I have, today, severed all my links with paranormal and cryptozoological groups. Ufology I parted company with a long time ago.
The problem is that a story is posted and you explain how incorrect the original account was or present the explanation that was found by others looking into said story. Ignored. That or the incorrect use (through basic ignorance) of the term "sceptic" is applied or various snide remarks made and when you are merely up-dating those who claim to wish to be "enlightened" it is a tad galling.
I note that I have gone into certain cases in my books and that anyone can buy those for full references sources that are not misquoted or twisted by others for various reasons. I also point people not wanting to buy my books in the direction of where they will find an accurate account of a case. Same reactions.
Yet over-and-over again these same people praise and promote certain authors who are, and I am being polite here, out right liars. They twist facts, ignore others and even when told several times that "no such case exists -we were having a joke!" they still write on said case as genuine and mysterious. You cannot set the record straight in however polite a manner you try.
These are people who probably see Dr Who, Ghost Adventures and X-Files as reality rather than fantasy. Entertainment. Made up.
Supposedly, Cryptozoology, Ufology and paranormal investigation were 'disciplines' applying 'scientific discipline and methodology" to investigation and research. There is no serious research other than to gather material for the next sensationalist fake book or TV appearance because this is all about money and nothing more.
Whether it is some fake little centre for cryptozoology or centre for UFO research there is one thing they hold more important than anything else and that is money. Write another re-hash book and call it by whatever name you want it is still not serious research. The $ and £ are the most important thing. And because these people appear on TV or at events and are like old "uncles" or "cheery mates" the mindless sheep will buy their books, give them huge donations and support them in any way they are asked to.
It's a hobby that is also an "earner".
We are supposed to look into the strange, weird and mysterious in whichever field and keep digging until we get to the truth or find something we cannot explain based on current knowledge. Faking statistics and reports of Bigfoot sightings, lake and sea creatures not to mention UFO abduction accounts is why none of these subjects will ever be treated seriously. What astronomer, biologist, zoologist or scientist is going to associate his/herself with this fakery?
We need to sort out the seemingly mysterious and explain cases as and when we can. We need to then continue looking more deeply at the cases we cannot yet explain:
If it was not a seal or an eel and every description appears accurate then what was that creature in the sea?
If witnesses appear to be 100% genuine and show the signs of having experienced something terrifying and that was a very close proximity sighting of an obviously controlled, structured craft that is like nothing we know of and conforms to nothing we suspect is being worked on by a government -what was it? Where did it come from?
If we rule out 'ghosts' and other paranormal phenomena as being tricks of the mind that appear 100% real (as detailed in UFO Contact?) and there is more than one witness who is credible -what are we dealing with? Thousands of years of ghost and demon sightings cannot all be tricks of the Id surely? If not then what are they?
These are questions we should be asking and investigating -where witnesses are still alive they should be interviewed again.
"It doesn't matter if it isn't true -I heard it and it's good material for my new book!" is not the attitude of a real investigator or researcher. Look at the number of cases in Strange and Mysterious Beasts that began as unexplainable but turned out to be very explainable even if it did take years of research and fighting cryptozoologists and the obstacles they put up to stop the truth being found. The same with cases in UFO Contact? where some of the highest profile cases were...nothing. Yet both books and the research involved proved that there is a lot out there we need to re-assess and investigate.
I am too old to change. I could sensationalise and tell falsehoods or twists fact and that might make me money. However, I could never live with that on my conscience.
I swear that if I hear "Roswell", "Werewolves" or "The Thomas Mantell case..." once more I will scream.
I will always work and cooperate with serious researchers and investigators but there seem to be very few of those around in 2018 -correct me if I am wrong!
UFOs, cryptozoology and ghost hunting is hobby-entertainment. Serious people need to step up and be counted.
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk
Note that High Strangeness and UFO Contact? are the same book but different formats ditto Mysterious & Strange Beasts andStrange & Mysterious Beasts
