What is the Mysterious Paulding Light in Michigan?

In summary, the locals in Paulding believe that mysterious lights can be seen on backroads there every night, and that car headlights are the perfect visual cue for the phenomenon. However, the lights disappear if anyone tries to approach them, and the phenomenon is likely caused by atmospheric conditions and not by headlights.
  • #36
Did anyone see Paranormal Facts or Fiction on Sci Fi? Has former FBI agent, journalist, specialists with photography and other specialties. They tried to debunk Paulding Light. First they tried a plane with something like 10,000 candle light power light - looked like it but could not fly low enough to place it where the light appears. They drove up the lane to get closer. They could no longer see it, yet others back in the observation area could still clearly see it. Last, they tried to drive along US 45 with their lights on, light off, back up lights - everything they could think of and still could not recreate the light. In fact, when their lights were off, the light continued to pulsate and shine. They found no anomaly on any experiment they tried.

Would love to go up there myself and see the lights - and it remains a complete mystery.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #37
I too have been studying this using a daytime photo and Google Earth but have arrived at a different conclusion. First, the area almost certainly has never been a rail line. The grades are far too steep. Railway architects limit grades to a maximum of 3%. The grade from the observation point to the second barricade is 6%. This tends to rule out the local assertion of a rail line once running through there. The observation point is at about 1472 feet elevation. The top of the first hill to the north is roughly the same. The distant hill seen in the picture shown above provided by W. F. Edsel is the local high spot at 1496 feet. The power company right of way beyond that hill to the north drops off very sharply to about 1350 feet on average all the way to where the right of way merges with route 45 some 2.5 miles away. The topography would seem to prevent any possibility for stray light from the roadway or nearby homes to make it back the viewing site. The hill at 1496 feet is exactly 0.75 miles from the observation point. Given the topography this is the most likely spot for the light source to be located. It appears below the cross arms of the power poles and very nearly on the line they describe through the forest. Investigations would do well to focus on that spot. I suspect the light source is mounted on one of those poles or very near them and that this whole thing is a local hoax perpetrated to generate tourism.
 
  • #38
My only problem with your assertions is the fact that this began 40 plus years ago. I really don't think it'd be a local hoax without some updating of technology - plus, why then doesn't the light continue to appear when people move toward it? It should be seen from the sky when flying and from other sources.

What I'd like to know is what perhaps changed about 40 years ago or so or what perhaps was built?
 
  • #39
It is just a light. The technology existed 40 years ago just as it does today. I suspect the light is shielded to narrow the angles from which it is visible much like a traffic signal. It may also be shuttered to accommodate the apparent size and brightness changes and to hide it during daylight hours.
 
  • #40
Why don't two people with cellphones just coordinate so that one drives on the highway while the other watches from the viewing point? When the guy at the viewing point reports seeing the light, the driver can flash his headlights on and off. If the viewer reports seeing that, it's been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that is the origin of the light.
 
  • #41
loseyourname said:
Why don't two people with cellphones just coordinate so that one drives on the highway while the other watches from the viewing point? When the guy at the viewing point reports seeing the light, the driver can flash his headlights on and off. If the viewer reports seeing that, it's been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that is the origin of the light.

The highway won't help much. You have to be in the utility right-of-way but yes, that is a good plan.
 
  • #42
loseyourname said:
Why don't two people with cellphones just coordinate so that one drives on the highway while the other watches from the viewing point? When the guy at the viewing point reports seeing the light, the driver can flash his headlights on and off. If the viewer reports seeing that, it's been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that is the origin of the light.

This was done on the show Fact or Faked a couple of nights ago. Sure enough not a speck of light can be seen. . They tried there brights and hazards as well. Nothing. You can view the episode here http://www.syfy.com/rewind/?sid=1236528&eid=1243938
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #43
they actually did that on the Sci Fi program - only used walkie talkies. Couldn't see the car lights from the road - and when the car lights were on, the Paulding light continued.
 
  • #44
Think I figured it out...

Was looking at some pictures of Paulding Light and I think I notice something that nobody might have thought of as an explanation. I do realize in the show (fact or faked) they did drive down the path and seen nothing while the one guy hung back and still seen the light, that got me to thinking...looking at a day time picture the light seems to appear almost in same spot as the power lines. I wonder if they are actually looking from a vantage point to where that looking parallel to the wires, or looking down a length of wire. I think what might be happening is as the voltage is traveling down the lines they are creating magnetic fields which is causing the air to ions a bit. This small bit of ionization might be nothing visible when you are looking at it from one angle, but when you down a long length of wire it becomes more obvious. Think of it like a pain of glass, looking through it is easy till you turn on its side and then all you see is that greenish tent, the more glass you look through the cloudier it gets, right... well same thing here, looking straight up at the powers line you can see right through the ionization however when you look down the lines in just the right way you might see the glow the of ions as the field appears denser from that angle. Ion fields can glow many different colors depending on the atmosphere, but normally its a blue-ish/white-ish color...and sometimes purple-ish.

