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It's largely a simple perception issue. Think about it - and bear in mind that I noticed this same effect last night as I was walking home (two occasions in about 3 km (2miles)).
Firstly bear in in that a lot of street lights use a type of light that, as they age, do NOT simply fail. They start to turn off and on - they operate for a while, overheat, and then go out. They then cool (usually it only takes a few minutes, sometimes it can be less than a minute), and then turn on again. By standing there and watching, you can verify this effect.
Now, let's say that light is 2 hundred metres/yards away. It goes out, but you were probably looking elsewhere. Or if you were walking or driving you may see it go out but because you are moving, everywhere around you lights go on and off as things OBSCURE them. Trees/poles, other objects move in between them and you.. So you are (sub-consciously) used to this behaviour, and therefore your brain doesn't take notice of what *actually* happened.
However, when you get up close, you suddenly notice when the lamp turns on or off, because you are right there.
Initially when you see this happen, you might correctly think that it was just a faulty lamp, but as you see it happening more and more (and it *is* happening more and more as this type of light has become more common over the last ten years or so, and now many of them are getting old and flaky), you may start to think - "hey that must be ME causing it!".
So, next time you see it happen, STOP. Watch the light for several minutes, and see if it is doing what I say. That's what I did to test the theory, and guess what. It's NOT me causing it.
But I DO also see it happening, and it does seem like it is the observer's 'fault'. In a way, it IS.
That makes sense...and I believe some of them are on a timer to save energy. Perception very well could play a large role.
What about the rest of it? The shorting out of appliances, watch-stopping, etc. Any theories on those?
Quoting: Only MeNup. No idea! (O;
Last electric thing I broke was a cheap kitchen handmixer in a too-thick dough - went slower and slower and then made a nasty arcing sound - so i don't think it was me...
With regard to the Street Light Interference thing, it would be pretty easy to prove/disprove with video, but I've never seen anyone attempt it. Maybe I'll go and film that one I referred to near my place, but that will just show it periodically switches on and off as I described, and that my presence has nothing to do with it except the perception..
Bodies do emit some electrical energy, but at levels that are very small compared to other devices, eg mobile phones. I'd be checking what I had on me, and also whether the devices may have been about to fail already, before assuming it was something about me.
One other thing though - some folk have rather acidic (alkaline? both? can't remember) sweat! I can't wear silver jewelry... It's fairly well known that some cameras, for instance, don't have good seals around the controls and can allow ingress of sweat during normal use, and that they may then prematurely fail because of corrosion on printed circuits or solder joints.
And there's always the chance it is something that us mainstreamers don't understand, but I'm one of those folk who needs a bit more evidence to go on first. Show me the facts!
