Few alleged paranormal phenomena are as disturbing, mysterious, or controversial as Spontaneous Human Combustion, often abbreviated to SHC. The idea that a person could suddenly burst into flames without any obvious external source of ignition has fascinated and horrified people for centuries.

Traditional thinking among many scientists follows a familiar line of reasoning. Our universe is approximately 13.8 billion years old, and our own civilisation has only possessed meaningful technology for a few thousand years, with advanced industrial and scientific capability emerging within the last few centuries. From this, it is often argued that an alien civilisation capable of interstellar travel would need to be vastly older than ours.

Part 9 of a 9-Part Series of The Human Journey From Dismissal to Acknowledgement By Brian Sterling-Vete and Helen Renée Wuorio Most people do not expect to encounter anything they would describe as paranormal. Unexplained experiences are assumed to belong to stories, television programmes, or the lives of other people—not to ordinary homes, workplaces, or families. When something unusual first occurs, it is almost always dismissed, rationalised, or quietly ignored. This blog