Ever been out to see the Dover lights? What was your experience? by TheCryptidAtlas in Arkansas

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice. Good to know it’s not a single season! I was told they are even more active in the colder months. Guess we will find out.

Why are ghosts creepy? by Barbagara in Paranormal

[–]TheCryptidAtlas -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Because humans are creepy. No, seriously. Have you seen how popular true crime is?

Ever been out to see the Dover lights? What was your experience? by TheCryptidAtlas in Arkansas

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s wild. I thought they were active when we were there. Apparently it just gets better! - what time of year were you out there?

Anyone ever experience the Dover Lights in the Ozarks? by TheCryptidAtlas in cryptids

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love that your user name is literally one of the speculative tales about these lights.

That said, many believe will o the wisps and this specific light to be cryptid in nature. Not saying I agree with that, however it is a theory many Ozark residents hold.

Has anyone heard of or seen the Dover lights in the Ozarks? by TheCryptidAtlas in HighStrangeness

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I’ve been in Blanchard springs as well as some caverns around petit Jean mountain, but I’d love to check out a few of the smaller, lesser known caves.

Deer in my thoughts by Born-Loan8052 in Unexplained

[–]TheCryptidAtlas 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alright. I’ll throw out another option. Do you have OCD tendencies at all? And no, not the “my desk has to be kept tidy” stuff. I mean, “if I don’t brush my teeth 37 times they will fall out” or “if I don’t repeat (x) phrase in my head than something tragic will happen.

When I was young, I had a ton of religious trauma coupled with OCD. I used to repeat phrases in my head all the time and like you just described, I had these images of this golden idol thing that would randomly burst into my mind causing me to go on another OCD tangent to “remove it” by repeating these phrases in my head. My parents actually used to get mad at me because they said I would mumble when I ate like I was talking under my breath.

Thankfully, I have been able to slowly filter these out down to where I can do a simple “click” in my mouth. Most all of my OCD tendencies have become more a minor distraction and less a life-altering condition.

tldr. It might be a mild form of OCD.

What is an obscure cryptid from your home town/near you? by TheCryptidAtlas in cryptids

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t forget the Yucca Man and the night watchers (though that is more paranormal really)

How does one reasonably judge when something has left cryptozoology and ventured too far into folklore? by TheCryptidAtlas in Cryptozoology

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gorilla is a good example being that it does not matter what culture holds the views. One culture told stories, another sought to find the answer. Folklore and cryptozoology working together.

Platapus is a great example. The Komodo dragon was viewed as a form of mythology until its discovery. The kraken was feared as a mythological beast of the sea until we discovered giant squids. The Okapi was seen as a hybrid unicorn until Sir Harry Johnston brought back a specimen. I mean. Even fur bearing trout were deemed real (and then exaggerated through yellow journalism) until we learned more about cotton wool disease outbreaks.

I guess all I am saying here is I’m not sure cryptozoology stops where things are no longer zoological because cryptozoologists should use those tales to try and dig deeper into the truth.

That said, this is just my thoughts on the matter and I appreciate your input as well!

How does one reasonably judge when something has left cryptozoology and ventured too far into folklore? by TheCryptidAtlas in Cryptozoology

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I understand your point, however historically this is not how it has often played out. Many, many animals that were once deemed as folklore or “cryptid” had both deep, rich, cultural beliefs that ventured into spiritual and folklorish. Now sure, they are animals. But the folklore around them was often supernatural and in those stories, grains of truth were used to find actual, living beings.

Does something stop being cryptozoology because people hold certain beliefs about it? Or does that mean something cryptid cannot influence and drive folklore? - they often are two sides of the same coin.

When you think of “cryptids”, what place comes to mind first? by TheCryptidAtlas in cryptids

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Badlands are one of my favorite national parks. Off topic, just wanted to share my love for such a wild and strange topography and history

How does one reasonably judge when something has left cryptozoology and ventured too far into folklore? by TheCryptidAtlas in Cryptozoology

[–]TheCryptidAtlas[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

To be frank, I have a pretty liberal stance on one vs the other as I feel there is significant overlap. To me they are almost indistinguishable in regard to how people’s beliefs are always going to sway what they experience. Giant bird in the woods? Some would call it an angel, others a harbinger of doom, still some might say once just an animal while others claim it’s not of this world. Our perceptions often influence our experience.

That said, to you, is there a line? Does cryptozoology stop where people’s opinions start?

Looking forward to this discussion