CFZ-CANADA

Sunday, 25 September 2011

Do those that believe in Cryptids really suffer from psychological disorders?

Stephen Turnbull
PSICAN/CFZ-Canada

People are often ridiculed for reporting that they have seen some mysterious creature, especially if it is referred to as a lake monster or sea serpent. Often this fear of ridicule prevents it from being reporting in the first place. Some scientists, as well as many others, are quick to try to explain it as a misidentification of a known animal species or perhaps some inanimate object. Granted, many sightings turn out to be just that, but some remain a mystery.

In some cases however, the reports end up being authentic! Many animals have been so shrouded in myths and legends that it was hard to believe that they existed. A classic example is that of the mythical Pongo, a shape-shifting creature that preyed upon villagers in Africa. Eventually this creature was identified as a gorilla! Scientist also dismissed the possibility that an animal striped like a zebra and looked like a giraffe could exist, despite the evidence of skins. Eventually a living okapi was photographed!

What is it that draws people to the belief in cryptids and the desire to push through all the ridicule and pursue them, to separate fact from fiction? And what is it about the witnesses that convince them what they have seen is real, and the fact that they often provide a very detailed description?

Researchers from California State University tried to answer questions such as these. Sharps et al. (2006) stated that certain individuals still have ancient hunting/gathering cognitive aspects in them which make them more susceptible to belief in such things as cryptids. Their findings indicated that those that believed in cryptids (and other paranormal activity for that matter) have a tendency toward ADHD, depression, and dissociation. Sharps et al. also state that people with these tendencies may interpret sensory information in cryptozoological terms and report seeing Bigfoot rather than a bear in certain situations. .

It is possible that some purposely go into areas where there are a high numbers of sightings of a creature (i.e. Bigfoot, Nessie) and hope to see it. In this case shadows, other animals, and inanimate objects such as a huge wave may take the shape of this creature. This may be a case of, “If you believe in it, you will see it?” As Sharps et al. reported that the information an individual has prior to an event has an impact on the memory and interpretation of that event. This relates not only to interpreting Bigfoot instead of a bear, but it is also a problem with crime scene witnesses.

Sharps et al. (2006) did add a disclaimer, likely to ward off nasty comments from cryptozoologists, that they would not expect all those that have cryptozoological beliefs to have these tendencies. Some may simply arrive at these beliefs through other aspects such as personal experiences or environmental influences.

I have only touched on the study but there are few things that should be addressed. First, their sample size had many more women than men. Other studies indicate women are not as skeptical as men therefore this may have skewed their results. Other studies indicate race and religion also played an important part in the belief of cryptids (those that have strong religious beliefs tend not to believe in cryptids; see the Baylor University study (2005) at the link below.

The authors also included a caveat that it is possible for unknown animals to still exist and give the examples of the okapi and coelacanth. However, the study by Sharps et al. and the Baylor University study, had questions that only referenced creatures such as Bigfoot and Nessie, not animals such as the okapi. Had they included animals such as the okapi and coelacanth, perhaps their results might have been different.

The bottom line, it is definitely not as clear-cut as Sharps et al. (2006) indicate. Certainly, some people that believe in Bigfoot and Nessie (and other creatures) may have these tendencies. What about those researchers that push through the myths and legends and discover new species? Do they suffer from these disorders? Possibly, but my question is, “Do the skeptics also suffer from similar disorders?”

Suggested Readings:

Sharps, M., J. Matthews and J. Sten. 2006. The Journal of Psychology. 140(6) 579-590
Cognition and Belief in Paranormal Phenomena: Gestalt/Feature Intensive Processing Theory and Tendencies Toward ADHD, Depression, and Dissociation.

http://www.thearda.com/includes/crosstabs.asp?file=BRS2005&v=377&v2=390&p=1&s=on

Sunday, 18 September 2011

Prairie Sea Monsters

Once upon a time, the large amount of land that includes Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and parts of Ontario, North Dakota and Minnesota was home to a massive sea. In the sea lived monsters with heads like horses and bodies as long as twelve meters. These monsters moved slowly but could manoeuvre through small spaces and surprise the fish that would become dinner. Sound like a fairy tale? It’s all true.

