Paranormal Creatures: Reality or Fiction? [Archive]

Serpentine

2007-08-19, 09:50 PM

Hmmm. Generally, I'm of the opinion that magic etc. is simply science that hasn't been explained yet with pretty bits tacked on. So lemmee see now...

Ghosts: I really don't know about this one, but if they do exist, it would be interesting to see one properly analyzed and explained.

Aliens: In an infinite universe with an infinite number of stars and an infinite number of planets surrounding them it would be vanity in the extreme to suppose that this is the only planet on which life might have evolved. On the other hand, it's just as improbable that, in an infinitely large universe stretching infinitely in both directions through time, we would coincide near enough in space and time to actually contact each other, that we would find them intelligent, and that we would recognise them as life at all.

Weird animals: Well, the okapi wasn't discovered officially until the last century, and it's a rather large mammal, so why not? Of course, a very large number of "sightings" are likely to be based on escaped or wandering animals, exaggerations, hallucinations (possibly), old myths and legends (possibly based on real, now extinct, organisms), and so on, but there's no reason why they shouldn't be pursued and investigated. As one with aspirations to cryptozoology, I may be a little biased here.

Lycanthropes/shapechangers: Highly unlikely, probably developed from less literal stories and/or diseases.

Undead of any kind: Very highly unlikely. Again, probably developed from less literal stories and/or diseases. I believe the original zombie was simply (ha) a kind of voodoo hypnotism.

Angels and Demons: As a living, breathing, ecologically and biologically sound creature? No. As a metaphysical being? Who knows?

Umm... that's about all I can think of.

Pyro

2007-08-19, 09:53 PM

Meh I'm such a skepeticist about pretty much everything. There are two exceptions; Aliens and ghosts. Aliens probably exist, probably not very advanced though. Ghosts, I dunno, but I've got a gut feeling they exist.

zeratul

2007-08-19, 09:53 PM

Umm black out, not to rain on your proverbial perade, but we already have supernatural discussion thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53169)

the mysterian

2007-08-19, 09:59 PM

bring me a corpse of said disputed animals and i believe, have a reputable source say its true i am inclined to believe. give me some blurry pictures and some eye witnesses at night who are scared and im skeptical.

im gonna give my views on some myths

aliens: yes, though whether they came here or not is in question in my mind

bigfoot: skeptical, you'd think by nowthey'd find a corpse.

nessie: myth, most likely just a lake sturgeon.

jersey devil: dunno, dont know much

mothman: skeptical

ghosts: kinda hard for anybody to prove or disprove this one

vampires: doubtful, very much so. a big bunch of hooey in my opinion caused by imaginative people and a few blood lusters.

werewolves: another caseof imaginative people and contribution by the medical condition werwolfism

el chupacabre: possible, but it seems unlikey nobody has found one by now.

Lucky

2007-08-19, 10:01 PM

Umm black out, not to rain on your proverbial perade, but we already have supernatural discussion thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53169)

Except that doesn't encourage very much discussion. It's more like post about an undead-thing and let someone else post another.

vampires: doubtful, very much so. a big bunch of hooey in my opinion caused by imaginative people and a few blood lusters.Well, at least on this one, on of the popular theories is that "vampires" were undiagnosed diabetics. I'm not particularly interest in getting into detail, but it's an interesting possibility.

The Prince of Cats

2007-08-20, 04:06 AM

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Werewolves
As a literal 'person turns into a wolf', not really. I am open to new evidence, but I have seen nothing to support transfiguration based on lunar-cycles. As a psychological disorder, causing the subject to adopt varying degrees of bestial behaviour without any outward physical change, I can vouch for that one existing...

Mothman
I don't even know what to say about this one, so no... until proven otherwise, no...

Aliens
Odds are high that aliens exist. I am not sure I believe that they have come here already, Roswell is especially improbable, but I won't discount the possibility.

Vampires
Yes, from personal experience, I would tend to believe that vampires do indeed walk among us. Not as the undead hordes, nor really children of the night, but certainly for certain value of 'vampire'. No, I won't explain myself in PM or this thread.

and so on

Angels / Elves
I lump these together in some ways, because I think 'angels' could be a bad classification. I will start with the least religious interpretation. Through history, there are accounts of 'Shining Ones' - Angels, Scandinavian Elves, the 'Fair Folk', Tribe / Children of Dana / Danu, the more 'human' panthaeons - and even aliens fit the pattern. I think the Far-Eastern realms have their legends of this kind, but I cannot speak for them.
With all these tales, you have to wonder if there might be some truth to it...

As to the religious aspect, that is a matter of faith. Suffice it to say that I am more inclined to the divine working through intermediaries (angels, Valkyries) than directly with us. As I say, that is more faith than logic or science...

Faeries
Here, I suppose I am talking more about the inhabitants of another realm of existence than a specific creature. I believe. Yes, a grown man saying he believes in faeries... It is religious, so I will leave it there...

Ichneumon

2007-08-20, 04:23 AM

Aliens: Yes, there is more intelligent life out there. Is it on earth? I don't know.

Vampires: No,

Ghosts: No,

Werewolves:No

etc, Aliens are the only thing in which I believe.

Setra

2007-08-20, 04:36 AM

Vampires
Yes, from personal experience, I would tend to believe that vampires do indeed walk among us. Not as the undead hordes, nor really children of the night, but certainly for certain value of 'vampire'. No, I won't explain myself in PM or this thread.
I agree with you here.

On another note. I'm very skeptical to the existance of ghosts and aliens, though I want to believe they exist.

Thinking about it.. space is vast... we're just a little dot... are we really alone here? It's kinda creepy to me, thinking like that. I want to believe we share our existance with others, and I want to meet them.

However, with current proof I'm indecisive. Until I see a UFO myself and can confirm it doing things not possible with out science, I will remain skeptical.

As for ghosts, well, if we carry on after death, it'd be nice to know. But as for now, I'm heavily skeptical, and do not believe in them.

I want to believe they exist, but I'm not an optimist, so I won't.

blackout

2007-08-20, 05:03 AM

Ghosts and Jersey Devil are believed in due to personal experiences.

Ooh, do tell.

Zincorium

2007-08-20, 05:33 AM

I'm kind of mixed on this. I don't automatically discount any of the cryptids or supernatural critters, but I do take a hard line on what evidence I'm willing to accept.

That and I think a lot of explanations for things have absolutely nothing to do with what has been witnessed. A lot of assumed hauntings have large amounts of evidence, but while it seems obvious that there is something going on (assuming you believe the witnesses, I personally don't trust 99.% of humankind), connecting it to the spirits of the dead is where I draw the line.

Realistically, things like the chupacabra or lions in england, while highly unlikely, are distinctly possible. There's a lot of space for stuff to hide in, and we aren't looking at all of it all at once. Heck, it took us hundreds of years to find celeocanths (sp?).

In all honesty the greatest tragedy of this digital age is that you cannot take pictures or video at face value any more than witness testimony. If you don't think people can fake pictures and videos with a startling degree of realism, then you've probably bought a bridge in brooklyn.

