SLIders: The People Who Can Control Electricity

In both UFO and paranormal research, strange electrical phenomena are often noted, sometimes as a sign of the bizarre activity itself and sometimes as an apparent consequence of close encounters with otherworldly objects and entities. There appears to be, however, an increasing number of documented cases of people who themselves appear to interact with electricity in a bizarre and strange way, often subconsciously, and who, it would seem, have had no paranormal encounters to speak of, and who have no obvious paranormal encounters to speak of. This strange interaction often manifests itself in a phenomenon dubbed Street Light Interference, and those who have such ability are referred to as SLIders, and they are, without a doubt, one of the most intriguing groups of people on record.

While we will explore this strange phenomenon in its own right, we will also highlight how it might connect to UFO activity and whether understanding Street Light Interference might assist us in getting to the truth of the UFO mysteries. Might these people naturally contain anomalous energy levels that usually manifest in people who have undergone alien abduction, for example? Or could it be possible that SLIders are people who have been abducted by aliens but are not aware of it? Indeed, inside such a mysterious phenomenon, both possibilities are equally credible.

Just What Is The Street Light Interference Phenomenon?

While this unusual ability also shows itself in many other ways, what first drew attention to this loose group of people that would become known as SLIders was the phenomenon known as Street Light Interference (SLI) – the ability to switch streetlamps on or off simply by walking or even driving under them. ^[1] Whether subconsciously or not, there have been many cases of people walking under streetlamps, for example, only for them to switch off for several seconds and then come back on when they have passed beneath them.

As we might imagine, several theories and suggestions have been put forward in an attempt to explain these bizarre incidents. As some people have pointed out, all of our thoughts and actions – including those in the subconscious mind, are, essentially, electrical signals and impulses. These electrical impulses are limited to within each of our respective bodies, but some researchers into Street Light Interference have questioned whether these electrical impulses could have power outside of the human body, at least in some people, and as such, interfere with other electrics, including streetlamps.

There have been several studies carried out on Street Light Interference, as well as how a person’s subconscious might be able to affect electrical devices, including computers (although much more study needs to take place, preferably utilizing both scientists and paranormal investigators). One particularly interesting thing to note, though, is how there appears to be a connection between a person’s mood, or emotional or mental state, and their ability to utilize or control electrical energy.

Coincidence, Or Something More?

It is perhaps no surprise that many people dismiss that anything out of the ordinary is taking place, despite the growing number of people who have come forward to state they, too, have experienced Street Light Phenomena. Many people, for example, have offered that these cases show nothing more than “confirmation bias” – essentially, that it is simply a coincidence that a streetlamp would go off at the exact time a person walked underneath it.

David Barlow – a graduate of physics and astrophysics – states that people are simply “seeing patterns in random noise”, elaborating that “it is unlikely that a light will turn itself on or off when you walk past it, so it is a shock when it happened. If this should happen a few times consecutively, then it appears some mechanism is at work!”

Not everyone agrees, with one such person, the late paranormal researchers, Hilary Evans, documenting many cases, even setting up the Street Lamp Interference Data Exchange so as to bring as much information together as possible. He stated in an interview shortly before his death in 2011 that it was “obvious from the letters I get that these people are perfectly healthy, normal people, it’s just that they have some kind of ability…just a gift they’ve got, (although) it may not be a gift they would like to have!”

The Intriguing Encounters Of Jennifer Brown

Writing in an article on Medium titled Supernatural Phenomenon or Confirmation Bias? I’ll let you decide; writer Jennifer Brown offered a history of strange occurrences throughout her life that eventually led her to discover she was a SLIder. ^[2]

She stated that, at some point in 1988, she was walking down the path when she noticed a streetlamp went out at the exact moment she walked underneath it, coming back a second or so after she had passed. She thought it strange, to say the least, but when she turned to look at the streetlamp, she noticed that the paving slab directly beneath it was “wobbly”, and so she reasoned it was likely a loose connection directly beneath it, even though she witnessed several other people pass under the streetlamp, stepping on the wobbly paving slab as they did so, with the light remaining firmly on.

Jennifer put the incident out of her mind for several days. However, when she happened to walk under the same streetlamp once more several days later, she was more than shocked when it once more went out while she was directly beneath it. Furthermore, the wobbly pavement slab had now been repaired, so she could no longer tell herself it was some kind of loose connection.

She stopped and scanned the concourse of the precinct she was walking down, eventually spying a security camera pointing in her direction. She now told herself that the security guards were likely able to switch the streetlamp off manually in order to get a better view of what was underneath it should the need arise, and her presence likely caused them to see just who was walking along the precinct at such a late hour.

Jennifer didn’t experience any strange incidents with streetlamps after that for around a year. Then, without warning, the bizarre events began again.

