Nexus - 1702 - New Times Magazine-pages

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malfunction for no apparent reason while in the presence of extremely psychic people or while in a haunted or paranormal location. Countless examples spring to mind, particularly in regard to the British psychic and healer Matthew Manning, not to mention that equally famous Israeli-British psychic Uri Geller. While studying both individuals in the 1970s, author and paranormal expert Colin Wilson observed that neither psychic had full control of his powers and, further, that electronic equipment in their vicinity would frequently malfunction. When, for example, Wilson attempted to record an interview with Manning using a tape recorder, the machine, which normally worked fine, suddenly refused to function. Afterwards, it worked perfectly again. One lightning strike case that has doctors completely baffled (but which isn't necessarily paranormal) is that of retired electrician Harold Deal from Greenwood, South Carolina, USA. While living in Lawson, Missouri, in 1969, Deal pulled into his driveway at around 9.00 pm, having just finished work for the day, only to discover that the ground seemed to be flooded with electricity—a phenomenon caused by lightning in the vicinity. On his way to the front door, Deal lost consciousness. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground; his wife and neighbours, having come across him hours later, had woken him up. In addition to internal burns, Deal sustained a severe spinal cord injury that required surgery. The accident also affected him neurologically, causing irritability, memory loss and, most curiously of all, the inability to feel cold. Said Deal: "I've been outside when it's 14 degrees below zero, wearing nothing but shorts and thongs. Soaking in a tub of ice water gives me a relaxed, pleasant feeling." Presumably, lightning had "fried" the part of Deal's brain that regulates the ability to determine temperature, making him oblivious—but still susceptible—to the cold. An extremely optimistic and obviously religious man, Deal, now in his seventies, considers his accident a blessing. "God did bless me when He struck me," he said. “Now I can spread the word. I talk to people who've been hit and have given up hope... They're misunderstood, ostracised. They don't want to live. I talk them out of suicide and tell them life is great. That's how God blessed me, and I'm grateful." A force of coincidence Indicating once again that lightning is a “coincidence- attracting" force—and one that seems intent on keeping us guessing—is the fact that Deal's stepdaughter is also a lightning strike victim. When her accident occurred in 1985, she had been holding onto a curling iron through which the lightning emerged. Speaking of lightning-related coincidences, one deserves mention here. It concerns a Bulgarian woman named Martha Martika, whose first husband, Randolph, was struck and killed by lightning. Although devastated, Martika married again—to a man named Charles Martaux—but he, too, was struck by lightning and died as a result. Martika became extremely depressed and sought the help of a doctor. The two of them fell in love and eventually married. But Martika was widowed a third time when her latest husband, after stepping out into a thunderstorm, was struck and killed by lightning. It certainly seems to be the case that a paranormal element is at work in some lightning strike incidents. °° About the Author: Louis Proud, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, is an avid writer and researcher specialising in paranormal and occult phenomena. His work has been published in Fate, Mysteries and New Dawn magazines. His interests include film, radio- controlled models and anything to do with the mysterious and unexplained. His recently published book, Dark Intrusions: An Investigation into the Paranormal Nature of Sleep Paralysis Experiences, is available from Amazon in the USA and UK. Louis Proud can be contacted by email at louisproud@gmail.com. Visit his website http://paranormal- sleep-paralysis.tripod.com. 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