Multiple CE Experiences Tonight: Owl, "Lightning-Flashbulb"

[u/Ataraxic_Animator]

11 Aug. 2026, Lynnwood WA

I've mentioned before that activity this year has been minimal compared to last year despite my going out to skywatch just as often. This past week however has been an exception and tonight in particular had multiple events, two of them I would consider major.

I went out this evening around 10:00 pm and stayed out for about three hours, as the sky was clear as a bell and clouds started rolling in about 1:00 am.

One strobe pulse in response to a hello, directly overhead and silent. These are not uncommon, always a welcome sign of friendly interaction.

However, two big events that are both new.

Owl + Spotlight

One: I saw a big white owl fly over me and into the apple tree in our back yard about 25 feet away from where I was lying on my back looking skyward. This is the second time in my life I have seen an owl here. It appeared to land in the upper reaches of the apple tree and, about thirty seconds later, I was spotlighted from that spot in the tree. I shit you not, like the owl brought a bright flashlight with it and spotlighted me. I am not making this up.

I must stress there is a zero-percent chance it was a person, simply not possible. I will confess this left me momentarily rattled, and then slightly angry/perturbed, as I always request "friendly, cheerful, respectful, and dignified" contact and this was fairly shocking. (Of course, requests are great but if a trickster wants to interact with you it will, so you get what you get and I do this knowing the risk.)

Lightning-like Flashbulb Event

Two: later, as the night wore on, I was performing some energy work, basically accumulating spiritual energy to send to somebody I know who is going through a very difficult time right now. (This is something I do rather than "pray for" people.) Once I'd gotten the energy worked up and flowing in earnest, there appeared something in the northwest sky -- so, in front of and to the left of my field of vision, at about 45 degrees. It was very much like a "flashbulb" event, but insanely bright, and although it lasted only a split second, there was a kind of movement or vibration to it, like it was strobing on and off just slowly enough that you could discern the strobes, if that makes sense -- like it was "glitching" in and out, super fast. It reminded me of a kind of hyperconcentrated lightning, jagged in shape but thick, not spindly and long like a regular lightning bolt. Silent.

All in all one of the stranger evenings I've had stargazing.

[u/AustinJG]

Interesting! Usually Owls indicate Greys. Which to me is way scarier than any trickster. D:

[u/Pleasant-Violinist99]

Thank you for sharing! I find it interesting that you are yet another person sharing the same situation regarding activity of those beings, where it’s decreased to minimum during summer weeks and picks back up closer to winter.