A friend of mine in the US mentioned this place to me, and it sounds extremely peculiar.
Apparently gravity leans in a different direction there. No-one is sure quite why this happens, but it seems to be a reliable effect. Very odd. Has anyone been there? I’d love to hear some first-hand reports of the place.
I’ve never heard of the Mystery Spot, but I’ve been to Gravity Hill (which is right near where I live in central PA). Water flows uphill, and if you put your car in neutral on the hill, it’ll roll uphill. It’s pretty sweet.
I’ve heard about something similar in Ireland. The only explanation that I’ve heard is that it’s a trick of perception, and what appears to be uphill is actually downhill.
If it’s anything like those ‘Gravity Hill’ things then it’s all a load of hooey! Gravity Hills are typically right after a relatively steep incline or decline in the road. After the steep incline, everything will appear to be level, or even going downhill. This is not the case. It’s an optical illusion that makes it LOOK like you’re level or going downhill simply because you’re going more level than you just were (similar to if you’re in the passenger seat of a car in a parking lot and all of a sudden the car beside you starts backing up, it might make you think you’re going forward). You put your car in neutral on this “level” spot and it will roll backwards, because you’re really still on the incline. It is not defying gravity, it’s only defying your perception. I don’t know anything about the Mystery Spot though, so for all I know it could be the real deal.
i’ve never been to the mystery spot, but i have been to one of those “cars coast uphill” places (in canada, i believe it’s called magnetic hill) and a “crazy kitchen” at the local science and tech museum that makes you almost fall over because gravity seems to be pulling at an angle. my understanding of both phenomena is that the visual layout of the land and/or kitchen makes your brain believe that “up” is in one direction, while gravity is not so easily fooled.
or demons. it could always be demons.
There is another one, at the Mackinac Straits in Michigan. Here.
It’s a fascinating visual illusion – as nleh says, the extreme slope of the hill and the lack of parallels make everything seem out of whack. Some parts are very convincing and others are obviously bogus (whilst the whole thing is amusingly bogus). Definitely worth a visit. I assume I was the “friend in the US” that mentioned it when I took my mum there?
Yep, it sounded interesting so I followed your links 🙂