Ceres

2007-08-20, 06:03 AM

I'm a realist through and through. Ghosts, vampires, Nessie, all products of human imagination.

Aliens, though? The universe is of course vast, and that complex organic life has evolved on other planets I see as highly probable indeed. But little green men in flying saucers who make crop circles and probe people? Come on people!

Pyro

2007-08-20, 07:11 AM

I want to believe they exist, but I'm not an optomist, so I won't.

Sorry if I'm picking on you, but its optimist. I've seen that misspelled several times on this forum, so I felt like I had to say something. You also had the anti-leet banner, so the irony is delicious.:smalltongue:

Jibar

2007-08-20, 07:18 AM

Well, lemme see, what do I believe exists...

Well, if it's possible for it to kill me, yes, I believe it exists. Werewolves, aliens, chupacabra, the whole shebang.
If it can't kill me, I say you're a damn dirty liar, and it can in fact kill me. So I believe in those too.

To sum up Jibar:
Can't sleep, chupacabra will eat me. Can't sleep, chupacabra will eat me...

Setra

2007-08-20, 08:04 AM

Sorry if I'm picking on you, but its optimist. I've seen that misspelled several times on this forum, so I felt like I had to say something. You also had the anti-leet banner, so the irony is delicious.:smalltongue:
Ah, I didn't notice.

Also, I'd like to note the huge difference between a spelling mistake and 'leet'.

Especially since the latter is intentional.

Ivellios

2007-08-20, 08:57 AM

On the subject of vampires...

There's a genetic disorder that causes extremely pale skin and sensitivity to sunlight. I'm not talking about albinos, there's more to this. As well as being pale, the disorder also causes some sort of deficiency in the blood. With modern medicine, someone with this disorder can just be treated for the deficiency, and stay out of the sun. Before modern medicine, someone with the disorder would have to wear clothing that covers most of their skin to protect themselves against the sun, and they would generally only come out at night, when they wouldn't be at risk of getting severe burns. As for the deficiency, drinking blood would temporarily fix the problem. So pale people that come out at night wearing long robes and drinking blood were real.

Were-Sandwich

2007-08-20, 08:58 AM

Sounds like Prince of Cats is some kind of paranormal investigator....

Aliens: Yes. Infinite space etc... As to whether they've visited us...not so sure.

Vampires: Undead monstrosities/angst-ridden creatures of the night, no. People with pale skin, and aversion to sunlight, and the strange desire to drink blood, of course.

Werewolves: Lunar shapeshifters, no. Further-evolved species of lupine, yes. The afforementioned psycho people, definetly

Various cryptozoological creatures: Maybe. But I generally believe they're probably more mundane than the stories would have us believe.

Vespe Ratavo

2007-08-20, 10:18 AM

Okay, let's see here...

Aliens: Of course. Now, as to whither we'll ever find them...

Werewolves: I highly doubt it.

Mothman: No.

Vampires: I'd have to say no....

Angels/Demons: I'm gonna have to say I doubt it.

PirateMonk

2007-08-20, 10:33 AM

Answer One: Sorry, you're not cleared for that. Fnord.
Answer Two: I don't know, but we could always ask that yeti over there...
Answer Three: Nah.

Thinking about it.. space is vast... we're just a little dot... are we really alone here?

Total Perspective Vortex FTW!

Sorry if I'm picking on you, but its optimist. I've seen that misspelled several times on this forum, so I felt like I had to say something. You also had the anti-leet banner, so the irony is delicious.:smalltongue:

Well, the banner is missing an apostrophe...

Mr Croup

2007-08-20, 10:49 AM

Personally, I choose to believe in a quite a number of things for which I have no logical or even reasonable reason to. The world seems a much more interesting place if you make the decision to believe that it is in fact populated by all sorts of sundry creatures and entities.

Belteshazzar

2007-08-20, 10:57 AM

Angels: Yup but they are most definatly not restricted to the effeminate feathery things from most art

Daemons: Most defiantly and they probably don't wear the whole horns, goat's legs and tails unless they need some hard rep among satanists or something. In fact I would expect them to take a more trustable or angelic form unless they are scaring folks for thrills.

Ghosts/ Shades: Not sure what they are but those shadow people sure do look cool.

Aliens: Somehow it seems unlikely that they make crop circles and abduct rednecks for study, but I wont rule out some real odd stuff from out there if only for the Cthuhlu Mythos. *loads shotgun*

Men in Black: I don't have clearance to discuss that and I don't want it neither.

Beast Men: Werewolves and Vampires and stuff arn't that likely on my list, but I do have an handy wooden stake lying around to scare off goths and mimes.

Telonius

2007-08-20, 11:40 AM

Ceres

2007-08-20, 11:50 AM

I'm really surprised at the number of posters who believe in the paranormal. Or maybe it's just mainly the ones who believe in it who bother posting here. Still facinating.

Maerdred

2007-08-20, 12:18 PM

Aliens: Somehow it seems unlikely that they make crop circles and abduct rednecks for study, but I wont rule out some real odd stuff from out there if only for the Cthuhlu Mythos. *loads shotgun*

Honestly, isn't it possible that the "rednecks" are just the only ones willing to admit it? The simple-minded, slow-witted, come from nothing, going nowhere types?

I don't see a Wall Street broker admitting even to himself that such a thing had happened, let alone to the general public, for fear of being seen as a slow-witted hick..

Granted, I'm willing to believe that most of the "alien abduction" stories stem from a night of football and beer.

Indon

2007-08-20, 03:03 PM

I'm kinda 'meh' towards all things paranormal. If they had any relevance in my life, chances are, they'd just be normal.

Until then, I will abstain from explicit judgement as to their reality and simply behave as if they don't exist, unless I'm actually looking for them (example: I somehow become an astronaut and land on mars. Better believe I'm looking for aliens).

Gaelbert

2007-08-20, 03:41 PM

Arameus

2007-08-20, 04:16 PM

Aliens: In an infinite universe with an infinite number of stars and an infinite number of planets surrounding them it would be vanity in the extreme to suppose that this is the only planet on which life might have evolved. On the other hand, it's just as improbable that, in an infinitely large universe stretching infinitely in both directions through time, we would coincide near enough in space and time to actually contact each other, that we would find them intelligent, and that we would recognise them as life at all.

Infinite universe? Granted. Infinite stars and planets? No. Incomprehensible in number, but not infinite.

The probability that the kind of life and ecosystem we have on Earth is so unlikely that it probably cannot even be expressed mathematically. Each and every one of the millions of criteria for life are themselves probable only in every fewscore million or billion that all the frightful myriad of them combined make for such a small chance that life on another planet is actually more likely make-believe than not even in our unknowably prodigious universe, with the obvious exception of extremophiles like those found in Venus' atmosphere.

But even if advanced life similar to the complex ecology of Earth even could exist on a planet, even then the chances are low indeed that it would not, or at least not at this time.

