MOTHMAN FLUTTERINGS

No doubt uber-skeptic Joe Nickell will be on the program and tell us that the Flatwoods Monster was just an owl.

Mike Clelland at hidden experience writes about an interesting dream about an owl, and a hummingbird. Aside from the normal owl-as-symbol-of-esoterica, there seems to be a bit of synchronicity going on with birds in general and windshields. (Visit here to listen to the recent conversation Mike and I had about birds and general weirdness.)

From Jon Downes across the pond, on Still on the Track, a report of a Mothman/Owlman sighting in Seaham, on England’s northeast coast from Davey Curtis. A couple were walking home from a pub around 10:00 pm. On that walk, they encountered something very unusual:

As they got to the end of the lane something caught their eye in the field next to the fence. At first they thought it was a Shire horse because of its size but it was definitely not a Shire horse. Phil and Kate both told me that it was man-shaped, at least 7 feet tall, jet black with piercing red eyes, and it just stood there, motionless.

Phil and Kate looked at it in disbelief for about 15 seconds, then it let out a scream like a fox before “disappearing straight down like it had fell down a well or trap door!”

That did it! Phil and Kate then ran like Hell onto the main road until they stopped near the recently built water treatment plant, exhausted and out of breath. Phil tried to phone a taxi but found his mobile phone was dead, although it was working fine back at the pub. So half running, half walking, constantly looking about them, they got back home, terrified out of their wits, unable to understand what they had just witnessed.

Curtis has known the couple for twenty years and believes their story. There’s more to the story; read the entire account here.

From the blog Strange Planet, a fascinating post about the author’s experiences involving mechanical voices, where he describes hearing at 3:00 a.m. (a time noted for being a kind of UFO/paranormal, magical time, as he notes) a very strange sound

Approximately two months ago, I awoke in the middle of the night, roughly within the magical 3am hour (That in itself is worthy of more study, as it always seems to be at that particular hour. But I won’t veer off course here). What I began to hear, was in fact, as best I can describe, the sound of a LARGE ‘mechanical and metallic’ bird(?) outside of my window. I was stunned by this sound, but not afraid. I didn’t even feel the urge to look, to be honest. I just paid attention to the sound itself. It was fascinating. For the better part of ten minutes, it would ’squawk’ several times, take a break for about 30 seconds, then resume the vocalization. I heard it that one night, and never again. If I were to match the scope and size of this ‘bird’ with the size of the sound, this thing would’ve been 8ft. tall. Better I not look after all.

He goes on to write about synchronicity; contacts with others experiencing similar things, and some of what he’s discovered via research, past experiences, and the movie The Fourth Kind.

What struck me as interesting was the immediate “mothy” vibe I got from reading this account. Even though there is no mention of Mothman or indication of any Mothman phenomena, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Mothman. There is the bird like imagery of this encounter of course, but I thought of the electronic voices Keel described in The Mothman Prophecies.

Ed Walters, author of The Gulf Breeze Sightings, described hearing weird electronic or metallic voices outside his bedroom windows at night in connection with his UFO experiences.

I was also reminded of Greg Taylor’s article Her Sweet Murmur, in DarkLore volume 1, which explores the rushing, roaring, bell clanging/chiming sounds many (including myself) experience during esoteric events. These episodes appear diverse and often unconnected from each other; UFOs, BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) appearances, Mothman, Bigfoot or other crypto sightings, aliens, OOBEs, etc. but, Taylor asks, is there a common source from where these entities emerge? These strange sounds of clicking, clacking, singing, bells and the like are shared by fringe phenomena; possibly pointing to the idea they are related. UFOs, aliens, abductions, contactees, Bigfoot weirdness, BVM sightings, MIBS, fairies, maybe they are kaleidoscopic manifestations of the same thing.

As far as Mothman goes, Mothman wasn’t, or isn’t, an isolated and specific event. There’s a whole high strangeness context enveloping Mothman: UFOs, MIBS, telepathic messages, OOBEs, electronic voices, premonitions, heavy dreams laden with messages and communications, curses and legends, synchronicities and a thread of violence that trails Mothman. This is not to say Mothman itself is violent, or responsible for the aura of violence connected with the phenomena, but a response to it.

As I’ve commented in the previous post, I’ve been working on exploring memories and dreams, trying to get closer to what “really” happened with these experiences. Missing time, UFOs, and other high strangeness; what is behind these events? For example: missing time. Where was I (or we, since two, and recently it’s been considered, possibly three, missing time events experienced by my husband as well,) so where were we, what was happening?! during these missing time times. The world didn’t stop while we were — whereever we were. The point is, my mind doesn’t remember but obviously things were still happening around me, us. . . the question is of course, what?

