A short history of Bigfoot sightings and lore(laphamsquarterly.org)
laphamsquarterly.org
A short history of Bigfoot sightings and lore
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/that-was-no-bear
43 comments
My dad and my uncle are staunch believers in a wild man sort of creature that lives out here in the remote San Juan mountains of southern Colorado. The stories they share are vague, but convincing. They grew up in these mountains, sleeping alone under the stars there throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s. Over the last couple of decades they have stories of things that they’d never experienced in their lives in the mountains. Screams. Destruction. Heart-pounding sounds and experiences. Now they quest for conclusive evidence and have yet to turn up any. It’s hard to reconcile the lack of evidence with the ascribed authority of their cumulative mountaineering experience, much like what’s described in this article.
random observation : mountain lion calls sound like screaming primates. maybe they at least sometimes heard that.
I like to think that Bigfoot did exist at some point. There is fossil evidence of large upright walking apes in Asia (gigantopithecus) contemporary with early homo sapiens. Those creatures could have come to North America the same way humans did.
When Europeans showed up, the indigenous humans were ravaged by Old World disease. It seems logical that any contact between humans and Bigfoot would have similar consequences.
I could believe that some small populations survived long enough to inspire stories. If there are any left, I imagine they would be spread pretty thin.
In any case, there are no verified bodies to study, so we are left with our imaginations.
There are older indigenous people on Vancouver Island who basically say that growing up there was definitely a bigfoot of sorts. Their parents would see them even more often. They don't seem to doubt it at all. I do recall a CBC video of an elder saying that they were around but that even he's beginning to think that might have been the last of them. If you think about how much North America has changed in only 150 years it sure seems plausible. Maybe it was just a particular group of extra large bears or something but I believe they're not making things up and did encounter some type of special animals at some point.
The migration of H. sapiens sapiens from Africa to America left a trail with a lot of fossil and artifacts, and they have the correct chronological order.
A similar story for the migration to Australia.
As far as we know, other big apes and hominids never crossed some big water barriers and never reached America or Australia. There are no bones. There are no footprints, ...
So your idea is possible, but it's very unlikely.
A similar story for the migration to Australia.
As far as we know, other big apes and hominids never crossed some big water barriers and never reached America or Australia. There are no bones. There are no footprints, ...
So your idea is possible, but it's very unlikely.
Check out “Discovering Bigfoot”
On Netflix. It’s actually worth a watch.
Or listen to 1 of the over 450 episodes of the podcast “Sasquatch Chronicles”, each of which contains 1 or more eye witness reports.
http://sasquatchchronicles.com
http://sasquatchchronicles.com
If in the Bay Area, there’s a crazy little big foot museum run by a wildly eccentric chap who is great fun to talk to in Felton, just 10 minutes outside of Santa Cruz. It’s just opposite Henry Cowell Redwood Statepark which is also well worth a visit, it’s a fun afternoon to see both. Admission is free too. He also tracks supposed big foot sightings in the Santa Cruz mountains.
> https://www.bigfootdiscoveryproject.com/
> https://www.bigfootdiscoveryproject.com/
I had a professor last semester who believed that Bigfoot (among other 'supernatural phenomena') is/are actually interdimensional beings 'operating in a frequency just out of our bandwidth', which was his justification for why 'video evidence' for them was always so poor and low detail/obscure. Of all things, I'm always surprised at how well bigfoot has captured people's imagination, for what would just seem to be a glorified gorilla
I dont think bigfoot or "large cat" sightings would capture the imagination of Africans. In Africa they have other mythical beings, which in some cases are large reptiles.
A lot of sightings are proven hoaxes so the out of focus images no doubt were intentional. I doubt an extra dimension reptile would somehow be restricted to a random lake in Scotland. Now if people started sighting Nessie in London...
A lot of sightings are proven hoaxes so the out of focus images no doubt were intentional. I doubt an extra dimension reptile would somehow be restricted to a random lake in Scotland. Now if people started sighting Nessie in London...
