Introduction
Streetlight Interference (SLI) is the term for a peculiar claim: that some individuals, known as “SLIders,” can unintentionally cause streetlights to flicker or go out simply by walking or driving past. Is it all just faulty bulbs and timing, or is there a genuine (and unrecognized) mind-over-matter effect?
Origins
The phenomenon was named and publicized by Hilary Evans, who catalogued hundreds of cases in his book “SLIders: The Enigma of Streetlight Interference” (1993). Anecdotal reports go back decades, but the rise of the internet turned SLI into a minor urban legend, especially in forums about psi, ESP, and the paranormal.
Theories and Evidence
- Paranormal/Psychic: Believers suggest SLIders have an unknown bioelectromagnetic field or latent psychic powers that disrupt streetlight electronics.
- Electrical/Engineering: Skeptics point to sodium lamps’ thermal cycles, old wiring, and coincidence—though SLI cases often defy simple timing explanations.
- Psychological: Confirmation bias and pattern-seeking may explain the “personal effect” some experience.
Key Examples
- Hilary Evans’s international survey of SLIders.
- TV features on “psi effects” and parapsychology podcasts.
- Internet forums full of personal stories, some claiming lifelong SLI ability.
Critical Analysis
SLI sits at the intersection of urban myth, scientific curiosity, and self-fulfilling prophecy. Whether psychic or prosaic, it’s a modern story about hidden power and the search for evidence in the everyday world.
Influential Literature: Pro & Contra
- Hilary Evans – “SLIDERS: The Enigma of Streetlight Interference” – Anomalist Books, 2010.
- Richard Wiseman – “Paranormality: Why We See What Isn’t There” – Macmillan, 2011.
- Harvey J. Irwin – “Contemporary Approaches to Parapsychology” – Routledge, 2018.