Peace.

Description:

Phenomenon 86, colloquially known as "The Great Backrooms Meteor Shower", refers to both a rare physical and psychological event experienced exclusively by isolated wanderers experiencing a mental health crisis. With Phenomenon 86 being observed across various outdoor levels throughout the Backrooms. Phenomenon 86 is generally understood to consist of three separate events in succession of each other.

Wandering alone through the suburbs I felt a sudden calmness, a feeling of pure serenity and comfort. A feeling reminiscent of a life long gone.

The Great Backrooms Meteor Shower:
The beginning of Phenomenon 86, the Great Backrooms Meteor Shower refers to a sudden and extremely large meteor shower appearing above the wanderer between midnight and 2 am¹. Experiences and reports vary, but recordings from wanderers have ranged have formed an estimated 30,000 to a substantial 100,000 meteors over the course of roughly 2 - 4 hours². These meteors will move east to west across the sky, regardless of the level or the location of the wanderer, and have been described as both extremely bright and visible for the entire event by witnesses. Unlike typical meteor showers in the The Frontrooms, which both build up and start gradually over time, Phenomenon 86 has no warnings or gradual build-up and will seemingly start out of nowhere with the sudden large amount of meteors flying overhead. Similarly, The Great Backrooms Meteor Shower won't gradually slow down or decrease in intensity but will rather suddenly come to a stop 2 - 4 hours after the first set of meteors.

I looked up, my eyes starward, staring at the millions of tiny dots streaking across the sky, resembling little jewels of blues, greens, and reds - burning brief and bright as if the Backrooms themselves were scattering gemstones across the night.

Another strange property of Phenomenon 86 is the effect it has on the local environment of the level. Following manifestation, wanderers have reported both a sudden decrease in ambient temperature (between 3 - 10°C cooler) and sudden overwhelming feelings of contentment, peace, and safety during the duration of the event. These effects (besides the personal emotions experienced) will cease after the main meteor shower. Wanderers have described these emotions as both 'powerful' and 'natural', with the emotions gradually decreasing in intensity and inevitably disappearing between 12 and 36 hours after the completion of Phenomenon 86. This has caused many wanderers to suspect that Phenomenon 86 is not a natural phenomenon, but rather the activity of either a benevolent entity or person of interest. Additionally, during these meteor showers, a dramatic decrease in both the number of entities and aggressive behaviours have been noted, prompting the idea that Phenomenon 86 may have a similar calming effect as the Level 11 effect.

As morning crept across the horizon, a brilliant fireball lingered in the distance, a bright and warm light sitting in the sky. It was mesmerizing, eerily reminiscent of an early childhood memory, back home, in the real world. Its light shimmered with shifting hues - blue, green, and the faintest blush of red, each flicker tugging at a memory, a feeling, something half-remembered and half-lost.

An image of The Comet taken by the M.E.G. on June 17th, 2023.

The Comet:
The second observed part of Phenomenon 86 (designated as The Comet) occurs after the succession of the main event. Depending on the diurnal cycle of the level; either just before the next sunrise or sunset, a large comet will appear low in the western sky of the respective level. In cases where either the wanderer has left the level or the level does not have a diurnal cycle, The Comet will not manifest, and Phenomenon 86 is generally considered to have finished. In cases in which The Comet does manifest, it will resemble a large and bright comet low in the western sky of the level. It will be trailed by one or more colours, such as bright blue, dark blue, green, red, or white. From both personal statements from affected wanderers and brief experimentation by the M.E.G., the colour of the tail of the comet is entirely dependent on the personal mental status of the wanderer. With different colours observed depending on the mental condition experienced by the wanderer, both the reason for the appearance of The Comet and how it is aware of the mental status of the wanderer is currently unknown. A table with the colours and their corresponding conditions has been listed below.

Phenomenon 86-1 colour reference

An image of The Comet (note the wanderer had a history of both depression and derealization).