There may have been advanced civilizations two billion years ago, and there may be advanced civilizations that will rise in a few billion more. What makes for this uncertainty is that the elements needed to support life can only be generated in supernovae. So even given the enormous capacity of space, only the solar systems generated by the incredible supernovae mighty enough to produce at the very least all elements from Hydrogen through Uranium (no mean feat, considering the ever-greater loss of energy from fusing the larger elements) could possibly form planets that may in turn have the remotest conceivable possibility of supporting complex life.

If it doesn't occur, then it would take another generation, at the extreme least to 'try again,' and in an ever-expanding universe that's cooling and calming further and further, that's getting less and less likely to occur.

And if aliens did exist, they don't exist near enough to us to ever communicate logically, much less pin down our location, much less send somebody down to take a look. The only possible way this could possibly happen ever is with a ship that worked on quantum mechanics, but a ship like that would logically be powered by polywater. :smalltongue: In other words, it's bopkess.

Do aliens exist? Heck, I don't know. There certainly is a chance. Then again, everyone in the United States of America might win the lottery at the exact same time. It's mathematically possible as well. But the main reason alien myths exist is not that it's likely or even possible. It's that people want to believe that they exist, even without any sound basis for thinking so.

Ceres

2007-08-20, 04:30 PM

I think it would be arrogant of us to think that we had discovered everything. Around the year 1900, scientists believed they had discovered all the large theories, and were working on the details. Then they discovered quantum mechanics. I believe in aliens, ghosts, many weird creatures, angels and demons, whether they be physical or a higher state, and so on.

Believing that we have discovered everything would be arrogant indeed. The probability for these undiscovered creatures being ghosts and demons, however, is incredibly unlikely (though not completely impossible)

The probability that the kind of life and ecosystem we have on Earth is so unlikely that it probably cannot even be expressed mathematically.

I believe you underestimate the vastness of space, Arameus. I take it you are not familiar with Drake's equation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drake_equation)[QUOTE=Arameus;3065423]? This equation calculates that there are an estimated 10,000 planets containing intelligent life with the possible capability of communicating with Earth in the Milky Way galaxy alone. Have a look at it. Drake probably set the numbers too high, however, and the revised equation puts the number at 2. Much lower indeed, but even with these pessimistic numbers, the universe is most likely to contain many, many worlds of intelligent aliens.

Indon

2007-08-20, 04:32 PM

The probability that the kind of life and ecosystem we have on Earth is so unlikely that it probably cannot even be expressed mathematically.

I had the impression it couldn't be expressed mathematically because we don't actually know what that probability is.

Considering the number of extrasolar planets we've found are what, in the double-digits? Our sample size is tiny, so small that we're only just now getting an idea as to how many such planets may even exist in the first place, let alone what any given quality of them might be.

Even among the small number we've found, we're curious that a couple might contain life, simply because we have that little an idea of what we need to look for.

Arameus

2007-08-20, 04:44 PM

AslanCross

2007-08-20, 05:02 PM

I certainly believe in angels and demons. I'm normally not sensitive to the supernatural, but there are times when I have felt their presence. My mom also swears that as she crossed the street at the wrong time once (in Hong Kong, into the path of an incoming bus), she was physically pulled back onto the curb by an invisible force. She was all alone and her group had already crossed the street ahead of her. She says it was an angel. (She had another experience back when she was pregnant with my little brother, though I can't remember the exact details.)

Ghosts? I believe that there are supernatural manifestations of some kind, from time to time. They may be imagined, but there are some that are just too real to ignore. I don't personally believe they're the spirits of departed humans---they may just as well be angels or demons trying to help or warn us, (or terrify and confuse us) and that the form of a dead human just gets the most attention. That said, an angel probably wouldn't have to deceive just to get its work done. Also, as Belteshazzar said above, demons probably wouldn't have to scare people either. It's much more expedient to take a form that would entice people to wickedness, and the red-man-in-tights look or balrog look aren't conducive to this.

Vampires. The vampire myth has taken so many forms that I'd have to ask you what kind of vampire do you think I believe in. If a vampire needs to feed on human blood always passes on vampirism to its victim, then it's mathematically impossible. Sooner or later the entire population of the world will have become vampires. However, many modern interpretations of the myth don't have the blood-every-week requirement and don't pass vampirism on to every victim. I know there are illnesses that are very similar to the classic myth, (desire for blood, susceptibility to sunlight) but this is a disease.

Aliens. Why not? It's a huge universe. I've read somewhere, though, that they'd either be way more advanced than us (perhaps to the point of having gone extinct) or much more primitive than us (single-celled organisms). Not a hardline believer in this, though. And ugh, I'm pretty sure they don't look like grays if they do exist.

Ceres

2007-08-20, 05:14 PM

The self-same article that you link to about Drake's equation shoots it full of holes, even pointing out very large mathematic wholes while explaining the very basis of the equation. Then of course there's the section labelled 'criticism,' which contains most of the article's sense.

Not a very smart link. :smallannoyed:

No one insults the intelligence of my links! :smalltongue:

Nah, you have a point, of course. Nonetheless, it is still an equation that many scientists take seriously, and your post was almost forcing me to link to it. I am by no means certain the equation is correct, but I found your reasoning a tad dogmatic and one-sided, so I thought I'd step in with an alternate view.

Nomrom

2007-08-20, 05:35 PM

Angels: Yes. White wings and halos, no.
Demons: Yes. Horns and hoofed feet, no.
Spirits: Yes
Ghosts: No
Aliens: Yes. I don't think we are ever going to meet them though.
Beast-Men: Nope.

Well, there you go. Those are my opinions on these subjects.

Sir_Norbert

2007-08-20, 05:53 PM

Well, something is obviously causing people to think that such things exist. And if we actually listen to the people who are experiencing it, we might learn something.

Example: somebody tells you a story about a cyclops. No, not the kind that shoots laser beams out of his eyes. The big kind with one eye, sharp teeth, and a bad attitude. And he says he has proof. Do you discount him as being crazy? If you do, you've lost some ancient elephant fossils.

Same way with some of the old succubus/incubus stories - and possibly the modern alien abduction tales. Do you dismiss them as being crazy? Or do you study them - and maybe find out about sleep paralysis?

Remember, every species we know about today was (at one time) an unknown species. Giant squid were only sailors' stories, and they've pulled up quite a few from the waters now.
Well, certainly, we can learn something from being open to new discoveries, and certainly, some stories turn out to have a basis in fact. But ancient elephants and giant squid aren't exactly paranormal, are they?

Same thing with coolgaelbert's post:

I think it would be arrogant of us to think that we had discovered everything. Around the year 1900, scientists believed they had discovered all the large theories, and were working on the details. Then they discovered quantum mechanics.
I don't believe we've discovered everything now, just as we hadn't in 1900. What I do believe is that any new discoveries there are to be made will, like relativity and quantum mechanics, be susceptible to analysis by the normal methods of science. Angels, demons and Fair Folk need not apply. It's easy enough to understand why people have made stories about them for millennia; I don't see any reason to believe in them as actual existing things.

