1. 1000 years ago, in Blythe California, on the rocky desert plateau, artists did forms of drawings-figures-on the ground. It only came to light in 1932, the age of the aeroplane and camera, that a plane traveling from Los Angeles to Phoenix along the Colorado River, spotted the figures below. The pilot took out his camera, and "clicked away." They are known as the Blythe Intaglios. One mountain lion, and two human figures are the three main drawings there. One human figure measures 176 feet long, made by the Indian people to honor the Creator. The reason they are so large, is so the Creator could view them better from the sky.
2. In Seoul, Korea, Gods are believed to be revealed to the faithful through a ritual called "The Dance of the Shaman." The actual ritual involves praying, spiritual cleansing, and walking, jumping, and dancing on sharp knives. The chosen people who perform these rituals believe that the Gods will protect them from the sharp blades of these knives, and that the moment they step on them, they will be possessed by these Gods and act as mediators between the Gods and the people on earth. Once this possession takes place, they claim to see visions of the future, and obtain the ability to dispel curses, and drive evil spirits away. It is believed that the person is blessed and obtained approval of these Gods once the dance is completed.
3. In Texas, and the state of Washington, both claim to have the most accurate replica of the famous Stonehenge. The Washington replica is made out of solid concrete, and has lasted 80 years. The Texas replica is made out of hollow stones made out of cement, over a frame, and has lasted 9 years so far. But the real Stonehenge has lasted far more, and has lost count of the past, and the future looks very much the same.
4. Frankenstein's castle really exists? Yep! It's located in Darmstat Germany. But the "weird scientist" that did all the experiments wasn't a Frankenstein! His name was Konrad Johann Dippel. He moved in the castle in the 17th century, using the corpses from the Frankenstein's cemetery to experiment on! When the towns people started to suspect him of stealing corpses, he turned to trying the experiments on himself, and died drinking one of these formulas.
5. The tale of Jekyll & Hyde was inspired to be written by Robert Lewis Stevenson thanks to a man called William Brodie. Brodie, a man who by day was a respected man of society and Decon of Edinburgh, at night he hung out in the lowest parts of the town, and murdered many people. They hung him for his doings, but before doing so, he managed to slip a tube in his throat to prevent his neck for snapping. After the hanging, they cut him from the gallows and rushed him to his home where a private doctor tried to revive him. But did William Brodie escape death? When they opened his coffin- his corpse wasn't there. We might never know.
6. In Southwestern England the 16th century Longleat house stands. A ghost story is told here. Thomas the Second of Viscount, married Louisa Carteret. He was as evil as she was sweet. He suspected her of having an affair with a footman and murdered him with the help of two servants, and hid the body. Louisa died not long after, they claimed, of a broken heart. Thomas started to see her ghost, smell her perfume, and watch as things would move on their own-he fled in fear and never returned. People thought it was just a legend even though her ghost was seen countless times by many. Three centuries later, workmen dug up some flag stones and found a corpse dressed in 18th century attire. The legend was proven to be true. They buried him in a graveyard not far from the house, and from the tomb of Thomas. Murderer and victim together for all eternity. "The Gray Lady of Louisa" as she is now called, still haunts the house to this very day.
7. Leonardo Da Vinci made many other things besides paintings. Many items of great resemblance to modern things. A canon model was made as well as flying machines resembling a plane, and helicopter. An item that appeared to be a parachute, and a type of car. He is now known as "the man who saw the future."
8. On the outskirts of the small town of Gold Hill Oregon, there is a place that has baffled visitors and professional investigators alike. Nestled in the forest is the Oregon Vortex and house of mystery. There is a crooked shack there where gravity and light play inexplicable tricks. A place where mysterious forces seem to warp the very laws of nature. Here in this strange and remote setting, every visitor is an eye witness to this strange phenomena that defies all logic and common sense. Since 1930, visitors the world over, have gone to this area of mystical energy where bottles roll uphill, broomsticks stand by themselves, and people seem to grow and shrink by changing just a couple of steps. The Indians new of this place even before the white people came there. Their horses wouldn't enter the land, so they avoided it too, they named it "The Forbidden Land." If photographs are taken in the area, you get mist like forms, and balls of light that appear in the picture. A plane flying overhead also goes through malfunctions in it's instruments, suggesting the vortex travels way beyond the ground, high above the region. There are 7 vortexes in the region, as the Sedona Vortex, that also has long history in Native American law.
9. In Thailand, the sanctified bodies of monks are preserved in the belief that the purity of their souls in life has assured that their earthly remains are left uncorrupted. These monks are on public display and are objects of veneration and worship. Strangely, these bodies decay very slowly in an atmosphere of smog, humidity, and heat. They still have teeth, hair, and skin decades after their deaths. No special techniques are used to preserve the bodies.
10. In Hati, the poison found in the glands of the puffer fish is used in the powder for the making of Zombies. It brings on a state of paralysis that even though the person is alive, they seem dead to any doctor. This fish is eaten in Japan as a very expensive dinner, defying the poison, as they enjoy this tasty treat.
