Skeptics Turned Believer, And Why?

[Guest]

First off, I suspect this topic has likely come up before, if so just direct me to the thread. Otherwise I'm curious to hear from any members who were once absolute skeptics but then became believers. What was the experience that changed your mind?

[Guest DWA]

Not attempting to derail the thread but I think a thorough read of reports will reveal that most - if not the vast majority - of sighting reports involved a witness who was a scoffer before and a believer after. (And here I have to excuse the underline/italics. I didn't put it on, and for some reason can't take it off.) The folk I wonder about are the believers who become scoffers. But actually I think I know why that happens.

Edited March 17, 2013 by DWA
fixed the underline and italics.

[WRabbit]

I'm curious to hear from any members who were once absolute skeptics but then became believers. What was the experience that changed your mind?

As stated above, a sighting would do the trick.

[Guest]

I'm still a skeptic. Knowing wood apes are real and being skeptical are not mutually exclusive.

[Guest]

I am not skeptical of Bigfoot. I am skeptical of Bigfooters.

[norseman]

I'm still a skeptic. Knowing wood apes are real and being skeptical are not mutually exclusive.

explain please

[BobbyO]

I am not skeptical of Bigfoot. I am skeptical of Bigfooters.

Amen.

[Midnight Owl]

I grew up hunting, fishing, camping and hiking in prime Bigfoot country along the west coast and NEVER heard or saw anything that would have made me believe the Bigfoot creature existed. After college, moving to the south central U.S., marriage and raising a family my thinking changed to a "What if?" after having a large cinder block object tossed at my son and I night fishing along a remote heavily wooded creek bank. The only thing I knew for sure was no person could have thrown something that big, that far and no animal I knew of could or would do it.

After a couple of years of following several Bigfoot organizations and personally speaking to several dozen eye witnesses, I knew this was not the work of a joker or two and had to get out there and search out things for myself! When you are out there away from home, other folks and computer keyboards then experience and see things for yourself, everything changes without having to debate it. Seeing truly becomes believing plain and simple.

I was never a hard skeptic, but like many, asked the same questions about bones, a body etc. After having seen them on several occasions, I now have many more questions than answers on how they do what they do....

[Guest DWA]

explain please

I'm gonna explain it for him (or at least for me). I'm a skeptic too. Skeptics question assumptions, all of them, including the comfortable assumption that it's not an unlisted animal leaving all this evidence. "Bigfoot skeptics" by and large aren't. They swallow things whole, including any explanation that comports with what they want to think. They don't show signs of thinking about the evidence. And they don't have coherent arguments. (The only coherent argument it is possible for a "bigfoot skeptic" to have is how all of this evidence comes up false positive. I've never close to seen this argument.) I believe that the evidence points to the existence of the animal. The animal remains unproven to me. That's a skeptic.

Edited March 18, 2013 by DWA

[Guest]

After college, moving to the south central U.S., marriage and raising a family my thinking changed to a "What if?" after having a large cinder block object tossed at my son and I night fishing along a remote heavily wooded creek bank. The only thing I knew for sure was no person could have thrown something that big, that far and no animal I knew of could or would do it.

Cinder blocks are around 30lbs and are 8X8X16. Question I have is>>>what's a cinder block doing out in the middle of nowhere?

[Guest DWA]

Well, if you have been in truly remote places, you know:

Because sometimes that happens.

Keep in mind that over the past century or so, our civilization has actually retreated from many places it used to have a firm foothold. That story isn't far-fetched, at all. The requirement to explain what tossed that thing still stands. Fact is it was there and got tossed.

[TD-40]

I believe these animals exist but I am skeptical when it comes to peoples' interpretations of sightings and theories. It isn't easy for the layman to believe in a 9' neanderthal man living in our forests, and with all the crap that goes on, improbable theories, and hoaxes I can see why.

[Guest DWA]

By tuning in to the science, I realized I had created an automatic screen for the crap. Other than the amusement value, it doesn't make a ripple with me.

[Guest]

I think most proponents were skeptics first. I know that eye witness testimony can be unreliable and often misinterpreted, but from what I can read of reports of sightings and talking or chatting with witnesses, I am surprised somewhat to find most very credible, and all to be somewhat reluctant witnesses. I can say only one person I know who I do not believe at all. Good fellow he, and he truly believes what he says himself, but I am almost certain his imagination is the author of his sightings. Which makes me a little bit more trusting in my own judgement, if I can pick him out as being non right, then maybe Im right about the others. Other than charlatans and goof balls, most of the witnesses I have encountered were forced into this community by their eyes, ears and noses.

[Guest DWA]

Not believing what your senses tell you is its own peculiar little fantasy world.