As for aliens.... there certainly could be life on other planets, no way of knowing until we either find some, or else visit each and every one of them, which will never happen. I don't believe in aliens in the sense of extraterrestrials who have already visited Earth.

Arameus

2007-08-20, 09:33 PM

Moving on:

I do know there is some kind of ghost possible, and it indeed appeared to be an instance in which the deceased was unwilling to move on to the afterlife.

My uncle died suddenly a few years back. He was seen around his house for a while afterward. This could easily be dismissed as my aunt just taking it quite hard, but he was also seen by people who had never known him in life and did not know what he looked like, yet where able to describe the apparition in stunning detail.

He has not been seen any more following a conversation with the living in which he stated his desire to depart. He was always an oddball in life. Huh.

Natania

2007-08-20, 11:26 PM

Aliens: I think it's just plain arrogant for us to even consider being the only intelligent beings in the vast universe that we know so little about. We might not ever meet them but that doesn't mean that they aren't out there.
Werewolves: In the sense that they are people who change into some kind of monster when it's full moon... NO. But that they are people who can, at some moments, turn wild and violent and not know what they are doing and who they are hurting... Yes... I know one and it is very scary when he looses control. I've talked to him about it and he says it's like there's this red faze in front of his eyes and he just doesn't know what he's doing.
Ghosts: Not in the form that they are here to haunt us. I like to think of them as spirits... And yes they are there. I've had experience with them, multiple times, and they are real. I believe that they are souls who can't let go of their old life yet, who are afraid to move on. Or who have some unfinished "business" in this life. And they can be very nasty... as in trying to kill/hurt people sometimes. But most are just afraid and need reassurance.
Angels or demons: Not in the from of wings and stuff but I do believe in positive and negative, or if you like good and evil,..... I'm not sure how to put it... beings, powers, presences... And have also had experiences with those. Most bad I must admit... also my mother has had experiences with these.... things.
Beastmen: I doubt it...

I dunno... I guess I've just had too many experiences to not believe in certain things. I just think that we are not alone and we definitely don't know everything yet. Nor have we 'found' everything there is to find yet. Thank God!!

Serpentine

2007-08-20, 11:57 PM

Well, something is obviously causing people to think that such things exist. And if we actually listen to the people who are experiencing it, we might learn something.

Example: somebody tells you a story about a cyclops. No, not the kind that shoots laser beams out of his eyes. The big kind with one eye, sharp teeth, and a bad attitude. And he says he has proof. Do you discount him as being crazy? If you do, you've lost some ancient elephant fossils.

Same way with some of the old succubus/incubus stories - and possibly the modern alien abduction tales. Do you dismiss them as being crazy? Or do you study them - and maybe find out about sleep paralysis?

Remember, every species we know about today was (at one time) an unknown species. Giant squid were only sailors' stories, and they've pulled up quite a few from the waters now.
That would be part of what I meant by "unknown science with pretty bits tacked on" - it's unlikely that a mind will pull something out of nothing, and the source of that something is likely to be very interesting, but that doesn't mean they're not still mistaken.

Infinite universe? Granted. Infinite stars and planets? No. Incomprehensible in number, but not infinite.
Incomprehensible enough to make the distinction pointless. The rest of what you said was exactly what I was trying to get at.

As for ghosts and things... I guess there's some thing's I'll never believe in until I've experienced it for myself, and even then I'll go to the doctor to make sure I'm not having hallucinations, talk to experts in the field (on both sides of belief), gather more data, obtain at least one other witness, perform experiments and analyses... Not to prove it false, mind, but to learn more about it.

By the way, just because I don't believe in these things or come to them in perhaps an over-logical way, doesn't mean I don't wish with all my soul and imagination that they did, come up with plausible explanations of how they could, and (desire to) seek them out to their sources (thinking mostly magical or unusual beasts, here. Honestly, angels, demons, ghosts and aliens I can take or leave).

Chaos Perfected

2007-08-21, 12:03 AM

For as long as I can remember, paranormal stuff has never happened to me. Ever. My friends have had it, other people have had it happen. One of my friends called me, terrified, about a ghost/demon trashing their house and asked me to come over, only for them to be fine when I got there. They said it left when I arrived.

Same with haunted places. My friends go there, even those that don't believe it really happened go somewhere and come back knowing something weird went on. I go there and.. nothing. Even my most diehard believing friends say nothing was weird at all the nights that I go.

I've never had anything unexplained happen, ever, and whenever my friends are around they never have anything weird happen either. Ever ever. >>;

Zaggab

2007-08-21, 04:04 AM

Ghosts/spirits/souls: No

ESP: No

Aliens: I think that there's higly probable that it exists extraterrestrial life in some form. Will we ever find it? I don't know. Will we ever find intelligent life? I don't think so

Angels/demons: No

Werewolfs: As in shapeshifter, absolutely not. As a humanlike animal, probably not.

Vampires: Pale humans who like blood, sure. "Supernatural" bloodsuckers? No.

As you can see, don't really believe in anything paranormal. Much of it probably comes from me being an atheist (something that doesn't seem to be the norm here). I don't even believe in the soul.

I really want ESP and such things to be real, but when I think about it, it just doesn't make sense.

Hannes

2007-08-21, 05:50 AM

Vampires. The vampire myth has taken so many forms that I'd have to ask you what kind of vampire do you think I believe in. If a vampire needs to feed on human blood always passes on vampirism to its victim, then it's mathematically impossible. Sooner or later the entire population of the world will have become vampires. However, many modern interpretations of the myth don't have the blood-every-week requirement and don't pass vampirism on to every victim. I know there are illnesses that are very similar to the classic myth, (desire for blood, susceptibility to sunlight) but this is a disease.

Well... If we take vampires by the original as from Stoker's Dracula, vampirism was passed on to the victim ONLY if the victim drank the sire's blood.(Prove me wrong, been a year since I last read it and I have been busy for a veeery long time). And besides, your theory has a hole in it. What if they get killed? =)

Hannes

2007-08-21, 05:53 AM

Beast-Men: Nope.

Sorry for double post, but think about it. If there can be ligers(a crossbreed between lions and tigers), could it be possible that somewhere in the world is a race of severely undeveloped/mutated human beings, to whom mating with animals and getting offspring with them is possible?

Serpentine

2007-08-21, 06:36 AM

Only if they're getting with closely-related animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas or orangutans, and even then it's likely that the offspring (if there were any) would be infertile or weak. Anyway, you wouldn't need anything like that - there's already at least one disease that involves unusual hair growth, and a wide variety of mental abnormalities that cause violent behaviour. Also the "hobbit" they (i.e. scientists involved with my uni :smallwink:) found in Indonesia was compatible with the local stories about small people, and if they can find animals like the coelanth (sp?) that were supposed to have been extinct millenia ago, why couldn't there still be another member of Homo around, or at least become extinct relatively recently? I'm interested in the way "big hairy men" can be found in myths and legends throughout the world - yeti, sasquatch, Bigfoot, yowie... (I'm even thinking of making this the subject of my Masters thesis).

