Hi, it's Mike Chen,
In our modern world,
we are currently caught in a tug of war of swords
between those who believe in the supernatural
and paranormal nature of extraordinary events
and those who seek to refute them by placing these unusual occurrences
under the microscope of scientific investigation.
One example of an on-going debate
between believers and skeptics concerning a supernatural phenomenon
is the controversial mystery behind the Naga fireballs.
And in this video, we will not be just talking about
what the Naga fireballs are
and the tale surrounding this extraordinary yearly manifestation;
we will also shed light on the two sides
fighting to gain supremacy over this alleged paranormal occurrence.
One side believes in the legitimacy of the Naga fireballs' magical wonder,
while the opposing side said this is nothing more than a man-made hoax.
But before we delve into the two sides
that are fighting over its validity as an extraordinary event,
first we must briefly discuss what the Naga fireballs are
and the culture, mythology, and folklore
this phenomenon had originated from.
The Naga Fireballs are the reported tens to thousands glowing balls
which spontaneously appear from and float
above Thailand's Mekong River at night every single year.
According to those who have seen them,
these blazing balls of light emit a reddish color
and their sizes vary from smaller bubbles to bigger orbs
or as large as basketballs.
Also referred to as "bung fai paya nak," "Mekong lights,"
or the "Naga Dancing Fire Balls,"
these fireballs shoot up from the water
and rise in the air as high as around 600 feet
before dissipating completely.
They ordinarily occur in the chilly evenings
between late October and early November
alongthe 300-mile-long stretch of the Mekong River.
However, there are reports that
they have occasionally surfaced in smaller ponds, rivers and lakes
found within this region of Thailand.
Reports of floating fireballs are not solely unique to Thailand
as many cases of similar fiery orbs
have also been spotted in different parts of Asia.
However, it is in Thailand that the Naga fireballs
are celebrated as part of the "Phayanak Festival,"
an annual event in the country
in which Buddha is greeted by the locals upon his arrival on Earth
at the end of "vassa" – the three-month Rain Retreat
or Buddhist Lenten season.
This usually takes place on the 15th day of the 11th lunar month,
and is held in October every single year.
The "Wan Ok Phansa" is the last day of the festival
and locals in Thailand celebrate the return of Buddha
by gathering near the riverbank
to observe the fireballs rise from the waters,
float up in the air, and then disappear in the heavens.
According to local mythology,
the orbs of bright red light that appear above the Mekong River each single year
are actually the exhaled breath of the Naga,"
which is a colossal sea serpent residing in the riverbed
and wakes up annually to observe the end of "vassa" or the Buddhist Lent.
Although many have reported to have personally seen
the Naga fireballs arise from the Mekong River,
there is still no universal agreement
over the possible cause of the phenomenon
and the reason why it consistently appears on an annual basis.
Several theories, however,
have been proposed in an attempt to explain the extraordinary event,
and some of them can be classified as
supernatural, natural or man-made.
Given the mythological origin of the Naga Fireballs,
the obvious supernatural explanation of this yearly phenomenon is that
the burning red lights from the water of the Mekong River
are indeed caused by a huge sea serpent living in its riverbed.
And just like Nessie, people actually try to find the serpent.
But so far, one of the proof presented by those
who believe in the existence of these magical sea serpents
is a photograph featuring around 30 American soldiers
supposedly holding a 7.3-meter long sea serpent
found in the Mekong River back in 1973.
Another proof supporting the supernatural value of the Naga fireballs
and the existence of the Naga itself
can be found at a Buddhist temple in Nong Khai City
where fossilized bones of the mythical sea creature,
such as an egg and a tooth, are reportedly in display.
Though they do not refute the possibility
that reddish balls of fiery light can actually rise from water,
some insist on a more natural explanation for the Naga fireballs.
A popular explanation raised by these individuals
is referred to as the Swamp Gas Theory.
This theory can be familiar to those who are interested in UFO phenomena
and it proposes that the organic deposits in the riverbed
of the Mekong River decompose,
which in turn, produce methane gas.