An Ability That Followed Jennifer

Jennifer had since moved to Germany to continue her studies, and while she missed her boyfriend, friends, and home in general, she was happy there and had quickly made new friends. Despite this, she often found herself alone in her “solitary lodgings” and so would often go out for walks along the quiet streets at night. One particular night, she was walking past a historic wall that contained an old tower. As she did so, one of the streetlamps went out above her. She continued to walk forward, and after several steps, the streetlamp came back on.

She immediately looked around her, and within moments, she spied a security camera on the old wall pointing in the general direction of the streetlamp. Once more, she reasoned with herself that the security guards in Germany were no different from those back home in Scotland and that they had likely switched the streetlamp off to see who was walking past. Over the course of the next few months, Jennifer happened to walk under that particular streetlamp on many occasions, and each time she did so, it went out. In fact, she began to think that the security guards were watching her personally, making her slightly paranoid.

Jennifer returned to Scotland in 1990. And as she went about her business at night, she began noticing increasing numbers of streetlamps switching off as she passed beneath them. As these incidents continued, in various locations, she began to realize her theory of security guards switching off the lights to gain a better view was most likely wide of the mark. She became increasingly confused and even scared of these bizarre goings-on. With the arrival of the Internet in the mid-1990s, however, Jennifer began to get to the bottom of just what she had been experiencing.

Revelations And Understanding

As Jennifer researched online, she discovered that she was far from the only person who seemingly had this strange and unsettling ability, even finding out there was a name for such individuals – SLIders. What’s more, she discovered that a surprising amount of research had been conducted on these individuals.

According to information available at the time, researchers suggested that some individuals “emit a subconscious electrical impulse” which, in turn, has an effect on electrical devices, in most cases, streetlamps. She also discovered that it was believed these abilities were usually at their strongest when the individual was stressed, anxious, or in the grip of other heightened emotions. Jennifer found it interesting that individuals who had an effect on streetlamps sometimes caused issues with other electrical machines or devices. Her own boyfriend, for example, had commented several times that she had an “ability to mess up his computer code simply by pressing the return key!”

It seemed that the more Jennifer learned of other SLIders, the less her ability plagued her, and incidents of streetlamps switching off in her presence began to decrease until they hardly happened at all. However, when she moved to a new town several years later and once more found herself in the position of having to make new friends, she noticed that her emotional state began to become more heightened. During one particular evening out with her new friends, she confided in one of her strange ability to be able to switch off streetlights just by walking under them. Sure enough, later that evening, with her friend looking on, a streetlamp switched off as she passed below. We might contemplate whether the increased stress of the move and making new friends brought back the ability that had seemingly lay dormant for several years.

Ultimately, Jennifer never fully got to the bottom of her strange ability, and she, unlike some who we will explore shortly, gained any kind of control over it. She wrote that while “not one world of this is scientific evidence, and with the passing of time, even I have begun to wander if this could all be explained by confirmation bias”, she still questions just what caused the bizarre encounters.

The Equally Baffling Ability Of Debbie Wolf

The fact is, Jennifer Brown is far from the only person to have such abilities, controlled or not. In April 2012, an article appeared on The Standard detailing the encounters of 38-year-old Debbie Wolf from Telescombe Cliffs in Brighton in the United Kingdom. ^[3] As well as switching streetlamps off as she walked under them, Debbie also sent “digital clocks haywire” and even caused her freezer to defrost on several occasions.

Like Jennifer, Debbie offered that she had no control over her ability, stating that “it happens when I’m stressed or if I’m chewing something over in my mind!” She also said, however, that these kinds of events happened “frequently” and that they had had a profound affect on her day-to-day life. She could only use wind-up alarm clocks, for example, as she would always “scramble” digital ones, while she would quickly drain batteries in items such as remote controls. She further detailed blowing a “series of streetlamps while riding by them on a motorbike”, and offered that the lights have always been “faulty outside all of the homes” she has lived in.

Despite this potentially deadly ability, Debbie worked as a pathology support officer at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton. And while she had not had any sort of adverse effect on any of the hospital equipment so far, one might imagine that such a concern would be genuine.

The previously mentioned Hilary Evans studied Debbie’s case, and offered that “what happened to Debbie has happened to a great many other people” before adding that “her experience was more dramatic than most”.

Many SLIders Around The World

While Jennifer Brown’s and Debbie Wolf’s encounters are some of the most interesting and detailed, there are many others who have contributed to the database we mentioned earlier, telling of their own experiences. ^[4] One of whom is “Bradley”, who claimed that whenever he felt down or depressed, he noticed that encounters with streetlamps and other electronics usually occur. He continued that as far back as being nine years old, although he didn’t understand the emotional connection at this point, he could recall streetlamps changing color, from a warm yellow-orange glow to a cold blue as he passed underneath them.

