Nothing else compares to the terrifying idea that the human body can burn itself without external causes. This phenomenon is known as spontaneous human combustion. Spontaneous human combustion is when a human body supposedly catches fire due to heat created by internal chemical activity but without proof of an external ignition source.

The scientific community has remained dubious and has viewed many reported cases of spontaneous human combustion with mistrust. They have felt that these events had an external ignition source (albeit possibly not apparent) and that spontaneous human combustion without such a source was exceedingly unlikely.

Regardless of its validity, we can’t deny that this concept is fascinating despite its terrifying nature. Indeed, several real-life examples of spontaneous human combustion are so compelling that they can make you more invested in the idea. Here are the top 10 best internal combustion stories.

10 Cornelia Zangheri Bandi (1731)

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The death of Countess Cornelia Zangheri Bandi is the inspiration for the concept and term “spontaneous human combustion.” Although her death was not the first known example of such an event, it was so perplexing that it ignited a debate that continues to this day.

Cornelia Zangheri Bandi died when she was 66 years old. According to some stories, the “dull and heavy” countess was a brandy drinker who used to rub camphorated brandy on her body to cure discomfort.

She was said to have spontaneously combusted while sleeping after dinner. The next morning, her maid discovered her remains, reduced to a mound of ashes more than 1 meter (3 feet) from the bed. The fire had not damaged the bed or the surrounding furnishings, but they were covered in a greasy and stinky layer.

9 Polonus Vorstius (Late 1400s)

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Polonus Vorstius died in the late 14th century, and his death was the first documented incidence of spontaneous human combustion. He was an Italian knight who spent his time drinking and singing in pubs all around Italy when he wasn’t fighting.

According to reports, Vorstius was one of several individuals who drank a couple of ladles of a “very strong” wine. However, he soon began to cough up a fire, causing him to combust.

Vorstius’s death was puzzling because no one else seemed to have an issue with the wine, and others were perplexed about how he died. To this day, the perplexity remains.