During the Pleistocene Epoch (1,600,000 to 10,000 years ago) during the last two phases of the Wisconsin Glacial Age, when the Laurentide Ice Sheet blocked the drainage of the northern Great Plains into what is today Hudson Bay, most of the area outlined above was under water; under the great sea called Lake Aggazi. In this huge lake were Plesiosaurs and other large prehistoric marine animals. Eventually, this massive sea drained east through Lake Superior, north through Hudson’s Bay and south through the Red and Minnesota Rivers. What was left, besides fertile farmland, is still being discovered.

Several important lakes are remnants of Lake Aggazi. Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, Lake of the Woods, and dozens of smaller lakes remain and the plains and river systems are all borne of this huge lake. Toward the end of the glacial era, the lake drained very rapidly, perhaps even in a period as short as a year. There is evidence of human cultures in the area as well, and many of their oral histories are still passed down through local aboriginals.

Most of these ancient lakes have something in common besides origin. All of the remaining lakes of any significant size and depth have associated reports of lake monsters dating back to these early native histories and still coming in every modern year. Many of the names of the lakes are based on the creatures seen in the lake. Turtle Lake (Saskatchewan) is so named for the “Giant Turtle” believed to live there. If such a creature exists, it would likely be a plesiosaur, as fossils of the large beast are found in the area. The food supply in these lakes remains much the same—34 of Manitoba’s 86 known fish species were evident in Lake Aggazi. If these reported sightings are actually plesiosaurs, the logic supports that theory. The lakes are big enough, deep enough, and stocked well enough to support the animals that were there ten thousand years ago.

Manipogo, Winnipogo, Woodsie, and the “monsters” of Turtle Lake, Big Trout Lake, Reindeer Lake, Dore Lake and dozens of others in the Canadian prairies are still regularly reported. Even at the relatively small Turtle Lake northwest of Saskatoon, there is at least one sighting every year and hundreds of years of native lore about the creature that will eat people in the lake. Could these hundreds of witnesses be imagining these things? It’s not likely, at least not all of them. Could it be a large sturgeon? Perhaps, but sturgeon, although they can grow to 5 meters in some cases and appear thin and scale-less, lack the ability to move in the way the reported mystery monsters move. Allopleurons and other Giant Sea Turtles were also in Agazzi, but none are thought to remain in the area.

Could the Canadian Prairie Lake Monsters be plesiosaurs or their modern cousins? It seems to be a logical answer, or at least as logical as the theory of giant sturgeon.

Saturday, 10 September 2011

Exploring the Wendigo as a Cryptid

Many of the legends of Canada come from aboriginal culture. All things considered, Canada is a fairly young country with vast regions still unexplored, let alone inhabited. Canada’s whole population (about 34.2 million people) is roughly the same as the single city of Mumbai, India. First Nations , Metis, and Inuit history is a vital part of Canada as a whole, and crucial to the exploration of cryptozoology in the “Great White North”.

Aboriginals are deeply spiritual people. They believe that everything is intertwined; that you cannot have body without spirit, you cannot have water without air, etc. There is a fundamental connectedness. All things in life are connected to Mother Earth. This is a special consideration when dealing with Canadian cryptids—finding not only the physical connection to mother earth but also understanding the spiritual connected and meaning in each cryptid. It is therefore necessary to investigate the Wendigo as both a biological being and a spirit. This defies the logic of groups who see cryptids as purely zoological entities. The counter argument is that humans are not purely zoological entities and it is grandiose to assume that there are no other thinking/emoting entities besides humans. To study cryptids without thought to their psychology or special abilities would be a mistake.