I was working on my Orange Orb column for UFO Magazine last night (wrote a full article on one memory “dream” that I call the “bedroom radiator alien” but followed where that led me, to an earlier memory, of the following “dream.” ) Like my patio alien “dream” I had around the same age (but in a different house) this memory has stayed with me for some fifty years or so, as vivid as the day it happened. It wasn’t a dream and yet, it must have been, since it couldn’t have literally happened:

I’m flat on my back in the dead center of my bed, which I remember as being large, and white; white sheets, and just a white covering. The bedroom is lit up very bright; which I wonder at: if I’m supposed to be asleep why are all the lights on?

I am so full of happiness!!!! I have an expectant joy that is so wonderful; I know “they” are coming. I stare up at the ceiling in anticipation. The ceiling opens up, two halves move up and outwards, revealing the starry night sky.

A giant eagle — so huge it’s almost the size of the open ceiling — swoops down from the sky, to my left, and down into the bedroom, right above me. It’s come to take me up. As the eagle flies into the room I turn and see my parents, my grandmother, and some others, standing in the doorway. They seem to be stuck there; they aren’t coming into the room. They’re just watching. I’m very glad to see my father but am a little confused; he doesn’t live with us and I don’t understand why or how it is he’s here.

The eagle comes, it’s so fantastic!

It wasn’t until last night that I realized there is a Thunderbird and Mothman connection to this experience. At age five or so I didn’t know what Thunderbirds were, nor did I know anything about Mothman of course.

I started doing some research about eagles in terms of UFO accounts and before I knew it, I had found all kinds of interesting things; things that will take awhile to explore.

One thing I found that I haven’t read fully but did skim is an article for the E.L.F. Infested Spaces (ELFIS) ‘zine by Jeffrey Lewis: Idiot Stick – Whitley Strieber’s Encounters. It is very esoteric and I only mention it because of the thinking done by Lewis on the nature of dreams, memories, symbolism and connections in the context of UFOs, aliens and entities. Frankly I don’t know what to make of it but as I say, I haven’t given it the attention needed. (There is much there; this is a site that will take you in many directions. . . )

Mentioned, I think, somewhere on the Elfis site, was something about the myth of Leda and the Swan; I also found a passing reference to the Greek myth in Erik Davis’s 1993 My Favorite Martians: A UFO Epistomology — this myth in context of UFO experiences has been addressed by UFO and esoteric researchers before. The comparison of this theme of a god like being or entity (Zeus), disguised as an animal that is familiar to humans, coming from the skies to have sexual relations with a human female to alien-UFO abduction and contactee accounts is an obvious one to explore in terms of alien-UFO stories.

I am not suggesting my memory had anything to do with anything so literal or sexual — but the comparisons and connections, all those glittering threads that reveal themselves when going tumbling down the rabbit hole of esoterica — are natural ones to follow for Fortean junkies like myself.

All that aside, bird and winged – being imagery is strong in UFO accounts, and that includes Mothman accounts.

Image: Leda and the Swan, painting by artist from the School of Leonardo da Vinci, 1505-1510, public domain.

Visit my blog The Orange Orb

http://orangeorb.blogspot.com

From Phantoms and Monsters blog: an item about a Mothman type being in Ohio in September of this year. Hat tip to UFO Mystic.
As witness drove under the RT8 overpass bridge, just north of the Hudson Drive Applebee’s Restaurant, he sighted a 9-10′ tall solid black entity standing on the southbound side of the road. No discernible head or facial features noticed. Duration approx. 5-10secs. Distance approx 15-20′ from his vehicle.

Witness had the feeling the entity was watching him and was “there” for him only. No other vehicles/persons present during sighting. Immediately after turning his head back to the road, he looked in rearview mirror, entity no longer visible. Did not see entity depart or disappear. Witness became extremely upset and scared. Felt that he paled, and his eyes began to water uncontrollably. First thought was to turn around and go home, calling off of work. He tried to call his wife at home, but cell phone would not work, either from the programmed address book, or manual input calling. Kept getting “call failed”, which has never happened before.

For rest of this very interesting story visit the Phantoms and Monsters blog!

On Cryptozoology On – Line, a small item about a report of the Owlman. . .

I like this blog because it’s purely personal; someone sharing their experiences. Here’s a beautiful and somehow magical and important experience involving owls.

I’ve recently received several e-mails from someone in my area (Lane County, western Oregon) whose friend saw a “batsquatch” on his rural property about ten miles from where I live. However, my intuition tells me the story isn’t reliable. And, as I correspond more with the “FOA” (friend of a friend) the creepy vibe I get remains.