11. Western North America, where the Datura Flower is used by Native Americans to initiate personal, spiritual journeys. This lovely member of the deadly Nightshade family, has hallucinogenic qualities, and is used as part of a religious right of passage by the Indians of the western U.S and Mexico.
12. People have had premonitions and dreams, predicting the wrath of storms, earthquakes, and other types of harsh weather.
13. President Regan and his wife used the advice of an astrologer on certain decisions during his presidency.
14. In Mexico City, certain people still worship the Sun God. Four people climb a 150 foot pole, at the top they attach to their ankles a rope and hanging upside down, spin in mid-air as the rope unwinds. Each represents an element -earth, wind, water, fire. If they reach the ground safely, the Gods are pleased by their actions.
15. In Hong Kong, a woman can tell your future by studying the features of your face. Hellen Lee is her name, and you can find her at a market place full of different fortune tellers that attract many tourists every year. By the type of nose you've got-she can tell you in what year you'll find love!
16. Paris Catacombs of Bones:
Beneath the streets of Paris, lies the catacombs of bones. Six million people are buried there, their bones arranged as walls, skulls become figures of crosses, and archways.
17. Reincarnated as a Racehorse:
Louie Henry believed he was going to return in his next life as a racehorse, (no one ever found out where that belief of his came from). He had a beautiful Stable House built, made with marble, iron, and even carvings to decorate it's walls for his return as a horse. Today, only the best bred horses are stabled there, and people wonder, if Louie is among them.
18. Guatemala:
The Burning of the Devil Festivities:
A blend of religious traditions and ancient superstitions, every year before Christmas, the people clean house and burn piles of garbage, in an effort to send the Devil back to hell. A very colorful festivity, they also dance in the streets, some people even in costumes, and by burning an effigy of the Devil at the stake, they hope to rid themselves-and their homes, of bad luck and bring prosperity at Christmas and the new Year.
19. In the western Indian city of Puney, a special stone attracts lot's of attention at a holy shrine where a revered saint lived decades ago. It is said that a demon tamed by the saint is trapped in the stone. Many people flock to the site to experience the power of the saint through the stone. It is said they must raise the heavy stone at least above their shoulders to feel it's power. When they drop the stone, they believe the demon within receives a beating.
20. Lourdes, France:
Virgin Visionary;
An apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl called Bernadette. In 1879, she died at the age of 39, being a nun at the convent Saint Gildard. She was buried in the convents grounds, but in 1909, her body was exhumed to be moved- and they found, even though her body was never embalmed, to be in perfect condition. You can still see her body today in Nevers, in a crystal coffin, her expression that of serenity, still in perfect condition even though she died over 100 years ago.
21. Sara Estep: Founder of The American Association of Electronic Phenomena- she considers herself a modern medium trying to capture the voices of the dead on tape. New tapes are used each time, and highly sensitive equipment so not to pick up ambient sounds or radio signals. The ghostly voices recorded are not heard at the time of recording, but when the tape is played back, and in some cases, they are recorded on the reverse side of the tape. The voices are often recorded at places reputed to be haunted.
22. In 1979, David Booth had a series of recurring nightmares of a plane crashing- and on May 25, 1979, his premonitions came true. A DC-10 took off from Chicago's O'Hare Airport, flew a half-mile, then turned on it's side and slammed into the ground, exploding on impact. The 272 people on board died. Booth's dreams started on May 16th, and after they had continued for seven nights, having seen in those dreams the name of the airline, he went and told people in authority at the airport. They made notes of what he'd told them, but claimed they couldn't just ground a whole airline, so the planes went on as usual- and David Booth's nightmares came true.
23. Insurance Company Covers Alien Abductions
Afraid you're going to be whisked into outer space by those weird craft hovering above your home? Goodfellows insurance company of London, England has a policy that may set your mind at ease. For about $150, the firm will insure you for $1.5 million against alien abduction. A slightly higher premium buys coverage against being impregnated by outer space beings. A spokesman for Goodfellows says the policy is owned by about 40,000 people--who must provide visual evidence and pass a lie detector test to collect on a claim.
24. Alien Sharecroppers?
Officials are reporting the discovery of crop circles in remote southern Russia--in the same fields where they were found years ago! Five large concentric circles of wheat were flattened, although the heads of the wheat were not damaged. This means the UFO aliens returned for additional soil samples, not food, according to a spokesperson for the Emergency Situations Department, a government agency.
25. ALL SOULS' DAY - CHRISTIAN HOLY DAY, instituted by St. Odilo of Cluny in the 10th century as a festival for prayer releasing souls from Purgatory. According to legend, Odilo was persuaded by a pilgrim
returning from the Holy Land that on a particular island the plaintive
moans of souls in Purgatory could be heard. Folk traditions observed
during this period include the decorating of gravestones and the leaving
out of food for hungry returning spirits. The feast is celebrated on 2
November, and is closely associated with the potent magic of Hallowe'en.
The feast in honor of the dead is well established in religion and
folklore throughout human history, found in ancient Babylon, Greece and
Rome,. In China and Japan the Feast of lanterns fulfilled a similar
purpose and Buddhists celebrate the date of Buddha's attainment of
Buddhahood (15 April) as a feast for all of the dead. Most feasts for
the dead in the northern hemisphere occur towards the end of the year,
associated with winter and the need to safeguard life.
