Missing 411 Thoughts and Possibilities

Background on the subject matter

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Paulides' current project is Missing 411, a series of non-fiction books documenting unsolved cases of disappearing people in national parks. His work on this subject began when he was doing research in a national park when an off-duty park ranger found him and expressed concern about the questionable nature of some of the disappearing persons cases which occur in the parks. The rangers knew Paulides' background and requested that he research into it and see if he could find any leads. Paulides obliged, and since then asserts that he has uncovered multiple lines of evidence to suggest negligence on behalf of the park service in keeping track of their missing people, and a continuous series of disappearances from all across the U.S., and even other parts of the world, that seem to defy all logical and conventional explanations.

As of 2015, Paulides has written five books on the topic of missing people who he contends have disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances in National Parks and wilderness areas. According to his most recent book, A Sobering Coincidence, his group does not yet have a theory on what is causing the disappearances, although their field of suspects is narrowing. He advises that readers go outside of their normal comfort zone in trying to nail down who or what the culprit is.

Missing 411 possibilites

This is only dealing with the wilderness missing cases. I believe that the urban disappearances are not related to the wilderness ones. Although they both deal with missing people, the criteria for being included in a case in one of the wilderness books is very different from the newer books.

I will outline my thoughts on some possibilities that I have come across on this site, or on others. Included will be; the name/idea, the link to the page, a blurb from the page, and then my thoughts either for or against the idea, depending on if I have any.

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this and add to the list that I have presented to you. Don’t just say “No, it can’t be that.”, say why you believe that or present any evidence you have found to either the contrary or in support of it.

Thank you in advance, let’s get on with it!

The Mythological Creatures

There is a plethora of mythological creatures that are fascinating. I have only included the ones that appeal to me and my ideas of what could be happening, I’m not saying these are the only ones, or the ones that are causing the disappearances, only that they run parallel to my thoughts on the subject.

Patupaiarehe
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In Māori mythology, Patupaiarehe are pale spirit beings that live in deep forests and mountaintops in New Zealand, and are sometimes hostile to humans. Ethereal flute music and singing sometimes reveals their presence.

Patupaiarehe, also referred to as Turehu, Ngati Hotu and Urukehu (red heads), were said to live in large guarded communities. They tended to occur in certain localities, especially hilly or mountainous regions. In the North Island these included Mt Pirongia in the Waikato, the Coromandel Range from Mt Moehau to Mt Te Aroha, the Rotorua hills, the Urewera Ranges, and the Waitākere Ranges near present-day Auckland. In the South Island, they inhabited the hills of Banks Peninsula, the Takitimu range, and the hills between Lake Brunner and the Arahura River. Another little-known term for these fairy-like folk was pakehakeha, which has been suggested as a possible origin of the word Pākehā, used to refer to Europeans.

Tengu
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Tengu (天狗?, "heavenly dog") are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion and are also considered a type of Shinto god (kami) or yōkai (supernatural beings). Although they take their name from a dog-like Chinese demon (Tiangou), the tengu were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest tengu were pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is widely considered the tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination.

Buddhism long held that the tengu were disruptive demons and harbingers of war. Their image gradually softened, however, into one of protective, if still dangerous, spirits of the mountains and forests. Tengu are associated with the ascetic practice known as Shugendō, and they are usually depicted in the distinctive garb of its followers, the yamabushi.

Angont
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A malicious serpent of the Huron people of North America. This creature lived in lakes, rivers, caves and forests and wait hiding. When travellers came within range, it would stretch from its hiding-place causing death and disease. Many Shamans went to pacify the creature to make use of its skin but none succeeded.

Armouchiquois
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Humanoid creatures that dwell in North America. They have small head, large bodies with long arms and legs that are very straight. They were very strong and tenacious creatures, feared by the Native Americans. They grow no taller than 3ft and could traverse great distances by hopping with their bizarre elongated legs. It is believed that these creatures dwell in Southern Canada. They are very territorial and are strict with their hunting grounds. Despite this they are generally known to be friendly towards the Native American tribes. They remain only hostile towards settlers who camp near their area. The Armouchiquois are curious creatures and are deeply interested in human technology and disputes.

