What Being Struck by Lightning Does to You

One moment you're grabbing a soda in your garage; the next, 100 million volts have rewritten who you are. In the Atlantic, Jacob Stern digs into what lightning actually does to the human body and mind—and why surviving a strike can mean a lifetime of symptoms that medicine still barely understands. Burns, broken bones, and eerie, tree-like skin patterns known as Lichtenberg figures are the visible injuries. More often, survivors look fine while dealing with memory loss, insomnia, chronic pain, and sensory distortions that defy diagnosis. "It felt like adrenaline, but stronger," one survivor said. "I felt an incredible pulsing," another recalled, describing a burning sensation from head to toe.

Because lightning disrupts the body's electrical systems—especially the brain and nervous system—the aftermath can be strange and long-lasting. Some survivors lose their hearing; others become hypersensitive to sound or smell. Phantom sensations are common, including feelings of water running down limbs or intense itching with no visible cause. Standard scans often show nothing wrong, leaving many patients without clear answers—or even belief from doctors and loved ones. Many wrestle with being doubted, even by family members, about injuries that leave few outward signs. Read the full story at the Atlantic.