I was hoping someone could explain something to me, I was at a friends house where he turned on his lights in the kitchen at the lights came on and went off immediately. When the switch box was opened and the two switches removed we had two hots incoming, two switch legs with no juice and two hot white neutral wires. When the neutral touches the ground the lights go on. I believe there is a loose neutral somewhere on the circuit, but I do not understand hoe the neutral becomes hot, maybe someone could explain, thanks

Since the neutral is the return for the circuit, and broken neutral will have the voltage and current flow of that circuit seeking the return. Touching to ground supplies the return path.