As he got older, Bradley was diagnosed with manic depression, and it was at this point in his life that he made the connection between his emotional state and streetlamps changing colors. He stated that when he was particularly down, “the interference would seem to happen randomly and without warning!” On the other hand, when his mood was happier, and if he concentrated, he could change the streetlamps to a “warm peach color!” Of course, this suggests that Bradley learned, at least to a certain degree, to control the ability he has.

For some people, though, being a SLIder goes beyond interfering with streetlamps. Many people, for example, report all manner of electrical devices switching on and off in their presence and even light bulbs blowing completely when they walk into a room. Others report the volume rising and falling on their televisions, radios, or CD players and even the channels being switched. Many people also report digital watches stopping working and the magnetic strip on credit cards becoming corrupt.

Malfunctioning Electronic Devices

Just one such person who seemed to affect electronic equipment was “Sarah”, who learned of her (then) unknown ability while undergoing a series of laser treatments on her neck over the course of multiple appointments. She claimed that on no less than six separate occasions during this treatment, she caused the laser equipment to malfunction and stop working. She has also noticed other bizarre goings-on during her life. For example, when visiting a science museum, she noticed that she was “having an odd effect on the electronic equipment”. Sarah eventually began to study her condition and came to the conclusion that she generated more electricity than the average person, perhaps even storing energy that was unleashed without her being able to control it.

As we mentioned earlier, many SLIders experience problems wearing watches, with one experiencer who wished to remain anonymous offering that not only could they not wear digital watches but that multiple members of their family also had the same problem. Another SLIder – “Tybald” – offered that many electrical devices often failed when anyone from their mother’s side of the family was near them before elaborating that “none of the women can wear a watch, we magnetize the works or no watch battery lasts as long as it should!”

Another experiencer – “Josh” – described how they had a destructive effect on all manner of electronic devices. He stated that everything from electronic headphones to printers and even laptops all regularly broke in his presence. Furthermore, he claimed that none of his mobile phones lasted longer than a few months at a time.

A Connection To Emotions

“James” is another person who has experienced these sorts of strange occurrences for as long as he can remember. He offered that ever since he was a young child, he always knew there was “something different” about him, elaborating that television sets would go haywire whenever he walked into a room, and, on some occasions, lights would simply go out completely. Like other SLIders, James noticed that these events tended to occur when he was “experiencing an extreme emotion”, adding that if he was feeling negative emotions, this power appeared to be stronger.

“Blonde” offered similar details, stating that light bulbs would often “burn out” when she was near them, especially if she was “emotionally upset” or even experiencing a lot of pain. She recalled a particularly unsettling incident that unfolded one afternoon while she was at the mall when she was experiencing a significant amount of pain. She had stopped to watch a man work on a model airplane. Suddenly, the model’s engine suddenly burst into life even though the man working on it had not touched it.

Similarly, “Colada” stated that these unusual events occurred more often than not when she felt scared, adding that she thought of these episodes as being similar to “releasing energy!” Colada is another SLIder who has learned a certain amount of control over her ability, claiming that over time, she has learned to “mentally ground the energy!” When she enters a dark room, for example, and before turning on the light, she first calms herself by taking several deep breaths. Ultimately, she claimed that this meant she was only replacing her light bulbs once every six months as opposed to  “burning out one bulb every other day!”

Catalysts Found In Life-Changing Events?

While for some people, this ability comes as a complete surprise with no hint of where it might have come from, others have pinpointed specific incidents that they believe were a catalyst for them being able to manipulate electricity. “Kamilla”, for example, believes that her ability stems from an accident she had when she was 11 years old. She stated that a bad circuit sent a 220-volt shock into her, throwing her several feet across the room. Since then, she offered, she has “experienced anomalies with electronics!” She stated that she regularly causes computers and other electronics to falter in banks or retail stores, and on one occasion, caused a complete blackout in her local Walmart, sending the entire store into darkness. She also has to regularly replace or repair numerous electronic devices in her home.

“Chad” has similar affects on electronics, and, like Kamilla, believes an accident when he was younger is responsible for his ability. He stated he was in a “bad car crash” when he was only seven years old, following which, he began to noticed strange incidents unfolding around him, starting with streetlamps switching off when he walked beneath them.

As the years went on, Chad began to learn to control his ability to manipulate electricity, so much so, that he could control any light, even if it was miles away. He did this, he claimed, through meditating and concentrating on the light. He offered that while he was doing this, he would stretch out his arms and begin to feel the heat of the light in the palms of his hands. This heat intensified until he managed to switch the light off. Indeed, Chad’s apparent ability to manipulate his ability through concentration and meditation might offer clues into how the phenomenon might not only be controlled, but even learnt.

Connections To UFOs And The Paranormal?

