Geophysical variables and behavior: XCVI. "Experiences" attributed to Christ and Mary at Marmora, Ontario, Canada may have been consequences of environmental electromagnetic stimulation: implications for religious movements

Since the year 1992 individuals and groups of people have reported religious experiences near Marmora, Ontario, Canada. The experiences, attributed to Christ or Mary, have occurred near the top of a hill adjacent to an open pit magnetite mine that has been accumulating about 15 million gallons of water per month for more than a decade. During the period between 1992 and 1997 epicentres for local seismic events moved significantly closer to this site. Most of the messages attributed to spiritual beings by "sensitive" individuals occurred one or two days after increased global geomagnetic activity. We suggest that conditions produced by local geophysical and geological properties created the odd lights and induced physiological changes within the thousands of people who visited the area. Direct measurements indicated that weak (0.1 microTesla to 1 microTesla) complex magnetic fields, the temporal patterns of which were similar to the experimental fields we have employed to evoke the sensed presence and altered states within the laboratory, may have been generated within the area.

Geophysical variables and behavior: XCV. Annual January rainfall may modulate the incidence of luminous phenomena within the San Francisco Basin

The role of precipitation as a modulator of processes that influence the numbers of reports of anomalous luminous phenomena was investigated within the San Francisco Basin for the years 1950 through 1969. More than 50% of the variance in the numbers of these reports was accommodated by the amount of rainfall during the months of January. The relationship was strongest for events within 100 km of the city. Years in which January rainfall exceeded 8.5 in. and the numbers of earthquakes within the basin increased were associated with the largest numbers of general reports within 400 km from the city, particularly if the previous year had been drier and displayed less seismic activity. Application of the equation to years 1970 through 1995 predicted that above average (z score > 1.5) numbers of luminous displays should have occurred during the years 1973, 1993, and 1995. The results support the corollary of the tectonic strain theory that fluid injection or hydrological loads, natural or man-made, can affect the processes of tectonic strain which facilitate the creation of unusual luminous phenomena.