Mysterious Times Weekly Roundup W/E 12-5-26

Just when you think the world has settled down for a quiet week, along comes another pile of glowing orbs, declassified UFO papers, strange creatures in distant waters and enough odd headlines to keep Forteans happily staring into the night sky with a mug of tea in hand.

The week ending 13th May 2026 has been especially busy for paranormal watchers, UFO researchers and cryptozoology enthusiasts alike, with one story in particular dominating discussion across social media, news outlets and late night conspiracy forums.

The biggest talking point of the week has undoubtedly been the release of previously classified Pentagon UFO files. The United States Department of Defense began publishing what it describes as “never before seen” material relating to unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, on a rolling basis through a newly launched public archive.

The initial batch reportedly includes more than 150 documents, images and videos collected from agencies including NASA, the FBI and military intelligence departments. Among the files are astronaut reports, infrared footage of unexplained airborne objects and historical witness statements dating back decades.

Unsurprisingly, the internet reacted immediately. Believers hailed the release as historic disclosure while sceptics argued much of the material appears inconclusive or already partially known. Either way, it has reignited public fascination with UFOs in a major way. [1]

Several analysts and scientists interviewed after the release urged caution.

Experts noted that many of the images remain blurry, lack contextual data or could potentially be explained by balloons, optical artefacts or atmospheric effects. Others pointed out that eyewitness testimony alone is notoriously unreliable. Even so, the sheer scale of the disclosure has created a fresh wave of speculation, especially surrounding military encounters over oceans and restricted airspace. The Pentagon has stated that further document drops are expected in the coming weeks. [2]

Meanwhile, UFO sighting databases and reporting hubs have continued receiving a steady stream of new reports from around the world. This week alone included reports of silver spheres over Nevada, glowing orange orbs in remote desert areas and fast moving triangular formations seen above parts of Europe and the United States. One particularly intriguing case involved witnesses in Arizona describing two silent lights manoeuvring at impossible speeds without visible propulsion. Another report from Italy described a glowing sphere abruptly changing direction before vanishing. While none of these sightings have been independently verified, they continue to fuel public fascination with unexplained aerial phenomena. [3]

Over in the world of conspiracy culture, online discussions have exploded around claims involving missing or deceased scientists allegedly connected to classified aerospace or advanced energy projects. The theory, which has spread rapidly across social media platforms, suggests there may be hidden links between a number of unrelated disappearances and alleged UFO research programmes. Journalists, sociologists and investigators have strongly criticised these claims, describing the supposed connections as coincidence and pattern seeking rather than evidence of any organised conspiracy. Nonetheless, the theory has become one of the most widely discussed paranormal talking points of the month. [4]

Cryptozoology has had its own peculiar week as well. Reports from Australian waters involving unusually large squid sightings continue to circulate following several marine encounters shared online by divers and fishermen.

In Britain, the seemingly eternal mystery of phantom big cats remains active, with new alleged sightings reported in rural Wales and the north of England. Though photographs remain frustratingly unclear, witnesses continue describing large black feline shapes moving silently through woodland and farmland.

Nessie, naturally, has also resurfaced in discussion after fresh sonar anomalies from Loch Ness enthusiasts made the rounds online once again. No convincing evidence has emerged, but the legend clearly refuses to fade.

On the archaeological side of strange history, renewed interest has been sparked by reports concerning ancient Mesopotamian clay cylinders linked to King Nebuchadnezzar II. Researchers believe the inscriptions may represent some of the earliest surviving foundation texts associated with the rebuilding of the ziggurat of Kish. While not paranormal in itself, discoveries like these often blur the line between mythology, ancient religion and historical reality, particularly for those fascinated by lost civilisations and forgotten beliefs. [5]

Elsewhere in the world of Forteana, weather watchers in Wales shared photographs of bizarre lenticular cloud formations nicknamed “UFO clouds” after they appeared hovering motionless above hillsides earlier this month. Though meteorologists quickly explained the phenomenon as unusual but natural atmospheric conditions, the images spread rapidly online and inevitably revived memories of classic flying saucer imagery. [5]

The latest issue of Fortean Times has also been attracting attention this week with its deep dive into the historical origins of crashed UFO folklore, exploring mysterious airship scares, strange metals and tales of dead alien pilots from the nineteenth century. It serves as a timely reminder that many supposedly modern mysteries often have roots stretching far deeper into history than we sometimes realise. [6]

As always, the truth behind many of these stories remains frustratingly elusive. Some will eventually find mundane explanations. Others may remain permanently unresolved, drifting into folklore and becoming part of the strange modern mythology we continue building around ourselves.

And perhaps that uncertainty is part of the appeal. The unexplained continues to thrive precisely because it leaves room for imagination, speculation and wonder.

