99% Sure Sasquatches Do Not Exist

[Guest]

Because the eye-witnesses describe an undiscovered, unclassified, unidentified animal over and over again. And those descriptions generally have many things in common. Of course other possible, natural explanations besides Bigfoot are proposed but, as far as I can tell, none of those possibilities are as likely (in every case) as is what the descriptions indicate: real, live Bigfoot, in my opinion.

How many reports have been made over the years from the ghost of dead uncle Charlie to Mary, zombies, warewolves, vampires, angels, daemons, sea monsters, aliens, pixies, faeries, elves, UFOs, nazis on the moon.

Descriptions of aliens repeat time and time again, large eyes, pale skin, big head (so much so they've acquired a name, "The Grays", basically Paul, from the movie of the same name).

As an aside, my daughter, one of a set of twin girls in third grade, just noticed I was reading "The Bigfoot Forums" and said, "bigfoot doesn't exist" I ask, how do you know? She says, "science."

I asked her to elaborate. "'Cause no human being or "thing" could have feet that big." (holding her hands a solid three feet apart to express her idea of the size of the feet in question). I said, elephants have feet that big. I saw a bear track in the woods this fall that was "this" big (holding hands apart about 18") She remains skeptical.

I asked what it would take to change her opinion, "seeing it." "They can talk too. They mumble," says the other sister... so the third graders are split 50/50.

There's no shame in admitting you need proof.

edit to remove double post

Edited December 13, 2011 by barlowROC

[Guest]

Each case has its own basis and as a result they do not all have to have the same explanation. One person may misidentify a bear and another may misidentify a hunter. Hoaxers abound apparently.

Speaking as someone who hallucinates regularly (I'm on medication now in case anyone's worried) I can vouch for the possibility. It took me a long time to come to terms with this and I know it's an affront to one's self-esteem and identity. Many people will reject this possibility out of hand as I used to do. It is still a very viable explanation for what can be a scary incident.

We also have to be on the look-out for people who lie. Just one more possibility in the list.

Of course it is still possible that some of these encounters are real bigfoot. At least we can hope.

Thanks for those insights antfoot. For some reason, the hallucination explanation tends to be dismissed out of hand by the bigfoot faithful. This always puzzles me because hallucinations can be caused by multiple psychiatric, neurological, or other medical conditions, by alcohol or drug abuse, and even sleep deprivation and fatigue. Dismissing hallucinations as a potential factor in many reported bigfoot encounters ignores the vast number of people who suffer from hallucinations, and whose symptoms are well documented. Millions of people in the U.S. fall into one or more categories for being at-risk of hallucination: people who are mentally ill or substance abusers or really tired are quite common in this country.

Lying is also dismissed as an explanation, unless it's someone claiming to have been involved in a bigfoot hoax. Yet lying is something people do every day. I think I once made the point here that people who are unfaithful in marriage fabricate stories all the time to cover up their affairs, and they make these statements to spouses who think they know the cheater very well. If people didn't routinely make bald-faced lies to their loved ones I suspect the divorce rate would be much lower. How many people are being lied to right now by an unfaithful lover?

For some reason, it's assumed that people who report bigfoot encounters are not lying and could not have been hallucinating.

[Guest COGrizzly]

How many people are being lied to right now by an unfaithful lover?

For some reason, it's assumed that people who report bigfoot encounters are not lying and could not have been hallucinating.

I've only had one relationship in my life where the person was faithful. (At least to my knowledge!) Different topic all together, but I truly think some (most) males and females have something engrained in their dna to "cheat". It takes a tremendous amount of will power and personal integrity to resist that temptation/urge, or in my theory, their natural inclination. Just my opinion. Sex is a powerful drug. (And, Saskeptic, I would be curious about your thoughts on my theory, PM or here)

Lieing. Those that have told their story to me either here or face to face I mostly believe. Part of that 1% I mention. Sure, they could be lieing. But ALL of them? Not likely. Again, my opiniion.

[xspider1]

For some reason, it's assumed that people who report bigfoot encounters are not lying and could not have been hallucinating.

