Basically what I'm asking is if lighting effects (like a flame attached to an object) provide increased visibility (like a flashlight). I wasn't sure, and just wondered if anyone knew.

i believe with lights they do just that they are lights....in a dark environment they will illuminate an area depending on how far or big they are...they will not however (i believe) help a player see farther. If you are using like a flashlight for example, it will "light up" the area that it's acting on but will not increase view distance...also if there is like a mist for example it will light up the mist but not help the player see farther

Alright, thanks. I was thinking about trying it out in some pitch black caverns or something (I may still, just to see how much it does).

Thanks for the answer.