Ceres

2007-08-21, 09:54 AM

Sorry for double post, but think about it. If there can be ligers(a crossbreed between lions and tigers), could it be possible that somewhere in the world is a race of severely undeveloped/mutated human beings, to whom mating with animals and getting offspring with them is possible?

Humans and chimpanzees share at least 99% of their RNA, and scientists have managed to get human and chimpanzee RNA to merge into "Humanzee" DNA in experiments. That one prosent does however, as we can plainly see, make quite a huge difference, and creating a human/chimpanzee hybrid from normal mating is likely impossible (Such experiments are said to have been attempted in the Soviet Union under Stalin, unsuccessfully). Wolves (and all other animals, excluding some apes) and humans share way to few genes to be able to create a hybrid. So no, it is from what I have read, impossible. A creepy thought, though :smalltongue:, and it is possible to merge human and animal DNA using high-tech genetics (creating what is called parahumans)

An interesting fact about crossbreeding is that the characteristics of the hybrid will vary depending on which parent was female, and which was male. A male lion and a female tiger produce a liger, which grows huge because the growth controlling hormone is possessed by the female lion and male tige. If a female lion and a male tiger mate they give birth to a Tigon, which is small compared to both parents.

I really love the "sporkiness" of hybrid names. Here are a few for you: Leopon, Zeedonk, Huarizo, Zebroid, Wolphin, Zorse, Dzo, Zony, Beefalo, Hinny, Zobo, Jennet. (All which produce read lines in Word, except Beefalo for some weird reason)

Serpentine

2007-08-21, 10:24 AM

Humans and chimpanzees share at least 99% of their RNA
'course, we also share something like 45% with a carrot...

Jibar

2007-08-21, 10:27 AM

'course, we also share something like 45% with a carrot...

Huh.
Could explain why I'm a red-head then.

Ceres

2007-08-21, 10:55 AM

'course, we also share something like 45% with a carrot...

Yes indeed, and as noted it makes a huge difference. It is still, however, close enough that the RNA can pair without having to genetically modify it, something which makes a hybrid theoretically possible.

Now a human carrot hybrid… Hmmm *Starts new draft of world domination plan”

ZeroNumerous

2007-08-21, 10:55 AM

'course, we also share something like 45% with a carrot...

If only because theres a finite number of RNA pairs.

My opinion:

Aliens: If you believe otherwise, then thats kinda sad. Or really, really vain.

Ghosts: I believe it's possible that the 'soul' exists. Fuzzy see-through people wandering about? Nah. Too many dead people to say that and have not ever seen one.

Werewolves: Human/animal hybrid? Possible. Shapechanger? Impossible.

Vampires: Vampirism could be a psychological disorder, where in which gave rise to the legend of vampires. An albino with a vampiric mental disorder would fit the bill perfectly.

Angels/Demons: Now lets not get silly.

Mothman: I believe it exists. Can it see the future? Improbable. It could, however, be an alien survivor from an unfound or covered up crash that escaped and survives via advanced technology and uses a mathematical principle to calculate the future.

Various Cryptozoological Findings: Prove it with a corpse. Otherwise, I'm not interested.

Ceres

2007-08-21, 11:05 AM

Aliens: If you believe otherwise, then thats kinda sad. Or really, really vain.

Hey, now I believe in aliens as much as anyone, but let’s try to refrain from insulting the intelligence of anyone thinking otherwise. Arguments beat insults any day :smallsmile:

tahu88810

2007-08-21, 11:18 AM

I would like to say that I believe in ghosts. Infact members of my family have had personal experiences with them, so have I. (AND NOBODY WAS ASLEEP WHEN IT HAPPENED, so no sleep paralysis)

I also believe in angels and demons, although angels probably don't look out for people. And neither of them look like popular art says.

I also believe in Magick (I'm christian, though. Beat that). I study it in my free time, and I've gone so far as to attempt certain things... >_>

Vampires and Werewolves are definitely real. Just not like you all seem to think. The werewolf is probably a lot less RAWR and a lot more Serial killer-ish... And vampires, I know are real. There are several types (Which I'll go into detail about, but only if pushed to...I'm tired).

Shadow people, or shades, are actually just a type of spirit.

I also believe in psychics, etc.

Aliens must be out there, because the universe is so large.
MIB, probably don't exist, though. Why would they?

---
And what is the Jersy Devil?

horseboy

2007-08-21, 11:40 AM

Hmm, Well, as much as it pains me to say it, the Jersey Devil is not a supernatural entity. He was actually an Apache scout by the name of Tom Brown (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brown_%28naturalist%29) who was undergoing this initial training.

Vampires. I've never really seen any evidence to support them, but the historic evidence makes me wonder if they're not an extinct branch of homo sapien.

Xenomorphs. Yeah, I've heard about that whole 3 separate races have been here from way too many people from all across the country (even before the internet became big).

Ghosts/spirits/angels. Well, I come from a very spiritual family. I've got family that's a missionary in Honduras, a cousin who's a sun dancer, and an uncle who's head of security at a compound outside of Waco. It's a common belief structure around here.

Theranthropes, those buggers are thick as thieves around here. Fortunately they tend towards live-and-let-live. So so long as you don't mess with their territory or master or what-have-you they USUALLY won't attack.

Nessie. This is a personal theory. I remember reading about it when I saw this interesting side bar about how they found a druid stone circle at the bottom of the loch. That got me thinking. (Excuse the gamer speak, but it's our common tongue here) I wonder if it's not a tasked denizen from the elemental plane of water there to protect something VERY important to the druids.

Sasquach/wendigo/yeti. Given that 80% of the American population lives on 10% of it's total land mass, it's certainly possible that there's several different species on our own continent that we haven't found yet, simply there's plenty of room.

Mothman: Never heard of it until Mothman Prophecies and Dark Matter. I have yet to see "mythological" evidence that it's not something made up by Hollywood.

Did I miss anything?

tahu88810

2007-08-21, 11:44 AM

GAH! Another confuzzling post with stuff I don't know.

Must...search...google...for stuff...I...don't...know...

Hey, I could be a Gnome from Eberron XD

Mr Croup

2007-08-21, 12:03 PM

Hmm, Well, as much as it pains me to say it, the Jersey Devil is not a supernatural entity. He was actually an Apache scout by the name of Tom Brown (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brown_%28naturalist%29) who was undergoing this initial training.

What? You are aware that sightings of the Jersey Devil first started in the tale end of the 1800's, right?

Xuincherguixe

2007-08-21, 01:09 PM

For most of these, it's probably things having to do with brain chemistry.

Aliens are the only thing that I don't have a problem with existing, the rest is just too far out there. If I see convincing evidence I will have no problem saying that I was mistaken.

