Top 12 Ball Lightning Folklore from Around the World: #7 Will Send Chills Down Your Spine

8. The Divine Messengers of Hindu Mythology

Hindu mythology regards ball lightning as more divine, usually understood as manifestations of celestial entities or messages from the gods. Believed to be used by gods in their cosmic conflicts, these bright orbs are sometimes called "Divya Astras" or divine weapons. Ancient books and oral traditions tell us that these brilliant spheres have great spiritual meaning in addition to being natural events. Some legends see them as condensed balls of pure energy, the corporeal form of mantras or sacred sounds. Stories of gods and goddesses employing these heavenly orbs to defeat demons, guard the virtuous, or teach deserving devotees abound in Hindu mythology. Usually considered as a sign of divine intervention or a premonition of major events to come, the look of such a celestial sphere is Yogis and ascetics are supposed in some traditions to be able to call forth or regulate these celestial lights by means of rigorous meditation and spiritual exercises. Some stories have enlightened entities riding these orbs as tools for healing and purification or as means of astral transportation. Furthermore extending the idea of ball lightning as a heavenly message is the belief that these events might act as a link between the material and spiritual spheres, therefore enabling humans to view the higher planes of life. Some readings of this experience with such a celestial ball view it as a rare gift, able to deliver spiritual insights or even wishes for those judged fit by the gods. Hindu culture's celestial perspective of ball lightning reflects the strong belief in the interdependence of the natural world and the divine, in which even the most enigmatic events are considered as part of a wider cosmic order.