I believe this is what people are seeing, why its in same location as powers lines, and why it disappears as you try to go down the path to look at it. Anyway that's my two cents on matter.
 
  • #45
Why wouldn't we see this everywhere? Why would it be unique to Paulding? Where else do we see this effect?

I don't see this is a viable explanation. The lights are simply too bright. If it were just a very faint glow, it might seem feasible, but even that would be dicey at best.
 
  • #46
think you would see this other in places if you had a vantage point to where you could look down a long distance of high voltage lines, I just don't think its that common to have a vantage point where you can see miles down the side (parallel) of a power line.

Well the ions would be a faint glow which is why there not visible from other propestives. However I'm thinking when you look down the line at this angle you're actually looking through billions of ions and all the faint glows of the ions are seeming adding up up to one bright glow.







Ivan Seeking said:
Why wouldn't we see this everywhere? Why would it be unique to Paulding? Where else do we see this effect?

I don't see this is a viable explanation. The lights are simply too bright. If it were just a very faint glow, it might seem feasible, but even that would be dicey at best.
 
  • #47
Doing a little more research I Been reading on ions around power lines. I've read during peak hours (7pm to 12pm) it's very common for power lines to become overloaded creating higher magnetic fields causing them to produce lager amount of ionizations around the lines. It could be both the prospective one is looking down the lines combined with the lines becoming overloaded. If anybody on this forum is planing a trip can you please note the time they appaered so we can cross reference it with the power companies peak hours for that night?
 
  • #48
The show(fact or faked) will come on tonight (repeat) at 11:00PM est on the scifi channel and covers the light mystery. As you will see they cover all the theories mentioned here including detection of swamp gas...none of those are it.
 
  • #49
The episode can be watched online.
http://www.syfy.com/rewind/?sid=1236528&eid=1243938
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #50
I had just visited the paulding light location last night. we got there around 8:30 pm and left at around 11pm. I can tell you that it's really something to see. We traveled from Green Bay Wis. in a 3 hour drive to upper michigan. The light was showing when we got there and still continued as we left. I can definitely rule out headlights. You can tell when there are headlights and tail lights on the hill. Because there will obviously be 2 red lights or 2 white lights next to each other. it wasn't hard to distinguish the difference. even as the cars were passing on the hill. The light was still shining bright with the cars seeming to be oblivious to the light. None of the cars stopped. probably because they couldn't see it. You're probably asking how I was able to see the headlights, taillights, plus the paulding light and be able to tell the difference between the three at such a far distance. Well. while everyone was watching the light through their viewfinders of their digital cameras that only had about 10x zoom on them. I had a clear view of all the lights with a digital camera that has 26x zoom. What makes this light strange is that from my experience, I can focus on a star, the moon, headlights, bright lightbulbs, and fire. Take a picture of all those light sources and not have any problem capturing a crystal clear infocus picture of the source of light. But, last night. I was able to focus on the light and take a picture of it. but what turned out after the picture was captured was a huge flood of light on the screen. all the pictures of the paulding light turned out like that. but the pictures I took of the headlights and tail lights came out very clearly. at times, the light would get so bright that it would be difficult to look at without causing you to see white spots in your eyes. another strange thing, ( and I don't know if anyone else looked close enough) is that a couple of times throughout the night. The light seemed to be moving slightly up and down. and side to side. The movement was little but was pretty quick. Next time I go up there I will be doing some investigating on the top of that hill. possibly put a video camera up there and have it rolling during the night to see if anything shows up.
 
  • #51
tyrantulast said:
I had a clear view of all the lights with a digital camera that has 26x zoom. What makes this light strange is that from my experience, I can focus on a star, the moon, headlights, bright lightbulbs, and fire. Take a picture of all those light sources and not have any problem capturing a crystal clear infocus picture of the source of light. But, last night. I was able to focus on the light and take a picture of it. but what turned out after the picture was captured was a huge flood of light on the screen. all the pictures of the paulding light turned out like that. but the pictures I took of the headlights and tail lights came out very clearly.

Don't suppose you'd care to post any of your pics?
 
  • #52
I would be looking for any south-facing light along Hwy 45 and the old hwy 45, up to at least Bruce crossing. There has to be a source.