The word Armouchiquois was also given by the Abnaki tribes to the naitve American people of New Engalnd. the tribe was visited in 1605 by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain.

Michigan Dogman
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The Michigan Dogman is a cryptozoological creature first reported in 1887 in Wexford County, Michigan. Sightings have been reported in several locations throughout Michigan, primarily in the northwestern quadrant of the Lower Peninsula. In 1987, the legend of the Michigan Dogman gained popularity when a disc jockey at WTCM-FM recorded a song about the creature and its reported sightings.

The Michigan Dogman has many eyewitness accounts. I believe it is the Gable film that many people cite as proof that the dogman exists, but I also believe that that particular video was proven to be a hoax or the makers of the film admitted they created it. I included the dogman as multiple children have reported that a doggy either kept them warm at night or gave them berries to eat.

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Bigfoot
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Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch) is the name given to a mythological simian, ape-, or hominid-like creature that is said to inhabit forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest. In North American folklore, Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid. The term sasquatch is an Anglicized derivative of the Halkomelem word sásq'ets.

There are accounts of witnesses seeing something like a man, carrying something over its shoulder while running away near the scene of one disappearance. (Dennis Martin)

I believe that David Paulides was leaning towards this outlook while writing his first books. There are multiple stories that seem to point to this outcome. I believe his earlier books led him to research this angle to see if there was anything to it and the research uncovered many missing people stories that he has brought to light.
Here is a list of others that are close to the sasquatch description:
Giants and Furry Man Beasts from North American Native Legends
While I can’t provide any proof to my claim, I do feel that this is what led him to writing these books. I also believe that if there is an unknown biped creature (whether manlike or apelike) I can easily believe that they could be causing these disappearances. Anyone that says something like this can not exist in the wild, has not spent any amount of time exploring, or out in, the wild.

Thunderbirds
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Thunderbird is a term used in cryptozoology to describe large, bird-like creatures, generally identified with the Thunderbird of Native American tradition. Similar cryptids reported in the Old World are often called Rocs. Thunderbirds are regarded by a small number of researchers as having lizard features like the extinct pterosaurs such as Pteranodon. Reports of Thunderbird sightings go back centuries,[1] and the fossil record does show that giant birds (teratorns) with wingspans between 4 and 5 m (12 and 18 ft) were likely contemporary with early man.

While I don’t believe in giant birds swooping down and taking people, as I believe they would be easily spotted and make a lot of noise, I am including them because of accounts of giant bird like creatures reported by many people over the years.

Jin Kurcaci
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Alan Lamers, working on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia reports that many people are disappearing in the jungle, apparently due to a very unusual form of abduction that takes place if they wear certain colors. Some are returned, but generally with no memory of what happened to them.

Apparently, anyone who goes into the jungle wearing bright colors will be taken or killed by these creatures. Listening to the interview, they also spoke about a man who disappeared, only to reappear hours late not knowing where he was and he had 2 weeks of beard growth. I haven’t been able to actually find that story written anywhere though.


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The Fantastic


Parallel universe
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A parallel universe is a theory of a self-contained separate reality co-existing with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality. While the terms "parallel universe" and "alternative reality" are generally synonymous and can be used interchangeably in most cases, there is sometimes an additional connotation implied with the term "alternative reality" that implies that the reality is a variant of our own. The term "parallel universe" is more general, without any connotations implying a relationship, or lack of relationship, with our own universe. A universe where the very laws of nature are different – for example, one in which there are no Laws of Motion – would in general count as a parallel universe but not an alternative reality and a concept between both fantasy world and earth.

The actual quantum-mechanical hypothesis of parallel universes is "universes that are separated from each other by a single quantum event."

There are many stories about people supposedly popping into parallel universes with the most famous one I have heard, is the Man from Taured.

If realities, or universes, converge to allow certain animals or creatures into our “realm”, I think that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to believe that people might simply be walking into these rifts unaware that they are doing so. If the rift closes behind them, how do you suppose they could get back?