By who? I'd say that, generally, most of the proponents are just as discerning as those who think that every Bigfoot report is automatically bunk, probably more so. I don't think that hallucinations are common enough to account for much. Hoaxing is more common but, hoaxes are almost always exposed and/or admitted to in short order. Lying certainly accounts for a lot of Bigfoot reports but, not enough to make Bigfoot a non-reality, in my opinion.

[Guest parnassus]

Thanks for those insights antfoot. For some reason, the hallucination explanation tends to be dismissed out of hand by the bigfoot faithful. This always puzzles me because hallucinations can be caused by multiple psychiatric, neurological, or other medical conditions, by alcohol or drug abuse, and even sleep deprivation and fatigue. Dismissing hallucinations as a potential factor in many reported bigfoot encounters ignores the vast number of people who suffer from hallucinations, and whose symptoms are well documented. Millions of people in the U.S. fall into one or more categories for being at-risk of hallucination: people who are mentally ill or substance abusers or really tired are quite common in this country.

Lying is also dismissed as an explanation, unless it's someone claiming to have been involved in a bigfoot hoax. Yet lying is something people do every day. I think I once made the point here that people who are unfaithful in marriage fabricate stories all the time to cover up their affairs, and they make these statements to spouses who think they know the cheater very well. If people didn't routinely make bald-faced lies to their loved ones I suspect the divorce rate would be much lower. How many people are being lied to right now by an unfaithful lover?

For some reason, it's assumed that people who report bigfoot encounters are not lying and could not have been hallucinating.

I don't get the claim by the BFRO that they are "scientific". Their reports are seemingly just anecdotal without confirmation or validation, physical evidence, medical/social history, urine tests, vision/hearing screen, background check, etc, let alone a polygraph; many stories are years old and thus heavily contaminated before being reported. Isn't the BFRO test for veracity/stability/hallucination/perception/accuracy just "looking in their eyes"? Or that the "witness" has to give a description of bigfoot that conforms with the investigator's idea of bigfoot? Seems like it, and that's the way it looks on television. "Black nose you're in, pink nose you're out?"

The same folks who are ready to dig into Bob H.'s past and present because he says he was part of a normal human activity (wearing a costume in a home movie), are all too willing to believe reports of 8 ft 500 lb monsters from people they know nothing about. Now, that's ok if you just want stories. But...

You don't make a report scientific by putting it in a database.

[southernyahoo]

Thanks for those insights antfoot. For some reason, the hallucination explanation tends to be dismissed out of hand by the bigfoot faithful. This always puzzles me because hallucinations can be caused by multiple psychiatric, neurological, or other medical conditions, by alcohol or drug abuse, and even sleep deprivation and fatigue. Dismissing hallucinations as a potential factor in many reported bigfoot encounters ignores the vast number of people who suffer from hallucinations, and whose symptoms are well documented. Millions of people in the U.S. fall into one or more categories for being at-risk of hallucination: people who are mentally ill or substance abusers or really tired are quite common in this country.

For some reason, it's assumed that people who report bigfoot encounters are not lying and could not have been hallucinating.

I don't regard hallucinations as a high probability. People who have halucinations are the only ones who would know, and they usually do know if they did. I don't think people who know they had a hallucination would report what their mind saw as a physical reality. They tend to seek medical advice instead.

Evidence for hallucinations are purely anecdotal, and there is no way to prove whether they did or didn't if that was their claim. If they claim to have seen a physical entity then evidence and proof can be found to confirm it. One has an avenue for investigation and the other is a dead end. Only assumptions can be made for the probability of a halucination, and if one wants to dismiss the report based on assumption they could do that for all of them, dispatch with any investigation and never resolve the issue.

[Guest Kronprinz Adam]

I am now 99% sure Sas does not exist. The one 1% is because of the folks here and the individuals I have personally spoke with. And I've even "seen tracks" in snow.

The probability is just so nil. If I could, I'd bring in a body. Shucks, there's even a dude (lame-O dude) offering 2 mil for it. I just dont "believe" anymore.

And I even "believe" some who have emailed me on here (what they saw and told me) I just think they've been mistaken. Kinda over-it-all.

'Bout over for me anymore.

Hi COGrizzly!!!!

