Electrocution is perhaps one of the most unpleasant things to experience and it doesn’t matter if it’s a quick zap or random lightning strike. Common as it may be, not many people know the details of what happens during this process. Aside from mild discomfort, the human body can have some unexpected reactions after coming into contact with electricity. If this is something you never thought about, keep scrolling to learn some shocking facts about electrocution.

1. Electricity Does NOT Enter the Body

First thing’s first, let’s clear up the biggest misconception about getting shocked- that electricity flows through your body. It really doesn’t. What actually happens is that when you come into contact with current, your electrical charge is shifted as your body’s electrons become highly active. The excess energy created by your body will then arc to the easiest route out. If you’re still confused, let’s compare it to boiling water. The water heats up not because there’s fire in it, but because of a change in the energy of its own molecules.

2. You Could Be Thrown Across the Room

Seeing someone get electrocuted is pretty terrifying. But what’s even scarier is watching them stiffen up before being thrown across the room like a rag doll. Now as mentioned earlier, electricity doesn’t flow through your body, so this isn’t due to the sheer force of the shock. The culprit is actually your own nerves that start to misfire and contract all at once, leading to an involuntary parkour move. Once you regain consciousness, you’re going to be really sore and even suffer physical damage such as cuts, concussions, bruises and possibly broken bones.

3. Your Skin Can Turn into Charcoal

For most people, getting shocked is nothing more than an uncomfortable tingle that lasts a few seconds. But for some unlucky fellows, massive electrocution leaves them with some really nasty burns. If you want to get technical, here’s a word to add to your vocabulary: carbonization. That’s the scientific term for when your skin becomes charred to a crisp, blocking the flow of electricity. This is one of the most painful consequences of getting shocked, but this usually only happens if the voltage is high enough.

4. Your Eyes Can Melt

If you’re squeamish, then you can go ahead and just scroll right past this one. As mentioned above, electrocution really does melt your eyes. Sounds grotesque, but in rare cases these delicate organs become so electrified that they melt right out of your head. Remember that electrocution causes your nerves to fire up and well, there’s a cluster of nerves connected to your soft and moist eyeballs. Apply a strong enough or long enough voltage, and they might become a sort of milky looking mixture.

5. It Messes Up Your Brain Chemistry

The brain is one of our most sensitive and powerful organs, with over one billion nerves constantly sending and receiving information from the body. Can you imagine what a sudden jolt of electricity can do to it? Well, our brain chemistry gets all messed up, causing all sorts of problems, not only for the victim but their families as well. Sudden personality changes, mood swings and memory loss are some of the things they might have to deal with. Thankfully, this usually subsides within a few weeks or months as the brain heals, though there are rare cases where changes become permanent.