Guest DWA Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I tend to think that the reaction has much, if not everything, to do with where sasquatch figured in the witness's worldview before the encounter. The most no-way are the most disturbed, for a pretty logical reason: they just saw something they knew wasn't real...and they can't deny it anymore. A number of witnesses treasure their encounters and wish they could see another one. As to studying the phenomenon: bigfoot researchers don't have enough time to research bigfoot, let alone do psychology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DWA Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Do you think it is more likely that Bigfoot causes a Disorder, or more likely that a disorder causes the Bigfoot sighting? I mean really, someone sees an apeman are they really getting PTSD from such an encounter? There are war vets who have been through horrible situations that have PTSD, Why would someone who saw an unusual animal be claiming that they have PTSD? Much more likely the former, because many reports seem to document it. (Plus it's a logical reaction to seeing something that not only is scary in its own right, but that one just knew wasn't real.) We don't, however, have any records of a disorder causing a bigfoot sighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 5 foot 5 and a buck nothing? Why rely on your husband for protection? God created all men and Samuel Colt made them all equal.............all you need is a working trigger finger sweetie. Obviously different hormones and brain wiring, but if I was a woman I would hope like heck that I had done it all the same. Wild places and solitude are like candy for my soul! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 We don't, however, have any records of a disorder causing a bigfoot sighting. We have records of REM Sleep disorders causing sightings of Night Hags, Aliens and Black Dogs, why not Bigfoot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 (edited) Thanks for all the contributions. I think the window sighting (huge non-human face staring at you) would tend to be the most psychologically damaging .....you'd be reminded anytime you were at home....seems very invasive.... I am most intrigued by seasoned hunters who've seen what they think is a BF and quit hunting or going out into the woods....Asked my dad once if he ever saw anything unusual in the woods (BF) and he was so irritated that I even asked the question that he kind of huffed and walked away. If he saw something that spooked him and stopped hunting, I'd really take note of that....I am pretty convinced there are hunters of sound mind who have stopped hunting because of something they saw. And I find that pretty compelling and certainly not something I would mock behind a computer let alone in person.... I am totally *not* surprised that hunters have stopped hunting after seeing a BF. Killing a BF could be rather difficult I think due to it's massive muscular size and thick hair covering. Plus they could sneak up to watch you and then what do you do if you see it? I am all for safety, for the humans who have no idea about what really does go "BUMP" in the night, and I hope disclosure comes really soon for the sake of future innocent hunters/hikers/campers who could find themselves in trouble rather quickly. That is my female heart speaking... I don't scare or even get overly concerned easily but after my 94' incident while bear hunting I strongly considered never hunting wild places again. Then I began to get angry and decided no booger was going to separate me from a huge part of my life that I had loved since I was 5. That was the shove I needed to actively look into BF groups and in very short order found what I had experienced from the incident during a hunting trip right through the emotions, stress, & conflict had been experienced by many other outdoors-folk. Three in particular who had had way hairier experiences than mine (no pun intended), guys who had then gone through literally identical emotions & phases as I had, but had successfully conquered them and returned to the wild places & hunting lifestyles we shared & loved, helped me face my big hairier than me demon and get back to the lifestyle I had loved since I was a child. We also formed family or maybe even shared BTDT bonds and all three have become my brothers in all but blood, brothers-in-BFing, if you will. I feel as close to these guys as I do my oldest brother, and far, far, closer than to my younger brother... I don't know if this was a form of PTSD, A few years ago I and a number of my brother LEOs were attending a training seminar by thee worlds leading expert on the psychology of killing in combat which includes PTSD and how to deal with it, he stressed to us that humans can experience PTSD symptoms w/o actually having PTSD. I kind of suspect that folks who have this experience after a BF encounter fall into this category. One thing I've considered over the years is that there are any number of psych and abnormal psych thesis just waiting to be written regarding the psychology of those in the BF research field... Plus 1 to you for your thoughtful posting. All of you guys are correct about my PTSD. Women are so different from men, we are wives and mothers, we rear our children, cook meals, tend to our hubbies, and our community. I had believed in BF before my sighting, and it was only after someone told me that I had witnessed a Dog/Wolfman, no breasts visible so I believe it was a male, and someone VERY HELPFULLY sent me all of the info about the Dogman that my PTSD started. blush. I now live with the knowledge that these creatures exist, and NO ONE in my family believes me. My kids hike, camp, and fish with no idea of there being any dangerous bipedal creature living in our woodlands across America, and Canada. That is part of my concern, and is why I pray that a specimen will be produced so that *everyone* will know what I know about the dangers lurking in our forests and woodlands. 