Further reading and sources:

Sky News UFO files report (https://news.sky.com/story/a-13541565)

ABC News Pentagon UFO release coverage(https://abcnews.com/Politics/pentagon-begins-release-decades-unresolved-ufo-files/story?id=132780534)

Spectrum News UAP archive article(https://spectrumlocalnews.com/us/snplus/news/2026/05/08/pentagon-ufos-unidentified-flying-objects-uap-new-website-tranches-additional-records)

Anomaly Daily sightings database(https://anomalydaily.com)

Aliens Digest sightings archive (https://aliensdigest.com)

Fortean Times magazine (https://www.forteantimes.com)

[1]: https://news.sky.com/story/a-13541565 “‘Never-before-seen’ files on UFOs released by Pentagon | US News | Sky News”

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_files_release_%282026%29 “UFO files release (2026)”

[3]: https://anomalydaily.com “Anomaly Daily — A field guide to the unexplained”

[4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_scientists_conspiracy_theory “Missing scientists conspiracy theory”

[5]: https://www.milkywaynews.com “Milky Way News”

[6]: https://www.zinio.com/publications/fortean-times/3154/issues/735151 “Issue 470 May 2026 – Fortean Times”

Copyright © 2026 Kirst Mason D’Raven / [Mysterious Times](https://www.mysterioustimes.co.uk). All rights reserved. This article or images may not be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews, research or scholarly discussion with appropriate credit.

It’s a common claim by paranormalists that there are special places on earth where “energy” whirls are responsible for strange phenomena reported at those locations. They are called paranormal or energy “vortex” areas. The crystallization of the “vortex” idea in this context began with a popular proponent of mysterious subjects who identified twelve equidistant areas around the globe with peculiar characteristics. Since then, the idea of a paranormal vortex has evolved. The term became flexible enough to be employed as the cause of localized anomalies, to “explain” areas of unusual natural or historical features, and to label places heavily laden with reports of “high strangeness”.

If you look up the word “vortex” in the metaphysical context (that is, not the actual scientific definition based on fluid dynamics), you will find it used in association with places like Sedona, Arizona, and areas where there is a concentration of reports of paranormal phenomena. These vortices (or vortexes) can be considered good or bad but the premise is that the vortex area is unusual in some way – it is a location of exceptional “energy” drawn from the earth. Some writers will go so far as to say these are areas where “known laws of physics don’t apply” or where the connection to the spirit world or other dimensions can be accessed. 

In a scientific framework, such areas of unusual energy could be measured and documented. But it is not so at these energy vortex locations. The effect is measured only in subjective human feelings or interpretation of observations, making the case for paranormal vortex areas entirely unscientific. The upwards or downwards swirling “energy” can be felt or used as a convenient ploy to explain areas of transcendence or high strangeness.

Ivan T. Sanderson’s Vile Vortices

The origin of paranormal vortex areas was not exactly scientific, but it was made to appear so. It was fortuitous and coincidental and then fitted to look precise. In 1968, Ivan T. Sanderson, a popular and influential writer about mysterious phenomena proposed the idea that there were 12 tilted oval areas located equidistantly around the globe  – ten of which were along defined latitudes north and south of the equator and an additional two at the poles. The locations corresponded to points of the earth’s surface on a grid. The vortex areas were located on the vertices of an icosahedron (a 20-faced polyhedron). Therefore, we find a tie-in with the concept of sacred geometry of the earth – a mathematical means of showing design in the earth’s features. (That’s a tangent to be examined at another time.)  

Originally labeled as areas of collected anomalies, Sanderson called these twelve spots “Vile Vortices”. The impetus for the mapping of these areas, according to Sanderson, was his research into what he believed were unexplained plane and ship disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic and the “Devil’s Sea” area in the Pacific. Both areas fell along the 36 deg north latitude.

Sanderson seemed to have some help in further examination of these latitudes that resulted in identifying other sites where “funny things happen”. The oval shapes or “lozenges” trended southwest-northeast at exactly 72 degrees apart latitudinally (5 steps of 72 degrees = 360). That seemed like a pretty spooky fit! With the help of other researchers who did things like stick skewers through a model globe, Sanderson, et al. identified a band in the southern hemisphere at 36 degrees south latitude where notable locations also appeared 72 degrees apart, but on a 23.5-degree latitude shift. These other areas in the Southern Hemisphere included Easter Islands and the South Atlantic Anomaly.

Sanderson played up his evidence in a television appearance and in articles and books, continuing to update the idea for several years. The vile vortices concept was connected to dangerous, perplexing powers of the earth that manifested in precise locations.

Critical problems surfaced immediately with Sanderson’s idea. Firstly, the locations on the mathematically tidy map didn’t line up with the perceived anomalies that supposedly defined them. The locations of these vile vortices eventually meandered and became less exact. Later, some paranormalists asserted that the perimeters of the spooky areas would wax and wane, and maybe even wander, under the influence of ambiguous forces. Secondly, with only moderate effort, one can discover that there is nothing particularly unusual about these places and that the mysteries were enhanced or outright manufactured. 