As far as alien abductions go. It's pretty hard. It is pretty likely that something is messing with their brain chemistry and they have some sort of dream like experience. The experiences taken literally make no sense, but if they're products of our minds they make a lot because of emotional content. But then, why would Aliens have to make sense?

The United States government is definitely covering up something. It is likely something much more terrestrial. What that is I think is a lot more open than just Aliens. It could just as likely be something completely arbitrary. They seem to try and hide everything and anything. Or it could be something truly terrifying. But you don't have to cover up things that it makes sense to cover.

Now Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster on the other hand I can believe could exist :P (Sasquatch might, Nessie probably not) But those (probably) aren't paranormal.

If people want to investigate the Mothman I have no objections. And I think chasing after things which might not be real is more justifiable than a lot of the stuff money gets spent on. But then the problem (or benefit depending on how you view these things) with Crpytozoology is that it doesn't actually GET funding. It's all amateurs.

I can think of crazier things which are in common acceptance than Mothman. (Like a lot of the things that get taught in Economics classes...)

LCR

2007-08-21, 01:39 PM

Given the size of the universe, it is somewhat likely that we are not the only intelligent species around. I also believe that they are nowhere around.

Arameus

2007-08-21, 03:37 PM

By the way, just because I don't believe in these things or come to them in perhaps an over-logical way, doesn't mean I don't wish with all my soul and imagination that they did, come up with plausible explanations of how they could, and (desire to) seek them out to their sources (thinking mostly magical or unusual beasts, here. Honestly, angels, demons, ghosts and aliens I can take or leave).

You would prefer proof of frickin' elves over proof of angels? That's rather disproportionate considering the implications of each.

Mr Croup

2007-08-21, 03:50 PM

You would prefer proof of frickin' elves over proof of angels? That's rather disproportionate considering the implications of each.

And that's a rather disproportionate assumption of values, and could far too easily lead this discussion into the area of religion.

Destro_Yersul

2007-08-21, 03:59 PM

Some people have attempted to link Vampires and Werewolves with a set of genetic disorders. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porphyria)

Then there are the Old School shideshow attractions, of which at least one that I know of was a man covered entirely in hair.

blackout

2007-08-21, 04:04 PM

So, who thinks the Mothman exists? Come on, ONE person here has to believe in the Mothman...well, one other person, anyways.

the mysterian

2007-08-21, 04:17 PM

to be perfectly hones the majority of paranormal things are all just people's imaginations trying to explain what they dont understand, no matter who we are we all do this at some point, and people also have tendincies to covet grandure, whether aware of it or not people tend to exagerrate things all of which lead to people believing in vampires, werewolves and other such things.

ex.vampires: dude with an aversion to sun, has big eccentricties(coffin, blood drinking), towns people don't get him, stories are told, garbled by the usual things until we have what this, fictional beings that are so exaggerrated its just sad that people actually believe that this is true.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

now im particularly surprised that nobody has mentioned sea serpents and other such rif raff, because these have the highest chances of being true. the ocean is big, real big, so its highly likely such creatures could go unnoticed.

Serpentine

2007-08-21, 07:45 PM

But then the problem (or benefit depending on how you view these things) with Parazoology is that it doesn't actually GET funding. It's all amateurs.
I don't think that's true. At least, I hope it isn't, at least with cryptozoology (which is about the same thing, isn't it?) :smalleek: Ouch, my career prospects! I think it's just very hard to get in a position where you will be paid for it.

You would prefer proof of frickin' elves over proof of angels? That's rather disproportionate considering the implications of each.
I'm not all that interested in elves, either, but yep. They just don't tickle my imagination. And if I were ever to believe in God more than I do now, I doubt it'd be proof of angels that'd do it (seems to me that experiences with ghosts and those with angels are pretty similar anyway, and the allocation of which was involved arbitrary). Annnnd that's all I'll say on the matter out here. Feel free to PM me to discuss further if you like.

Psychics and mediums I do not like. When you're dead, do you really want to be hanging around that (Southpark reference) John Edwards? The Skeptics Society went to some psychics festival thing and did cold reading. They said, repeatedly, "This is a trick. We are not psychics. This is how you do it." Even with all that, after the show they had people coming up to them saying "omg, that was soooo touching, it was soooooo nice to catch up with my dead relative..." etc. A friend of my mum's whose son died in a car crash believed in all that (John Edwards and all) and all it did was hold her back, stop her from moving on properly. I will not believe this except in the face of vast amounts of evidence. Telekinisis and mindreading and all that I don't really believe in, either (I can't help but think that we're all contained in our own skulls with no or few waves escaping or pickupable anyway) but I would be interested to see the science of it. Communing with the dead just has too many potentially bad effects for me to have any faith in or tolerance for.

Arameus

2007-08-21, 11:01 PM

Cryptozoology is not exactly a promising career field since by its very definition it is the study of creatures not considered to exist by most of the scientific world, or the world in general for that matter.

It's like being an ob/gyn for those green women from Star Trek. Neat job, but not much market for such a service, really.

Nomrom

2007-08-21, 11:09 PM

Psychics and mediums I do not like.

I feel the same way. I really don't believe these can be true, and if they aren't the they are purposefully preying on people who have lost loved ones so they can make a quick buck. That's pretty despicable in my eyes.

Serpentine

2007-08-22, 01:32 AM

Cryptozoology is not exactly a promising career field since by its very definition it is the study of creatures not considered to exist by most of the scientific world, or the world in general for that matter.
Not so. It's the study of creatures not officially discovered by science, and, I believe, animals officially designated extinct. Thus, dragons, unicorns, bunyip, etc. come under it, as do Nessie, Bigfoot, various dinosaurs and the thylacine and also, until their official discovery, the okapi, giant squid and giant octopus. I suspect, alas, that to make a proper career out of it you more or less have to be a "world leading expert in the field". *sigh*

Indon

2007-08-22, 08:35 AM

Not so. It's the study of creatures not officially discovered by science, and, I believe, animals officially designated extinct. Thus, dragons, unicorns, bunyip, etc. come under it, as do Nessie, Bigfoot, various dinosaurs and the thylacine and also, until their official discovery, the okapi, giant squid and giant octopus. I suspect, alas, that to make a proper career out of it you more or less have to be a "world leading expert in the field". *sigh*

That's really true of a lot of small-purview fields.

Luckily, there probably aren't many fellow cryptozoologists to pull ahead of. :P

CurlyKitGirl

2007-08-22, 09:49 AM

I am very open-minded amd I will say this about nearly any mythological/paranormal creture, but using an example:
Vampires: Now, there are many variations of this myth but they all seem to say the same thing: drink blood, undead/non-alive creature, can be killed by beheading/stake through heart (then again what can't), and have similar aversions (cold steel/iron, running water, garlic; and recently religious objects). In many European cultures they also have various shape shifting properties and pyschic powers.
What is interesting is that many many cultures the world over hold the same properties as vampiric, or what a vampire is. The problem is this: Trade. Naturally people trade and stories cross over into other cultures and create their own flavour. Chinese vampire mythology for example, is rather similar to Westeren European vampire mythology. This can easily be explained by trade.
S, one would think to prove these existed FOR REAl one would have to trace every vampire story and account. If these stories confirming the existence of similar vampire stories in ISOLATED CULTURES with no chance of contamination between the two you can conclude there may be a basis in fact.

