Ufos & High Strangeness: Forbidden Territory


Written on February 26, 2008 – 7:37 am | by admin

How far will researchers go to hide the truth?

If you browse the website of a Bigfoot or UFO group, you’ll probably find a listing of sightings reported to that group. What won’t you find on most of those sites? Sightings that cross the boundaries between the two disciplines. A visitor to those sites would conclude that no such sightings get reported. Neither ufologists nor cryptozoologists want to poke one toe into the forbidden territory where Bigfoot, UFOs, and other phenomena merge.

Crossing the Line

In his book The Locals, Thom Powell reveals how sightings that mention high strangeness were “basically discarded” by the Bigfoot group that he had joined. High strangeness events include UFOs sighted with the creatures, a Bigfoot vanishing into thin air at the end of the sighting, or anything else beyond a Bigfoot traipsing past a witness. Witnesses who claim to have had repeated encounters with Bigfoot also fall under the same umbrella as high strangeness cases—meaning few researchers will believe them.

Numerous cases of high strangeness exist, though you have to read a book like Powell’s or the Bords’ Bigfoot Casebook to learn about them. In their book Hunt for the Skinwalker, renowned journalist George Knapp and scientist Colm Kelleher discuss the crossover problem as it relates to their research at a ranch in Utah. On that property, nicknamed the Skinwalker Ranch, residents experienced varied and numerous paranormal events—from glowing orbs to cattle mutilations to Bigfoot encounters—which often overlapped one another. Years earlier, a ranch in Colorado served as the stage for similar events, which included sightings of Bigfoot and UFOs together. Timothy Good wrote about that ranch in his book Alien Contact.

Books that deal with the crossover problem often get labeled “sensationalist” or “fringe.” Yet the number of books that have dealt with the topic testify to the widespread nature of the phenomenon of crossover cases.

At least some researchers will acknowledge that such cases exist. While they prefer to file them away in the Weird & Inexplicable folder, they do recognize that paranormal sightings occur. I have a great deal of respect for researchers who take that attitude. I have little patience for the ones who simply throw away any sightings that don’t fit their preconceived notions.

Praying for Credibility

I’ve run across more than one Bigfoot site that says flat out if you’ve had a Bigfoot sighting that involves high strangeness, don’t report it to us because we won’t believe you. After all, they say, Bigfoots are giant apes and have nothing to do with that stupid UFO stuff. Those researchers also like to say that sticking to the so-called flesh-and-blood cases improves their credibility.

Last I checked, science still had not accepted the existence of Bigfoots—nor had the majority of scientists stopped snickering at the notion of hairy bipeds living in the woods. Disregarding strange sightings has failed to impress the scientific community.

What about the witnesses? Has the number of sightings reported each year increased due to the enhanced credibility brought on by tossing out data? Nope. When you look at the sightings, the opposite seems to be true. The number of sightings reported has apparently decreased since the Gigantopithecus theory emerged, and researchers began using the theory as an excuse to ditch crossover sightings. Many researchers essentially tell long-term and high strangeness witnesses to buzz off, a tactic that would seem to have paid off in the wrong way.

Could other factors have influenced the decrease in sightings reported? Of course. A change in the behavior or Bigfoots, media ridicule of the subject, and changing social climate could all play into the issue. But we can no longer pretend that the bad attitudes of many researchers haven’t also affected the situation. You will never find credibility by stepping over a trash heap of inconvenient sightings.

Ridicule vs. Integrity

Does fear of the C word (”crazy”) compel researchers to censor sightings?

If I came across a sighting that totally invalidated all my precious little theories, what would I do? I’d investigate it, assess the reliability of the witness, and then compare what I’d learned with what I knew already. Perhaps I’d need to change my theories. That would be fine with me. Learning is the goal—and the thrill—of any research.

So, when I get that first report of a Bigfoot living with a gaggle of gorillas, I might have to rethink my stance on the just-an-ape theory. Until then, I stand firm in my beliefs. Yet many researchers seem to have a phobia about evidence that contradicts their long-held beliefs. Why?

Bigfoot researchers have tried to bring degreed scientists into the field, people like Dr. Jeff Meldrum and the late Dr. Grover Krantz. University scientists have to worry about things like tenure and professional credibility. Hence, these scientists have no desire to add high strangeness into the mix because to do so might earn them ridicule instead of tenure.

I see two relevant points here: 1) involvement in Bigfoot research, even the just-an-ape variety, attracts ridicule, and 2) numerous degreed scientists have gotten involved in research into UFOs, psychic phenomena, and similar areas. Fear of professional repercussions is often cited as the top reason for tossing out unusual sightings. The reasoning sounds valid, until you consider point number two—scientists involved in other areas of paranormal research.

Obviously, these scientists decided both that paranormal phenomena deserved scientific study and that any jeopardy to their careers was minimal and/or worth the risk. Why then do anthropologists who become involved in Bigfoot research shy away from UFOs and other phenomena?
That question bounces us back to the issue of cherished theories. Researchers may wish to ignore unusual sightings because such sightings interfere with their just-an-ape theory. They use the scientists as a good excuse for ignoring crossover sightings where Bigfoots intersect with other phenomena.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—and again and again. Wake up! The Bigfoot phenomenon is paranormal, with or without the high strangeness, whether you like it or not. Even if these creatures represent nothing more than giant apes, their very existence makes them paranormal. Have the integrity to admit crossover sightings happen. If you intend to collect sighting reports, you must have the integrity to acknowledge and investigate (if not believe) every one you receive.

Lisa A. Shiel is the author of Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch, a ForeWord Magazine 2006 Book of the Year finalist. Critics have praised Backyard Bigfoot, saying “[it] is as informative as it is entertaining” (Midwest Book Review), “[it is] one of the best types of investigative reporting I’ve seen” (Reader Views), and “you may agree or not with her conclusions but you will be entertained by the discussions” (The Mining Journal, Marquette).

As a recognized Bigfoot expert, Lisa has been interviewed by big-city newspapers, drive-time talk radio hosts, local and national magazines, and TV reporters. In 2005, she founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization (MUPBO) to explore all aspects of the Bigfoot phenomenon, from sightings to evolution to UFOs. Lisa has a master’s degree in Library Science. She currently pens a blog, Bigfoot Quest, as a companion to the MUPBO site.

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