Episode 23 - Spontaneous Human Combustion

This phenomenon, also known as SHC, probably because it gets old saying the full term pretty quickly in a long conversation, goes back hundreds of years and still befuddles investigators in cases today. This isn’t really a tale of the supernatural, although it certainly gives that vibe. It’s certainly paranormal in the very literal sense of being out-of-the ordinary. The term is used in different ways; By investigators and coroners as a means to close a case and ascribe a lack of explanation as a conclusion; By survivors as a means of giving cause to an otherwise unexplained loss; By story tellers as a means of warning against behaviors and lifestyle.

Ultimately it’s a phenomenon that’s captures our imagination because spontaneous human combustion hits on so many elements of fear and expectations.

The best way to talk about SHC is to hear the stories and think about their elements. Only after you get a feel for the stories can we look into look into some possible psychological basis for our fascination. 

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Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_human_combustion

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/8200790/spontaneous-human-combustion-real-burns-incendiary-bomb-scientist-claims/

http://www.science-rumors.com/top-10-real-spontaneous-human-combustion-stories-in-the-history/

http://anomalyinfo.com/?q=Topics/spontaneous-human-combustion-reports-chronological-order

http://www.newser.com/story/129338/dead-man-spontaneously-combusted-coroner.html

https://www.thoughtco.com/likelihood-of-scary-things-4151051

https://psychcentral.com/blog/catastrophic-thinking-when-your-mind-clings-to-worst-case-scenarios/

http://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/cognitive-distortions.htm

https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/catastrophizing-always-assuming-the-worse-heres-why-you-should-stop.htm

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sapient-nature/201310/how-negative-is-your-mental-chatter

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228818558_Overweighting_of_Small_Probabilities

https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2012/12/how-to-avoid-spontaneously-combusting.html

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/conquer-fear-flying/201512/fear-can-make-you-believe-the-worst-will-happen-how

https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/10/engulfed-in-blue-flames-when-spontaneous-human-combustion-strikes/

https://www.cremationresource.org/cremation/how-is-a-body-cremated.html