Sanderson even admitted that the effect in the Bermuda Triangle, his key vortex feature, was “weak” because many planes and ships pass through daily without incident. Fishing boats in both the Bermuda and Dragon’s Triangle – the dramatic name for the Devil’s Sea area off the coast of Japan – certainly experienced occasional and unsurprising trouble due to mechanical failure, waves, and storms, just like sea-going vessels everywhere, but those mundane causes were downplayed or ignored.

Any weirdness that was rumored to be caused by vile vortex energy in the mid to late 20th century dissolved when more rational investigation and statistics were applied. Notably, the mysterious hazards supposedly apparent around the devil’s triangles of the Atlantic and Pacific were never acknowledged by the officials from either the US or Japan.

Ley lines

Related, but somewhat separate from an earth grid is the idea of lines of energy lines called “leys”. (See Leylines: From the Old Straight Track to the Ghostbuster Vortex for a background on leys.) If one accepts that leys exist and that mysterious earth energy flows through them, it seems reasonable to subsequently conclude that where ley lines intersected (a “node”), some “funny things” might happen. The energy could, supposedly, amplify and swirl into a vortex. Following the maxims of pop cultural exchange, it’s unsurprising that paranormalists would find the mysterious energy vortices interesting. Leys became associated with providing energy for paranormal manifestation of all kinds – ghosts, sacred areas, healing places, UFO highways, etc. Because leys weren’t limited to certain nexus points on a grid, they could be “discovered” everywhere. And wherever these lines crossed, that area might be deemed a vortex. 

Sounds Sciencey

Describing the cause of strange phenomena as an energy vortex sounded very “sciencey”. Terms like magnetism and electromagnetic energy were used to define the forces. The term “energy” is widely misused by paranormalists because it sounds impressive. Vortex areas are said to “hold more energy” or have an “upward flow of energy”. With the exception of areas of natural geomagnetic or gravity anomalies that could be readily explained, vortex proponents downplayed the fact that there were no documented anomalous measurements in vortex areas. The lack of evidence and measurements undermined the acceptance of vile vortices from the start. This supposedly dangerous force affecting planes, boats, and the atmosphere has only been quantified by speculative and subjective means. 

When it became obvious that physical energy (in the form of measurable flowing electrons) wasn’t noticeably different in these areas, vortex claimants pivoted to calling the effect “spiritual” or psychic “energy” – a term for something that is not scientifically defined or measurable. That makes definitively documenting vortices conveniently impossible.

According to a website called “Vortex Hunters”, a vortex will cause normal devices to not register correctly:

“Traditional test equipment devices can be ineffective in sensing the unknown energies claimed to be present at some vortexes. Often, the best evidence of a vortex is how people feel when they are in one.”

A critical component of scientific investigation is to minimize personal bias and subjectivity. How one “feels” is the least reliable method of measurement. The admission that vortices cannot be objectively detected is a giveaway that they are more imaginary than real. 

Continuing on this theme of detectably-undetectable energy, you can discover magical vortex areas by using magical tools like pendulums or dowsing rods. Or, as some vortex hunters claim, a person will sense tingling or an electrical feeling when in a vortex area. The vortex energy, some dauntless paranormalists state, may open a portal to another dimension. The portal conveniently allows spirits, aliens, or unusual creatures to appear and disappear without a trace. 

A few self-proclaimed “vortex scientists” describe some huge energy vortexes hundreds of miles across and part of a larger Fibonacci spiral thousands of miles across connecting important features. This is similar to ley lines but in circular and “quantum” terms. Appealing to quantum physics is a common and practical way of sounding sciencey to a non-scientist audience because the jargon sounds impressive but is nonsense. Quantum energy has nothing to do with the way people feel at vortex locations. The construction of complex, speculative concepts to explain mystery areas is effective in making the public believe that something extraordinary and real is occurring at that place. A critical evaluation of vortex areas reveals that they are designated based on pattern-seeking. If a location was famous for its strangeness, it can be labeled by someone as a vortex just by declaring it to be so. Eventually, many areas worldwide were called vortices as the use of term “vortex” expanded.

It’s in the rock

Many places around the world that are noted to be “energy vortexes” are also striking geological features (Sedona, Ibiza, Mt. Shasta, Haleakala, Uluru) or man-made stone structures (Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, Glastonbury Tor, Pyramid of Giza). So, vortex promoters say there is something about the rock.

Citing the bedrock composition as a key to vortex energy sounds legitimate and scientific. It’s not difficult to find many ghost hunters or UFO seekers citing the presence of limestone or quartz (and sometimes iron or gold) in the underlying rock as the catalyst that amplifies the earth’s energy to power paranormal activity. Their vague reasoning asserts that limestone or quartz more effectively channels or concentrates the energy. This may sound technical, but it’s science fiction to geologists. Limestone and quartz-containing bedrock (commonly, sandstone or granite) are ubiquitous in the crust and have been widely evaluated for their physical properties for all sorts of uses. There is nothing inherent in these rock types linked to the generation or focusing of physical or mystical energy. (Concepts of piezoelectricity, telluric currents, or conductivity are regularly abused for this purpose.) Tellingly, most paranormalists who proclaim this bedrock connection never check their local geological map. Sometimes neither limestone nor quartz is present. (To wit: shale and basalt are also ubiquitous.)