I am even wondering if people are seeing the lights from Rockland; or in the extreme, perhaps even the lights of Thunder Bay, across lake Superior, due to a mirage or looming. If atmospheric effects play a role here, that might explain why the light seems to disappear when one changes viewing locations.

Does this in any way seem to be related to the temperature? Does the light disappear in the winter?
 
Last edited:
  • #53
When watching this video, it is really hard for me to believe these aren't car headlights and tailights on the hwy; or perhaps on a nearby road. I can all but see tailights just looking at the video. Note that the red lights always appear to the right of the white light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrnZVTzQ06Y
 
  • #54
Ivan Seeking said:
When watching this video, it is really hard for me to believe these aren't car headlights and tailights on the hwy; or perhaps on a nearby road. I can all but see tailights just looking at the video. Note that the red lights always appear to the right of the white light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrnZVTzQ06Y

I agree with you. The white lights appear to be approaching the observer, while the red lights are getting away. Exactly what we would expect from headlights and taillights.
As for the light flooding the field of view of the camera, the CCD sensors can saturate, when focusing a bright light. This does not happen when you focus a lamp in your living room because there is plenty of ambient light and the diaphragm of the camera is almost closed. In the dark it is wide open, so focusing a light directly will saturate the sensor.
If the phenomenon happens early in the night, the air near the ground is still hot, while the upper air is cold. This forms a refraction gradient, that can originate a Fata Morgana effect.
If this is the case, you are seeing not the lights of the nearby road, but those of a more distant one. This is why you can see simultaneously the headlights of near cars and the mysterious lights.
 
  • #55
Although I live in Michigan and have driven all through the upper peninsula, I truly doubt 100% that there is enough traffic to keep this phenomenon for hours. If you ever go up in the UP at night you can easily drive an hour or more without viewing any cars through most of the state. But, It is probably wrong of me to say this since I haven't been to this particular spot though. Does anyone have any experience of the traffic on this highway at night?

But on the other hand, since the phenomenon is viewed at a local area and some say it moves up down left and right, there could be some kind of reflective device on the highway like a large freeway sign that is aimed at this particular area. If you visualize a reflective material aimed at the viewer, you can see how a light of approaching traffic may go left and right due to the cars angle of headlights and the sign. It would also go up and down considering the angle of the headlights and elevation change of the highway (if any). Also, the red lights of cars coming the other way could have a similar effect but dimmer. This would also explain why the light is viewed as one due to a diffuse reflection that would blur together. Only problem with this, is the constant traffic and I don't think a sign that is far away would be this bright.

But in the end, until I see them for myself, all my speculation comes frome some grainy videos...
 
  • #56
Having just recently watched the video from "faked or fiction", my above comment is kind of void in regards to reflections of headlights. I definitely believe it to be some kind of optical trick or electromagnetic phenomena though.
 
  • #57
This is nothing more the blurry footage shot through dew-dampened windshield of cars on a road. Despite the blur and moisture, you can clearly see taillights heading away, uphill, while headlights are coming towards the camera, going downhill.
 
  • #58
I live in the area and this is car lights. After all, isn't physics a field of science and as far I can remember, emotion and hype unreliable?

My wife and I busted this myth a year ago. We each drove separately, I parked at the viewing area with my brights on. My wife drove back up the hill to Tunlund Rd and turned around and parked and looked for my lights. She only had to drive south 30 yards to see me parked. She parked there with her headlights on. I called her on my cell phone and talked to her and we both acknowledged we could see each other. We had a poor cell signal so it took a few connections to get it verified. We each shut off our lights and flashed them on and off and yes it is so obvious. We did this an hr before dark and again at dark. I even took a pair of cheap binoculars and you can see cars driving by. You can tell what kind of car and color. You can view the light as the car drives south and you see the headlights. They travel down us 45 at a fair grade with some deviation in plane so the brightness glares on and off depending on the road pitch. The stretch you can see the light is close to a mile in distance and as many have guessed, the alignment is right on till the road turns out of sight. This is why the white lights come towards the viewer and the red tail lights go away. Once we found the "sweet spot" we had friends use a million candle power flashlight do the same on different nights. Sorry to end the hype but I have see the lights for years and from the first sighting I thought it was cars so finally I took the time to understand it for myself. Regardless, many will not believe me and they will be the one's to never see it for themselves. They'll make claims from the comfort of their PC with natural human hype dictating their understanding, I know this because as I offered this info to many as it was happening, they refused to "believe." It's our nature, we love exciting, scary feelings, it drives us. The reason many claim the light goes away as the go towards it is simple, they walk down a hill from the viewing area and are to low in elevation to see over the crest of the first hill. So, "believe" what you will for what ever reason you will but I have observed and drawn a reasonable conclusion based on the observed data and that my friends, is science. Please don 't forget, the casino is only 4-5 miles from there so yes, there is traffic, more than you think. Also, trucks deliver from Eagle River and Rhinelander to the UP so night time traffic is there
 
Last edited:
  • #59
That's cool. Thanks for the verdict badboy.