5 foot 5 and a buck nothing? Why rely on your husband for protection? God created all men and Samuel Colt made them all equal.............all you need is a working trigger finger sweetie. Obviously different hormones and brain wiring, but if I was a woman I would hope like heck that I had done it all the same. Wild places and solitude are like candy for my soul! Norseman, You are too cute:) I react quickly in a medical emergency, always have even before I was an RN. I *used* to be frightened of snakes, now snakes don't even make me pause, but encountering a BF would be terrifying while hiking. How could you know if it was friendly or not until it turned away, or attacked? I too love the woodlands and deep forests, and I HATE that I am afraid of them now because of a stupid Dogman sighting. Plus 1 for your thoughtful and kindhearted posting:) Edited July 2, 2014 by SweetSusiq Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 daveedoe, If you ever saw what I witnessed in the Davy Crockett National Forest you probably would never go in the forest again, even with SEAL team 6 surrounding you, and I, personally, would not feel totally safe with them blush..Those creatures could tear me up without even trying. They are fully capable of tearing a human up without the human even having time to scream if they sneak up on you. I am so frightened of them that I have avoided hiking with my kids close to my home because a forest backs up to our neighborhood:( and there have been reports of BF sighted close by my neighborhood. Sigh... I wish that I did not know for sure because now I do know that there are scary things that go BUMP in the night. I'm sure seeing such a creature would cause PTSD. In my past I solo hiked and camped in wilderness areas. I have been visited at night by wildlife, deer, bears and somethings I don't know what. I felt fear a few times hearing something outside my tent but I always was able to go back to sleep and get past my fear. A couple times I just figured what I was hearing had to be a curious Bigfoot. I did not want to look out to see for fear of actually seeing a Bigfoot. I believe fear can be a healthy thing and can be unhealthy. Having fear seeing a big hungry grizzly near by is healthy but on the other hand fear of the forest because once upon a time a person was attacked by a grizzly might be unhealthy. PTSD is real, every person process stress differently, it is for sure a personal thing. Plus 1 for you from me and I sincerely thank you for your comment:) You are so correct, plus you understand, and I sincerely appreciate that. It is difficult to tell others about something so personal and horrific feeling about why I don't wish to go camping and hiking anymore, plus no one would be armed and I now sincerely believe that it is a good idea to hike and camp with a weapon handy. @Susie - I think your fear is terribly misplaced. You have thousands times more of a chance of dying in a car wreck, drowning, house fire, disease, airplane part landing on you, or random act of violence than getting torn apart by a BF. Do any of those other things bother you/keep you from going outside? No;) I truly can't help my fear, it just exists; I also do not want my family exposed so our camping days are over, we stopped after my sighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKH Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Matthew Johnson had such a strong reaction because for the first time in his life he faced a situation where he realized that he *Could* Not* protect his family from the threat of an attack from the BF he witnessed. Also, following that sighting, Matt joined BF groups, and has been doing research on the BF species to understand it, and that has helped him deal with the trauma he experienced when he realized that he *could* *not* protect his family from a "monster" that was watching his helpless wife and children. Did you know that Matthew Johnson regularly goes to forest locations with his "helpless" family and friends to share sammies and convos with the forest folks? It sounds like he's gotten over his fears pretty well. I'm scratching my head over this desire for the death of an innocent animal in order that everyone may be afraid of the dangerous forest. I think Cotter said it well. Think it was the recent Friends or Foes thread that shows the consensus among many long-time researchers is that they're USUALLY afraid of us/not a threat. In fact, large groups of people pay good money to go play with them in the dark. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDL Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 My closest encounter was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. A parachute malfunction in 1980 was the second scariest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1980squatch Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Interesting discussion! Lots of good points. I'll weigh in as a witness who had a couple minute daylight encounter at 25 yards, while out hunting with a single shot .22, age 15. Over 30 years ago now... I'm going to cheat and cut and paste from BFRO report 38155: "Have you been back there since?I avoided the woodlot this occurred at the rest of that year and the next. Then I cautiously returned. So, likely returned to the encounter spot after about 18 months or so. I kind of compartmentalized the sighting to that exact woodlot, and as long as I avoided it for a while I was OK going to my other woodlots and the other parts of my home range. I have heard of other witnesses never returning to the field. I think this had to do with the nature of my encounter, in which by the end of it there was something of a resolution of sorts, if you leave me be I'll leave you be kind of thing. It de-escalated, although it terrified me it was less terrifying at the end. A more typical encounter is seconds with the creature quickly disappearing into the trees- that sort of thing might be harder to deal with.Was there anything else that made you feel