There is a great deal of information on the Web and books about "the Bigfoot legend"...and there is a lot of pranks, hoaxes, tall-tales and so on...(you can find things like "the private life of Bigfoot", its paranormal powers and even some human-sasquatch dictionaries!!. Of course, if you read only this...you can get quickly dissapointed with Bigfoot...

But there are some interesting things, many sightings seem convincing and they share a lot of characteristics in common (i.e. encounters at night, Bigfoot swaying, or fleeing, with the same description: a large creature, no neck, barrel chest, large arms)...many footprints seem also authentic, I think if more solid evidence is found (hair, sightings, infrarred videos), it is worthy enough to keep investigating!!!

[JDL]

How many people are being lied to right now by an unfaithful lover?

For some reason, it's assumed that people who report bigfoot encounters are not lying and could not have been hallucinating.

What I want to know is how many people are being lied to right now by an unfaithful lover who is trysting with bigfoot?

[Guest RedRatSnake]

Like this women ?

Tim

[JDL]

Hmmmm.... She looks familiar.

[Guest Jodie]

How can you compare spousal or partner infidelity with lying about a bigfoot sighting? At least with the infidelity part you are getting something pleasant out of it at some point, or there is some kind of reward there. I can't think of anything positive coming out of claiming to see bigfoot.

I think the one question missing on these questionnaires that those that choose to investigate forget to ask is if the person enjoyed the experience of seeing bigfoot. I think I already know what the answer to that one would be. Most people lie to get out of trouble not bring grief upon themselves.

Here, read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudologia_fantastica

The researchers found that the prevalence for any personality disorder in the United States is 9.1 percent. Specific prevalence rates for borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder were estimated at 1.4 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2007/national-survey-tracks-prevalence-of-personality-disorders-in-us-population.shtml

Edited December 14, 2011 by Jodie

[Guest]

Different topic all together, but I truly think some (most) males and females have something engrained in their dna to "cheat".

Just quick to avoid a derail, but I agree. Social, lifetime monogamy is a recent construct. We humans have the intellectual ability to decide to engage in lifetime faithful and monogamous relationships, much like we have the ability to choose to be celibate. Both are artificial constructs, however. When your life expectancy is about 35, the concept of a faithful, 50-year marriage is quite foreign. Time and again in our history, men who amassed wealth and power took on multiple wives. While women were truly powerless in many societies, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to be one of several wives of some powerful chieftain instead of the one long-term wife of some powerless peasant. So serial monogamy, polygamy, and promiscuity doubtless have played a much larger role in human evolution than has our modern Western concept of exclusively monogamous, long-term unions.

[Guest Jodie]

But it has absolutely nothing to do with having a bigfoot sighting other than lying might be involved. You have to look at the motivation for the lie also, not just the fact that a lie was told.

[Guest]

I can't think of anything positive coming out of claiming to see bigfoot.

If you were a practical joker who enjoyed seeing your fabricated report included in a database of bigfoot sightings . . .

or if you were a lonely person seeking acceptance from a particular social group . . .

or if you were a poser seeking adulation from the claim of an extraordinary experience . . . you might get nothing but positives from your claim.

Such people might or might not qualify as having a diagnosable personality disorder.

Specific prevalence rates for borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder were estimated at 1.4 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

. . . and 0.6 percent of the U.S. population is about 1.8 million people. So by the lowest percentage in your link estimated for people with actual diagnosable antisocial personality disorder, we've got well over a million people to consider.

This is why I think outright dismissal or unqualified statements to the tune of "I don't think that accounts for much" are ill-informed.

But it has absolutely nothing to do with having a bigfoot sighting other than lying might be involved. You have to look at the motivation for the lie also, not just the fact that a lie was told.

Correct - infidelity has nothing to do with bigfoot. The relevant part is that it is just one example of a form of lying that is rampant in society today, and that those lies are told to close friends and family members. So it illustrates that (1) lying is really common and (2) even people we might consider to be 100% trustworthy aren't necessarily 100% trustworthy.

[Incorrigible1]

or if you were a lonely person seeking acceptance from a particular social group . . .

Truer words are rarely spoken.

Edited December 14, 2011 by Incorrigible1