26. ALLISON GROSS - THE UGLIEST WITCH I' THE NORTH COUNTRY', who hankers after the love of a comely young man in a popular Scottish ballad (Child no 35). Despite the earnestness of her amorous advances, and the many rich gifts she promises him, the hero rejects her in no uncertain terms. (Awa, awa, ye ugly witch. Hand far awa, and lat me be.) Enraged, Allison Gross transforms him into an ugly worm and he is compelled to 'toddle about the tree' until freed from his enchantment by the queen of the fairies passing in the fairy ride.
The ballad contains many familiar strands of Scottish and European lore,
but is unusual in depicting a fairy undoing the spell of a witch. The
worm shape assumed by the unfortunate hero was that of the Celtic
Dragon-type, a wingless, usually poisonous rather than fiery beast.
27. Psychic Accurately Sees Future
Russian psychic Djuna Davitashvili has accurately looked into the future in a startling scientific experiment. In the test, a computer was supposed to randomly select a San Francisco landmark. But six hours before it made the selection, Djuna described the landmark the computer later chose. What's more, she gave an incredibly detailed description of the site though she was 6,000 miles away in Moscow at the time.
28. Vampires are among us
German police have detained a Berlin woman who screamed she was a
vampire and thirsty as she attempted to bite people (March, 2001). She
tried to bite the necks of three people within a few minutes," police
spokesman Hansjoerg Draeger said. "She screamed out that she was a
vampire and was thirsty." The 21-year-old woman, identified only as
Laura E., was put under psychiatric observation after she also tried to
bite her fingers off. She first tried to bite the neck of a 20-year-old
woman at a doctor's surgery, however the victim managed to escape. She
then went into a fast-food restaurant and bit the neck of a 40-year-old
waiter. Police said she then ran out onto the street where she first cut
the neck of an 88-year-old pensioner with a piece of broken glass and
then bit the elderly woman's ear. Two police officers called to the
scene managed to detain her, but she repeatedly bit their hands and
arms.
( Culled from: Reuters )
29. Army Declares War On Witches
If you're a regular follower of the paranormal, you know that witchcraft flourishes in many parts of rural Africa, much to the chagrin of government authorities, who see it as a threat to their iron grip over the populace. The most recent battle between authoritarian rule and occult belief took place in northeastern Congo, with horrifying results. The Ugandan army, which controls the region, slaughtered 800 defenseless villagers accused of practicing witchcraft. The remote area has few roads, no phone lines or electricity.
30. A Symphony Of Ghosts
The London home of classical composer George Frideric Handel is haunted. And the charitable trust that currently owns it is taking no chances. A Roman Catholic priest is being employed to perform an exorcism in the bedroom where Handel died in 1759. A tall, dark shape and a strong smell of perfume have been reported by many who have entered Handel's bedroom. Officials want to clear the house of all spirits before it becomes a museum that will be open to the public in November 2001.
31. Area 51, The Musical?
We all know that Area 51, the secret U.S. military base, is in Nevada. But if famed stage producer Cameron Mackintosh has his way, we will soon see it on Broadway. That's because Mackintosh, behind such hits as "Phantom of the Opera," is planning a musical about Area 51, where many
believe the government hides the remains of an actual UFO. A CD featuring songs from the show will precede the stage production, which has no set date for opening.
32. Conspiracies Reference Book
And it's in comic book form too! Yes, the "Big Book Of Conspiracies" is a 220-page, large format comic book put out by DC Comics, the folks who brought you Superman. But this comic isn't fiction--at least according to the buffs who believe that the 39 conspiracies told here are true. All the big conspiracies are present, from Area 51 to the Masons and Odessa Files. Enough strange stuff for 100 episodes of X-Files. Stay paranoid.
33. Don't Fall for It
In the wild world of the strange and unknown, there's one pitfall for which to be ever watchful: the hoax. And there's one essential introduction to the classic cons that have fooled ordinary folk and paranormal experts alike--The Big Book of Hoaxes. Found inside are all the big frauds, fables, and fantasies. From the purported cloning of a human being to the Piltdown Man and Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, which made millions fear that Martians had landed. Every major hoax is covered. And it's in comic book form--so whattaya waiting for? Trust me.
34. Get Drunk On Dracula
A German firm has started selling a liqueur called Dracula--and it has a self-proclaimed descendent of the real Count Dracula furious. Ottomar Rodolphe Vlad Prince Kretzulesco (whew!) has already tried to stop distribution of the powerful liqueur, which has a whopping 24 percent
alcohol content. But a Munich court ruled in favor of the manufacturer, which claims that the name refers to the fictional Dracula.
35. Ghosts And Larvae
In Roman mythology, they're about the same thing. The Romans believed that larvae were the souls of deceased persons that were unceasingly restless because of crimes or violence they committed while alive on earth. Thus, the image of them as worm-like creatures that squirm in eternal
torment. It was said that larvae could infest the living and cause them to descend into madness--similar to the current-day concept of spirit possession.
