Panic Attack In The Woods Is Not Evidence Of Bf Presence

[Explorer]

I have read in past BFF posts that some people who are hiking in the woods suddenly experience an anxiety/panic attack and run towards their vehicle or campsite or until they exit an area (or zone) deemed spooky or threatening. These zones have been called “death zones†in previous posts. These experiencers did not see a BF, but were speculating that it could have been because the hiking area was squatchy.

 

I think even the original posters will agree that panic attacks in the woods (even squatchy woods) is not evidence of BF presence. The mystery of panic attacks in the woods is not new and has been written about before without any conclusion on its causation (whether psychological or attributed to environmental/external factors). An article that documented this mystery and used stories from Europe is titled the “The Landscapes of Panic†by Patrick Harpur (from 2001). See link below.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/236245366/Landscape-of-Panic-FT141-Patrick-Harpur

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mythfolk/conversations/topics/902

 

I find it interesting that some panic attacks in the woods appear suddenly with no obvious or seen external causation. I understand why some people want to attribute this panic and anxiety sensation to infra-sound from BF, but that is not the case in those European cases mentioned by Harpur where there has was never a claim of BF presence.

 

The mystery of panic attacks in the woods is itself an interesting topic (without the need for BF presence). Has anybody done research on this area? How common is this phenomenon and what are the prevailing explanations for the panic? Are all panic attacks in the woods the same or are there many flavors?

 

With regard to the relevance to BF research, we could ask those who claimed to have encountered a BF, how many had a panic attack and ran instead of just being frozen with fear or just reacted normally to an unknown encounter? How common is a panic attack with those who encounter a BF? Based on the cases that I have read, it appears to me that eyewitness experience fear, and the flight (not fight) reaction (especially with close encounters), but I would not call that panic.

Panic defined as: a sudden overpowering fright; also: acute extreme anxiety. b : a sudden unreasoning terror often accompanied by mass flight).

[Guest]

Explorer could you tell me where you found "death zones" in the forum, I can't find it in the search link for the forum. Sounds interesting. Thanks

[Explorer]

BoggyCreekDave,

 

Unfortunately, that discussion was deleted last year(?) when BFF deleted all the new member introductions to save space (and BTW, we lost a lot of fascinating and informative stories from many other new members).

 

It was a new member who brought up the topic and his experiences in two of these "death zones" (one in WA and one in OR).

 

Since then, I have not forgotten the interesting discussion and the very real experience of panic that the experiencer had.

[BobbyO]

"Death zones" sounds a bit too out there for me personally.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to that if I were you a Explorer, especially if it just came up in a new member introduction and nowhere else, as the case may be.

[Guest]

The more relevant part of the topic is the panic attacks that are being attributed to bigfoot when none are seen. I've noticed attributions to bigfoot when none are seen. Panic attacks, stick structures, howling and "chatter," gifting, etcetera. Why the attributions? Personal choice? bias? more etcetera?

[Explorer]

BobbyO, 

 

I would not get hang up on the "death zone" label.  Call it panic zone or panic area or whatever you want.

 

The interesting thing is that some people experience these panic attacks in a very limited area/space in the woods.  They get out of the zone, and then suddenly all is fine.

 

While the panic attack is real, the causation is unknown. 

 

The attribution to BF is not warranted, unless a BF is seen.

 

But my interest lies more in what leads to these sudden panics and whether they are random normal human mind-tricks or linked to specific geographic areas. 

[MIB]

The more relevant part of the topic is the panic attacks that are being attributed to bigfoot when none are seen. I've noticed attributions to bigfoot when none are seen. Panic attacks, stick structures, howling and "chatter," gifting, etcetera. Why the attributions? Personal choice? bias? more etcetera?

 

Or judgment based on knowledge you haven't gained yet?    That lack can be addressed by spending more time in the field.  It's faster to learn from people who know more but it is possible to do it yourself despite the "reinventing the wheel" component.

 

MIB

[bipedalist]

I have read in past BFF posts that some people who are hiking in the woods suddenly experience an anxiety/panic attack and run towards their vehicle or campsite or until they exit an area (or zone) deemed spooky or threatening. These zones have been called “death zones†in previous posts. These experiencers did not see a BF, but were speculating that it could have been because the hiking area was squatchy.

 

I think even the original posters will agree that panic attacks in the woods (even squatchy woods) is not evidence of BF presence. The mystery of panic attacks in the woods is not new and has been written about before without any conclusion on its causation (whether psychological or attributed to environmental/external factors). An article that documented this mystery and used stories from Europe is titled the “The Landscapes of Panic†by Patrick Harpur (from 2001). See link below.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/236245366/Landscape-of-Panic-FT141-Patrick-Harpur

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mythfolk/conversations/topics/902

 

I find it interesting that some panic attacks in the woods appear suddenly with no obvious or seen external causation. I understand why some people want to attribute this panic and anxiety sensation to infra-sound from BF, but that is not the case in those European cases mentioned by Harpur where there has was never a claim of BF presence.

 

The mystery of panic attacks in the woods is itself an interesting topic (without the need for BF presence). Has anybody done research on this area? How common is this phenomenon and what are the prevailing explanations for the panic? Are all panic attacks in the woods the same or are there many flavors?

 

With regard to the relevance to BF research, we could ask those who claimed to have encountered a BF, how many had a panic attack and ran instead of just being frozen with fear or just reacted normally to an unknown encounter? How common is a panic attack with those who encounter a BF? Based on the cases that I have read, it appears to me that eyewitness experience fear, and the flight (not fight) reaction (especially with close encounters), but I would not call that panic.

