for wear. The woman's condition baffled both her husband and the authorities who, unsurprisingly, assumed that the incident was a murder. In keeping with the curious nature of SHC, prosecutors were unable to prove that the husband had anything to do with the mysterious fire and the woman's demise was ultimately attributed to "a visit from God."
Although spontaneous human combustion is often thought of as an archaic esoteric phenomenon that we need not worry about in modern times, there are actually a handful of suspected SHC incidents that have taken place in recent years. One such story, featured in the video, is that of a man named Michael Faherty, who died in his home in Ireland back in 2010. Upon discovering his charred body, authorities were astounded by the condition of the room, since only the floor and the ceiling where his remains were found showed any signs of a fire. Everything else in the home was perfectly fine. Amazingly, Faherty's death was officially determined to be caused by spontaneous human combustion.
However, Faherty may not have been the most recent individual to succumb to spontaneous human combustion as, here at the C2C website, we've covered potential cases of the phenomenon taking place in 2015, 2017, and 2018. Whether that means we're due for another SHC at some point this year is a question we'd rather not even consider. Coast Insiders can learn more about spontaneous human combustion by checking out the 12/27/2016 edition of C2C featuring Larry Arnold. Not a Coast Insider yet? Sign up today.