It's too much to ask, but it's a shame you didn't videotape your experience. That owuld get some Utube hits.
 
  • #60
I can easily do it all again. Right now I am looking for a camera binocular, they are available and affordable. Seeing that I live close to the area and how many people go to see it, there is a local economy that would feel the effects if people lost interest in this light. That's a bit of a dilemma for me.
 
  • #61
I would hate to be a downer here, but using the show "Fact or Faked" as a reference in any discussion is kind of an automatic disqualification. This is the same group that was stumped by a car rolling down a hill until they used surveying equipment to verify a "hunch." You can do the same test with a bottle of Dasani (or Aquafina, if you own Pepsi stock). Simply observe which way it rolls, or pour some on the ground and see which way the water runs. Instead they used... surveying equipment. They later went on to make a mountain out of a molehill and killed a fly with a surface to air missile.

The show is fun to watch and laugh at sometimes, but you shouldn't take anything they do too seriously.
 
  • #62
FlexGunship said:
...until they used surveying equipment to verify a "hunch." You can do the same test with a bottle of Dasani (or Aquafina, if you own Pepsi stock).

Lol, or a bowling ball!

Simply observe which way it rolls, or pour some on the ground and see which way the water runs.

Ah, yes... the old "water always runs downhill" trick...
 
  • #63
mugaliens said:
Ah, yes... the old "water always runs downhill" trick...

If only it weren't a "trick" to these "investigators."
 
  • #64
I went to see the lights about 7 years ago. I'm not sure what made me think of them today, but I woke up and was just reminiscing on past memories and got curious about what the lights really were after thinking back on my experience there. I have to say after looking at the google maps and geology of that lookout point, and the old 45 road, it seems almost overwhelming to say it is cars; However, up till today there has been almost no doubt that it was something unexplainable, and not man made. I have to add also that that video posted in this thread does not even compare to the light that I witnessed.

The light appeared at around 1:30-2:00 am it was pitch black. It was only one large sphere of very bright white light that first began to shine at the ridge of the other hill across from the lookout. It was certainly anything but stationary. It moved in wavy, bobbling, very unrigid movements as it started descending down the hill. It then bounced it's way back and forth continuously getting closer to us, but for the most part it seemed to just linger around 75 to 50 percent of the way between the ridge and the observing point. Let me clarify this a bit, there is nothing but forest on either side: deep, dark, thick, nothing for miles woods, and the light is dancing around inside of them. It started at the ridge, but it moved from there quite quickly. Anyways, my one friend, my cousin, and I were all in my car, and after about 10 minutes or so of watching this light dance around the forest we got kinda bored. So being 19 and cocky as I was then, I decided to blare my horn at it a good nine or ten times. Mocking the so to speak spirit, or what ever it was they told me before we had made the trip out. Immediately the light straight bolted towards us. I couldn't make this up if I tried. I swear that for whatever it's worth, this is what happened. It just bounced it's a$$ really really fast from the mid forest area straight to my car. The damn thing was bouncing around so close to the observer area we all just freaked out. I dropped my car into reverse, my buddies screaming, and must have peeled out to just get back from the thing. It's light completely illuminated my car, and was shining directly into my windows very brightly. After getting a decent distance back from the ridge it just disappeared. We pulled the car forward and parked again, but the light was gone. So we waited around, and about 15 minutes or so later the light came back and bounced down the hill back to it's general forest area where it had lingered before.

We didn't try our luck with the horn anymore, and after observing the light bounce around some more we took off. By the way again it is anything but stationary, it moves closer and further and seems to bounce to the left and right a bit, it even crosses the side of the old road path it's on. It was certainly unexplained to my eyes. I can only suggest checking it out for yourself, because none of the videos I have found even come close to looking like the light I seen. It did not resemble a beamed light or lamp at all.
 
Last edited:
  • #65
OMG guys, I love these! <cracks knuckles>

Innova said:
I went to see the lights about 7 years ago. I'm not sure what made me think of them today, but I woke up and was just reminiscing on past memories and got curious about what the lights really were after thinking back on my experience there.