Panic defined as: a sudden overpowering fright; also: acute extreme anxiety. b : a sudden unreasoning terror often accompanied by mass flight).

 

 

For your information these feelings of dread, panic, fear, high adrenaline also occur when you have visitors near your home of the BF persuasion, while you may be attempting to sleep or upon being awakened from sleep.  Antfoot's attributions unfortunately, as MIB so aptly alludes, have been minimized because of lack of experience on the members part.  The list he uses is definitely intact and a good researcher or witnesss that has had multiple experiences can easily tie these features of the phenomenon together without digging too deeply. I certainly experienced my share of dread and high adrenaline.  Highest when awakened from a deep sleep and realiziing something was imitating my snoring pattern from outside the house.  

Edited October 27, 2014 by bipedalist

[JustCurious]

To my knowledge, this idea that bigfoot uses infra-sound is used to explain panic attacks. To refute it, others have dug up information indicating that infra-sound occurs naturally under certain circumstances and that it has nothing to do with bigfoot.  I'm sure you can find a discussion about the topic if you search infrasound.

[bipedalist]

Infrasound may be a component of the phenomenon but there are many other elements that precipitate fear such as repeated patterns of clicks, knocks and tocks that become syncopated, rhythmic and at times seem to be purposeful.  To hear something using chatter that is not English and an unknown language will raise the hair on the back of your neck too.  

Edited October 27, 2014 by bipedalist

[David NC]

I'm with Bipedalist on this one. I have to say that it is not always as you are going to sleep or waking up. I experienced this twice while standing on my own back porch. I was not even thinking about Sasquatch or hearing anything to start my mind off on a track that would scare myself. Both times it came on immediately after a sound that was not loud or very forceful, sounded more like a punky log crushing. I do not have panic attacks and really do not what they are like, the closest I can compare it to was when you almost hit another car on the road, that feeling that starts in your solar plexus and radiates out. I have heard limbs break off and fall in the woods, have heard trees fall in the woods and they get my attention. Why such a soft no loud cracking, not very forceful or loud of a noise would cause something like this. Both times this happened it was the same sound.

[WSA]

Who knows?  The topic comes on up on occasion, but we only have personal conclusions if we've experienced something similar. I've only had one such episode in all my years of backpacking and exploring which included some solo trips in some very remote backcounty, days from any kind of help, and sometimes completely "bewildered" as to where I actually was on the map.  This one time was on a familiar mountain ridge on a leisurely hike I took after supper not too far from my home. I have no explanation or even a cogent theory as to what it was. All I know is I beat it the hell out of there, double-time. I've been back since, with none of those feelings. I could spin you explanations all the day long, but it was significant only to me and doesn't translate very well in the telling.

Edited October 27, 2014 by WSA

[David NC]

I have felt uneasy in certain places in the woods and in areas that do not have that many trees, so not a fear of dark, I am not afraid of the dark. I do not attribute any of "them" to Sasquatch. It was not a feeling of being watched, just a not good uneasy feeling. It may be that geologic formations of certain rocks or something create an electromagnetic field that causes it, I have no Idea, but your body is sensing something that you just are not registering consciously. I have been places in the woods that were the exact opposite were I had a completely content, peaceful feeling and I could sit there all day.

[Lake County Bigfooot]

As someone who has experienced panic attacks unrelated to Sasquatch I can tell that one aspect of it

to me was a hypersensitivity to sound and movement and time.  It seemed like I became aware of frame

by frame awareness, in other words hyper awareness.  In such a state time was slowed and perception

was skewed.  The mind cannot orient itself in this state and that is what leads to the physical reaction of

fight or flight response.  I know that in my body a lack of serotonin was triggering some of this, but it can

be induced as I later realized I could direct my thinking toward that process or away from it.  If Sasquatch

induces panic attacks in humans it is because it can illicit the disorientation response.  I heard an interesting

radio interview with a mountain biker who described a supposed infra sound experience that was initiated

by growling that stopped him in his tracks, it must have begun to disorientate him to such an extreme that

he became delusional and started stripping off his clothes in the winter, he said he drifted off to a waterfall

type euphoric experience.  It was very interesting from many sides, but it really formed a connection with

the 411 missing accounts of people being found partially clothed and disorientated.  I think that the idea

of that is extremely chilling to say the least, pardon any pun, but to drift off into la la land and have a Sasquatch

dispatch of you or leave you to freeze to death are not pleasant thoughts.  Perhaps the panic attack is more

of a response to an attempt to infra sound an individual, and the adrenalin kicks in to keep you from drifting

into a further disorientation.  If that is the case then it is not the direct result of infra sound, but rather a response

to the effects of the infra sound.  Infra sound paralysis might be more of a complete disorientation accompanied

by loss of memory and time, and may render an individual useless.  Hypothermia has been know to cause

this same response, but perhaps there is another mechanism.  Perhaps the Russian students who were

killed back in 1959 might have been overcome in a similar fashion, which would explain their lack of clothing.

Although some of them seemed to fight back, and were found farther away from the rest, but they suffered

a worse fate being beaten to death and mutilated in an unimaginable fashion.  If a Sasquatch wants to make

prey of you, well I guess your toast either way it decides to finish you off.

Edited October 27, 2014 by Lake County Bigfooot

[Guest Divergent1]

But my interest lies more in what leads to these sudden panics and whether they are random normal human mind-tricks or linked to specific geographic areas. 

I think you might be right on both accounts.  There tends to be large quartz/granite deposits near natural settings that have a spooky reputation. I have to wonder if it doesn't affect a part of the cerebellum that tells the subconscious mind that there is danger of some kind in the area setting off unexplained panic attacks..

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038216/