36. Mind Power Splinters A Table!
In a classic display of mind over matter, a British medium levitated a heavy table high in the air--then shattered it into pieces using the power of her mind alone. During a 1923 seance, Stella Cranshaw levitated a table above the heads of her fellow sitters. Suddenly, two legs of the table broke away with a booming noise. Then the tabletop began to splinter. In moments, the entire table was reduced to little more than matchwood.
37. Religion using cows:
Found on ISCA BBS from user King Of Kale
World Religions Described Metaphorically Using Cows
Feel free to repost this, but please give me credit. This is only a
small part of the entire thing, but these are the Pagan-ish ones.
SANTERIA
You have several cows. Some of which ask you to sacrifice a chicken and
two doves, then cook them and eat them which causes the police to break into your barn.
VOUDOU
You have several cows. You dance for your cows and pray to your cows to protect you from being zombified.
MONOTHEISM
You have one cow. There are no other cows.
POLYTHEISM
There are several cows in existence.
WICCA (GENERAL)
You have a bull and a cow. The bull keeps dying every year, only to be
reborn.
DIANIC WICCA
You have one cow, and she needs no bull.
ALEXANDRIAN WICCA
You have a bull and a cow. That Gardnerian stuff is just plain bull.
ECLECTIC PAGANISM
You have two cows, but take a little bit of everyone else's milk.
CHRISTO-WICCA
You have two cows, who had a calf about 2,000 years ago.
JEWITCH
You have a bull and a cow. The bull keeps dying every year, only to be
reborn, but when he's dead you cant eat him with milk.
TECHNO-PAGANISM
You have two gifs of cows.
ASATRU
You have no cattle, you needed the horns for your helmet.
SHINTO
There are cows all over the place, even in trees.
BUDDHISM
You have two cows. Both of which have Buddhist natures.
DISCORDIANISM
You have two cows. One of your cows trades you in for a golden apple and the other cow ends up standing in a bucket full of Allen wrenches.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM
You have two cows. Other people also have cows. Even though other
people's cows may be different from your own, your cows are not any
better than theirs and you should learn about the cows of others.
38. Doukhobors
The Doukhobors are a group of Russian language-speaking religious dissenters who migrated to Canada in 1899. Today there are between 30,000 and 40,000 Doukhobors in Canada, and another 30,000 in Russia. They had been persecuted in tsarist Russia for their religious beliefs, which included the conviction that pacifism and non-compliance with militarism is essential to Christian practice because the law of God is greater than the laws of a secular state. These convictions culminated in the 1895 Burning of Arms in Russia, when Doukhobors destroyed their weapons and refused, despite Tsarist persecutions, to serve in the Russian army. This protest might have been the first organized pacifist group protest in modern history.
The Doukhobors practice a form of Christianity and believe that Jesus Christ is a spiritually advanced teacher and example to others. They also believe that people are capable of divine reason and can spiritually develop without the help of intermediaries. For them, therefore, there is no need for priests, religious ceremonies, spiritual symbols or temples of worship, although there have been leaders among the Doukhobors who have exercised considerable authority. The only symbols Doukhobors commonly recognize are those of bread, salt and water, the basic elements needed to sustain life. These are on a table at all Doukhobor meetings and important events.
The Doukhobors participate in communal living and, like the Mennonite, Quaker and Hutterite groups, in the practices of pacificism, hard work and simplicity in all things. Unlike the afore mentioned groups, the Doukhobors also practice nudism, which is possibly the foremost reason that the sect has tended to settle in remote areas, and shun other elements of society. As late as the 1970's, the sect participated in nude parades, which, to say the least, drew considerable interest from the press.
Their contention is that nudity is the natural state of man, and that, combined with hard work and complete pacificism are the keys to a long and healthy life. One of their slogans, coined by one of their leaders, Peter V. Verigin, summarizes this belief as "Toil and Peaceful Life."
Instead of dependence on a written book such as the Bible, the Doukhobors sing a cappella psalms, spiritual songs and hymns in Russian at their prayer meetings and gatherings. These are sometimes based on the psalms of the Old Testament, but others were composed by Doukhobors from the eighteenth century onward. Other psalms and hymns are about Doukhobor history and beliefs. Together, these psalms, hymns and spiritual songs are called "Zhivotnaya Kniga," or in English, The Living Book.
Because many of their members originally only recognized the authority of God before recognizing the authority of the secular state, the Doukhobors did not always experience peaceful life, although as peasants and migrants they certainly knew about toil. Tsarist governments in Russia kept Doukhobors on the move for more than a century to the furthest reaches of the Russian empire, and the persecution that Doukhobors endured in Russia just before migrating to Canada was severe. In Canada, a series of difficulties led to conflict with Canadian authorities which twice left Doukhobors without the land they worked hard to develop: once in Saskatchewan, and once in the Kootenay region of British Columbia.
39. One of the earliest forms of medical care is known as laying-on-of-hands. This is a form of spiritual healing in which the parctitioner places her/his hands on the body of the patient, acting as an intermediary for a divine healing force. In this way, the healer channels divine power to the diseased or injured person restoring the individual to health and a sense of well-being. Although the practice began in ancient times, it continues to be a popular healing technique to this day.