See, there's the problem. Trade and culture contamination. This can warp any chance of proving anything ever existed without going through an amazing backlog of encounters, trade and so on.

Oh yeah. And Hollywood.
Me:
Aliens: Yes. It's so big some other form of life must be out there.
Vampires: Aside from psychological or other diseases and focusing on the supernatural cause; I'd say prove the above.
Werewolves/shapeshifters in general: There are certain genetic diseases which may show abnormal body hair and the like. Otherwise, there are many isolated cultures that believed in the power of changing shape and taking on aspects of animals. This may be a drug induced shapeshift. Many Native American tribes would use opiates in such ceremonies; as many cultures did.
Ghosts: Yes. But as whoo whoo ghosts in white sheets no. But, in general yes I believe. I've had far too many experiences, as have my family to believe otherwise.
Poltergeists: Fakes or excess energy. If you can find a proven one Im 100% for it. At the moment I'm 50/50
Nessie: There're more logical explanations, but sightings go back over 1500 years, so there's DEFINITELY somethng there.
Angels/Demons: Not your stereotypical type but as forces and the like I see no reason NOT to believe in them.
Dragons: A combination of dino fossils, myths and cross culture contaminations, too hard to prove/disprove.
Faeries/Elves/Fair Folk etc: Now for this, I know of several truly isolated cultures that fairly simultaneously developed these type f creature myths with extremely similar properties. Roughly 80 - 95% of the basic properties are the same. The stories and myths dealing with individual encounters obviously differ according to culture but the majority of basics are virtually identical in every respect.

Serpentine

2007-08-22, 09:53 AM

Nessie: There're more logical explanations, but sightings go back over 1500 years, so there's DEFINITELY somethng there.
Or there was. I'm afraid the origins of many of these stories are long dead by now (eg. the bunyip, and the giant wombat of which there are stories around my area).

CurlyKitGirl

2007-08-22, 10:09 AM

Or there was. I'm afraid the origins of many of these stories are long dead by now (eg. the bunyip, and the giant wombat of which there are stories around my area).

Bunyip being?

Anyway I made the point. Extinct creatures may have been the cause of a lot of these stories. Or ones that are extinct now/not discovered yet/or that were MEANT to be extinct but weren't really (coelocanth, rodent thingy in SW Aus, rhino-type animal in borneo, the list goes on). This happens a lot, especially in Australia for some reason.

Mothman: No idea what that is. Can't be bothered to google/look. Brief description anyone?

Take a flip through those books Serpy, anything else to bring up except the usuual stuff?
What about those Black Dogs. You know the type; said to omen death, disaster, insert local belief. Real, fake, or a combination of both.

Serpentine

2007-08-22, 10:26 AM

You mean to judge whether they exist or not? Hmmm...
>opens Encyclopedia of Monsters to random page<
Kraken. How dull. Not as big as in the pictures, but still, yah.

Plesiosaur. Unlikely to still be alive, but I suppose it's possible.

Men in Black o.O Uh, ionno. Oooo, Mothman's next! What is this thing, anyway? Huh. A guy that looks like a moth. No, wait, it didn't look much like a moth. "A big grey manlike thing". Made a lady drop her baby, tsk. Supposedly perhaps predicted a bridge collapse. Meh. Sounds to me like it could've been some sort of freakishly big bat, which would be interesting in itself.

By the way, a bunyip's a kinda vague aboriginal swamp spirit/being/monster. Descriptions sound kinda like a seal.

CurlyKitGirl

2007-08-22, 10:32 AM

Think I've heard of a bunyip somewhere. Nasty creature or one of those guardian water hole thingys.

Men In Black: Everyones' favourite conspiracy aninymous people. I don't know. They may exist they may not. Just think of MIB movie. Some witty quote sums it up.

Mothman: hat's just weird. A pshychic man-bat that predicts bad things. That is one of the dumbest paranormal/supernautural monsters I have ever heard of.

Kraken: Can you say Giant Octopus?
Pleisiosaur: Left over dinos. Maybe, after coelocanths are living fossils.

How about kelpies then?

ufo

2007-08-22, 10:33 AM

By the way, a bunyip's a kinda vague aboriginal swamp spirit/being/monster. Descriptions sound kinda like a seal.

Monster and seal cannot go in one sentence. Ask science.

I would have typed out my opinions, but it would simply be agreeing with 25% of the thread, meh.

Serpentine

2007-08-22, 10:41 AM

Monster and seal cannot go in one sentence. Ask science.
*ahem*
>opens Encyclopedia of Monsters to the bunyip entry in the Land Monsters chapter<
"Originally the word bunyip stood for some sort of god, spirit or demon in the language of the Australian aborigines... These descriptions are of a fur-covered animal, around the size of a large dog or a bit larger, with a doglike face and head. It has fins for swimming and lives in rivers, marshes and inland lakes. The known animal most closely fitting the bunyip descriptions is the seal..."
And what's the definition of "monster", anyways? :smallwink:

By the way, "The okapi is now being considered as the symbol of the International Society of Cryptozoology."

ufo

2007-08-22, 10:44 AM

Wikipedia disagrees:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bunyip_%281935%29.jpg

And we all know that Wikipedia is teh truuf! *cough cough*

CurlyKitGirl

2007-08-22, 10:45 AM

This would be because it was considered a monster/not ral until about 80 or so years ago right.
I know a very good cryptozoology website if anyone's interested.

And we haven't really had a discussion about Bigfoot/similar yet. Now that is surprising. And wouldn't the Bunyip be a seal?

Monster: (OED 10th edition)
· n.
1 a large, ugly, and frightening imaginary creature. Ø an inhumanly cruel or wicked person. Ø humorous a rude or badly behaved person, typically a child.
2 a congenitally malformed or mutant animal or plant.
3 [as modifier] informal extraordinarily large.
– ORIGIN ME: from OFr. monstre, from L. monstrum ‘portent or monster’, from monere ‘warn’.

EDIT: And that picture looks like a cross between a B-movie alien and a bug.

ufo

2007-08-22, 10:47 AM

Bunyip = Bunny that foretold the coming of IP adresses to the aboriginals.

I don't see why a yeti/whatever couldn't exist. Gigantic monkey in the mountains?