Alien Abduction
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The terms alien abduction or abduction phenomenon describe "subjectively real memories of being taken secretly against one's will by apparently nonhuman entities and subjected to complex physical and psychological procedures".

If something, or someone, is taking people out of the woods with no trace and then depositing them in places already searched leaving no trace behind, I believe that abductions by aliens could explain this. With the lack of a scent trail, it seems that something is either hiding the scent, or, the person is taken straight up.

Time Travel
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Time travel is the concept of movement (such as by a human) between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space, typically using a hypothetical device known as a time machine, in the form of a vehicle or of a portal connecting distant points in time.

Again, I will use the “rift” term to describe this. If there are rifts that can lead to alternate dimensions or universes, why can’t a rift also lead back in time, or forward in time? I have nothing at all to back this up besides I think it would be a neat explanation.

Location Displacement / Teleportation
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Miriam and her fiance were riding a crowded elevator in a Chicago music store when she inadvertently got off at the wrong floor and found it impossible to push her way back into the crowded car. Miriam sighed, prepared to await the elevator car's return. Then looking around her, she was astonished to see that she was not in a downtown music store at all, but a large railroad station.

Again, none of the people that have gone missing have ever (to my knowledge) been found in another city or have shown up and said, “Hey! I was just in the woods and now I’m in Paris!”, but this could go along with the rift idea. Imagine walking along a trail and all of a sudden you are in a different place in the same park, with no idea where you are. This could explain why people that know better hike uphill. I would as well to try to see where I was and try to locate any recognizable markers in the terrain. This does not explain why they find people that have died within eyeshot of established trails, or search muster points.



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The Physical World Suspects

Cougars
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The cougar (Puma concolor), also commonly known as the mountain lion, puma, panther, or catamount, is a large felid of the subfamily Felinae native to the Americas. Its range, from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes of South America, is the greatest of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.[3] An adaptable, generalist species, the cougar is found in most American habitat types. It is the second-heaviest cat in the New World, after the jaguar. Secretive and largely solitary by nature, the cougar is properly considered both nocturnal and crepuscular, although sightings during daylight hours do occur.

They attack by biting the head and neck for a quick kill. This surprise attack would probably not give a person enough time to yell out, or, it could happen quickly enough that people might not notice one of their group missing for awhile (especially if they were at the back of the line, out of sight). The cat drags a kill to a preferred spot, covers it with brush, and returns to feed over a period of days. This does not explain how searchers are unable to find evidence of a person, nor does it explain the lack of a scent trail.

Wolves
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The gray wolf or grey wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the timber wolf or western wolf, is a canid native to the wilderness and remote areas of North America and Eurasia. It is the largest extant member of its family, with males averaging 43–45 kg (95–99 lb), and females 36–38.5 kg (79–85 lb).

The majority of victims of predatory wolf attacks are children under the age of 18 and, in the rare cases where adults are killed, the victims are almost always women.

Again, the same problems with the cougar. Why is there no evidence of an attack and why is there no scent trail?

Getting Lost

Sure, people have been camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, etc, for a long time. People have been getting lost in the wilderness for some time as well and dying from exposure as well. If you are not prepared for an extended hike and/or camping in the wilderness, you are setting yourself up for failure. Everyone should have some sort of emergency equipment with them along with knowledge of the terrain and survival techniques.

Getting lost does explain, in my mind, why people would climb up, instead of staying at a lower elevation because who wouldn’t want to see where they were? If you can spot a town or campsite or a lake from high up, that would decrease the amount of time that you are lost.

What it does not explain are the mysterious circumstances behind the disappearances and the condition of the remains and clothing. If you are lost, does it make sense to travel with no shoes on? To start shedding gear that is essential for survival and food? This happens many times in the books to people that are either well equipped for the weather and terrain, have the knowledge to know better or both.

Wild Man
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As the name implies, the key characteristic of the wild man is his wildness. "Civilized" citizens regarded wild men as beings of the wilderness, and as such represent the antithesis of civilization. Scholar Dorothy Yamamoto has noted that the "wilderness" inhabited by the wild man does not truly indicate a place totally beyond human reach, but rather the liminal zone at the edge of civilization, the place inhabited by hunters, criminals, religious hermits, herdsmen, and others who frequent the margins of human activity.

