Forbidden Bigfoot: Reviewed
Posted by: Nick Redfern on December 4th, 2013
“Well, it’s time for me to get on my Bigfoot soapbox again. Or, in other words, get the collective blood-pressure of the ‘flesh and blood’ brigade soaring through the roof. On several occasions here at Mysterious Universe, I have noted the undeniable fact that many people within the Bigfoot research arena will simply not address the theory that the creature is far more than a mere unknown animal. That is, aside from predictably attacking the theory.
“Now, I have no problem – at all – with someone concluding that the high-strangeness angle of Bigfoot has no validity if they actually do the research to prove their point. But, time and again, I come across researchers of the monstrous mystery who openly admit to refusing to even look at such cases, read books on the weirder side of Bigfoot, or engage the witnesses in debate. The reason? Their minds are already made up. And that’s something I do have a problem with.”
That’s how my new Mysterious Universe article begins, on the subject of Lisa Shiel’s new book, Forbidden Bigfoot.
About Nick Redfern
Punk music fan, Tennents Super and Carlsberg Special Brew beer fan, horror film fan, chocolate fan, like to wear black clothes, like to stay up late. Work as a writer.
Nick Redfern after reading your article there is one famous quote that I dug out of the Internet. It was from the 2009 Star Trek movie. Spock is referring to Nero and how the whole situation was happening to them. I believe, if someone is open minded, then this quote should supplement the possibilities of the book you are reviewing.
The quote is:
Spock: If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Not that my mind is already made up, or that I have even done the research. It just is I have to check the mundane off my list of curious things before I could even consider the uber-weird stuff like Bigfoot with death-ray eyes. To me, the animal as it is generally proposed to be is enough to take a lifetime of study and thought already. I just don’t have the bandwidth, sorry. But, uh, feel free….
I believe that Sasquatch is a flesh & blood animal/primitive man type creature but i have to be honest and say that i have heard about incidents where researchers have been following a trackway through snow no less and the tracks just come to a dead stop in the middle of a clearing or such? It is things like that that make me go hummm?
There absolutely are Bigfoot reports that fall way outside the norm and wander into the paranormal realm, or so it would seem.
What does it all mean? I haven’t even got a clue.
Goodfoot — Well, that’s the main point I’m trying to make with Forbidden Bigfoot. We just don’t know. We can’t know anything for certain when it comes to Bigfoot — or any other cryptids, for that matter. If we knew then they wouldn’t be cryptids anymore.
Ploughboy: yup. Dunno ’bout you, but my problem is with folk who don’t think that the world’s biggest primate, living right here in the good old US of A, is somehow “enough,” and have to Invent Stuff, which clearly stems from lack of either investigation, or thinking about what one has investigated.
Lisa A. Shiel:
“We can’t know anything for certain when it comes to Bigfoot — or any other cryptids, for that matter.”
Right. Which may be why chasing scientists away from the topic, screaming like little girls, might not be the bestest idea. Unless of course that’s the intent. In that case, it’s working.
I don’t want science touching the paranormal bigfoot with either a ten-foot pole or an eleven-foot Irishman. It’s simply not warranted; in fact, it would undermine my confidence in science. “This undefined animal orbs/buries its dead/communicates with us telepathically” is investigated, just, precisely, how…?
I agree 100% with DWA.
There is a difference between having an open mind and being gullible. I am willing to accept the significant possibility that sasquatch exists because of the large quantum of reasonably reliable evidence that it is real. There are many eyewitness reports from ordinary people and even people of above-average credibility.
In contrast, I am aware of no credible evidence that sasquatch has a supernatural or extraterrestrial origin. Other than sheer speculation, there are only two sorts of evidence supporting a theory tying sasquatch in with the netherworlds or UFOs: pure coincidence and reports from non-credible sources. The fact that something is difficult to find does not mean that it is utilizing seemingly magical abilities to evade detection. And the proponents of these theories all seem, to employ a euphemism, to be playing with less than a full 52-card deck.
DWA is correct that unless these proponents of extreme theories can support them with credible, convincing, rather than merely conjectural, evidence, then giving them any credence or attention at all simply weakens the cause of all cryptozoology. It behooves anyone who takes seriously the possibility of the existence of sasquatch to distance themselves from crackpot theories and their proponents.
Ditto to DWA and NMRNG posts.
Lisa, nothing ever paranormal has ever been proven to exist in science. Ever.
Your speculations are just that. Just speculation without any iota of physical proof.
You are exactly right. Nothing paranormal has ever been proven to exist — and this includes Bigfoot, no matter what we believe its nature to be. The so-called flesh-and-blood Bigfoot research has produced no replicable, falsiifiable, scientifically accepted research either (not even the much-vaunted DNA tests). In fact, far more scientific research has been published concerning psychic phenomena than for any cryptid.
Even folks who adhere to the so-called flesh-and-blood hypothesis are speculating. Absolutely everything about Bigfoot is speculation.
That’s why we must remain open to all possibilities. The truth often comes wrapped in a package that no one wanted to open.
Lisa,
Yes, flesh-and-blood Bigfoot research has produced no replicable, falsifiable, scientifically accepted research. Perhaps that’s because Bigfoot doesn’t exist. Maybe it does. But flesh-and-blood “unknown” animals are commonly “discovered,” and as you readily admit, “Nothing paranormal has ever been proven to exist.”
So yes, everyone is free to speculate about any and everything. Speculation has no boundaries. But speculation without any accepted proof is only pseudo-science and junk-science.
Lisa:
Like most in this discussion, you aren’t getting why sasquatch isn’t documented yet. The scientific mainstream is in denial about evidence, something weird enough to be considered borderline paranormal. Mainly because it happens over and over.
But anyway.
But the bulk – the vast bulk – of the evidence speaks to an animal scientists just don’t want to get around to documenting. That’s all.
Actually, you know, the reasons aren’t that paranormal when one gets down to it. Scientists invest years grinding their brains against the quotidian rigor of the discipline; pounding their skulls full of information most of them didn’t need or want, but the course was required for the degree; getting it gradually driven into their heads that if the peers don’t accept it, just accept yourself that it isn’t real; and…well, I could go on and on.
But footprints can be followed up. Film has been shot that – like the prints – never has been seriously addressed by the mainstream, excuses and unfounded assumptions taking the place of research. Thousands of sightings of an animal described with utter guidebook fidelity remain unaddressed as well. An organization in the field, attempting, on a shoestring budget (read: their own money) to obtain documentation, has had hundreds of encounters, with most of the individuals in the group proving to themselves with their own two eyes that the animals are real.
None of them has seen any saucers; none of them has gotten Messages From The Fourth Dimension; none of them has heard “take me to your leader” while call-blasting.
Instead, we have a few reports from a few scattered dubious sources of a bigfoot being seen around funny lights.
Thin gruel. I’d rather follow the animal. There’s lots there.