Serpentine

2007-08-22, 10:49 AM

Wikipedia disagrees:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bunyip_%281935%29.jpg

And we all know that Wikipedia is teh truuf! *cough cough*
From that very same source: "The most likely explanation for the existence of Bunyips relates to their locations on the Murray-Darling river system. Australian Fur Seals are known to swim up the river system during times of flood, subsequently becoming trapped within the river system once the flooding subsides. There have been dozens of Fur Seals killed or captured as far north as Canberra, incidentally, in close proximity to areas where a Bunyip has been heard or sighted."

ufo

2007-08-22, 10:53 AM

From that very same source: "The most likely explanation for the existence of Bunyips relates to their locations on the Murray-Darling river system. Australian Fur Seals are known to swim up the river system during times of flood, subsequently becoming trapped within the river system once the flooding subsides. There have been dozens of Fur Seals killed or captured as far north as Canberra, incidentally, in close proximity to areas where a Bunyip has been heard or sighted."

I linked to the image, not the article :smallbiggrin:

CurlyKitGirl

2007-08-22, 10:55 AM

Funny image, logical explanation.

Like giant man-monkeys in N American continent and Asia. Only those two continents I think. I'm pretty sure there's nothing European or African like that.

Serpentine

2007-08-22, 11:00 AM

There's the Yowie in Australia, and it really wouldn't surprise me if there's something elsewhere. All my Big Hairy Man-thing stuff is in the other "paranormal" thread.

edit: And there's definitely some European ones. Eastern Europe, certainly, and one around in the Middle Ages.

CurlyKitGirl

2007-08-22, 11:05 AM

Cool. So, once again it's the optimum trading continents/settled by colonies that have them.

*wishes for inspiration on stuff*

Ooh, ooh. What about possession? Not the Hollywood ype, but you know. I had a doll that was possessed by some freaky thing for a night. So, I believe in possession, not necessarily of the demonic type either.

Serpentine

2007-08-22, 11:08 AM

Cool. So, once again it's the optimum trading continents/settled by colonies that have them.
Nope. Yowie's been here for longer than Europeans.

I'm of the opinion that most, if not all, "genuine" possessions (as opposed to fakes) can be put down to poison, disease (mental or otherwise), and/or overactive imaginations.
edit: Wait, what? o.O What happened with your doll?

CurlyKitGirl

2007-08-22, 11:19 AM

Basic facts:
I was six. I got a doll from my Granny as a present.
It was a 1.5 ft high plastic doll that walked and had a CD in the back so it could sing. It was mostly nursery rhymes.
One day the CD got scrathced so my mum took it out of the doll. Took out the batteries, switched off the doll for good measure and put it on top of my wardrobe.
The wardrobe was 3 inches away from me (I was in a bunkbead.) The doll was lying at a 45' angle. It was leaning against a heavy cardboard box, and it was 'looking' at my pillow.
In October, first week or so my Uncle visited. It was a windy day, warm for the time of year and a clear day and night.
Me, my brothers(same room as me) and my sister (parents' room) went to bed about six pm.
At abbout 10pm my mum and uncle were downstairs chatting. The TV and radio were off. As were the washing machine and tumble dryer.
They heard something upstairs.
Thinking it was one of us (the children they went into the hall and began walking upstairs.
About halfway up th stairs the noise clarified, it sounded like someone singing London Bridge Is Falling Down. It was coming from my room.
A bit creeped out they went into the room and tured the light on.
I was sitting bolt upright in bed very pale.
The doll was singing.
My shouted "Turn the f****** thing off now!"
My uncle ran across the room. The doll leaned forward.
He grabbed the doll and turned it around (still singing) to turn it off.
He went pale and said "There's no f******* batteries in it and the CD isn't in either. He turned the doll around to show my mum.
The doll stopped singing.
They took the doll downstairs to look it over; the CD and batteries were still in the kitchen drwaer yet something had made the doll sing.
Needless to say the doll was gone the next morning. I had bed dreams about that doll until I was eight.

That kind of thing cannot be poison, disease (mental or otherwise), and/or overactive imaginations because three people saw and heard it happen.

Callos_DeTerran

2007-08-22, 11:37 AM

Monster: (OED 10th edition)
· n.
1 a large, ugly, and frightening imaginary creature. Ø an inhumanly cruel or wicked person. Ø humorous a rude or badly behaved person, typically a child.
2 a congenitally malformed or mutant animal or plant.
3 [as modifier] informal extraordinarily large.
– ORIGIN ME: from OFr. monstre, from L. monstrum ‘portent or monster’, from monere ‘warn’.

O.o....SWEET! I AM A MONSTER! I knew it! Hahahha! In your face skeptics!

...Ahem...does that make me paranormal too? *tries to set something on fire with mind*..Hm. Guess not.

Anywho, on topic, there is no paranormal or cryptozoological being that I believe doesn't exist in any form or variation.

Mothman: Hey, this things from where I am! It's certainly possible, even the telling future bits though theres probably a different explanation for the telling the future part but it's not impossible a mothman can't. (A religous person would love to hear my reasoning but I like being a member of this forum :smallwink: )

Aliens: People above have already stated my exact reasoning so theres no need to repeat it. Though it's important to note that it's also probable to be life that we won't recognize since it runs off a different system then ours. (Rock creatures anyone?)

Platypus: Yes a platypus is paranormal to me. That thing isn't natural and is an abberation against anything someone might hold as holy and good. And no I'm not trying to be funny, though this might be funny to read.

Bigfoot/Yeti/Sasquatch/whatever: Also likely. Why? Well whoever said neanderthals died out or that they all evolved?

Nessie: I had recently started to disbelieve Nessie but the bit about the druidic circle in the lake bit above makes me a believer again.

Werewolves/Vampires: Might as well cover both at once. I think theres two different verisons of them. The ones that can be explained by diseases which are constantly mentioned and the ones that everybody is flat-out denying (Shapechanging and undead type). I think they both do.

El Chucacabera(sp): Heck yeah this thing most likely exists. Think about it. It eats goats. Acts like an actual animal. As for the hypnotism stuff, theres more then a couple examples of animals in the wild producing hypnotic like effects in their prey, I think people discount El cause they don't want to think their the prey of some critter in Mexico.

Ghosts: True. Granted my own mother claims experiences with them but I think ghosts have better things to do then hang out on the mortal coil so I don't think somebody will have ever seen them.

Angels/Demons: Also yep. Have to believe mostly because I want to know what Hell is really like so if I don't believe in demons it's gonna be a rather empty place. (Yeah, I know I'm the weirdo who actually wants to go to Hell, sue me. :smalltongue: )

Psychic Powers: Of course. Why? Well why not? Why's it impossible to manipulate matter or objects with the mind? Just cause you can't do it doesn't mean someone else can't. (This also extends to magic).

Elder Beings: This mostly applies to the things Lovecraft wrote about but it also applies to elves, dwarves, faeries, etc. etc. Again a most definitly and some of them even fall under the 'Alien' category too. I'd love to meet a Shoggoth.

Anywho, if anyone brings up another one I'll happily give a reason why I believe it exists as well. And I'll even answer questions about hwy I believe the way I do too either on here or in PM so feel free to ask.

*Goes off to attempt summoning Azathoth again*

EDIT:...And why did it take so long for me to find this thread?