Enter the Wendigo. Wendigos are ancient beings based in Algonquian native lore, primarily in Cree and Ojibwa cultures. Physical description does vary somewhat. Generally these creatures are feared; they are said to be greedy, cannibalistic, and never satisfied. Like the Vampire and Werewolf legends, “regular” people could be changed into a Wendigo by contact in some way. Generally the person would begin to eat flesh. A psychosis has been identified that is considered “culture bound”—persons who grow up with this legend believe they are turning into Wendigos after a period of starvation. These days starvation rarely occurs, but if the person believes he is starving and starts to consider eating human flesh, it may be accompanied by the thought that they are turning into a Wendigo. This psychosis is not just neurological—the victims actually crave flesh as one would crave a glass of milk or a meal in general.

Likewise, Wendigo cannot be investigated as just an unusual animal. The entomology of the word itself probably relates to the Proto-Algonquian word for “owl”. This is hard to associate, as the Wendigo is seen as a skeletal figure of a man. Over time and with the introduction of Western cultures, the physical description of a Wendigo has changed somewhat. While always depicted as tall and boney, more recent descriptions have added a foul odour and glowing red eyes. This makes the Wendigo sound more like a zombie than the original flesh-eating humanlike monster.
From a Cryptid point of view, the Wendigo is hominid at the very least, as he walks upright and is humanoid as it appears to have human shape and function. US Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman refers to a Wendigo as a an “Eastern Bigfoot” but there are distinct differences—first, Wendigo is not known to be covered in hair or fir, and second, there is certainly no evidence that Bigfoot eats people. Generally, a Wendigo is thought to be a human body that has been “stepped into” or possessed by a Windego spirit after considering cannibalism as a means to end extreme hunger. Note that like Vampires, the Wendigo only has to bite the victim, not actually devour any flresh. Technically, this would make the entity a human. As such, the only way to rid the person of Wendigo tendencies would be to kill them and burn the body. Once bitten and “changed” the body begins to morph into skeletal, grey skinned and elongated shape setting the subject apart from “normal” humans.

A Wendigo allegedly made a number of appearances near a town called Rosesu in Northern Minnesota from the late 1800's through the 1920's. Each time that it was reported, an unexpected death followed. In Southern Ontario in 1997 a suspected Wendigo was sighted by an American trucker near St Catherines.

Wendigo reports generally happen in winter, usually at night. These creatures are considered malevolent and predatory. Aside from the ability to turn others into Wendigos, they do not appear to have any supernatural power or shape shifting capability. These qualities seem to direct us to research them as cryptids-and to do so well protected!

Photo Credit: Skeleton Man (Movie,2004)

Further Reading:
http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/JS62-80-1998E.pdf
http://science.discovery.com/top-ten/2009/mental-disorders/mental-disorders-4.html
Brightman, Robert A. (1988). "The Windigo in the Material World". Ethnohistory 35 (4): 337–379.
http://www.unknown-creatures.com/wendigo.html
http://www.eso-garden.com/specials/handbook_of_native_american_mythology.pdf
http://www.wyrdology.com/cryptozoology/wendigo.html
http://www.prairieghosts.com/wendigo.html
http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/sightings-2-2010/
http://dinojoe.8m.com/crypto/windigo.html

Tuesday, 30 August 2011

Monsters don’t live in your closet. They live in your backyard.

Markham Ontario is not really a suburb of Toronto—it is a city in its own right that lies across the top of Ontario’s largest city. It is home to over a quarter million people as well as businesses like IBM, American Express, and Johnson & Johnson. Settled by American Germans in 1792, it’s habitation by humans grew from the initial 64 families to a primarily Oriental population in its current makeup. The area has evolved from native hunting grounds through agriculture and into tertiary industry.