Colour of Instance	Mental Condition
White	Derealization
Bright Blue	Depersonalization
Dark Blue	Depression
Green	Anxiety
Red	Loneliness, (noted in cases where the wanderer hasn't been in contact with another human being for at least 1 month)

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86 Effect:
If a wanderer visually observes The Comet, regardless of the duration of observation, they will experience what has been dubbed as the 86 Effect. Following exposure to the 86 Effect, the next time the wanderer (regardless of which level they are located in or how long before they experience non-consciousness) falls either asleep or is rendered unconscious, they will wake up and find themselves in what could be described as a 'safe' level, with a few of the more common locations including Level 4, Level 11, Level 48, Level 149 and Level 186. Nonetheless, once a wanderer wakes up they will find that whilst the mental affliction they were experiencing will not have disappeared, it will be significantly reduced. This effect is currently believed to be permanent, with no indication from wanderers that this effect has faded or decreased over time³. Naturally, this has made The Comet both a very elusive and sought-out experience in the Backrooms, with many wanderers purposely attempting to have an interaction with the phenomenon in an attempt to rid themselves of their mental afflictions (mostly caused via the Backrooms themselves).

Frequency:

Phenomenon 86 is relatively rare, with less than 50 accounts by wanderers and 10 from the M.E.G.. There are three general requirements for a possible manifestation of Phenomenon 86, with these including:

1. The wanderer must be isolated or completely alone
In order for Phenomenon 86 to occur, a wanderer must be at least 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) away from the nearest other wanderer.

2. The wanderer must be in an outdoor level
Due to the nature of Phenomenon 86, it is a requirement that the wanderer be in an outdoor level and there needs to be both a visible sky free of a significant amount of clouds and either a diurnal cycle or the level must be in permanent midnight/early morning.

3. The wanderer must have been in the level for at least 24 hours

If these three criteria are met, then there is a low chance for a Phenomenon 86 event to occur.

Discovery:

The M.E.G. first became aware of the possible existence of Phenomenon 86 in 2022, after an anonymous wanderer reported a 'large meteor shower', on Level 260.

However, it is believed that Phenomenon 86 has existed for centuries, if not much longer. With both sketches and hand written notes found in level 51 from the mid 18th century detailing the experience of a sailor with what is believed to be Phenomenon 86.

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86-A

Level	Date	Wanderer
Unknown (believed to be Level 180)	1752 - 1766 AD	Unknown

Found in early 2019, alongside two associated notes in Level 51 by the M.E.G., this sketch is believed to depict Phenomenon 86, (or at least some variation of it). The origin or artist of the image is currently unknown, however, through both Carbon-14 dating and location of discovery, it is believed to have originated from a member of The Lost from between 1752 - 1766 AD. The image itself appears to be from the perspective of a lone wanderer on the shoreline of a massive ocean. A large vessel ship is visible on the distant horizon, with a clear midnight sky and stars visible.

Majestic, isn't it?

My dearest lady Sophia, thou shalt scarce believe the wonder mine eyes have beheld! As I voyaged upon the vast and unsteady sea, I did cast mine eyes heavenward and espied a sight most magnificent and strange. A great multitude of burning lights, a thousand thousand fiery stones, did streak across the firmament with such swiftness and splendor as though the very heavens themselves had been torn asunder. What this marvel may portend, I know not! Be they the messengers of angels? Some divine omen? Or merely the capricious hand of nature at play? Yet, so moved was I by the spectacle that I have set mine hand to paint its likeness, though no earthly art may well capture its full majesty. Soon I shall return to the city, so that I may recount this most wondrous vision to all!

Do’s and Don’ts:

Do:

• Remain calm
• Remain in the level for The Comet if you wish
• Report your experience to the M.E.G.
• Sit back and admire the beauty the Backrooms offers

Don’t:

• Panic and stress following a manifestation of Phenomenon 86