I’ve written about this a bit on my Bigfoot blog Frame 352, and I’ll write more for my next Trickster’s Realm column for Binnall of America, which will be up next week.

The story of this 19 year old man working in his garage at 1:00 a.m. on his rural property off Lorane Highway, who saw a strange creature, follows:

The “thing” was about 15 ft. from the witness at about 1:15 A.M. behind his house. He accidentally locked himself out of his house while working in his garage late last night. He went around to the back of his house to climb in through a window. He heard something and used the light from his cell phone, pointing it in the direction of the sound. The thing had a human form only quite large over seven feet with red reflecting eyes and very large wings. It jumped into the air flying off with the sound of massive air displacement with each wing stroke.

Overall, I just had a red flag go up, especially given the way this first e-mail started out, with the man’s intention of sacrificing a live lamb, tethered by “shark hooks” in order to trap this so-called “batsquatch”:

Can it be baited with a lamb? I’m thinking of putting shark hooks with 3/32″ braided steel leader in the lamb’s fur along the back. I want to tether the lamb near the edge of a field near the woods. I am concerned about coyotes getting the lamb first.

I immediately e-mailed the person and told him I do not support any such thing. He wrote back surprised, thinking I would be all over this. Why he would think that I don’t know, I’ve written many times on-line I support a “no kill” policy on Bigfoot, I’m against trophy and canned hunting, exotic pet ownership and exploitation, etc.

Then things turned even weirder; turns out the batsquatch is, in this man’s opinion, a “demon” and so, must be dealt with. Both men are Christians, and he tells me only a strong faith in Christ can handle such a creature. I then wrote to him and asked him if that were so, wouldn’t an exorcism of sorts work, given his faith? In other words, instead of using a live animal as bait, try prayer, focus, intent, light, and so on.

His justification for using a live lamb, aside from the religious angle, was that coyotes, bear, cougar, and other predators kill lamb. His other justification was that the encounter with this creature needs to be proved. Yes, I replied, but they are predators eating to survive, not playing games with a supposed demon. Using an innocent creature to capture another to vindicate one’s experience of the strange is simply immoral in my world view:

There are coyotes, black bears, one lynx, and a couple of cougars in the area so the lamb may end up eaten one way or the other.

I replied with the following. At this time, this is the last e-mail received and sent:

So, very sad to say, it seems you intend to go ahead with this and sacrifice a lamb to gratify an ego-driven need to “prove” to the world such a “demonic” creature exists. The fact that bear, cougar, coyote, etc. kill livestock does not make this okay. One is the natural predation of creatures upon another; yours is an ego driven choice made out of a religious conviction a need to eat for survival.

By the way, if you really believe any of this, the fact (in your view) this thing is a “demon” — well, does it even need food? Why not try a sort of exorcism, without the lamb? Prayer, light, intent, focus, etc. — that might go a long way.

Also, if it’s a demon, do you really think such a creature would hold still within the confines of being held prisoner in a lab somewhere, especially a government lab? For no doubt the authorities would get involved such a fantastic find.

Do you really trust the Big Science Infrastructure (talk about demons) and government that much — that they wouldn’t kill this thing, cut it up, and hide it away after they’ve done what they’ve wanted? And how much credit or vindication do you think such authorities would grant you in regards to the proof of this creature? You’re really back at square one.

I don’t expect this to have any influence on this person, I was basically venting my frustration. I figure if he contacted me first he takes the responsibility of response to his plans.

My initial response to this was that this 19 year old man was either highly distracted or agitated to begin with — working in a garage at 1:00 a.m, locking himself out of the house on rural property? etc. — or a “tweaker” (meth head.) I realize the irony of this coming from me, after all, the pathological skeptic uses this excuse all the time to explain away witness encounters. Combine that with the superstitious form of their religious belief, and the symbolic nature of the sacrificial lamb . . . just adds up to an unwholesome scenario I don’t want to be a part of.

Besides which, I don’t know of any Batsquatch sightings in Oregon, though I know there are reports out of Washington state and Mt. Shasta area.

Not Mothman, but a winged creature or “monster” — this one being The Jersey Devil. Starring Lou Diamond Phillips, the movie had a ripping good monster. That, and Phillips, only two reasons to see the movie. I was disappointed; seemed chopped up; edited weirdly, the preacher character’s ranting wasn’t connected to anything…. over all, pretty bad. And I like bad sci fi movies! I think it would have been better if they had made it a mini series, or at least a two parter.

I posted a short review on The OrangeOrb, and Loren Coleman reviewed it on his blogCryptomundo.