Another geological claim is that magnetic or gravitational anomalies in the crust fuel the energy vortex. There are maps of such anomalies around the globe. Magnetic anomalies are local variations in the earth’s magnetic field on the surface caused by differences in chemistry and magnetism of materials under the surface. Gravity anomalies are differences between the locally observed and the theoretically calculated value of gravity that reflects local variations in the density of the underlying rocks. These features are dictated by geological structure. For example, anomalies will appear in areas where the bedrock deviates from average density or composition because of ore bodies, or tectonic features. It’s just not mysterious. Such anomalies do not cause a human physiological response, regardless of the claims. This is well-established; to claim otherwise is delusory.

Popular paranormal vortices

Let’s take a look at a few common locations said to be paranormal vortices. These include so-called “mystery spots”, a few other designated triangular areas, and zones of “high strangeness” where all kinds of weird observations are reported.

Oregon Vortex: The location of the House of Mystery in Gold Hill, Oregon. Opened to the public as a tourist attraction in 1930, the location is advertised as an area of unique phenomena where “everyday physical facts are reversed” because of a spherical force field. It was the nation’s first “mystery spot” roadside attraction typically consisting of crooked buildings that create optical illusions against the landscape. Though there are self-published research findings for the Oregon Vortex, none of it is solid and the work is considered to be pseudoscience.

Santa Cruz Mystery spot: A tourist attraction near Santa Cruz, California since 1939 featuring a tilted house enhanced by sloped land. The original owner was inspired by the Oregon Vortex attraction. The site has accumulated legends and exaggerated stories about the disconcerting effects. Many other similar tourist spots like this have been built around the country after the initial mystery spots gained attention from traveling families. While it is true that the site can be disorienting, the cause is not paranormal energy.

Sedona, AZ: Likely the most famous area of “energy vortexes” in the world. Several “positive” vortex areas are said to exist around Sedona that supposedly promote a sense of well-being, healing, high emotion, spiritual awareness, feeling of connection to the universe, and sometimes even visions. The energy is also said to manifest in signs such as twisted trees and light anomalies. The town is blessed with amazing climate and incredible erosional features carved into the red rock formations. The Oak Creek Canyon leading to Sedona is one of the few stream valleys in Arizona that flows all year. The location always served as a draw for artists, retirees and people seeking quiet and natural scenic beauty. The focus on spirituality began in the 1940s. By the 1960s, new age religious leaders were capitalizing on the location, seeking special cosmic energy there. The first use of the term “vortex” in reference to Sedona may have been around 1980. Sedona as a “vortex energy center” culminated in 1987 when thousands came for the harmonic convergence of the planets. Since then, the town jumped onboard the “vortex” theme. Several commercial ventures, from stores, resorts, and guided tours capitalize on exposing tourists to the vortex locations. There is no doubt that there is something “special” about this place – it’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It feels sacred and magical for very non-paranormal reasons. As with other vortex areas, there is no unique “energy” measurement that can be demonstrated here. Any unusual observation, however, is gleefully claimed to be the result of a vortex.

Gallery: Infamous Bell Rock in Sedona (top left). Next (middle left) is a camera light anomaly captured by the author but what some would call a “light vortex”. The Sedona Crystal Vortex (lower left) is one of the many New Age shops in Downtown Sedona that capitalized on its mystical reputation. A twisted desert juniper tree near the base of Bell Rock (right). All photos by S. Hill.

Glastonbury, UK: A town in Somerset, England that has evidence of occupation for thousands of years and has accumulated extensive colorful legends. Glastonbury is recognized as a key location for the development of “New Age” beliefs. The place is said to be sacred and magical. Some reasoned that its specialness comes from the vortex energy derived from the intersection of ley lines that occurs here.

Bermuda Triangle: The first recognized “vortex”. The mysterious phenomenon of the location is still hyped by paranormal writers who erroneously claim that disappearances of ships and planes must have a more dramatic cause other than mechanical troubles, human error, or rough seas and storms. 

Dragon’s Triangle: Said to be a “twin” area of the Bermuda Triangle off the coast of Japan where vessels disappear. In 1953, the research ship No. 5 Kaiyo Maru was sunk in the “Devil’s Sea” area after encountering an erupting undersea volcano. While this was undoubtedly an unusual incident, it was not mysterious. The remains of the ship were positively identified in the area where the submarine volcano exploded. The claims about missing boats or aircraft were real, but exaggerated by mystery mongers like author Charles Berlitz who wrote about both triangle areas and other paranormal subjects. Not everyone looked at the statistics and facts, certainly not Berliz who cherry-picked and inflated certain events to bolster the mystery.

For a time, the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan) Triangle was also considered an especially dangerous area for ships. But, as with other deep water areas, the disappearance of vessels might be immediately undetermined but usually not so mysterious.