non-threatened?The entire demeanor was non-aggressive. I was terrified due to this creature’s scale and the fact that mythology was now real, but there was nothing else. No snarls, no crouching, no sudden moves, no change in expression that I could see (as I noted the entire face was hair covered) during the stare offs. Then during the eating at the end there was something of a more relaxed tone to the face, as it glanced between me and the bush. But the berry eating was the biggest factor, making it clear to me that this was its main concern, and as long as that was not messed with there would be no trouble." So yes, I considered the encounter terrifying despite the entire lack of aggression. I was a BF civilian at the time, no interest in the subject and have no idea if I would have been a believer or not prior- just not something I gave any thought too. It was the single most helpless moment of my life. I knew full well that this huge monster looking thing could just end me right then and there would be near nothing I could do about it. And unlike a traffic accident or something I had plenty of time to stand there and think about that fact. Imagine standing in front of a polar bear or lion or great white or some such, in the middle of nowhere totally alone. Exactly like that, with the complication/confusion of myth is now real. After, I was largely OK. Lots of strange dreams, disappointment in nobody believing me (but I could not really blame them for that), but I stayed in the woods, kept the trapline going and kept night fishing and everything. Just avoided that one woodlot for a while, not because I thought there would still be a BF there, it was just too much to recall that feeling for a time. PSTD? I don't know. After effects? Yes, some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 We have records of REM Sleep disorders causing sightings of Night Hags, Aliens and Black Dogs, why not Bigfoot? Well, My sighting was in broad daylight, and until someone here explained I had seen a Dogman since "my" BF had a snout. I had not known about them until someone here explained the different types to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotter Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I think anyone would get rattled in the woods when encountering a large predator that appeared to be aggressive. It would shake some folks' foundations for sure. Though, me personally, I'm more afraid of getting into a head on collision by a drunk driver than I am getting attacked by a bear, lion, deer, bull, wolf, or bigfoot. I think I've said this enough to be called a broken record - Living in fear is just another way of dying before your time. Edit - twice in my life I've had to dodge drunk drivers going the wrong way down an interstate at 65 mph plus. Gives you the shakes for a few minutes no doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 http://demonhunterscompendium.blogspot.com/2012/06/beast-of-land-between-lakes-part-1.html This is the story I was talking about. I have been told that it is a true story. Since I was not there I cannot swear that this is a real event. Personally, I sincerely hope that it is an urban Legend, yet urban legends often have a thread of truth in the them. I seem to remember reading a newspaper report about this event, but I read this a couple or more years ago so I cannot swear to it being a true story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 1980squatch, Thank you for telling us about your encounter. You really handled yourself well for being such a young man and unaware of this creature even possibly existing. I understand that you have not had any more sightings? Now that you know and time has passed are you more comfortable hunting and hiking in the forest? Has your encounter changed any of your families hiking and camping plans? My closest encounter was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. A parachute malfunction in 1980 was the second scariest. JDL, Please tell us about your encounter that was more frightening than a parachute malfunction. My oldest son "jumps" out of planes and helicopters, sometimes even for fun since he is active duty army:( How could your sighting be so frightening that it scared you more than a parachute malfunction? Please share your sighting with us if you don't mind too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Here is more information regarding how off-putting this area really is: he Beast of LBL, page 1 www.abovetopsecret.com 2:33 PM The Demon Hunter's Compendium: The Beast of Land Between the Lakes (Part 2) demonhunterscompendium.blogspot.com 2:30 PM The Demon Hunter's Compendium - Welcome 4t4qjto8n6vcba9cabf6v2lrng9ast6r-a-fc-opensocial.googleusercontent.com 2:30 PM The Demon Hunter's Compendium - Join www.google.com 2:28 PM The Demon Hunter's Compendium: The Beast of Land Between the Lakes (Part 1) demonhunterscompendium.blogspot.com 1:41 PM Tracking a Kentucky werewolf - Louisville Skepticism | Examiner.com www.examiner.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDL Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 1980squatch, Thank you for telling us about your encounter. You really handled yourself well for being such a young man and unaware of this creature even possibly existing. I understand that you have not had any more sightings? Now that you know and time has passed are you more comfortable hunting and hiking in the forest? Has your encounter changed any of your families hiking and camping plans? JDL, Please tell us about your encounter that was more frightening than a parachute malfunction. My oldest son "jumps" out of planes and helicopters, sometimes even for fun since he is active duty army:( How could your sighting be so frightening that it scared you more than a parachute malfunction? Please share your sighting with us if you don't mind too much. http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=5770 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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