Within Markham is the 305 acre Milne Dam Conservation Park. The park is lush with vegetation and the Rouge River flows through it, providing fish plentiful enough to support both wildlife and sport fishing. Nicholas Miller purchased the area from a Daniel Cozens who had received the land from the British Crown. The original 200 acres sold for 100 British pounds. Miller, one of the earliest recorded settlers in the area, had already been granted another lot upon his arrival in the Township in 1793, but chose to construct his saw and grist mill on the Rouge River site, largely because of the availability of water power. The property changed hands several times before Peter and Alexander Milne purchased it in 1824. The mill was close to the present site of the Milne Dam and from this mill and its additional fulling mill, woollen mill, ashery and General Store, the town of Markham was born.

The mill was destroyed by fire in 1866. Peter's grandsons, Grant and Archie, rebuilt the gristmill and operated the site until 1933. Near the turn of the 20th century, they produced a famous breakfast cereal call "Wheateen". In 1911, Archie built the first concrete and steel arc dam in Canada on this site. He believed this dam could generate the power for the village but the dam was washed out in 1929 and again in 1954 when Hurricane Hazel hit the area.
The park is nearly surrounded by single family homes, especially on its north and west sides. Fingers of parkland separate cul-de-sacs in several places. In one of these areas, a nightmare lurks. In December 2001, with snow significant on the ground, a couple experienced something that to this day remains unexplained. New to Canada, one

of the witnesses assumed what they saw was a bear—it was dark, stood on two legs, and seemed quite tall. What is now known as “The Markham Monster” was too thin to be a bear.

From the witness:
“ -it's body was svelte--narrower than an ape would be across the shoulders and torso. It was solid as opposed to an apparition, and walked entirely upright with casual stride. If it was human it would be unusually large-at least 6.5 feet but probably closer to 7 or even more. It had a distinct neck area and was able to rotate it's head toward

us clearly. If it was clothed, the clothing was formfitting and not bulky.”

It uttered a deep growl that was more felt than heard. Most significant was the intense fear felt, even in the safety of a car. The couple quickly left. Discovering through further research that bears were unlikely in that area, especially in midwinter, the couple returned several times to try to capture the creature on film with no success. Four years later they encountered this thing in a similar location. This time they were exploring a new housing development in the Stouffville Road area, considerably west and north of the Milne Dam. The area shared some of the same qualities—a housing development bordering on a conservation area through which the Rouge River flows. It is also technically in Markham, although in the Richmond Hill area. This time, the thing rose up slightly in a snow drift and looked directly at the couple with red-orange eyes, possibly reflecting the car headlights. Terrified, the couple left.

When researchers returned to the Stouffville area, the sensation of something present and the intense fear were still present. The couple no longer explores these sorts of areas. Theories abound, but the logical ones are that the creature, whatever it is, probably travels the Rouge Valley which is rich with plenty of sustenance for either an herbivore or a carnivore. It does not hibernate, as it has been seen in the winter. It is not intimidated by urbanization and it doesn’t shy away from interaction. Several residents of the area have also reported something dark and upright that left them feeling terrified.

It doesn’t shy away from human interaction and it lives in their backyards; The very definition of a monster.

Interestingly, an area of Florida that is boundaried by Markham Woods Road and Bridgewater Road (Bridgewater Rd is the Stouffville are where this was experienced) also lies adjacent to a conservation area. This Lake Mary, Florida area is located in Seminole County, about 18 miles north of Orlando. The area has had problems with cattle mutilations since 1996. Do these areas have something more in common than the “coincidence” of location names?

Further Reading:
http://www.psican.org/alpha/index.php?/2008072993/Cryptozoology/The-Markham-Monster.html

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monster

http://www.guidingstar.ca/Markham_Ontario_History.htm

http://york.cioc.ca/record/MKM1837

http://www.richmondhill.ca/subpage.asp?pageid=parks_list_t_z

http://www.examiner.com/paranormal-in-toronto/toronto-area-cryptid-dubbed-the-markham-monster-part-1
http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2011/06/cattle-ranch-anomalous-lights.html

Photo credits:
http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2009/07/06/interpreting-dreams-of-your-shadow-self

http://boxgrove-markham.lefora.com/2010/09/15/milne-dam-conservation-park/

http://designerviolence.blogspot.com/

Monday, 22 August 2011

Waheela Watching

In the Nahanni Valley in Canada’s Northwest Territories lives a legend called the Waheela.