40. Proof the Soul Exists:
A new Dutch study proves the existence of the human soul, according to researchers. Doctors interviewed 344 heart attack survivors and found that ten percent of them experienced emotions, visions or lucid thoughts when they were clinically dead. Additionally, some had "out-of-body" experiences while deceased, cited as proof that the soul has a life independent of the physical body.
41. Super-Powered Japanese TV
"Super power" is a Japanese slang term for paranormal ability, and programs about ESP and psychic events are white-hot on Japanese TV. According to a report in the Japan Times newspaper, unexplained phenomena like magic,
ghost stories and demonstrations of psychic abilities have made a big comeback on the airwaves after a decade in the doldrums. In fact, one network devoted a walloping three hours to the paranormal on New Year's Eve.
42. The Standing Stones Of Burnt Hill
Who placed twenty-one carefully arranged massive stones
atop Burnt Hill near Heath, Massachusetts? No one knows the
answer to the question that has puzzled area residents for
centuries -- including famed horror author H.P. Lovecraft,
who summered in the area during the 1920s.
Authorities say the arrangement of the stones doesn't match
the work of the Native Americans who were known to roam
this part of the country. Nevertheless, some sort of
intelligent beings put the 300- to 500-pound stones in
place, because they point to nearby mountains, aligned with
the solstice sunrise and lunar movements.
Click here to see a photo of the stones of Burnt Hill!!
March 29, 1996, Los Angeles' Central Library notes that, quite
appropriate to the later library setting, the Lizard People owned
golden tablets which delineated the story of the world since its
beginning, the Lizard People's history, and even the origin of
humanity.
44. Dream Works
More than 30 years ago in the heart of Brooklyn, New York,
the Maimonides Dream Laboratory was born. This research
center was established for the singular purpose of studying
whether thoughts could be transferred -- through mental
telepathy -- to the minds of sleeping subjects, thereby
altering their dreams. To this end, the brainwave patterns
of sleeping subjects were carefully monitored and analyzed.
The remarkable results of the data were compiled in the
landmark book "Dream Telepathy."
45. Ghost Cause Crashes
In the Trang area of Thailand, locals believe that several evil entities are causing a stream of fatal car accidents. The troubled stretch of highway is known as the "100 corpses crossroads" and has created a furor all the way to
the highest levels of government. In fact, one Thai politician has asked for area monks to conduct a religious ceremony to help improve safety. Spirits of the victims are also being asked to help guard the blackspot.
46. Michigan's Largest Living Creature
It may sound like something from a science fiction movie, but the second largest form of life known to exist is growing in a forest in the Upper Peninsula.
In the early 1990's scientists discovered a giant fungus with an interweave of mushrooms and tentacles growning near Crystal Falls, Michigan. The fungus was spawned by a single spore and covers an area of thirty eight acres. Researchers estimate that the fungus is at least 1500 years old and is one of the largest and oldest living things on Earth.
The Fungus feeds on dead tree roots and grows underground. The only visible part of the gigantic fungus is the indivdual mushrooms which shoot to the surface each fall. The fungus is estimated to be growing at a rate of eight inces a year. When the giant fungus was first discovered, it was labled the largest living thing and recieved national attention.
47. Sanilac Petroglyphs
Ancient writings, carved into earth, called petroglyphs, may be observed in Michigan. They were discovered in the 1880's when a forest fire burned away brush and grass along the banks of the Cass River in the thumb area of Michigan.
After the forest fire, more then 100 figures of birds, animals, spirals, crosses, and waves were exposed. The most notable figure is a deeply carved figure of a warrior with his feet apart and his bow drawn. The purpose of the carvings is unknown. It is speculated that the patterns may have been made by medicine men or by an ancient people attempting to express themselves with art. There is now a 240 acre park at the site. A Pavilion protects the most expressive of teh designs. Those seeking more information should contact the department of Natural Resources-parks Divion in Lansing.
48. Mystery Creature Of Monroe
In the Monroe County hills of rural Indiana, a strange new animal has been spotted by local residents. The creature is two-legged and extremely hairy, says Rick Deckard, who discovered unusual footprints on the ground near his property. Deckard is certain that the prints are not human, and other locals share Deckard's belief. In fact, community members are now sharing information on sightings and other signs of the mystery beast.
49. In 1986, astronomer J. Allen Hynek died on April 27th. He was the Air Force's chief scientific consultant on UFO matters for twenty years,
departing from Project Blue Book's skeptical stance in the mid-1960's.
In 1972, he wrote a book called "The UFO Experience," wherein he
predicted that UFO's may represent a potential "quantum jump" in
science. The following year, he co-founded the center for UFO
Studies. What is he most famous for? Coining the phrase, "close
encounters of the third kind."
50. On April 30, 1897, according to the "Indianapolis Sentinel," two
farmers near Sailor, Indiana came upon "a strange animal that
resembles a man." When the creature saw the two men, it fled,
dropping from two legs to four as it disappeared into the woods. It
is said that for at least two years, other people had been reporting
the same creature - an apelike, forest-dwelling, hirsute biped.
51. Men who were working in a field near Forchu, Cape Breton, looked up and saw a flaming ball of white light heading for them from the sky.
