4. The Wandering Souls of Japanese Folklore
Japanese history links ball lightning occasionally to the concept of “hitodama,” or wandering souls. These ghostly lights are supposed to show the outward manifestation of a person’s spirit as it leaves the body soon after death. According to conventional knowledge, hitodama shows as little, brilliant blue, white, or even red light spheres softly floating in the air. Usually found at graveyards, hospitals, or other places where someone recently died, they are In some areas of Japan, the color of the hitodama is believed to be symbolic of the nature of the departed soul: blue for a peaceful passing, white for a neutral spirit, and red for a vengeful or angry ghost. Usually said to be a ball of fire around the size of a basketball, the phenomenon moves slowly and might even pass through solid objects. Some accounts claim that persons approaching their own death or those with spiritual awareness can see hitodama. More complicated stories have soul orbs reported to periodically mix to form greater, more powerful spiritual creatures. Though hitodama are typically not considered malevolent, seeing one can occasionally be taken as proof of restless spirits of the dead or as a sign of coming death. This link between ball lightning and the human soul catches the basic Japanese belief in the continuity of life beyond death and the thin layer dividing the domain of the living from the domain of spirits. < Hitodama, which still fascinates imaginations and supports the mysterious character of ball lightning in Japanese mythology, has been interwoven into many Japanese ghost stories, artwork, and modern pop culture.
