Bigfoot: I want to believe

[SoCalCoug]

BTW, what m,akes you tihk that photo would be so hard to fake? Or so expensive? It doesnt look that way to me.

ANd why is there always some odd ciurcumstance attached to so much of the eivdence?

"Here is a great photo! Sorry, nop point in going to look for corrsponding footprints or hair on trees etc. becasue it has been YEARS since it was taken, but man it sure looks cool!"

There was some thought that the picture was similar to a Bigfoot costume that was used in a movie recently produced. Someone went so far as to contact the movie's director (or producer) and discuss it with him. He confirmed first, that it was not his suit (there had been speculation that one of the suits from the movie was what was shown in the picture). He also said that although he can't disclose how much his costume cost, he did say you could buy a mid-priced car for it.

If it's fake, my best guess would be it's a close-up shot from a museum model - but nobody's come up with the original yet, and they've been able to do so pretty readily in the past.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Bigfeet in the PNW would be great for business, so I believe!

[UtahDan]

But Bigfoot isn't paranormal. That's the problem. It isnt some otherworldly phenomenon. It is supposed to be a huge ape but it never leaves a carcass and never gets hit by a car and so forth. I would. E excited if there was actual evidence but for now most of what I have seen is a bobo recreation and that doesn't do it for me.

And yet people believe very strongly that they have had encounters with them. I am fascinated by people who have very strong beliefs in things like this, UFOs, etc. Reason and evidence only enter into the equation for many of them to the extent they confirm what is already believed. When it doesn't they fall back on their own subjective experience and arguments about what is knowable. It is virtually indistinguishable from a religious impulse.

[creekster]

And yet people believe very strongly that they have had encounters with them. I am fascinated by people who have very strong beliefs in things like this, UFOs, etc. Reason and evidence only enter into the equation for many of them to the extent they confirm what is already believed. When it doesn't they fall back on their own subjective experience and arguments about what is knowable. It is virtually indistinguishable from a religious impulse.

No, it is completely distingusihabkle from a religious impulse in terms of the science. It is indistinguishable as it may be observed in someone like Bobo.

I have read a couple of articles that talk about Bigfoots (bigfeet?) being a manifestation of the "other", of the dark, of the a part of our natures that have always feared the monster out there. If we dont have it, we invent it. IOW, it is a psychological phenomenon as it is believed. this is similar to the religious impulse, as you put it. But whether it actually exists is a different issue.

[UtahDan]

No, it is completely distingusihabkle from a religious impulse in terms of the science. It is indistinguishable as it may be observed in someone like Bobo.

I have read a couple of articles that talk about Bigfoots (bigfeet?) being a manifestation of the "other", of the dark, of the a part of our natures that have always feared the monster out there. If we dont have it, we invent it. IOW, it is a psychological phenomenon as it is believed. this is similar to the religious impulse, as you put it. But whether it actually exists is a different issue.

I agree with all but the first sentence. But you are right. I was, as you say, talking about "as observed," that is, how people experience it. I would be interested to hear you flesh out that first sentence however. Distinguishable how?

As for the second part, some have argued that the ubiquitous idea of a devil figure is a manifestation of this. I also think there is something even more basic to the idea of boogeymen than externalizing the bad in ourselves (though I definitely think that is part of it). That something more, IMO, is just that we are adapted to be at least a little jumpy about that we can't immediately explain. It is easy to imagine why a skittish creature might have a better chance of passing on its genetic material than one that is not.

[clackamascoug]

I choose to stand by SoCalCoug, even if he has a bit of a skunk ape odor on the board today.

Hundreds of years, and thousands of reports are worthy respect and contemplation. It's not a huge step for me to consider that they are real, when reports of this type of animal come in from all around the world in a regular basis. In addition, it's not just a regional USA thing, there are sightings in every single state, every single year. If you're a Google Earth Fan, you can download a BFRO module, and see tags where sightings have taken place and read the report associated with the sighting. When you see more tags than you can read, you might also consider that maybe there is more to this than you realized.

[UtahDan]

I choose to stand by SoCalCoug, even if he has a bit of a skunk ape odor on the board today.

Hundreds of years, and thousands of reports are worthy respect and contemplation. It's not a huge step for me to consider that they are real, when reports of this type of animal come in from all around the world in a regular basis. In addition, it's just a regional USA thing, there are sightings in every single state, every single year. If you're a Google Earth Fan, you can download a BFRO module, and see tags where sightings have taken place and read the report associated with the sighting. When you see more tags than you can read, you might also consider that maybe there is more to this than you realized.

I think most people are willing to consider that it is possible. It's just that most of us don't think we have seen evidence that would lead is to say that it is probable or even just as likely as not.

[Commando]

I know the Sasquatch legend's real! :rockon2:

[YOUTUBE]ig_2k9aDhpE[/YOUTUBE]

[Paperback Writer]

If you come across Sasquatch in the woods, just don't go messin' with him.

[FMCoug]

I have no idea if there is a BigFoot or not. However, it seems there is a tried and true tradition going back hundreds or even thousands of years of the "learned" who scoff at the whack jobs being disproven when new evidence comes to light.

[TripletDaddy]

If you come across Sasquatch in the woods, just don't go messin' with him.

That's a really good fake. And I mean REALLY good fake.

[creekster]

In addition, it's just a regional USA thing, there are sightings in every single state, every single year.

Ironically, this is one of the reasons why I think it is unlikely.

[UtahDan]

I have no idea if there is a BigFoot or not. However, it seems there is a tried and true tradition going back hundreds or even thousands of years of the "learned" who scoff at the whack jobs being disproven when new evidence comes to light.

Hopefully humanity is getting more humble about what it says is not possible while at that same time becoming better and better at saying what is probable.

[SoCalCoug]

That's a really good fake. And I mean REALLY good fake.

Yep. And they probably paid at least $30,000 for the costume they use in the commercials.

Either the Hollywood people are doing the hoaxing, or some of the hoaxers have a bunch of money lying around to spend on bigfoot costumes.

[Uncle Ted]

And yet people believe very strongly that they have had encounters with them. I am fascinated by people who have very strong beliefs in things like this, UFOs, etc. Reason and evidence only enter into the equation for many of them to the extent they confirm what is already believed. When it doesn't they fall back on their own subjective experience and arguments about what is knowable. It is virtually indistinguishable from a religious impulse.

"We do not know how many inhabited worlds there are, or where they are. But certainly we are not alone."

Neal A. Maxwell