The most terrifying part about getting struck by lightning is what happens afterwards, especially to your skin.
Although it’s rare, with the odds of getting struck in your lifetime being roughly 1 in 12,000, every now and then a human will provide an attractive target for lightning bolts to unleash their energy. And of the roughly 500 people who are struck by lightning each year, about 90 percent survive. Here’s what you should expect if you ever find yourself in the path of lightning.
We are sharing below the images of the aftermath of a lightning strike on your skin. These images are both beautiful and terrifying. Terrifying because they come from one of the most violent and deadly forces of nature known to man on this planet.
Although we’re still not sure what causes it, scientists believe that ice particles bumping together inside a cloud can cause an excess of negative charge to collect at the bottom of the cloud. This charge can be so powerful that it repels electrons, negatively charged particles, on the ground beneath it, causing the ground to become positively charged.
A lot can happen in the three milliseconds it takes for a lightning bolt to course through your body.
As the lightning strikes and then exits your body, it will leave you with deep wounds, often accompanied by third-degree burns. Your hair and clothing might singe or catch fire. Your clothes might even be shredded by the explosive force of the surrounding air being superheated to up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,700 degrees Celsius), which is five times hotter than the surface of the Sun.
If you happen to be wearing any metal objects, like necklaces or piercings, they could channel the electric current, superheating and searing your skin. And if the lightning exits through your feet, the force could literally knock your shoes off.
Blood vessels bursting from the electric discharge and heat might create something called a Lichtenberg figure on your skin. This is a pattern of scars that branches out across your body like the limbs of a tree, likely tracing the path the electricity took as it traveled through you.
In some cases, however, a lightning strike can lead to strange super talents. In a blog post for Psychology Today, University of Miami neuroscientist Berit Brogaard writes about an incident where an orthopedic surgeon who was struck by lightning developed an urge to learn to play the piano. He began to compose music he had mysteriously started hearing in his head since the strike. After a few months, he abandoned his career as a surgeon and became a classical musician. This type of phenomenon baffles scientists.
One theory that Brogaard says is currently being tested is that cell death caused by being struck by lightning could cause one-time flooding of the brain with neurotransmitters that are released from the dying neurons. This causes a rewiring of neurons, providing access to areas of the brain that were previously inaccessible.
According to AWM, many people are marveling over these unique scars sharing thoughts in the comment section:
“It probably hurt like hell, but it’s amazing.”
“Holy smoke, these people look like they are very lucky to be alive. I wonder if they bought a lottery ticket after surviving that.”
“They’re really quite beautiful.”
“These fern marks are not permanent. They go away after a few months. My cousin was struck by lightning, and this happened to her. A miracle they survived.”
But as cool as it would be, you shouldn’t count on that stray bolt of electricity turning you into a prodigy in one swift flash. The overwhelming majority of consequences of being struck by lightning are painful and debilitating and could stay with you for the rest of your life.
While your chances of being struck by lightning are low, you can stay safe by tossing aside that fishing pole or golf club when you see clouds forming and heading indoors.
Watch the related video below about people lucky to be alive after being struck by lightning:
Sources: AWM, Psychology Today
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