The Nahanni Valley is about 300 miles (500km) west of Yellowknife, and is extraordinarily beautiful. 500-200 million years ago the region was covered by an ancient inland sea. The three mile deep rock and sediment is full of fossils that tell the tale of ancient aquatic life. When the North American and Pacific plates collided, the layers were lifted, giving rocky ridges and ranges and volcanoes pushing molten lava up into igneous batholiths. Glaciers that followed eroded much of the top layer leaving granite towers, gorgeous canyons, and breathtaking waterfalls. Flora and fauna including aspen and spruce forests and alpine tundra provide a home for protected or endangered species like grizzly bears and wood buffalo. The rare plant Nahanni Aster can only be found in this area.

Human habitation began in this area about ten thousand years ago. Evidence has been found of the Naha tribe, a group that mysteriously disappeared. During the Yukon Gold Rush, prospectors who travelled the valley told stories of hauntings and treasures hidden in the area’s 250+ caves. Dehcho First Nations and the Canadian Government oversee the area and maintain it largely as a park system.

The Dene Indians oral history sustains mid 20^th century reports of the strange beast called Waheela. This is described as a large, heavy wolf that is also part canine and possibly part bear. It is said to have supernatural powers and to be responsible for many unexplained deaths in the area. Standing three feet high at the shoulder, this large animal is several inches taller than any known wolf with a broad head rather than the narrow wolf head.

Cryptozoologist Ivan Sanderson designated this animal as Amphicyonidae, or beardog. Thought to be extinct, these animals roamed not only North America, but also Europe, Asia, and Africa. These animals were carnivorous and could certainly explain the sudden disappearance of humans. Are they extinct? Some say not in this area of the world. Beardogs live in burrows, so they could easily remain hidden in such a sparsely habited area. Additionally, they are said to have heavy white fur which would help camouflage them in the cold and snowy climate. The cryptozoological label might be in question though; Alaska and most extreme northern areas have white wolves (C. lupus) so it could well be that the sightings can be attributed to unusually large (or erroneously perceived as overly large) perfectly normal wolves.

A hunter friend of Ivan Sanderson once attempted to shoot one of these creatures and the bullet failed to penetrate the thick fur. Local legend states that the Waheela literally bites the heads off of its prey. To further complicate matters, the Waheela is sometimes said to be able to shapeshift into a human form. Regardless of what form it takes, it’s not something you want to encounter.

Monday, 15 August 2011

PSICAN Crypto Day: Lessons Learned

Saturday August 13, 2011, PSICAN (Paranormal Studies and Investigations Canada) held its second Study Day. The topic was, for the first time ever, Cryptozoology. The planning began in the spring, and the room booked and the media blitzed in July. Since I am the division director, this was my baby. Thankfully, my wonderful skeptic of a husband financed the venture (PSCIAN has no source of funding beyond what the members contribute or the occasional donation). Almost immediately my panic began.

I have a great staff. They contribute to this blog, they do papers, they do research, they take witness testimony and when possible, they go into the field. They are some of the brightest folks I have ever met. I had no doubt they would be able to field questions and “talk Crypto” with little trouble. But presenters they are not, with the exception of Dr. Steve, who is a professor. Steve was tasked with putting together a presentation on Aquatic Cryptids and a second on Known/Discovered Cryptids. He did an amazing job putting

together a power point but had to learn how to add audio, which proved to be a bit of a challenge. He succeeded with one, and sent the dialogue for the other—so Dana stepped up to the plate and narrated the presentation. Dana has never done audience work and was really nervous. He pulled it off though, and learned a LOT about being in the spotlight! Elvis came with Bigfoot shoved in his car. He had crafted a life sized bigfoot for folks to be photographed with and discuss. Elvis also did a brief talk on Bipedal Cryptids and fielded some tough questions. I think he probably learned that folks are a lot more educated than he thought! For my part I did a history and general overview of Cryptozoology.

