reply to post by blocula
All fair enough Blocula. In the end I don't know, I only have an opinion.
A group of “spiritualist” prospectors, one who claims “special abilities” (Beck), who somehow attracted “mountain devil” paranormal beings
to their camp... after holding a séance ....without a shred of proof...
To begin with, very long experience with those who make claims of being “special” this way, doesn't leave me with much optimism. Simple belief
based self deception covers most new agers and their “specialness” IMO, though occasionally there are those who become fully delusional (certain
new age cult leaders for example).
I can see where the claimant could believe his story. After all people have claimed experiences with the Virgin Mary, been taken by aliens into outer
space, move forwards/backwards in time etc and give the appearance of believing it, but I can think of some far more down to earth explanations that I
would like rule out first...
Using the same standards that would accept this as plausible.....
People probably do see fairies.
Blossom Goodchild probably does channel Pleiadeans (despite a 100% prediction failure rate of said aliens
).
The Heaven's Gate people probably did meet up with aliens on Hale Bopp and are now living in the “evolutionary level above human”.
It must be tough for them too if they are right and after all, we wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Yet I have more than a few doubts...
Apart from the facts that people are very fallible, misunderstand, exaggerate and at times flat out lie, there are other considerations.
The subject of unusual beliefs (particularly the psychology behind it) and perception is a fascinating one. Neuroscience and recent technology is
helping the field of psychology quite a bit, allowing for genuine experiments with technology such as MRI. For example it's known that a reasonable
percentage of people will change the way they see reality if an obvious lie is repeated to them enough. The lie will become completely real to them
and they will simply change the way they perceive, they will see something that isn't there.
It also appears that much of what we think we perceive via our senses throughout the day is no such thing either. There is a lot that is simply placed
there by the mind/brain (what it expects to be there) from stored memory. Normally we never notice because nothing abnormal appears, yet on rare
occasions this procedure can obviously go wrong. Especially in circumstances that increase the chances of misperception and misinterpreting of data to
begin with, such as forested areas in poor lighting. Beliefs and heightened emotions such as fear also can effect both perception and the
interpretation of of what is perceived.
This is not a popular area with believers and therefore is generally not even a consideration. There is a general attitude that only other people are
subject to these foibles of the mind, yet the truth is we all can be. Crypto research generally amounts to believers looking for anything to add
weight to their own belief and ignoring whatever might take away from it, where any phenomena that doesn't have simple explanation could be a
“Squatch”. Though not all, some seem objective, though very few in these fields seem to be looking for the truth, whatever that might be.
I have studied areas with a long history of claimed cryptid encounters such as big cats, hairy men and parnormal experiences in some depth. I can
fully understand how people come to their conclusions from having similar experiences. Though IMO if they were to spend enough time and effort to look
further they might get a better understanding. I have found almost all similar experiences in these areas have mundane explanations, though could
easily be interpreted as something exceptional or exotic.
I have no reason to doubt your experience. The only thing I could say about it, is that the cause of it isn't known. Why assume it's something
paranormal? Have you looked further, sought advice from Zooligist with knowledge of your area etc?
There is a long history of “claimed” encounters, not only in every state of the US, but from every continent on earth (apart from Antarctica).
When nothing shows up to validate any these encounters it doesn't seem unreasonable to look for other explanations. I can understand why indigenous
(often stone age) cultures with a habit of assigning superstition to what they don't understand, could give “paranormal being” status to this sort
of phenomena because this habit continues in modern cultures also (ours).
I have the feeling (just IMO) that even some scientists have their areas of Anthropology confused regarding the hairy man phenomena. Rather than a
valid study in the area of physical Anthropology, I feel this phenomena indicates something common to the human condition worldwide (psychologically)
and fits more in the realm of cultural Anthropology.
I could be wrong though, in fact I would like to be wrong in this instance.
edit on 28-2-2012 by Cogito, Ergo Sum because: for the heck of it