One of my favorite pastimes is listening and reading about paranormal/alien encounters and theories. I don’t believe a lick of it, but I find it entertaining to hear theories that make you question reality, if just for a moment.
My favorite that I’ve heard thus far is that humans are a product of alien genetic engineering combining alien and primate DNA. This supposedly involved multiple “steps” to get what we know as humans with protohumans (e.g. Neanderthals) being previous “steps” or attempts. Bigfoot is either one of those “steps” or attempts. I’ve also heard a theory that Bigfoot was a “happy accident” and carries out duties for the aliens.
I think the latter has come about as a way to explain some supposed connection between Bigfoot and the missing 411.
My favorite that I’ve heard thus far is that humans are a product of alien genetic engineering combining alien and primate DNA. This supposedly involved multiple “steps” to get what we know as humans with protohumans (e.g. Neanderthals) being previous “steps” or attempts. Bigfoot is either one of those “steps” or attempts. I’ve also heard a theory that Bigfoot was a “happy accident” and carries out duties for the aliens.
I think the latter has come about as a way to explain some supposed connection between Bigfoot and the missing 411.
> One of my favorite pastimes is listening and reading about paranormal/alien encounters and theories. I don’t believe a lick of it, but I find it entertaining to hear theories that make you question reality, if just for a moment.
The thing is, when you think about it, reality is probably much stranger than you give it credit for. All we know about reality is what we perceive and infer from those perceptions... among which is quite a bit of knowledge about how fallible our ability to perceive reality actually is. Most of what you think you know is inferred from memory, which is notoriously unreliable, and/or relayed by others, which is at least as unreliable. And the kicker is, our understanding of what reality is relies on the assumption that reality is even understandable to us in the first place, which is not a given.
The thing is, when you think about it, reality is probably much stranger than you give it credit for. All we know about reality is what we perceive and infer from those perceptions... among which is quite a bit of knowledge about how fallible our ability to perceive reality actually is. Most of what you think you know is inferred from memory, which is notoriously unreliable, and/or relayed by others, which is at least as unreliable. And the kicker is, our understanding of what reality is relies on the assumption that reality is even understandable to us in the first place, which is not a given.
Which is why anecdotal evidence is useless, and study's of very large n's are the closet we'll get to a truth
Hopefully that professor didn’t teach anything close to electronics/physics/chemistry.
Thankfully he didnt, but he is a well tenured English teacher who like to focus on biblical themes. Hes a nice guy really, and I liked him as a person, but he is absolutely batshit insane, this was just one of his "eccentric" beliefs
I see similarities between Bigfoot and fairy/elf mythology. Aside from the difference in size, these creatures live "beyond the edge" of human society, in the wild - which seems to have metaphorical significance, like beings "out there" in the collective unconscious. Just like in dreams, my view is that these beings are reflections of humanity, upon which we project latent fears and desires.
Like the Skunk Ape of Miami area and the Hodag of Wisconsin.
Back in the early 2000s there was a credible rumor circulating about a reclusive Bigfoot Easter Egg hidden in the outskirts of (Grand Theft Auto)San Andreas. This was the only time I've ever been excited about Bigfoot and for a sizeable subset of millennials this is the only credible Bigfoot lore we'll ever be exposed to. Considering that GTA San Andreas is the bestselling PS2 game ever made, Lapham's not mentioning it at all is lame.
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-hunt-for-one-of-g...
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-hunt-for-one-of-g...
The question I would ask Bigfoot believers is what about the droppings? An animal this big would eat an awful lot of food (and mostly plants, I would assume), and so it would leave a lot of droppings, like many pounds a day. And they would be distinctive, and have Bigfoot dna in them. So where are all the droppings?
Also, for some sightings, it could be a hunter/poacher
in a ghillie suit.
I hate to say it, but I agree with Jane Goodall. Logically, I know Sasquatch doesn't exist. But I want to believe it does.