This "electric meteor," as it was dubbed by the May. 1888 "Halifax
Herald," came down so close to one of the men that he was knocked off
his feet when it exploded. Today, we would call this elusive light
"ball lightning."
52. On May 10, 1969, near Rising Sun, Indiana, a young farmer saw a
Bigfoot-like creature. It was upright, covered with black hair, and
not quite six feet tall. He said that the creature's head sat right
on its shoulders, without a visible neck, and that its eyes were set
close together. It made a grunting sound, according to the farmer,
and ran off at high speed, leaving tracks that had 4 toes, including a
big toe.
53. In Bovina, Mississippi in 1894, a gopher turtle measuring six by eight
inches fell from the sky during a hailstorm.
54. On a 1902 Spring evening in Austin, Texas, a blue object sailed over
the town. The next day, the "Austin Daily Tribune" reported that
"Unlike a meteor, it did not fall, but took an upward curve and continued on until it disappeared."
55. More Vampires Prowl Colombia
Police sources in the capital city of Bogota, Colombia claim that there's been a dramatic increase in the number of human vampires stalking the streets. Authorities have identified as many as four dozen vampire organizations. Members dress in black and drink brandy mixed with human blood obtained from transfusion centers. Shockingly, the newspaper El Espectador cites a case in which a pedestrian on a deserted street was attacked by "vampires," who sucked blood from a wound in his neck.
56. A slow-moving, wheel-shaped, 10-foot diameter object hovered over the Hudson River in 1905. A young boy and his friend were watching the
phenomenon from the East bank of the River, as the object was heading
towards them. When the object got over the shore, according to the
boy, it "seemed to bounce higher," and it soon disappeared over a
hill.
57. One May day in 1968, two men who were driving past Glendarry Lough, on Ireland's offshore island of Glendarry, saw a strange animal cross the road in front of them. One of the men testified that the animal was "between eight and twelve feet long, with a long neck like a swan,
only much bigger. The tail was very thick...and it was weaving and
curving...It was dark brown in color and was slimy and scaly. The
eyes were glittering...It disappeared in an instant into the thick
undergrowth."
58. The commander of the Argentine ship "Keweah" was interviewed by the "New York Times" regarding a "strange and monstrous animal" he had seen on the Patagonian coast in 1906. He said that when he was
looking toward the shore, he "heard a sound and saw a huge,
ice-covered boulder splash into the sea from the high, rocky shore."
At the spot where the boulder had been dropped from, he said there
stood an animal with a head like a hound and a 30-foot long neck.
59. A coincidence, as we all know, is when one or more events take place without any apparent cause. Examples range from a woman meeting her future husband under circumstances predicted by a clairvoyant to a pair of sisters giving birth at the exact same moment. However, many in the occult world believe that no events are coincidental -- all are part of a universal plan or "cycle." Astrologists could be said to take this view, in that the seemingly random twists and turns of an individual's life were already "written in the stars" at his or her birth.
60. It's A Bird! It's A Plane! What Is It? - In 1949, four employees of
the Ames Research Laboratory were fishing in Oregon's Rogue River.
While relaxing, they spotted a shiny object in the sky. Two of the
witness were aeronautical engineers, and when they looked through
binoculars, they saw a craft shaped like a silver dollar and moving
horizontally at an increasing speed. They indicated that the UFO had
a finlike structure extended horizontally near its back, and after
about three minutes, it disappeared.
61. One Big Slimy Thing - If you had been sailing off the coast of Iceland
in May of 1917, you might have seen something really bizarre. The
crew of the armed merchant ship "Hilary" sure did! They watched as a
large, black head broke the water's surface, attached to a body that
was 60 feet long, 20 feet of which was neck. The captain ordered his
men to fire on the creature, and after it suffered a direct hit, it sank. No one ever saw it again, and its identity has never been confirmed, but there are suspicions that it may have been a giant squid.
62. Phantom...Or Feline? - Two years ago this month, {April 2002}, a family in West Midlands, England called in a priest for an exorcism. It seems they kept hearing eerie wails and scratches from the walls, but the
exorcism failed to stop the poltergeist from making a racket. The noises only stopped when a neighbor discovered and freed their cause: A cat trapped on a chimney ledge.
63. Flying Cigars - The northwestern Minnesota town of Hallock saw some action one night in late May of 1906. A strange, light-carrying,
cigar-shaped object flew overhead. It hovered and darted around,
alternately, then disappeared into the darkness at "tremendous speeds."
64. Dancing In A Ring - A man from Suffolk, England, had a personal
experience with a fairy. One night in 1842, he came upon a group of
"a dozen of the, the biggest about 3 feet high, and small ones like
dolls." He said they were dancing silently in a ring, and that they
"seemed light and shadowy, not like solid bodies."
65. Aggressive Fairies - Beginning in 1985, a number of adults and
children in rural Argentina claimed to have seen a "little black man."
He is said to be two and a half feet tall, hairy, and having big eyes
and long teeth. The creature once tried to kidnap a five-year-old
child. This type of story takes inspiration from South American
folklore about aggressive fairies who are sometimes called
"Negroes-of-the-Water," and who were believed to dwell in rivers and
lakes.
