MOTHMAN FLUTTERINGS

These are so cute! I want one. Mothman ornaments, or pendants, or whatever… on Komodokat.

Interesting post on Cryptomundo about giant owls — they really did exist — and a weird encounter in the 1980s.

An article by paranormal researchers on the west coast about how producers of paranomral shows use researchers for their own agendas. A given, maybe, but something not often talked about. I felt the same way after talking to the producer from History Channel, and it’s good to hear this not so pretty side of things from someone else. In Paranormal Television: Cutting Room Floor Philosophy the recent Mothman episode aired on Monster Quest is discussed, and MQ’s treatment of witnesses, data and researchers.

I saw it; have been looking forward to this episode ever since a producer from the show contacted me several months ago in preparing for the program. I think I put her off; for I went into an esoteric direction (a la Andrew Colvin, who, I noticed, the show did not mention) and she nervously-laughingly said she didn’t want the government following her, dismissing anything to do with all that. I didn’t think much of the program, even though Nick Redfern was on, which was great. But overall, didn’t think much of it and Coleman makes a good point: where was the historical background? However, of all the things that annoyed me the most was the inclusion of uber-skeptic (“I’m not a scientist, I have an English Lit degree, but I play one on TV” Joe Nickell) who smirked non-stop while gleefully cutting out plywood Mothman figures to test the accuracy of witnesses. This man has an intriguing fixation with owls; for, after all, not only are owls the explanation for Mothman sightings, owls are the explanation for the Flatwoods creature, and the Kelly Hopkinsville entities, says Nickell.

Here’s Coleman’s review on his blog Cryptomundo.

I started up a new blog: Alien Art Genre. From the blog’s blurb:

Alien Art Genre: Drawings, paintings, and other artistic renderings of aliens, entities, UFOs, esoteric happenings and other strange things experienced — whether literally or by inspiration — by creative witnesses. If you have an image to submit, email Regan Lee at rlee@orangeorb.net with image, medium, title and brief description (direct sighting or encounter, inspired by _____, etc.)

I’ve been working on delving into many of my UFO experiences, including “dreams” or/ and memories, missing time, and time line of events. A few of my posts have appeared on-line in the past week or so. My idea was to start with intent — intent to remember, to retrieve: An Intent Experiment Retreiving Missing Time , and Dreams and Memories in a UFO Context The latter article I wrote and posted on Phantoms and Monsters last night.

Mothman wasn’t on my mind, just UFOs, but I had the following dream last night:

I’m on my way to Point Pleasant — road trip! A Mothman road trip. A couple of friends are with me. I have an idea to film all this, do a documentary, even though I don’t want to. I keep saying that there are so many documentaries on Mothman what could I possibly contribute, or uncover, that would be new for anyone? Same old same old. There is also the fact I don’t know a thing about making movies or documentaries. (And yet later, when it comes to editing, a tedious process I do not want to do, I can’t trust anyone else, even with years of editing experience, to touch the film. What if they miss something, lose something, or misnterpret my discovery? I’ll do it myself, even though it’s going to be a huge pain.)

We start off in the west; vast, beautiful landscape. Violets and blues and pinks and huge canyons and deserts, just absolutely amazing. Uninhabited by humans. A bit scary too; and suddenly, to my surprise, I realize Mothman is here as well. He, it, has been here. A giangantic shadow appears overhead, gliding silently across the sky. It’s the shadow of a Mothman/Thunderbird, but not the thing itself. I’m surprised we’d find Mothman out here right away, so far from Point Pleasant.

We keep going. Find petroglyphs in the Southwest that are definitely Mothman. Many Naitves are upset with me, accusing me of being a “twinkie” and appropriating and exploiting culture, others don’t and are helpful. We move on.

Make it to Point Pleasant. Turns out it’s the day after the Mothman Festival. Streets are littered with confetti, flyers, etc. I’m a little shocked, and disturbed, at the poverty of the place. A veneer has been set in place but it’ s flimsy; you can see right through things. There is sadness, confusion, loss, and a sense of being lost . . . I really want to leave.

We find a family who own an “antique” shop, more of a vintage, sort of, catch all thrift store. They remember Mothman well and to my surprise, are willing to talk to me. I would have thought everyone in the town would be talked out but they want people to understand, to know, and so they don’t mind me being there. And yet there is such an overall sense of desperation. Not from Mothman, but because of Mothman: because of how the world has responded to them, their town, their story.

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.

Andrew Colvin writes about an interesting case on his Washington blog on the L.O.W.F.I. site. The case invovles a woman harrassed by something . . . government, MIBs, aliens . . .

L.O.W.F.I. is a the brain-dream of esoteric writer and go-getter Skylaire Alfvgren. Skylaire’s blog of Fortean writers includes Lesley (Debris Field, Beyond the Dial,) Adam Gorightly (Untamed Dimensions), Andrew Colvin of Mothman Photographer’s II and III, and myself, among others. The blog has “mini blogs” — regional blogs from each writer, reporting on Fortean topics from their area. For example, I focus on Western Oregon. Visit the site and have fun!

I think this will develop into something more in depth later on, but right now I’m just commenting on the pull Mothman seems to have for so many people, including myself. I’ve been intrigued by the Mothman story since I first heard about it years ago, and yet, I’ve never been back east. (Only briefly for a few days in N. Carolina.)

I had given someone at work my links to blogs, etc. and he comes up to me a few days later, asking me: “What the f*** is Mothman?” He had never heard of it. Hard to explain, or do any of the story justice, in a minute or two while at work. I did my best. I mentioned how West Virginia has a haunted, weird, Fortean history going back hundreds of years. He told me he’s been to that area, and that there is something very weird there, a general “vibe” of weirdness. He also told me he’s fascinated by Mothman and wants to know more.

Colvin mentions this pull in his books as well. A lot of layers to this idea, and that’s why I say this line of thinking will no doubt be developed further.

Speaking of Colvin’s books, I highly recommend them.