I just don't understand how people continue to believe that Bigfoot exists. The footage from the 1970s, once stabilized, looks embarrassingly like a man in a gorilla suit. Plus they admitted their faking it. The fact people still believe this makes me understand exactly how conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers believe what they do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q60mSMmhTZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q60mSMmhTZU
Maybe you should do some research before calling bullsh*t. Here’s part 1 of 6 of a 12 hour analysis of that film - https://overcast.fm/+DkjFY8nxA
The hosts go into it open minded, and come out believing it is real.
Along the way they speak to the surviving people who were actually there and involved, AND to a Hollywood film maker and creature FX person who was making high-end costumes in the 60s. He says the technology to make a costume that good at that time was not in existence. Furthermore, he says nobody has yet been able to produce a costume of similar quality.
Also, when you look into the proportions the human body, they don’t match those of the being in the film.
Also, there are many indications in the film itself that it was an impromptu shoot.
AND the guy who claimed to have been the man in the monkey suit had a beef (motive) with the man who shot the film, AND the costume he described wearing doesn’t match what appears on the film, AND the lengths of his limbs don’t match those of the creature in the film.
And the other guy who was present when the film was shot is known to be highly respected and full of integrity. A real straight shooter.
Lastly, check out BFRO.org to see the thousands of sightings that continue to occur every year across the USA. Sure, some are probably bears... but some are up close and personal, and involve police, forest rangers, military, etc.
The hosts go into it open minded, and come out believing it is real.
Along the way they speak to the surviving people who were actually there and involved, AND to a Hollywood film maker and creature FX person who was making high-end costumes in the 60s. He says the technology to make a costume that good at that time was not in existence. Furthermore, he says nobody has yet been able to produce a costume of similar quality.
Also, when you look into the proportions the human body, they don’t match those of the being in the film.
Also, there are many indications in the film itself that it was an impromptu shoot.
AND the guy who claimed to have been the man in the monkey suit had a beef (motive) with the man who shot the film, AND the costume he described wearing doesn’t match what appears on the film, AND the lengths of his limbs don’t match those of the creature in the film.
And the other guy who was present when the film was shot is known to be highly respected and full of integrity. A real straight shooter.
Lastly, check out BFRO.org to see the thousands of sightings that continue to occur every year across the USA. Sure, some are probably bears... but some are up close and personal, and involve police, forest rangers, military, etc.
Fascinating how we still have yet to find a single carcass of a massive land mammal that lives close enough to civilization for there to be regular sightings.
Also strange that the video evidence is so spectacularly subpar that the most convincing of it requires significant anomaly hunting to persuade anyone.
Also strange that the video evidence is so spectacularly subpar that the most convincing of it requires significant anomaly hunting to persuade anyone.
The one argument I've heard to that is: how many dead bears or cougars are often stumbled upon? Turns out not a lot. Animals tend to find hidden placed to die and then nature can dispose and disperse of them pretty quickly. You will find dead deer but there are so many of them and they are heavily hunted. They're also kind of dumb and will die by running into a tree and things like that. The other thing that gives me pause to believe it's possible they're out there is that there have been times in recent history where we've apparently discovered entire large(ish) populations of gorillas when we had believed their numbers were lower.
I don't know. Not arguing bigfoot exists but I like the idea that even in modern times there's still stuff we can miss even though it feels like it would be impossible.
I don't know. Not arguing bigfoot exists but I like the idea that even in modern times there's still stuff we can miss even though it feels like it would be impossible.
I actually stumbled upon a dead bear in Wisconsin a month ago, invalidating your thesis. I have pictures.
> And the other guy who was present when the film was shot is known to be highly respected and full of integrity. A real straight shooter.
You knew him personally? What is his name?
>Furthermore, he says nobody has yet been able to produce a costume of similar quality.
Really?
You knew him personally? What is his name?
>Furthermore, he says nobody has yet been able to produce a costume of similar quality.
Really?
Bob Gimlin.
Yes, really. They can do it with computer graphics, but not costumes. Computer graphics didn’t exist when the film was made. Spandex didn’t even exist yet.
Yes, really. They can do it with computer graphics, but not costumes. Computer graphics didn’t exist when the film was made. Spandex didn’t even exist yet.
