Why Do Your Lights Flicker Like They’re Trying to Tell You Something? Spoiler: It’s Not Your Faulty Wiring, It’s Psychic AF.
Added on November 14, 2025 inASTROLOGY CARDS
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Ever catch yourself wondering if the street lights flickering off as you stroll by are just bad wiring—or maybe… a sign you’ve got some serious cosmic juice? Today’s celestial lineup might not explicitly proclaim you’re a human light switch, but hey, with Mercury doing its usual dance of mischief and Uranus shaking things up in your electric vibe zone, who’s to say you’re not the star of your own sci-fi show? Enter the world of Street Light Interference (SLI), a phenomenon that has had folks baffled (and streetlamps definitely nervous) for over a century. Could it be psychic powers, static energy, or just your undeniable aura messing with Mother Nature’s lighting schedule? Whether you’re a skeptic or secretly eyeing those street lamps suspiciously, this peculiar glitch in the matrix might just be your new favorite party trick—or your next great cosmic headache. Ready to dive into this curious mix of science, psychic mojo, and “did that really just happen?” moments? LEARN MORE
Many people claim to have psychic powers. Some could be construed as regular human senses, like feeling someone staring at you, while others, like telepathic communication and mind reading, are met with great skepticism.
But one strange anomaly that has baffled scientists is the ability of some people to make street lights turn off as they get near them. This weird and mystifying occurrence is known as the street light interference (SLI) phenomenon.
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Those who have this unique affliction are known as “SLIders.” Street light interference happens when a street light turns off as you approach on foot or in a car. Once you pass the street lamp, it switches back on and functions normally.
Though incidents of purported street light interference go back to the 1800s, the term, also called “high voltage syndrome,” was coined by a paranormal author named Hilary Evans in her 1993 book, The SLI Effect. Try as they might, scientists have not been able to demonstrate the effect in an experimental environment.
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The phenomenon is based on accounts from people saying that they notice a street light switching off when they pass it. The incidents are reportedly involuntary and spontaneous. SLIders say they can extinguish an entire row of sodium vapor lamps sequentially by simply moving toward each one.
Some think the so-called phenomenon is caused by static electricity or another form of energy emitted from the body and having an effect on street lights. But other people attribute it to psychic powers or psychokinetic abilities. Those theories are not consistent with our current knowledge.
This can happen with anything that uses electrical impulses, such as television remote controls, toys, and radios, as explained by TikToker and medium, Diane Wargalla, in a video she shared.
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People who have the ability to use their energy to affect things on a regular basis are thought to have a unique, elevated energy that facilitates these interesting happenings in their lives. Machines and devices pick up on this intense power emanating from within.
Wargalla says that when she is apprehensive about a machine, “It picks up on the apprehension and just won’t work.”
As you might imagine, there is a lot of skepticism surrounding street light interference, especially in the absence of any studies duplicating the effect and allowing researchers to dig into why it happens. Of course, there are a few logical reasons it might happen as well.
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Before diving into the specific explanations for street light flickering, it’s worth understanding how our brains are wired to perceive patterns in the first place. According to brain health experts, the tendency to perceive meaningful connections in unrelated things is “a sign of a brain that evolved to err on the side of pattern-making, even when it’s wrong.”
Street lights can start to burn out and, when that happens, they begin to flicker. We have all been in a parking lot and noticed one of the lamps meant to keep you safe flickering and creating the creepy feeling that you might be in danger. As lights near their expiration date, they start to do something called cycling, where they turn on and off unpredictably.
Then, there are security lights that turn on and off at specific times. It could be purely coincidental that you approached one at the perfect time. Motion-detecting lights can’t be overlooked either. Like any other device, they are susceptible to malfunction and could be turning on and off at the wrong times.
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According to Saul McLeod, PhD, confirmation bias is “the tendency to look for information that supports, rather than rejects, one’s preconceptions, typically by interpreting evidence to confirm existing beliefs while rejecting or ignoring any conflicting data.” If you approach a street light and it flashes off, it will only confirm your deeply embedded belief that you are a SLIder.
Many things can make a street lamp turn off and on. Just because it happened as you came by doesn’t necessarily imply causation. Temperatures, electrical issues, and malfunctions are just a few of the reasonable explanations for the SLI “phenomenon.”
However, those who believe in extrasensory phenomena, like psychic abilities, may be more apt to believe that they do, in fact, have high voltage syndrome.
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NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and the author of seven books. She focuses on lifestyle and human interest stories that deliver informative and actionable guidance on interpersonal relationships, enlightenment, and self-discovery.
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