A Recent Development...

I have begun uploading video comparisons to these blog posts. If you would like to watch them, I am told you can do so by visiting YouTube or clicking this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/ProfessorLamott?feature=mhee

Mothman, El Chupacabra, The Jersey Devil (Cryptids Pt. 2)

Regardless of the sarcasm in my previous blog, it is the lesser-known cryptids that I am most fascinated by.  Perhaps it’s an appeal similar to the appeal wine enthusiasts have for lesser-known, smaller vineyards – maybe it’s the fact that the lesser-known resources are shared by fewer people, and therefore less diluted.  That somehow the smaller the mystery, the bigger it is, and the more authentic it is.

Some of the lesser known cryptids include the Mothman, the Chupacabra, the Yeti (more widely known as “The Abominable Snowman”), the Jersey Devil, and another creature that I have recently become aware of potentially existing –

It’s this last creature that fascinates me the most, specifically its speculated connection to the spiritual world.  More on that later...

The Yeti, Loch Ness, and Bigfoot... (Cryptids Pt. 1)

Cryptids.

Despite the macabre nature of its name, this classification involves creatures that are believed to be alive, but are presently unconfirmed by science.  The ubiquitous example is, of course, the Loch Ness Monster.  Even though it supposedly does not exist, there is a picture of it –

You’ve probably all seen this picture before, but I guarantee it has probably done more for tourism in the Scottish Highlands than it has done to advance the studies of Cryptozoology.  It is probably more realistic to assume that if such a creature exists, it is most likely an example of a relic left over from a long-lost generation of plesiosaurs. 

There are literally hundreds of “cryptids” thought to be in existence at this present moment, though evidence of such a claim is scarce.  Some of the more famous ones include: Bigfoot, Werewolves, and Trolls.

Here’s a rather amusing montage of “cryptids” on youtube that’s certainly a farce, but it has over 7 million views…so what do I know?

Aliens and Divine Cults

In more recent years, there has been a push to connect UFO sightings to the spiritual world.

In believing that alien life forms have the ability to see beyond the scope of what’s possible for a human being, some secular and religious groups believe that if contacted they can be a conduit to a spiritual world, a divine world, that’s beyond our current ability to reach.  

In other words, some believe they are, or possibly are, our connection to God.  The possibility of such a connection though fascinating, and hopeful for some, can also be quite dangerous; as evidenced by the members of the Heaven’s Gate religious group who committed mass suicide in the late 90’s in order to board an alien spacecraft that they believed was following an eternal comet.

Although the comet was at its brightest, the promise of reaching a space ship in this manner is to me, at best, a reach.

About Aliens... Part 2

In the 1950’s, excitement over UFO sightings was at a fever-pitch.  This was reflected in the newspapers and, more dramatically, in the science fiction movies of the era.  There was even a title for those who were enthusiastic for the rage:

“UFOlogists.”

In 1952, various fast-moving objects appeared on radarscopes at three separate installations in Washington DC, including the Capital building and Andrews Air Force Base. Fighter Jets were launched, but did not come across anything.

The same thing apparently occurred again the next night, however this time the objects were confirmed by witnesses on the ground.  The largest press conference in the government's history regarding unidentified phenomenon was called by Major General Roger M. Ramey, USAF operations chief, and Major General John A. Samford, USAF director of intelligence, to explain to reporters that radar traces were caused by thermal inversions, despite the absence of proper weather conditions on the nights in question for this phenomenon to have been the cause of the incidents.

Here is a clip of the press conference addressing the 1952 Washington D.C. UFO Incident:

I cannot confirm the veracity of these sightings; I can only confirm the government’s “sweeping-under-the-rug” of them.

About Aliens...

Extraterrestrial Life, aka "aliens" (including UFOs):

Many believe that this category of unexplained phenomenon is not technically “paranormal.”  To these ghost snobs, I disagree, for as we just learned, the definition of the word “Paranormal” is that which is not scientifically explainable.

It also helps to embrace a firm distrust of the government and what the government allows the general public to be aware of.  An unidentified flying object may very well be an alien, or it may very well be an F-15 fighter jet, or it may also be an otherworldly spirit: as long as we’re kept in the dark, all three options are equally likely.

They are all scientifically unexplainable, as long as the scientists are not allowed to explain them.  And, I must admit, the mystery surrounding such incidents and claims of UFOs, and the reticence of the government to elaborate on such incidents and claims, does make you wonder…what are aliens and UFOs?

Viva Don Quijote!

In response to a number of your confused messages regarding my last blog entry, I must clarify that my reference to Don Quixote as being in the running for “most logical character in literary history” was my attempt at a joke.  Don Quixote was anything but logical.  He challenged windmills to duels.

I was also attempting some irony, something that’s lost on a lot of my students, at least with respect to my personal use of it, as many in the field of science (and those outside of the field) consider my forays into paranormal studies, essentially, a quixotic enterprise.  Many believe attempting to procure evidence of the paranormal is about as constructive as tilting at windmills. 

To all those challenging my enterprise, I challenge them to a duel.  After I’m finished slaying these particular windmills.

Viva Don Quijote!!