I was talking to my mother in law and she said - "Bob Gimlin that straight shooter!" this confirms everything.
Bear costumes in the 1970s is also quite hard to imagine.
Bear costumes in the 1970s is also quite hard to imagine.
6 parts AND 12 hours you say, on the “Astonishing Legends” podcast? Well colour me convinced.
It’s broken up into 6 parts because they dive so deep into every aspect of the film. The guys history. Feasibility of hoaxing. Etc. I’m not trying to convince you. I’m saying give it a listen and see what you think.
> housands of sightings that continue to occur every year across the USA.
Amazingly not a single one by people with phones to take pictures with. Huh.
Amazingly not a single one by people with phones to take pictures with. Huh.
Plenty of people have cell phones with them. They are either too shocked to take a picture, or they use their digital zoom and the pic comes out fuzzy and people call it a hoax. Or they get a decent pic and people call it a hoax anyway.
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It’s weird, just ten years ago some hoaxters[1] tried to get greater publicity by trying to imply a Stanford professor would be involved in examining a “carcass” as well as having a congressional candidate involved in the excursion.
Their plan for a news conference was foiled when the ice encasing their Bigfoot “carcass” melted too fast and exposed the frozen rubber suit.
[1]http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/19/bigfoot.hoax/index.html
Their plan for a news conference was foiled when the ice encasing their Bigfoot “carcass” melted too fast and exposed the frozen rubber suit.
[1]http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/19/bigfoot.hoax/index.html
It’s a weird feature of humanity. Once an idea (or meme in the original Dawkins sense) starts spreading, it’s very hard to make it disappear, no matter how ridiculous it is. See flat earth theories, various nutty religious theories (“Jesus crossed the ocean and lived the rest of his days in the USA”), etc.
I guess it’s a social thing? Humans have a fundamental need to bond and feel part of a bigger “us” and these things serve as a substrate for it.
I guess it’s a social thing? Humans have a fundamental need to bond and feel part of a bigger “us” and these things serve as a substrate for it.
What about aliens? Are they an idea or reality? :-)
Alien bacteria-like in their original planet: Nobody know, but yes. Some steps are easy, some steps are unknow. It's a little optimist to say a clear "yes", but "yes".
Intelligent Alien living happily in their original planet or nearby: Nobody know, but probably yes. There are more unknows unknows step here. I'm particularly worried abbot the prokaryote-eukaryote transition, but there are more steps and more unknow steps. So let's hope that the universe is big enough and say "probably yes".
Intelligent Alien visiting us in flying saucer: Nobody know, but probably no. The distances are too big. There is no hard evidence like a crash from time to time. We don't receive any electromagnetic weird signals, and electromagnetic communication is so efficient it would be weird that they use other means to communicate between starships. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, but let's say "probably no".
Intelligent Alien living happily in their original planet or nearby: Nobody know, but probably yes. There are more unknows unknows step here. I'm particularly worried abbot the prokaryote-eukaryote transition, but there are more steps and more unknow steps. So let's hope that the universe is big enough and say "probably yes".
Intelligent Alien visiting us in flying saucer: Nobody know, but probably no. The distances are too big. There is no hard evidence like a crash from time to time. We don't receive any electromagnetic weird signals, and electromagnetic communication is so efficient it would be weird that they use other means to communicate between starships. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, but let's say "probably no".
Unlike antivax, Bigfoot is fun to believe in. This isn’t science—it’s mirth.
It's the same with the loch ness monster, the famous 'surgeon's photo' has long since been admitted as a fake, yet people still believe it to be proof. Granted, as with bigfoot that's not the ONLY ever sighting, but it's the one that cements the story as believable to most people.
I’ve never felt the same community of believers exists around “Nessie”, probably because the myth is so tightly linked to one specific location.
Bigfoot’s big marketing advantage is that he could be living in any forest, anywhere, greatly increasing the total addressable market for believers.
Bigfoot’s big marketing advantage is that he could be living in any forest, anywhere, greatly increasing the total addressable market for believers.