As we asked in our opening, as strange as the SLI phenomenon is, might we find some kind of explanation within the paranormal realm, perhaps specifically in the world of UFO research? It is well documented, for example, that many people who witness a UFO while in their car often experience engine or headlight trouble, sometimes with them both failing completely. Other witnesses (who encounter these seemingly otherworldly craft at home) sometimes report the power failing or interference with their television or radio.

There have even been incidents where the presence of UFOs has seemingly caused widespread blackouts. Perhaps the most famous of these occurred in 1965 when large regions of the north eastern United States lost power for a considerable amount of time.

Even encounters from the wider world of the paranormal share some details with the experiences of SLIders. Electrical devices switching on by themselves or even malfunctioning are regularly experienced during hauntings and poltergeist cases, and many paranormal investigators use electronic voice phenomena devices as a way of communicating with these apparent spirits and entities. Indeed, many paranormal researchers suggest that ghosts and poltergeists may be nothing more than a manifestation of electrical life energy.

It is perhaps also interesting to note how many people who would consider themselves SLIders also offer that other members of their family – sometimes across generations – also have the same problem.

With this in mind, it is worth noting that many people who experience alien abduction, especially repeated abductions, also go on to find out that other members of their family – often featuring multiple generations – have also been abducted.

It is further interesting, if we go back to some SLIders for a moment, that some people have offered that it is “women in their family” who often appear to be affected by this strange phenomenon. Although statistics are hard to pin down, it is widely agreed that slightly more women are supposedly abducted  by extraterrestrials than men. Is this another connection between the abilities of SLIders and UFO and alien contact?

Similarities With Signs Of Alien Abduction

It is also interesting to note that many people who do experience alien abduction also experience similar events to SLIders. One such person is Bob Rylance, who experienced many strange incidents before he eventually discovered he had been abducted by aliens on several occasions. He would often report, for example, hearing a “strange buzzing” sound that would often awaken him. Of further interest to us here, he often found that electrical devices would switch on or off by themselves, and even break down completely. One particularly unsettling incident occurred one morning when he came downstairs to find his electric razor unpacked from its box and plugged into the wall. He knew that he had packed it back in its box upstairs after using it the previous evening.

Perhaps an even more intriguing case occurred in November 1978 in Sevilla, Spain. On the night in question, Antonia Aranda awoke to find a seven-foot entity standing in her bedroom watching her. She recalled that the creature was wearing some kind of black suit and a helmet that obscured its face. Before she could take in any further details, however, a cold blast of air hit her face and she blacked out.

When she regained consciousness, she could see some kind of glowing, metallic sphere hovering a short distance above her, the cold air seemingly emanating from it. As if sensing that she was questioning what the sphere was, the figure moved nearer to her, and offered that it was “regenerating” her. Before she could contemplate anything more, she lost consciousness once more. The next time she awoke, the strange figure and the sphere were no longer there.

In the years that followed, she noticed that she had a profound impact on all manner of electrical devices that she came into contact with, with many of them completely malfunctioning. Whether this was connected to the close contact and the alleged regeneration or not is perhaps open to debate.

A Phenomenon Still In Need Of Answers

Whatever we might think of SLIders and Street Light Interference, and whatever it might be, that something very real and out of the ordinary is at the heart of these incidents would seem to have been pretty well established. And while science might, if not almost certainly, discover the explanation for these freak occurrences and abilities, for now it remains a complete mystery.

As we have seen, many people who claim to have this ability have offered that these bizarre incidents usually occur when they are in a heightened emotional state (such as when they are stressed, depressed, or even angry). This has led some researchers to suggest that emotional energy – including such energy might manifest in the physical world – could play a significant role in understanding these bizarre goings-on.

Some people offer that the truth of the mysteries of SLI will be found in our understanding of the paranormal world. They offer, for example, that unknown energy fields currently beyond our understanding interact with the mechanisms of streetlamps and other electrical devices, adding that some people, as we have already explored, manage to gain control over these speculative energy fields. Some researchers have even suggested that there could be a connection to supernatural forces and even entities, using this apparent ability to manipulate electricity in an attempt to communicate. Ultimately, it has been theorized by some that SLIders are, in fact, some kind of conduit between our world and the spirit world.

Of course, many people believe the answers to SLI and all that comes with out are much more grounded, although no less intriguing. They offer, for example, that the sensitive electronics and sensors in many electronic devices, including streetlamps, could very well be susceptible to unintended manipulation and interference from electromagnetic signatures generated by each individual.

Whatever the truth might be, Street Light Interference and the SLIders connected to it remain a subject still grappled with by scientists and researchers alike. Only through combined study and transparent sharing of information will we likely get to the bottom of these bizarre happenings. And in a world that is becoming increasingly digital, we might expect these occurrences to continue, perhaps manifesting in drastically different ways.

The video below explores this fascinating phenomenon a little further.