66. Ignored By A Fairy - If you ever meet a fairy, don't be surprised if
he or she pays you no mind. Janet Bord wrote the following in her
book, "Fairies: Real Encounters with Little People": "In most encounters with the Little People, the witness(es) only see the creatures for a short time, and rarely have any interaction with them. A fairy might acknowledge the presence of the human being by looking directly at, or even smiling at, him or her, but otherwise usually ignores the surprised onlooker."
67. Black Panthers - Do They Exist? - Even though credible witnesses often report them, science does not recognize the existence of black
panthers. Just before sunset one 1963 evening, Illinois farmer Bill
Chambers watched an animal through his binoculars for nearly 15
minutes, and the animal appeared to be a black panther. It was large,
four and a half feet long and fifteen inches tall at the shoulder, and
"jet black except for two tawny streaks under the jaw." Since sightings of these creatures are so persistent, yet science says they don't exist, it remains a mystery of American wildlife.
68. Wowie Yowie - Stories of Bigfoot are not restricted to the United
States - Australia has the "Yowie," and in 1997, a woman came face to
face with him. She was living in the remote Tanimi Desert, and was
awakened by a loud sound that she thought came from a large animal.
When she arose to check out the situation, she became nauseated when
an overwhelmingly foul odor hit her. She saw a 7-foot-tall, hirsute,
apelike creature fleeing the scene.
69. Man Oh Manipogo - Wet creepy-crawly things are not only from the U.S., either. "Manipogo" is the nickname of an unknown creature said to
live (or have lived) in Canada's Lake Manitoba. In the 1950's, a series of sightings had consistent descriptions of a serpent-like creature, 30 feet long and black/brown in color. Sightings ended after 1962, after University of Manitoba zoologist James McLeod investigated reports and studied a photograph said to be of the creature.
70. {Morbid} I Like To Do It Myself - In 1938, twelve residents of Halifax, Yorkshire, England claimed to have been cut by an attacker wielding a razor. Two detectives from Scotland Yard were sent to investigate, but they found that the dozen had self-inflicted wounds. The
"victims" could provide no explanation for their actions.
71. E.T.? - In May of 1950, a poll called "Public Opinion Quarterly"
surveyed popular views of (then-novel) flying saucers. They found
that 94% of Americans had heard UFOs; of that 94%, 23% thought that
the UFOs were secret military aircraft. Only 5% thought that they
were of extraterrestrial origin, and even that mere 5% was split - some believed the UFOs to be "comets, shooting stars, something from
another planet."
72. Baby Dinosaurs - In 1982, "Empire Magazine" published a letter written by a woman from Colorado. She claimed that in 1935, when she was only three years old, she saw "five baby dinosaurs." A few months after she saw them a farmer shot one. The woman saw the body, and said it was "about 7 feet tall, was gray, had a head like a snake, short front
legs with claws that resembled chicken feet, large stout back legs, and a long tail." And you thought that only happened on "The Flintstones."
73. Be A Defensive Driver - A farmer in 1934 South Dakota said he was a giant, four-legged reptile coming at him in a menacing fashion. He
said it forced his tractor off the road and then disappeared into nearby Campbell Lake, leaving huge tracks on the shore.
74. Just Use The Dryer - In Cupar, Scotland in June of 1842, the "London Times" reported a peculiar event: Women who were hanging clothing on clotheslines in an open area were said to have heard a sudden detonation, and the clothes shot upward. Eventually, some of the clothing did fall back to the ground, but others kept ascending until they disappeared. Even odder, the clothes were carried off to the north, but chimney smoke in that area indicated that the wind was moving to the south.
75. Is That Your Kangaroo? - In 1899, a storm raged in New Richmond,
Wisconsin. During the storm, a woman there witnessed a bizarre sight -
a kangaroo hopping through her neighbor's yard. This is the first known
American kangaroo sighting. During the next hundred years, many more
were sighted, but few were ever explained. To paraphrase an old American folk song, "Where do they come from, and where do they go?"
76. Raining More Than Cats & Dogs - During a sudden rainstorm near Boring, Oregon, in 1911, a women walking got more than she bargained for. The storm drenched the woman, but with more than just water - with salamanders. She felt what seemed to be large objects hitting her head and shoulders, and when she looked up, she saw hundreds of the critters "falling from the sky, literally covering the ground and wriggling and crawling all over."
77. In the paranormal community, the idea that "something is about to happen" is known as clairsentience. In fact, what is known to separate ordinary people from true psychics is the latter's uncanny ability to "sense" upcoming significant events. Few psychics can explain how they
"know" something will occur, but they do. In popular terms, of course, we describe this feeling as "having a hunch."
78. WEST YORKSHIRE -
As Elaine Sheridan was preparing to feed her three dogs from a tin of Winalot dog food she received a big surprise. A live toad jumped out of the tin and across her kitchen floor. One would think the two-inch amphibian would have croaked, literally, after being trapped in a tin from France for three months. But according to Dr. Roger Meek, he believes the toad could have survived by shutting down its metabolism. The Sheridans are keeping the lucky toad as a pet and have named it Buddy after the toads from the Budweiser commercials.