Paranormal Triangles: Drawing triangles is easy; you simply need three points of reference. Paranormalists who conclude that certain areas have more than the usual number of weird experiences and phenomena sometimes refer to locations as areas of “high strangeness”. If a triangle can be drawn, a catchy name can be given and the weird stories multiply. “Weird” areas with a concentration of reports of UFOs, monsters, ghosts, demonic activity, anomalous atmospheric events, strange behavior of living things, disorientation, illness, compass anomalies, deaths, and disappearances are frequently referred to as “paranormal vortex” areas. These areas may be large or localized.  Famous land triangle areas include the Bridgewater Triangle in Massachusetts and the Bennington Triangle in Vermont. These are associated with disappearances, suicides, murders, earth lights, mystery aircraft sightings, the appearance of strange creatures, time slips, hauntings, and almost any other kind of creepy tale you can think of. 

The trend to label areas of high strangeness and popularize them in the media is growing. Calling an area a “paranormal vortex” suggest that some mysterious and unidentified “energy” is behind the myriad of strange goings on. It enhances their reputation and makes people far more curious about them. Examples include Skinwalker Ranch and the greater Uinta basin in Utah, San Luis Valley, California, Mt Shasta, California, and Dulce, New Mexico. 

Places that seem even a bit unusual or have a mysterious history – such as Ringing Rocks in Pennsylvania, the Hudson River Valley of New York, and the Superstition Mountains of Arizona – are also called vortex areas by some paranormal enthusiasts. The application of the term “vortex” to describe areas of paranormal activity is vague and inconsistent because there is no concrete phenomenon to pin down. Ghost hunters will invoke the term to describe any localized incident where they felt strange, had equipment malfunction or recorded environmental anomalies. For a few years, paranormal investigators who took flash photographs with cameras would catch illuminated swirls and call them “vortexes” of paranormal energy.

Conclusion on the paranormal vortex

The concept of vortex areas as zones of paranormal or spiritual energy forces remains popular today even though the evidence points strongly to the vortices being imaginary constructs developed and propagated by creative people. Vile vortices ended up being a debased device to explain everything paranormal but nothing verifiable in a particular location. Mathematic and geometric attempts to quantify a paranormal area failed because the earth is not based on a design – its near-surface is complex and heterogeneous, and the subjective data didn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Humans are fantastic at identifying patterns in occurrences and making spurious correlations that aren’t connected to the real cause, especially if those means result in media attention or attract tourist dollars. Paranormalists rely on vague, subjective feelings, weak data, speculation, and dramatic scary stories to convince an audience of their claims, all of which have been used to promote vortex areas. The energy or paranormal vortex is a handy way to combine odd experiences into a location and attempt to explain them. Inventive writers and businesspeople played up spiritual and sciencey themes to enhance mystery and magic in the world. 

As great as it would be to discover an energy vortex and pin down the cause of so-called paranormal activity, the evidence supporting vortices as a particular, genuine feature of earth fizzled out.

Bibliography

In addition to the inline reference links above, the following sources were used.

Dunning, Brian Skeptoid Podcast “The Bermuda Triangle and the Devil’s Sea.” 20 Nov 2012. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4337 

Dunning, Brian Skeptoid Podcast “The Sedona Energy Vortex.” 11 Jun 2013. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4366. 

Kusche, Larry. The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved. 1995.

Litster, John. The Oregon Vortex. 1960. 

Sanderson, Ivan T. “The 12 Devil’s Graveyards Around The World” Reprint from SAGA UFO report Special 1973.

“Sedona History” https://www.sedonaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=34040

“Vile Vortices” from The Paranormal Encyclopedia https://www.paranormal-encyclopedia.com/v/vile-vortices/

Postcards from Zarkatb’s ey’re

If the phenomenon violates the laws of nature as we know them, it does so within a sufficiently narrow margin to fit into the space-time framework that constitutes our private universe.

#AsemicArt #AsemicPostcards #AsemicPostcard #AsemicText #AsemicWriting #DeconstructedText #Fantasy #HighStrangeness #Phantasmagoria #Poetry #ProsePoetry #SpeculativePoetry #DigitalArt
#Art #Collage #CollageArt #Art

https://asemictarot.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/postcards-from-zarkatbs-eyre/

Originally published as Supernatural Creep: The Slippery Slope to Unfalsifiability for my column Sounds Sciencey on csicop.org May 29, 2013.

I’m taking a step beyond sciencey with the following topic. What happens when science doesn’t cooperate with your subject area? Researchers of unexplained events may get frustrated and disenchanted with the scientific process when the eyewitness accounts they collect are too weird to explain via conventional means. They go unconventional.

Captain Jean-Baptiste Duhamel led the hunt for a beast that was attacking and devouring victims in the Gevaudan, France, in 1794. He had a problem. He could not catch and kill the man-eating monster. Being a proud man, he had to justify why he could not conquer this particular foe. Since the option that he was an inadequate huntsman was not acceptable, the creature must be supernatural in its abilities to escape his capture. The characteristics of the beast were exaggerated—it was huge, cunning, and not just an ordinary wolf. Captain Duhamel left defeated by what must truly be an extraordinary beast.