7 years? Seems like a long time for your cognitive biases to reshape the event. What you think you saw shapes your memory of what you observed. This becomes reinforced over time.

Innova said:
I have to say after looking at the google maps and geology of that lookout point, and the old 45 road, it seems almost overwhelming to say it is cars;

Yes, that does seem likely. However, you mean "geography" not "geology." The composition of the rocks in the area do not strongly contribute to your hypothesis.

Innova said:
However, up till today there has been almost no doubt that it was something unexplainable, and not man made.

Some man made things are unexplainable (or resist explanation).

Edit by Ivan: Off topic

Remember that airplanes and helicopters are often misidentified or are listed as unidentified (sic. UFO phenomenon).

Innova said:
The light appeared at around 1:30-2:00 am it was pitch black.

Edit by Ivan: Inappropriate comment

Tired and observing in the dark. This is literally the Martha Stewart recipe for eye strain. We will remember this when you begin your description.

Innova said:
It was only one large sphere of very bright white light that first began to shine at the ridge of the other hill across from the lookout. It was certainly anything but stationary. It moved in wavy, bobbling, very unrigid movements as it started descending down the hill.

In much the same way that headlights might appear as cars go over a hill or suddenly become visible. We understand.

Innova said:
It then bounced it's way back and forth continuously getting closer to us, but for the most part it seemed to just linger around 75 to 50 percent of the way between the ridge and the observing point. Let me clarify this a bit, there is nothing but forest on either side: deep, dark, thick, nothing electrical for miles woods, and the light is dancing around inside of them.

paulding-light.jpg


You're right, I see NOTHING electrical. Is this a joke? (Image source: http://hauntednorthamerica.webs.com/michigan.htm)

Innova said:
It started at the ridge, but it moved from there quite quickly. Anyways, my one friend, my cousin, and I were all in my car, and after about 10 minutes or so of watching this light dance around the forest we got kinda bored. So being 17 and cocky as I was then, I decided to blare my horn at it a good nine or ten times. Mocking the so to speak spirit, or what ever it was they told me before we had made the trip out.

As an observer you were hardly unbiased. You are taunting... a light... with a car horn.

Innova said:
Immediately the light straight bolted towards us. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

Oh, I beg to differ. Seriously.

Edit by Ivan: Inappropriate comments
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #66
First, I edited nothing electrical out almost immediately after I made my post. You really responded quickly. Seriously, like within 30 seconds I did the edit so... Geography in replace of geology doesn't add to credit or discredit anything. It's just a mistake. And finally, your picture does not represent what I seen. What we observed was far different than a far off speck of light. My theory, you can observe both headlights, and the unexplained paulding light. Maybe ghost don't like you so you've only witness the first of these two? Lol, just kidding man, or woman, but really that's what I seen.

Anyways, like I said go check it out if you can't believe me, and don't think the sceptics are correct either. Beside there's no argument in my statements to anyone here, I was just outputting my experience there when I was younger, and it has stuck with me. It was very interesting to say the least. To each their own, and let's just try not to flame this thread.

And to clarify, I knew when typing out my story it was unbelievable. I can barely believe it myself. Like I said it has remained completely unexplainable to this day for me. The reason I decided to post it anyways was just to share my experience with this phenomenon, and let people laugh about it. It is funny. It doesn't change what I seen though; It was truly astounding. And going into the situation being told we were going to see "ghost lights" some 2 hours away from our cabin with my two friends, of course I was unbiased while observing it. I blared my horn for the reason to piss it off, because I didn't think this light would ever do anything in response to it. It's when it actually did react that freaked us all the hell out.
 
  • #67
Innova said:
I blared my horn for the reason to piss it off, because I didn't think this light would ever do anything in response to it. It's when it actually did react that freaked us all the hell out.

I'll try to edit my own response this time for content.

Is this repeatable? If not, then the most likely cause is an confused observation or faulty memory.

Innova said:
Anyways, like I said go check it out if you can't believe me, and don't think the sceptics are correct either. Beside there's no argument in my statements to anyone here, I was just outputting my experience there when I was younger, and it has stuck with me. It was very interesting to say the least.

You made an unsubstantiated claim. It didn't go unchallenged. Judging by your response, it seems that you believe it is repeatable. Is this true?
 
  • #68
I should have posted an explanation for the edits. People are allowed to share their stories here without worrying about being attacked personally. We all agree that any story told on the internet could be a lie.

Also note that an observer bears no responsibility for their observations. For example, if I see a crime commited, I bear no burden of proof in order to report it as I saw it.
 

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top