The Wild Man is another suspect closely resembling the modern Bigfoot in description, however, this is wholly separate from Bigfoot as people do not say it is a creature, but rather a man. There are many accounts of wild men living throughout history. One of the most famous that I have found is of Ishi.

Could wild men be out there, wearing furs and killing and taking supplies as they need from us “soft” people that come into their domain for a vacation? Possibly.



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Dirt Bags
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A group of people who call themselves Dirtbags have been living illegally in Yosemite National Park since the end of World War II. The Dirtbags sleep in caves, rock-climb, hike, and swim all day, and eat leftover food from tourists to survive. Quite often, Dirtbags have run-ins with bears.

People are cruel. We hurt eachother, kill eachother, steal from eachother. Pretty much anything depraved you can think of, one human has done to another. Am I saying that all “dirtbags” are horrible people and shouldn’t be trusted? No. I’m saying that every group of people has at least one bad apple. If a bunch of “bad apples” got together and decided they were going to go “off grid” and live and do what they please in National Parks, what’s to stop them?

Again, this presents the same problems as before, with an added bonus problem. There is no evidence of someone being abducted, there is no scent trail, plus, why would people that live off the grid want to draw attention to themselves and the fact that they live in a park? It doesn’t make much sense.

Bears
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Some species, such as the polar bear, American black bear, grizzly bear, sloth bear, and brown bear, are dangerous to humans, especially in areas where they have become used to people. All bears are physically powerful and are likely capable of fatally attacking a person, but they, for the most part, are shy, are easily frightened and will avoid humans. Injuries caused by bears are rare, but are often widely reported. The danger that bears pose is often vastly exaggerated, in part by the human imagination. However, when a mother feels that her cubs are threatened, she will behave ferociously. It is recommended to give all bears a wide berth; because, they are behaviorally unpredictable.

That’s it. I think that’s enough anyways don’t you? I look forward to your comments or ideas or debunking or whatever. Yes I do believe that David Paulides “cherry picked” the reports for his book, but what people call “cherry picking” is actually putting up a list of profile points and sticking to it. If you have read the books, I’m sure you can agree that none of them have a very simple explanation that is easily seen. If you haven’t read the books, do it. Request them from your library, most will get them in, or borrow them from another library. Unless you want to pay double to five times the actual cost on Ebay or Amazon, here is the link to his website to purchase them.
Missing 411 Books

PS- Yes, there are a lot of cool Canadian stories in there for us Canadians too!

I have read all of the books and don't think there has to be a single answer for all of the disappearances. The wilderness is a big place, and I think the majority of people in the books have simply gotten lost and died. I don't think it is unusual that bodies are not found until years later or not found at all. Didn't investigators know where Ted Bundy left some of his victims, but were unable to find remains? I'm not saying that I believe a serial killer is responsible for the disappearances, but even when people know exactly where to look, they might not be able to find a body.

a reply to: superman2012

I think this is one of the most interesting topics to discuss. I've spent hours looking into this. It seems to be a combination of mythological creatures at work along with parallel universes, dimensions and/or time shifts. I'm not sure what to make of it all.

a reply to: superman2012

I am sure that I could not add anything of interest or remarkable so I will just thank you for putting all of this in one place.
There are so many ideas/theories floating around out there in the 'missing 411' circles.
This subject is one that I, personally, find extremely interesting. The accounts of people disappearing in front of other people 'right before their eyes' are the ones that really pique my interest.

I am going back to read more of your links and although, I have read most of the information before I never get tired of it.
It's silly, I know, but I am always waiting on that 'aha!' moment.

originally posted by: Pillywiggin
I have read all of the books and don't think there has to be a single answer for all of the disappearances. The wilderness is a big place, and I think the majority of people in the books have simply gotten lost and died. I don't think it is unusual that bodies are not found until years later or not found at all. Didn't investigators know where Ted Bundy left some of his victims, but we're unable to find remains? I'm not saying that I believe a serial killer is responsible for the disappearances, but even when people know exactly where to look, they might not be able to find a body.