This gas forms bubbles that floats its way up to the surface,
and once the gas comes into contact with oxygen-air,
these pockets of methane spontaneously ignite
and are consequently set aflame before they take flight into the sky.
This theory was presented by a pediatrician, Dr. Manos Kanoksilp,
who extensively studied the Naga Fireballs.
To him, producing these blazing orbs also require precise conditions
such as the perfect alignment of the Earth,
the Sun and the moon.
A similar explanation to the Swamp Gas Theory
is the reasoning raised by some people
that the Naga Fireballs are produced by the combustible phosphine gas
that came from the muddy environment of the river.
In fact, Saksit Tridech,
the deputy secretary of the Thai Science Ministry,
along with a group of scientists,
conducted a study regarding the physical conditions surrounding the river,
and they concluded that the Naga Fireballs are produced
as a result of the large deposits of phosphine gas found in the area.
Phosphine, however, is not a naturally-occurring gas.
So it is said that this type of gas is the consequence of bacterial reduction of phosphate
in the decay of organic material.
Other scientists also theorized
that the Naga Fireballs are free-floating plasma orbs
that form when surface electricity is released into a solution
– which in this case, is the Mekong River's waters.
However, the problem with this theory is that
this type of orb is not only different in color and appearance
from the reported characteristics of the Naga Fireballs,
but it can only be produced using high voltage electricity
that do not naturally occur in the environment.
The plasma orb theory is not the only supposition
whose soundness has been disputed by skeptics
and supernatural believers alike.
The phosphine gas theory and the swamp methane gas theory
have also been cast aside by some people
as the most logical explanation to the Naga Fireballs.
These people say that the perfectly precise conditions
required to consistently produce the orbs year after year
simply cannot possibly occur in a natural setting
unless some man-made manipulation is involved.
And so, we have now reached the most controversial explanation of them all,
and this particular theory claims that
the annual appearance of the Naga Fireballs
is nothing more than a hoax
to perpetuate the popularity of the Festival and the Mekong River,
which consequently has a positive effect
on the local economy and the livelihood of the area's residents.
In 2002, a documentary aired on the program
"Code Cracking" of the ITV television network
investigating what could be the source of the mysterious fireballs
that surface every year during the celebration of the festival.
The team took a boat
and quietly travel to the Loatian side of the Mekong River.
Once they crossed the river,
they found Loatian soldiers firing tracer rounds into the sky.
Those who analyzed the footage of the event also came to the conclusion
that the Naga Fireballs were caused by the firing of flare guns
from the other side of the river
while the festival is ongoing on the Thailand side.
The loud audience of the festival was not able to
hear the sound of the gunshot
as it was drowned out by the cheering noises of people
and the noisy crackle of fireworks during the event.
So with this stunning revelation that the Naga Fireballs
could be a man-made phenomenon
originally intended to generate buzz and draw crowds
for the annual Buddhist Lent-related festival,
does this truly mean that this strange phenomenon is nothing more than a hoax?
For me, the answer would be absolutely not.
In cases where there are varying theories to explain an unusual occurrence,
I don't think we should be so quick to cling to a single explanation.
And so, at least for now,
whether you believe in the supernatural, the natural, or man-made explanations
about the mysterious Naga fireballs,
that is completely up to you.
Aslo, I personally don't think
a dragon is so timely that it only wants to spit fireballs in October.
Maybe it's getting cold, so it tries to warm itself up.
Maybe it's even [...] travelling to Thailand every year (không nghe được nói gì, xin được nhờ các bạn trợ giúp)
and shooting how you can [...] each other. (nếu quá khó thì có thể bỏ qua câu này, vì ý nghĩa cũng không quan trọng)
Obviously, I don't know what is causing this phenomenon
But it's really interesting to me that
this mystery has lingered for so long
without a completely agreed-upon explanation.
But let me know what you guys thinks
is causing this mysterious fireballs in the comments below.
Thank you all so much for watching this video.
I'll see you later.
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