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National Park After Dark

246: Lights on the Mountain. Pisgah National Forest.

National Park After Dark

Audioboom Studios

True Crime, Places & Travel, Wilderness, Society & Culture, Sports

4.84.6K Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2024

⏱️ 70 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For generations the stories of ghost lights in the Appalachian forests of North Carolina have captured the attention of locals and piqued the curiosity of travelers. These orbs of light have been witnessed by hundreds over the years, and no one is questioning their existence, they are questioning their origins. Are they spirits? UFOs? Bioluminescent bugs? Automobile headlights? ETs? Today we discuss the Brown Mountain lights.

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Sources
US Forest Service, Explore Asheville, NPS, ABC13 News, Carolina Country, Blue Ridge Outdoors, Geological Survey Circular, The Skeptical Inquirer, Dan Canton Physics

Book - The Brown Mountain Lights: History, Science and Human Nature Explain an Appalachian Mystery by Wade Edward Speer

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Arguably one of the most secluded, stereotyped, and misunderstood regions of the United States is Appalachia.

0:13.0

Not only a region, but a culture with their own distinct way of life,

0:17.0

the Appalachian people are unlike any other in this country.

0:21.0

A lengthy history of varying ethnic backgrounds, economic challenges, unique

0:25.9

language dialects, and geographic isolation have twisted and molded over time,

0:31.0

resulting in the various generalizations, assumptions, and

0:35.0

negative narratives often tossed about when speaking about this part of the world.

0:39.2

While much of what is purported about the Appalachian people is false or grossly exaggerated,

0:45.4

what stands true is their fascination with folklore.

0:49.6

Legends of man, bird-like creatures, a six-legged feline, poltergeist activity, a strange

0:55.9

nocturnal race of humanoids, and tales of a towering creature with a spade-shaped

1:00.8

head abound here.

1:02.9

Many of these tales of wicked beasts and creepy creatures

1:06.5

deter us from getting too close,

1:08.7

shared generation to generation as a type of warning,

1:12.2

but there is a phenomenon that breaks that pattern.

1:15.0

Like staring into a campfire, humans have been mesmerized by the spectacle for centuries,

1:20.0

which has lured us into the forests of North Carolina in search of the truth.

1:26.3

And like moths to a flame, we just can't seem to stay away. Welcome to National Park After Dark. You're going to do. who are heading to the

1:56.7

who are heading to the south and this sounds like a very

2:00.6

crypted-esque folklori episode.

2:04.2

I know we haven't done in a while and I don't want to burst anyone's bubble like way too quick here,

...

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