The cognitive dissonance experienced by the French captain is reflected today by those who can’t capture Bigfoot. When normal processes and causes fail to satisfactorily explain events or answers to questions, then the reasoning slips beyond nature, into super nature, beyond the testable claims of science.

I call this “supernatural creep.” Although, I swear I’m not the first one to name it as such. I searched to find where I have seen this referenced before. (If anyone knows, please email me so I can give the originator due credit.) Once I noticed this kind of reasoning, I saw it frequently. Wherever I come across this concept, it reveals a bit about human nature:

If you have to choose between the belief or a rational explanation, the rational explanation may be that which gets rejected.

The effect of supernatural creep can be seen with UFOs, anomalous natural phenomena (Fortean topics), and in bizarre stories categorized as “high strangeness” (which I’ll explain a bit further on in this piece). A perfect example is that of “black dogs” whose appearance is spectral or demonic and is associated with either protection from or nearness of bad spirits. Could it be just a big black dog? Witnesses perceive that it’s more than that. When the circumstances feel uncanny, we slip into thoughts of the supernatural. An enjoyable book that illustrates supernatural creep quite nicely is Three Men Seeking Monsters by Nick Redfern. Fun stuff.

With phantom black dogs, there is a connection to local legends and ghost stories. A modern example of the dispute about supernatural creep is evident in the Bigfoot/Sasquatch community.

Bigfoot proponents generally fall into two camps: those who search for a real animal that functions as nature intended (called ‘apers’) and those who entertain the option that the entity is not natural (paranormalists).

In their 2006 book, The Yowie: In Search of Australia’s Bigfoot, authors Tony Healy and Paul Cropper appear to have a parting of the ways when trying to explain all the Yowie accounts at face value—some of which, like our American Bigfoot are pretty bizarre. What is up with an animal that is sometimes described as having three toes, sometimes four or five? And, after all this time, why can’t we trap one or find a body? The creature has a stupendous ability to escape human grasp by eluding our cameras and leaving only tenuous, dubious traces of its corporeal existence. It can run outrageously fast and may be able to see infrared light. With the Yowie, we can’t think of a way to get a wild man on the island continent. It seems so implausible. But as Healy and Cropper note, it’s uncomfortable to explain the Yowie as a paranormal entity, perhaps as a psychic phenomenon, because it results in replacing one mystery with another.

Characteristics of hairy hominids or other unidentified cryptids may be just marginally odd—avoiding detection for decades among people, expert at hiding in plain sight, unusually developed senses of hearing or sight, fantastic strength or incredible speed. Or, they may get a bit spooky—glowing eyes, inability to be photographed, immunity to bullets, seen everywhere but found nowhere. They get to the point where it’s beyond natural—telepathy, shape-shifting, apporting or dis-apporting, signaling illness or death. In the case of some monster sightings, they are associated with UFO sightings, sychronicities, and time loss or distortion.

In order to hang on to the literal interpretation of eyewitness accounts, researchers may take tiny steps away from a purely natural explanation of their quarry. If the animal is shot at close range, why is it not injured or killed? Instead of questioning the story (or the marksmanship of the gunman), the assumption is that the thing must have some extra quality like bullet-proof skin, or perhaps it is impervious to bullets. If these stories are regarded as valid, and more like it come along, instead of doubting the witness, the researcher concludes there must be something paranormal going on to explain it.

The slip down the supernatural slope is really apparent when there are accounts of “high strangeness“—mind-boggling stories that have absurd elements. This term was originally used by Dr. J. Allen Hynek to describe extremely peculiar UFO cases that appeared to be associated with dream-like details, such as mysterious phone calls, electronic glitches, and Men in Black visits. If a report is one of “high strangeness,” it’s more than the typical “I saw a UFO” or “I saw a Bigfoot” story. It turns into a “I saw a Bigfoot go into a UFO” story—a whole other level of weirdness that now strains a natural explanation, if true.

And so it goes with Bigfooters. I recently read a blog post about a person who was rejected from the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BRFO) because he dared mention a telepathic experience related to a Bigfoot encounter. There are Bigfoot researchers who discard reports that involve any paranormal or supernatural element because it sounds less credible to admit such ideas if they wish their work to be taken seriously. (This is a bit weird for the BFRO, I thought, since Matt Moneymaker ascribes some incredibly bizarre, paranormal talents to Bigfoot like the ability to “stun” people and immobilize them. I can’t take his speculations seriously.)

In my previous writings, I noted that it appeared that the ghost investigation field seemed to be moving away from the sciencey focus and more into the supernatural, dealing with demons, angels, and religious qualities of hauntings. Science is failing them, as well. In order to retain that important core that ghosts, or whatever X-file, is real, the natural explanations are no longer suitable as explanations; it must be something beyond human understanding. The cryptozoological community is sliding down a similar path at the behest of authors like Redfern who think that the field should expand to include “zooform” phenomena—entities, not actual animals, that appear in animal form. This would constitute a shift from scientific inquiry to a completely experienced-based view. How convenient. You gain great flexibility when you discount natural laws.

