We have had, as I've previously written, phases of behaviour. The US gets an abduction craze and it takes a few years then...the UK gets abduction craze. I have the largest file on UK and European alien-entity/UFO cases, and I mean cases where (unlike many very well known 'Ufologists') I have gone back to the sources. The Greys -and you need to sort out what type of "Grey" you are talking about since alleged abductees/experiencers, et al all come up with so many variations- never cropped up.
Hey -the US goes through a paranormal/demonic craze where even a three leaf clover is seen as demonic interaction (Three scratches or anything it seems are the Satanic mocking the Trinity -I found three bees on a plant this morning so I'm worried). Takes a while but the good old UK....blah blah blah.
The US has its TV fuelled Sasquatch craze and....you know where I'm going, right?
Werewolves......ditto.
Now I have always taken the open-minded stance. Other naturalists may say "ridiculous!" without even looking at a case. Me? I want every fact and I want to talk first hand to the witness -no fake internet names. You do not give a name you are a hoaxer (obviously, if I talk or write about a case then I protect a witnesses identity and have done so for over 40 years).
So, I ask various paranormal groups, very politely, about their best evidence and I get very -VERY- rude responses. I am, apparently a "skeptic" or a well know debunker. Really? You can be polite and explain over and over but that's it.
What are they hiding? A cobweb, insect, specks of dust caught on cameras are not "spirit orbs" -you can see the actual composition of the dust particles on the images these people enlarge themselves. Old, wood buildings creak, groan and, as I found out some 40 years ago, after a warm days you can hear the loud "bang" as things cool down. Digital recorders produce some of the most inaudible and crazy sounds going. Back in the old days the electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) researchers used to have anything picked up and recorded checked out by independent specialists. By my count alone, based on the few TV shows I've seen, there are at the very least 200 "spirit voices" recorded. We see the investigators show screens with bars and wavy lines...ooooh. But why have these recordings never been handed over to independent audio labs for analysis? That would give the proof these paranormalists want. Faked.
Do not even get me started on the thousands of 'psychics'...."Oh. As soon as I spoke to you over the phone I realised this was a demonic entity!" Balls.
So then we have the "British Wild-Man/sasquatch" delusionals. "I found a stick in woodland and believe that this is a stick used by the wild-men for tree knocking communications!" I found a twig in my back garden and gods knows what bigfoot uses that for!
But, no, I sat back and politely contacted the groups involved to see just what was going on. Again -the nasty responses. They wanted someone to look at the evidence. I offered. Nasty name-calling and then "okay" but nothing. The photos of these creatures taken...NO! I couldn't see them. "Footprints" that were not footprints BUT I could not use them or see the original, unaltered (brightness/contrast/colour etc) images. There are a lot of lean-to structures to be found in every wood or forest. I've gone into all the explanations but even "something moving in the woods in the dark" is unquestionably a Bigfoot.
I asked again and again but not one single person out of all those with the 'evidence' came forward. The mentality at times is very childish. I am "owned" because I would not argue that a stick found in woodland is a stick....sorry, "Bigfoot tree-knocking communications tool".
Now, I contacted the newspapers regarding the upsurge in "werewolf" incidents in Hull, etc....nothing. Could I speak to one of the sources as a naturalist and the newspaper could exclusively report my findings?
Nothing. In fact, the major sightings that started all this were years back in Staffordshire and I have the person responsible for hoaxing admitting this in writing.
Nothing.
That about sums up what all these people have. If they really want someone to look at their alleged evidence but then keep refusing and tending to do so by insulting it shows that their bluff has been called. That or they realise they may well have nothing what-so-ever. There is no real, credible explanation other than these.
I will look at the most ridiculous sounding account/claim but remember that "I Believe In Evidence" from the top of this posting. That does not mean YOU can only offer an account and that's it. I check things. Other reports around that time? A local history of whatever? Are the people involved credible? It is not a case of sitting on my arse saying "Yeah. This isn't good enough. Try again" (that would be mistaking me for a Fortean or Cryptozoologist).
I do not call people nuts. If a witness is honest and a case can be investigated then I will offer a conclusion:
1) It was a hoax -and offer my reasons for stating this.
2) Open. Something may indeed have been seen/encountered but there is not enough evidence.
3) Unknown. Everything points to a genuine incident and there is evidence to back the case up.
"Open" I am never happy with and it's taken me 30-40 years to prove or disprove some cases -I don't think I can now afford 40 years at my age but.....
Being honest is the best start and that's from both sides.
