Top Ten Scientific Explanations for Fatima

CMR ^ | October 14, 2008 | matthew archbold

[NYer]

The Miracle of the Dancing Sun at Fatima which was seen by 70,000 people on October 13th, 1917 has been written about often. I truly do enjoy reading about all the "scientific" explanations for the "anomaly of Fatima." The way that science has bent itself into a pretzel to explain away the vision of the sun dancing in the sky at a foretold time is always fun.

So, last year, I got together my top ten "scientific explanations" for Fatima that I was able to find on the internet.

First I'll start with a little history history: A writer named Avelino de Almeida who wrote articles for O Século, (a big newspaper in Portugal at the time). The papper took a strong anti-religious stance. Goodness, even then, the media wasn't a big fan of religion, huh? In fact, all of Almeida's previous articles had mocked the previously reported events at Fatima but here's what he wrote that day 81 years ago:

"Before the astonished eyes of the crowd, whose aspect was biblical as they stood bare-headed, eagerly searching the sky, the sun trembled, made sudden incredible movements outside all cosmic laws — the sun 'danced' according to the typical expression of the people."

But despite the fact that one of their own reported this, secularists have amassed an enormous amount of explanations as to why we should not believe our own eyes. Here are the astounding reasons they've amassed so we should believe nothing at all special happened in Portugal that great day.

10. Stratospheric Dust. Steuart Campbell, writing for the 1989 edition of Journal of Meteorology, theorizes that a cloud of stratospheric dust altered the appearance of the sun on 13 October, making it easier to look at, and causing it to appear yellow, blue, and violet and to spin. In support of his hypothesis, Mr. Campbell reports that a blue and reddened sun was reported in China as documented in 1983.

9. Not everyone saw it so nothing happened. Oddly, this is the exact opposite of their argument that people in China saw it so it didn't happen. Astronomers, they say, noticed no dancing in the sky from all over the world. The dancing sun was a regional event thus disproving it. A quick question would be the fact that it was a regional event should prove that something out of the ordinary happened. If it happened worldwide it would be written off as simply an astronomical event because the whole world saw it.

8. ESP! (Always my favorite) Author Lisa Schwebel claims that the event was a supernatural form of extra-sensory phenomenon. God? no way! ESP? Yup! Schwebel has said that throughout the history of man there have been several reported cases of religious gatherings culminating in the sudden and mysterious appearance of lights in the sky so therefore it's ESP. The logic evades me a little but I guess if you're a believer in The Exorcist Part II, then it's as believable as Richard Burton as a priest.

7. Mock-Sun. Didn't even know this one existed but it's worth a listen. Joe Nickell, a self described skeptic and paranormal investigator, according to Wikipedia,

claims that the position of the phenomenon as described by the various witnesses, is at the wrong azimuth and elevation to have been the sun. He suggests the cause may have been a sundog. Sometimes referred to as a parhelion or "mock sun", a sundog is an atmospheric optical phenomenon associated with the reflection/refraction of sunlight by the numerous small ice crystals that make up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. A sundog is, however, a stationary phenomenon, and would not explain the reported appearance of the "dancing sun". So Nickell further suggests an explanation for this phenomena may lie in temporary retinal distortion, caused by staring at the intense light and/or the effect of darting the eyes to and fro so as to avoid completely fixed gazing (thus combining image, afterimage and movement).

So, in effect, 70,000 people all shook their heads and thought a mock-sun was dancing. All 70,000? Prety ridiculous, huh?

6. Dust cloud! Paul Simons, in an article entitled "Weather Secrets of Miracle at Fatima", said that it's possible that some of the optical effects at Fatima may have been caused by a cloud of dust from the Sahara.

5. The old mass hallucination theory. Author Kevin McClure is one of many on this claim which goes something like this: The crowd at Cova da Iria was expecting to see signs in the sun so they did. Yeah because that happens all the time. But McClure doesn't factor in that people several miles away who weren't thinking about the event also saw it.

4. UFO! The old alien craft pretending to be a sign from God trick. Happens all the time, didn't you know. Of course, the spaceship just happened to come on the day that the three children said a miracle would occur. Or perhaps the apparitions were all the works of little green men. This all sounds a lot more real than the Church's explanation.

3. Solar Storm. A gigantic coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred. Better known as the Northern Lights in Portugal. You see, solar flares emit high-speed particles that cause the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. Well that explains it all right there. Because we all know the Northern Lights look exactly like the Sun dancing. Or not.

2. Peer pressure. There was significant social pressure to see a miracle so everyone fooled themselves into believing they did. 70,000 people? That's some pretty strong peer pressure especially for the people who saw it 20 miles away.

1. An Eclipse. These fellas don't mind contradicting themselves. This would be a very very regional eclipse. Wouldn't astronomers have noted the eclipse?