You may be able to see the immediate problem with an experience-based view and accounts of high strangeness. Since many skeptical paranormal researchers are very aware of the problems with eyewitness accounts, we notice the mistake certain non-skeptical researchers make when reading popular accounts of local tales or Charles Fort’s collection of books. The writers take every detail of the witness at face value! We know, however, that people mess up observations. We know that our memories are flawed, and we know that stories change over time, often becoming very different from the original account. Stories are poor evidence. To build a conclusion on just these story elements means that you must reject the foundation of knowledge we already have about how the world works (which is pretty well tested) and accept that there are visitors from other dimensions harassing our rural population or that we are able to conjure up monsters just with our collective mind power. That’s absurd. I’ll need more than a few good stories to accept that.

Supernatural creep is the way researchers hold onto their cherished ideas that a mysterious phenomenon, as they perceive it, is really out there. Being too invested in the idea to let it go, they reinvent reality instead.

By the way, the Beast of the Gevaudan? It was wolves. They were only unusual in that they were really hungry and good at catching people and not getting caught themselves. They were eventually dispatched. But the legend remains of the monsters of the Gevaudan. It’s too good of a story to give up.

References

Bord, Janet and Colin. 1981. Alien Animals. Stackpole Books.

Healy, T. and P. Cropper. 2006. The Yowie: In Search of Australia’s Bigfoot. Anomalist Books.

Redfern, Nick. 2004. Three Men Seeking Monsters. Paraview Pocket Books.

Smith, Jay M. 2011. Monsters of the Gevaudan: The Making of a Beast. Harvard University Press.

The Welsh Gwyllion

In Wales, the gwyllion, mischievous female mountain spirits, have an uncanny knack for leading travelers astray—think of them as your personal GPS malfunction, but spookier. Keep calm, offer snacks, and resist following strange women in fog. After all, cheese could be the key to navigating the Welsh wilderness, or at least to making new ghostly friends!

https://mysterioustimes.co.uk/2025/11/25/the-welsh-gwyllion/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=jetpack_social #HighStrangeness #wales

Fullbody commission for, Tealy_Fox. (FA is currently down, so have Furb instead.)

#CaffeinatedCultist #DigitalArt #MastoArt #FurryArt #Furry #FurryCommission #FurryArtist #Guro #GoreArt #HighStrangeness #HorrorArt #WeirdArt

The crazy mixed-up meaning of Mothman

From its origins in 1966, Mothman has been viewed as a cryptid, an alien, a spirit, an angel, a demon and more. Originally thought of as a single entity, sightings basically ceased a year later, after the Silver Bridge collapse. The subsequent book by John Keel in 1975 boosted Mothman’s popularity again and expanded the tale in wild new directions. Since then, the Mothman legend continued to evolve in popular culture and lore.

I came across this video – a comedy sketch featuring Mothman as “the most confusing cryptid”. Why is Mothman confusing? Because it’s a mishmash of decades of stories that blended larger narratives about monsters, aliens and general paranormality. What began as a scary encounter with what was initially described as a really large bird, it lives on 60 years later as one of the most iconic Pop Cryptids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqBMrvZ0-o0

In the video, “Daniel” transports Mothman in through his phone line and asks him, “What’s your deal?” because it’s all very confusing to him. Mothman lore portrays the creature as a mysterious red-eyed winged humanoid that chases people and eats dogs, a spooky man-moth that appears from another dimension as an omen of disaster. In modern popular culture, Mothman is also depicted more like a fantasy character, or a dark and menacing figure, or a sexy mystery guy. It’s no wonder we can’t decide if it’s threatening or not. Mothman is many things to many people.

I’ve been interested in the various faces and roles of Mothman for a while. This video showed that other people are noticing the same thing – how very confusing and flexible the concept of Mothman is.

What is a mothman?

Mothman has been depicted across its history in several distinctive ways. As noted, witnesses initially reported a frightening hybrid entity with birdlike features, possibly a mutant associated with pollution from an ammunitions dump. The inappropriate comic book name given by a journalist early on nudged and shaped its popular and media images over the next six decades. The two people who originally formed Mothman into the iconic figure it is today were Fortean writers Gray Barker, and John Keel. The latter wrote The Mothman Prophecies that was turned into a movie 27 years later. The high quality movie not only added to the lore but charged up the legend for another go-round, even bigger than before. Both authors’ writings built up the key articles of strangeness surrounding the legend that remain today, including UFOs, Indrid Cold, the connection to bridges, and foreshadowing of events. By the late 1970s, Mothman was a representation of “high strangeness” – a series of seemingly related, inexplicable happenings. The malleable entity, or ambiguous cryptid, featured in subsequent paranormal-themed media, video games, internet legends, and, importantly, a town festival. All of these added more twists to the Mothman biography.

