The sun sets on a field in southern England. When it rises again the following morning, that field has been transformed into an enormous work of art. A large section of the crop has been tamped into a pattern of circles, rings and other intricate geometric shapes. But who created it?
Are crop circles the work of alien visitors? Are they a natural phenomenon, created by electrically charged currents of air? Or are they elaborate hoaxes perpetrated by savvy, talented and very determined circlemakers? Believers and naysayers each have their own theories, but the truth remains elusive.
Keep Reading: HowStuffWorks “How Crop Circles Work”.
Related articles
- Crop Circles Reappear in Washington (news.discovery.com)
- Crop circles appear in wheat field near Wilbur (nwcn.com)
- Messages in Crop Circles (womenofspiritandlight.wordpress.com)
- Mysterious Crop Circle Baffles Family (abcnews.go.com)


Much of what we call “paranormal” are facets or properties of the natural world that we do not yet understand. And although ball lighting is not usually considered a paranormal phenomenon – and is almost certainly a natural phenomenon – its mysterious nature has puzzled scientists and paranormal researchers alike for centuries.