Bonus Reason:
-1. Evolution. This is sadly from Institute of Physics, Catholic University of Louvain. Evolution has provided us with the infamous “zoom and loom effect”. It occurs when you see an image at some unknown distance. Your brain considers the possibility that it might come closer so without your knowledge your brain performs "an illusory mental zoom, where the apparent size of the object is progressively increased." Here's why this occurs, says scientists: Evolution forces us to be constantly worried that something dangerous is coming to eat us so we might need to skedaddle right quick so the brain zooms it in to scare us into skedaddling. When the “idea” of an approach does not lead to any real danger, the perceived object returns to its normal place. Thus the dancing sun. Amazing. 70,000 people thought the Sun was coming to eat them. When they realized the Sun had no teeth they "zoomed and loomed" it back to where it belonged. That might just be my favorite one.

So after listening to these level-headed scientists(?) explain away Fatima hasn't it convinced you to join the Richard Dawkins fan club? Me neither.

[NYer]

Photo of the solar event

Onlookers kneel in amazement as the evidence of God.

[NYer]

Newspaper account of the event

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I’d like to see scientific theories on the prophesy of Russia that was made just after that sign? On the same day? [In 1917, when Russia was a war-torn mess, humiliated by the Germans.]

[Soliton]

Baleva Sacessfa of San Clemente, California, reported seeing Elvis at this sidewalk café on March 13, 2001. Sacessfa said she was driving past the café, taking her cousin, Honey Rivera, for her colonoscopic exam when she spotted Elvis sitting at the table at the far left rear in this picture. She slowed the car and her cousin also got a look at Elvis. Sacessfa and Rivera said Elvis was eating something that looked fried and did not look up as they drove past. At the next intersection, Sacessfa circled the block to come back by the café on the side of the street where Elvis was, but when she drove by in that direction, he was no longer at the table.

http://www.honorelvis.com/sightings.htm

[Soliton]

Roper Poll claimed that nearly four million Americans have had certain “indicator” experiences and therefore had probably been abducted by aliens.

Theories
How can we explain these experiences? Some abductees recall their experiences spontaneously, but some only “remember” in therapy, support groups, or under hypnosis. We know that memories can be changed and even completely created with hypnosis (Laurence, et al. 1986), peer pressure, and repeated questioning (Loftus 1993). Are “memories” of abduction created this way? Most of Wright’s ninety-five abductees were hypnotized and/or interviewed many times. Hopkins is well known for his hypnotic techniques for eliciting abduction reports, and Mack also uses hypnosis. However, there are many reports of conscious recall of abduction without hypnosis or multiple interviews, and the significance of the role of false memory is still not clear.
Another theory is that abductees are mentally ill.

http://www.csicop.org/si/9805/abduction.html

[ConservativeMind]

Sainthood for her!

[Fiji Hill]

A few years ago, the supposed image of Jesus Christ on a tortilla made the news—which is curious, since the Bible provides no description as to what Jesus looked like.

[svcw]

But does give a receipt for “tortilla” chips.

[svcw]

I know you think you are being clever but you are not.

[Soliton]

A few years ago, the supposed image of Jesus Christ on a tortilla made the news—which is curious, since the Bible provides no description as to what Jesus looked like.

The Shroud of Turin has His perfect likeness! Of course, if the shroud is real, then St. Francis and Padre Pio were frauds. The Shroud shows nails through the wrists, while St. Francis and Pio both had stigmata of the palms.

[NorthShoreGibby]

Did anyone consider the possibility of the Fatima “miracle” being a supernatural demonic deception?

[mbynack]

Roper Poll claimed that nearly four million Americans have had certain “indicator” experiences and therefore had probably been abducted by aliens.

The aliens always wipe your memory after an abduction. One of the key "indicators" is not remembering the event. Therefore, anyone who doesn't remember being abducted by aliens probably has been. Those people who say they were abducted are just saying to fit in.

[diefree]

In the fifties we were told to pray to Our Lady of Fatima for the conversion of Russia.

Has anyone ever explained the polluted water of Lourdes not making anyone ill?

[Soliton]

The aliens always wipe your memory after an abduction. One of the key "indicators" is not remembering the event. Therefore, anyone who doesn't remember being abducted by aliens probably has been. Those people who say they were abducted are just saying to fit in.

You're right of cours. I know for a fact that I have never been abducted, so I absolutely have been.

[Soliton]

Has anyone ever explained the polluted water of Lourdes not making anyone ill?

They're ill when they get there. How could you tell? Also, everyone eventually dies after visiting Lourdes. How do you explain that?

[diefree]

Everyone eventually dies. Yes. I’ve been to Lourdes twice and Fatima twice. I’m still alive. I drank the polluted water at Lourdes. I didn’t get sick from the water.

[Gamecock]

Very clever!

[MEGoody]

A quick question would be the fact that it was a regional event should prove that something out of the ordinary happened.

It would also prove that the sun didn't dance, it was just an optical illusion (or a 'mass vision' if that's what you'd prefer to believe).

[Quix]

ACTUALLY,

The mentally ill accusation has been emphatically proven false.

On average, as a group, the populace of studied abductees is slightly but measurably mentally healthier than the average population.

There IS a bit of evidence in them of some PTSD . . . as well there would be from an abduction experience.

The better known researchers are scrupulous in avoiding leading the abductees with their questions whether in hypnosis, or not.

[Quix]

‘ET’s’

are evidently quite . . . beyond the limits of time . . . as we know it . . . and could well have made such a prediction . . . particularly in cahoots with hell.