Much of the lore mentioned in the video coalesced later and built up slowly. For example, the locals did not associate the creature with the Silver Bridge tragedy at first. They were also experiencing a UFO flap at that time. Keel was instrumental in eventually linking up all the points into that weird narrative when the sum became greater than the parts. People remembered seeing the Mothman near the bridge the night of the disaster, and the Mothman became inextricably attached to that tragic narrative. Later, Mothman was loosely connected to other tragedies, but the evidence for Mothman appearances in Chicago/Lake Michigan, Russia and other places associated with catastrophes is very poor and is likely entirely imagined, based on its modern reputation as a harbinger of doom.

Is Mothman a cryptid?

Whether Mothman qualifies as a cryptid or not is an evergreen argument on cryptid forums. The debate is never resolved. Many followers of old school cryptozoology reject Mothman as a cryptid because the entity is tightly tied to the paranormal and high strangeness aspects of its history, which disqualifies it from serious discussion as a possible undiscovered animal that can be scientifically classified. Yet, modern cryptid fans love Mothman, even to the point of fetishizing him/her/them/it. (I am completely bamboozled in using a pronoun here.)

The current fandom considers “cryptids” to be “any creature that some claim is real but has no supporting scientific evidence of existence.” In that aspect, Mothman clearly is a cryptid. I could argue that the original sighting of the creature in November 1966 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia (next year is its 60th anniversary) could have been considered an unknown animal – a very large and unusual bird. In fact, it was originally described as “The Bird”, a “bird-like” creature, or a “man-sized bird” in the original eyewitness accounts. It was also said to be light colored (flesh or gray), not black, which is a modern standard. However, musings on its origin very quickly got wrapped into UFO discussions and various other anomalous and esoteric concepts that Keel promoted.

Like it or not, Mothman is a cryptid because word definitions and culture changes to fit our needs. Unlike the dispute about Pluto being a planet, there is no official council that has the authority to rule on cryptid matters. The popular majority rules. Apparently, the world needed a spooky flying humanoid legend with a distinctive name.

Part of the study of mysterious creatures must include consideration of the social aspects, the folklore, the spread of sightings, and the evolution of the stories. Cryptozoology is based on stories about the unknown, which makes it inevitably prone to inclusion of strangeness. This brings me to Mothman’s place as a Pop Cryptid.

Mothman as Pop Cryptid

No one now cares if Mothman was initially a weird or out-of-place bird encounter. I have not seen any modern researchers pursuing the idea of catching or confirming an animal that would fit that description. Its origin as a bird-man-hybrid is almost entirely lost. (Instead, it’s firmly linked to moths, which were in no way part of its origin story.)

Mothman’s cultural cachet is its different meanings embraced by a diverse fandom of multiple ages and interests. Mothman is depicted as scary, sinister, sexy, secretive, supernatural, cute, cuddly, and queer. Its ambiguity allows communities to embrace the monster for their own needs.

It’s become one of the world’s most notable cryptids due, in no small part, to the fact that it was promoted as the spirit of Point Pleasant. The descendants of those who lived through the first flap and the tragedy of the bridge collapse, decided to honor the monstrous symbol by making it the town mascot. Shockingly, this paid off in spades, bringing visitors to the town from all over the world. More come each year, and it shows no signs of slowing.

Mothman is mainstream. Mothman themed merch is ubiquitous. Point Pleasant’s museum and festival was the template for other towns to adopt their own local cryptid, no matter how flimsy and fantastical its origin story was. The answer to what Mothman represented in 1966 hardly matters at all in comparison to what people use it to represent 2025.

Unifying?

Is Mothman a unifying cryptid (as concluded in the video)? Yes and no. As a cryptid, it remains divisive because of its esoteric connections and roles as a harbinger of doom, a magical entity, and an ultraterrestrial. You will still find those who reject it as worthy of any study because it’s just so outrageous. It is now viewed way more as a globe-hopping bad omen and fantasy creature than as a zoological organism. But it’s too popular to ignore. It has brought together a new younger audience who see it as fun and socially useful. That’s culturally important. That the Mothman has been able to pull so many wide-ranging audiences together under one large wingspan is remarkable. Many fans are clearly able to hold the complex lore in their head (or pick the version they like best) and even evolve new aspects all the time. That’s how story telling works.

My biggest disappointment related to Mothman is that there is no historical biography written about it. I desperately want a qualified history writer to pull all these crazy pieces together so we can see and experience the Mothman phenomenon in a thoughtful way. Yet no one has done this. It would be quite a daunting task to accomplish, collecting everything to be considered about the man, the moth, the legend.

I suspect that the Mothman fan club would have less interest than I do in having the complex threads untangled and in the open for inspection. They seem to appreciate the mysterious, ambiguous, playful, menacing, multifaceted Mothman in all his messiness.

#cryptid #cryptids #Cryptozoology #highStrangeness #IsMothmanACryptid #legend #Mothman #popCryptid

https://sharonahill.com/?p=10475

My monthly highlights for October 2025 are now on, FA! Equally my October recap is also available in my, Journal!!

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Re-post. For spooky season of course! As always, on FA too!

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