We had an amazing venue, but some challenges with our equipment. The projector and laptop, although they have been friends forever and had just run through the presentations the night before, apparently had a falling out and only minimally worked. Many of our folks are also tech geeks so Matthew Didier walked through the audience with a netbook showing the slides while some people viewed them on their iPhones. Lesson: Take the high tech higher and provide a way for smart phones to see the presentation. Also choose a venue that actually is dark with the lights out.

We only charged minimal admission from the public (PSICAN folks get in free to our Study Days but typically contribute some cash to the kitty for costs) and we must have done ok as my husband said we only lost about $50 on the venture. That’s remarkable really since it featured no para celebrities or podcasting ghost busters. Several attendees were people we had only met online via the PSICAN forum or facebook. A couple had just come because they saw an ad or a flier. A good many PSICAN staff with spouses and friends also attended, even though they don’t do the cryptozoology work. A BFRO member was also in attendance and was incredibly well versed. We did manage to teach him something though—we had live demonstrations of how to do plaster foot casting and he got to be the guinea pig. He had never cast before.

As the “experts” though, I think they Cryptozoologists learned more than anyone else. Certainly

we learned about the issues with planning and presenting, but we also learned about each other’s specialties. We learned what each other uses in the field—and where we prefer to do field work. We learned that when we are together as a physical team, the possibilities are endless. We learned that there really are intelligent people “out there” who will respectfully listen to what we have to say and share their own thoughts and feelings.

We learned three very important things that day.
We learned that the witnesses and the general public have a lot to teach us.
We learned Cryptozoology is real science, no matter what the “scientists” say.
We learned that we still have a lot to learn.

Photo credits: PSICAN Investigator Tere Altuna

Monday, 8 August 2011

The Canadian Coin Toss

It certainly seems to be the Year of the Cryptid here in Canada. Television is teeming with crypto shows and the public interest in general is increasing. Although actual sightings don't seem to be statistically more than usual, we are getting a lot of "old" reports. These are reports from folks who have experienced something from their childhood or even "last summer on holidays". We can't run out and investigate those sorts of reports, but they are quite valuable. Each report gets archived in our database for use in the study as a whole or for additional evidence should a new sighting occur in the same location. Paranormal Studies and Investigations Canada (PSICAN) is holding its first-ever Crypto Day in Toronto on Saturday (August 13, 2011), open to the public, hoping to help meet the demand for information and education. This week's blog is abbreviated due to our commitment to that event and time constraints.

Additionally, the Royal Mint in Ottawa has begun issuing cryptid-themed coinage for collectors. The first in the series, Sasquatch, is shipped with a map of where the creature was "last seen" which is the first indication that the Mint didn't do much research. The second in the set, Quebec's Memphré, is slightly better researched but the information seems to come from only one source which is troubling. To the Mint's credit, it is marketed under the Nature and Wildlife category rather than something more disrespectful to witnesses and researchers. Sadly, the subcategory is Mythical Creatures and they are marketed as collectibles for kids. This is a three coin set and collectors are speculating that the third coin will be Ogopogo.

Is this set a good thing for Cryptozoology? Will it have any impact at all? Certainly it is not prevalent enough to make an impact worldwide, but putting these coins in hands of collectors is one way to spark interest. Hopefully many who purchase this collection will do further reading and get more factual information than is handed out with the coins. How wonderful it would have been to see a complete set (a better representation of the "beasts" of Canada) issued as circulating coinage.

The Memphré Coin did, however, catch our attention and will lead to an upcoming blog about the creature.