79. History's Biggest Ghost Hunt
A massive ghost hunt organized by Dr. Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University in Great Britain has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The search for spirits took place in April 2001 in subterranean vaults beneath the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. Approximately 250 people and dozens of high-tech sensors were employed in the probe of the underground space, which stretched for blocks. Despite the record-breaking effort, not a ghost was sighted nor a clanking chain heard.
80. Weird Weather -
In Dallas in 1958, fish poured down from a seemingly empty sky. The fish were three to four inches long and dark grey, with gold specks and red tails. There were no other kids of fish or freshwater creatures with them, rendering unlikely the local weather bureau's speculation that a tornado had picked up the contents of a river or lake and dropped them on Dallas.
81. Swamp Thing -
From the 1870's on, Englishman Alfred Smith spent a good deal of time in the African interior. In a memoir entitled, "Trader Horn," he referred to two unknown animals (or maybe one that had two names): "The 'Jago-Nini' they say is still in the swamps and rivers...Same as the 'Amali' I've always taken it to be. I've seen the 'Amali's' footprints...About the size of a good frying pan in circumference and three claws instead of five."
82. Freaky Follow-Up -
In the 1970's, American herpetologist James Powell was conducting field research in Gabon. He obtained confirmation of Alfred Smith's account of the mysterious "Amali." When he showed pictures of various animals to native informants, they invariably compared the "Amali," or "N'yamala," to the diplodocus, a long-necked sauropod dinosaur.
83. What Is Synesthesia?
About one in every 25,000 people has synesthesia, which also may enable them to see numbers andspoken words in color, and flavors as shapes. Experts theorize that synesthesia is caused by a "bleeding" between
the parts of the brain that process color, language and speech.
84. Bigger Than A Bunyip - Beginning in the nineteenth century, all the
way through 1932, an odd creature was often reported to have been seen
in Australia. The "bunyip" was semi-aquatic, much larger than a
retriever but with no tail, having long, black hair. It had a horse-like head and long ears, but was never captured, identified, or catalogued. Today, "bunyip" refers to any imaginary animal that inspires laughter or fear.
85. Really, They DO Exist - The poor, duckbilled platypus. When word of the creature first reached Europe in 1797, everyone though the little
guy was a fake. Even when stuffed specimens arrived, people suspected
that parts of different animals were all glued together, and naturally, when they heard that it was an egg-laying mammal, they thought for sure it was a hoax. The only way people finally overcame their disbelief is then scientists performed on-site observations of the animal in its natural habitat.
86. I Swear, I Was There - In a 1961 issue of "Australian Saucer Record," an anonymous contributor wrote claimed a "personal visit to a saucer base in Antarctica, located within a 140,000 square mile oasis beyond the South Pole...Yes, I saw fabulous cities of an unknown, advanced civilization whose ancestors belonged to the race that inhabited...Atlantis and Lemuria."
87. The Fatalist
If you believe that all occurrences in life are preordained, then you are considered a fatalist by the spiritual community. According to the theory of fatalism, it's not you but a supernatural power that predeterminesyour entire existence on earth, including events both large and small. Such supernatural powers include: God, your horoscope, numerological symbolism, and so on. Fatalists insist that destiny is foretold, and you are "powerless" to bring about any changes in your life.
88. The Apparition
When someone close to you dies, it's not uncommon to see a ghostly, luminous form of the person soon after. This is the individual's "astral body," which incorporates his or her life force, say parapsychologists. According to the experts, apparitions are simply a form of astral communication between the newly dead and those important people they've left behind. Ultimately, the astral body finds a new level of existence on the astral plane and no longer appears in ghostly form.
89. Number Two
Surprising as it may seem, the number two is associated with a host of negative meanings in the paranormal sphere. For example, the number represents lack of harmony and division as well as separation from God. For that reason, many numerologists believe the number two is inherently
evil. In addition, the number has connections to such unattractive personality traits as following rather than leading, uncertainty, and hesitation.
90. Shooting Stones - People in Cantillana, Spain on May 4, 1910, heard
explosive sounds and watched stones shoot upward from a spot on the
ground. This occurred between 10:00a.m. and noon that day, and the
"London Daily Mail" reported that "traces of an extinct volcano are
visible at this spot, and it is believed that a new crater is being formed." Well, they were wrong. No crater ever appeared, and the two-hour shower was the whole extent of the volcanic activity...if that's what it was.
91. An unexplained stone shower? In 1821, the "London Times" reported
that stones were falling on a house in Truro, Cornwall. They were not
able to report, however, where the stones were falling FROM. Even the
mayor visited the house, but he was unnerved by all the rattling of the walls and roof due to the falling stones. The military was also unable to determine the source of the stones, and as of 5 days later, the fall was still going on.
92. UFO? Evidently. One day in April, 1947, a train engineer traveling a
mile east of Antelope, Saskatchewan, saw a huge, cigar-shaped object
in the sky. He estimated it to be 250-300 feet long, and traveling south at a great speed. He said it was surrounded by a bluish light and had two rows of oval windows, one above the other. Unfortunately, the UFO was lost to view when the train rounded the hills.