I agree that people do just get lost and die, but there are some oddities that defy explanation, as far as I can think anyways. Clothes folded up, shoes missing while everything else is still there, people walking in waist deep snow after taking their boots off, shoes found after a couple of years looking brand new, children found deceased on top of a fallen tree that is blocking the path that searchers have used over the previous days...

I could go on and on but you know the inconsistencies that show up in the majority of the cases from the books.

Sure, some of it is heresay but there is something weird happening. Whether by man or not. The sheer logistics of people causing this nearly rules people out.

a reply to: TNMockingbird
Yes, I travel quite a bit for my job and I spend the majority of the time listening to Paulides interviews and every other fringe theory that might fit. It is a neat subject.

a reply to: gmoneystunt
There is an interview that George Knapp did with David on YT and near the end of the show when they have callers on the air, there was a lady named Gina that almost perfectly described either a parallel universe or another dimension. Whether it was real or not is another story, but it was a good story!

a reply to: superman2012

I did hear that one and a couple of others. Are you familiar with Brenton Sawin? I am not, I recently noticed him and bookmarked him for a later date. I guess the 411 missing people books are very similar his type of genre.

Brenton Sawin mentioned something about strange staircases recently on March 20, 2016.

Bigfoot is to blame and other creatures but strange staircases are found and many other cryptids may be to blame

twitter.com...

ETA: Looks like his video about the strange staircases is marked private and I am not able to view it

a reply to: superman2012

I am still looking forward to watching "Missing 411 The Movie" hopefully this year.

We have a timeline set, and we are aiming for a summer 2016 release, which would be less than a year after we received the initial pledges to fund the film.

www.kickstarter.com...

I guess I will just watch this instead.

a reply to: superman2012

I agree there are intriguing disapperances that are unexplained. The ones that I find really fascinating are the ones in which the seasoned hikers, campers, and hunters disappear. If experts vanish in areas that they know well, how much easier would it be for "whatever" to happen to an average person?

a reply to: TNMockingbird

This subject is one that I, personally, find extremely interesting. The accounts of people disappearing in front of other people 'right before their eyes' are the ones that really pique my interest.

I know, me too! Or the one's they find and the person can't remember what happened.

edit on 25-3-2016 by Night Star because: (no reason given)

a reply to: Night Star

This place is haunted, After the quote, I made a reply and it didn't show up!!!!

I too find the cases of people who disappear in front of others intriguing. That, and those who are later found but don't remember anything.

originally posted by: gmoneystunt
a reply to: superman2012

I did hear that one and a couple of others. Are you familiar with Brenton Sawin? I am not, I recently noticed him and bookmarked him for a later date. I guess the 411 missing people books are very similar his type of genre.

Brenton Sawin mentioned something about strange staircases recently on March 20, 2016.

Bigfoot is to blame and other creatures but strange staircases are found and many other cryptids may be to blame

twitter.com...

ETA: Looks like his video about the strange staircases is marked private and I am not able to view it

No I haven't before! Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

originally posted by: Pillywiggin
a reply to: superman2012

I agree there are intriguing disapperances that are unexplained. The ones that I find really fascinating are the ones in which the seasoned hikers, campers, and hunters disappear. If experts vanish in areas that they know well, how much easier would it be for "whatever" to happen to an average person?

Yes, when hunters or people that know mountains like the back of their hand (like the woman that literally wrote the book on Mt Shasta I believe), disappear, it is even more perplexing! Weapons found broken in half, food and shelter left behind. So strange. I'm looking forward to a 120 km hike in the boreal forest this summer and this isn't going to stop me though! haha

Missing 411 David Paulides - March 23, 2016 - Mysterious Disappearances & Patterns

a reply to: superman2012

You are braver than I! Be sure to take one of those transponder things with you just in case...or not; maybe you could have a first hand experience and report back, haha. I am so interested in this again, I.m going to get the books out and read them over.