Why does cryptozoology fascinate you?

Dear lovelies,

Here's a challenge for you: In five sentences or less, please describe why the subject of cryptozoology interests you.

We do a lot of "what is it?" in this forum, but not always "why do we care?". I'm interested in why you're out there hunting for Nessie. I want to know why you've spent hours pouring over the Patterson video footage. I want to know, in your own brief words, what draws you to these topics and why they are important to you.

Thank you very, very much,

Love,

Your-very-absent-and-academically-busy-zoologist-slash-Forum-Subject-Matter-Expert

P.S. I may be asking things like this more often. Please hybrid grizzly/polar bear with me.

1 I like the mysterious
2 some of the creatures look cool
3 I dont believe we have found every creature on earth
4 I like animals anyway
5 books and movies that deal with this subject are cool, cant say I dont like them

Is that good enough for you?
Wasn't much of a challenge.

One reason....because scratchings on cave walls, of beasties that science has said, couldn't have existed during that time period it was carved. Leads me to believe that somewhere science is wrong. How else did the carver know what the beasties looked like. If science is wrong about something so basic....what else are they wrong about.

Good thread

reply to post by Dr Cosma


Why do you like "the mysterious"???

The thrill of the unknown elevates heart rate and boosts adrenaline, and since the “scares” pose no real threat, they can be processed, laughed about and enjoyed. Real fear, which humans must face every day is much more terrifying since it can’t necessarily be controlled

reply to post by ravenshadow13

Why do you like "the mysterious"???

Because it's difficult to understand.

Why.....because I do believe that Yeti exists and we can't seem to find solid proof.

Peace

Cryptids are FAR more than a wolf-man or a bunyip, but are also creatures that should be dead, geologically. Some, like the Coelacanth, upsets what scientists believe to be true, forcing them to create the Lazarus Taxon (creatures that aren't extinct, no matter how few are fossilised in other strata), and the Elvis Taxon (modern creatures that they are "sure" are not the same as the fossil, for all that they look alike). Facts are, no matter what we would like to believe about the biological science, there's plenty of creatures out there that defy our assumptions, and studying Cryptids is a way to "rage against the attempted machine" of assumed logic and rightness in a field that's honestly mostly guesswork. It goes beyond merely creatures that do not exist, but also encompasses aspects of creatures that are thought to be imaginary, such as Salamander's surviving fire (do they?), or is there a lizard that puts it's tail in it's mouth like an Ouroboros, or why do some early bestiaries state that unicorns have PLURAL horns and a scale-ish hide? The assumptions are, by most mainstreamers, that there is nothing worthwhile in the the Cryptid field, but in reality, it leads to a less viable and open source for information, to exclude it.

reply to post by ravenshadow13


Why do we care ?

Because throughout the history of mankind, all of the known zoological species were also unknown at one time until discovered categorized and later proven to exist by science.

It's simply a natural progression of science and our civilization in that we don't understand and/or know everything there is to know. Even though science somewhat implies that we do.

I love mysteries as well because they're intriguing....and also simply because they're mysterious !

1. If Bigfoot and similar creatures exist as described, then they would be a hominid or "manimal" species between humans (man) and apes (animals).
Such a discovery would challenge the distinction between humans and animals, and raise ontological questions about the human condition.
Both religion and science would have to change their teachings to accommodate it.
What such intelligent creatures (close relatives) know and think about us would cause social revolutions in thinking.
2. If Nessie was found, and she is indeed a prehistoric creature, it changes our way of thinking about history and about the "known" world at present.
3. Cryptozoology entails the incongruency between what we consider the "known world" and the unknown. It would cause us to question the construction of reality that is presented to us.
It would challenge many received myths from our privileged discourses of science and religion.
4. Unknown species imply that our world is not conquered by human spillage and environmental destruction.
It would challenge imagery of the world as conquered and documented.
It would dent the hubris of our species somewhat.
It would also remind us that we should stop focusing on aliens and other planets, because contrary to popular beliefs in post-colonialism, we hardly know anything about our own, and we should cease any further destruction, especially of the unexplored oceans.
5. The proof for Bigfoot-type species somewhere across the globe will remind us that "science" simply didn't want to know certain things (deliberate ignorance), and our "knowledge" is dictated by what they decide to research in line with their materialistic paradigm.
Religion would have to scramble for some verses to explain it all (and there's enough verses in the Bible to explain pretty much whatever one finds), and other ethical questions would focus on whether Bigfoot kids should go to some kind of school, or whether they can be considered a native tribe and own property.

But mostly: it would remind us that civilization is not at an end, but that it is indeed at the edge of a new beginning, where our conceptual place in the world will be different.
So I hope that a discovery of the radically new will destroy the ridiculous mindset of immanent destruction and apocalyptic pessimism, and restore our wonder in the world and human existence.

It's the idea of "what if?"

It's the realization that we DON'T know everything.

It's because my favorite show growing up was "In Search Of". And I even had a little crush on Leonard Nimoy.

1. Because they are infact , mysterious animals out there.
2.Like Humboldt Squid or The Japanese Spider Crab
3.The Japanese spider crab has the greatest leg span of any arthropod, reaching 3.8 metres (12 ft) from claw to claw.
4.The body may grow to a size of 40 centimetres or 16 inches (carapace width) and the whole crab can weigh up to 41 pounds (19 kg).
5.

Over thousands of years of human history, we've encountered strange yet awe-inspiring creatures that we instinctively realize are superior to us when we bump into them. As society began its civilized discourse, the majority of new civilized generations completely lost touch of what is really outside of our safe bubbles. At the same time, remaining generations of people who are seperated from the distractions of life that we face happen to run into these cryptoids and so they know what these things are, when we can only speculate and dream.

That's why cryptoids fascinate me.

Proving the mainstream wrong, thinking outside the box, seeking the missing piece to the puzzle has always been my MO. I am a BF researcher. They are interesting because they seem to attract paranormal activity, often seen in conjuction with UFO's, orbs, cattle mutes, etc. They are said to vanish into thin air, zap people, and move with super stealth. I am not afraid to consider them as human/demon, human/alien, or animal/other. Other cryptids are interesting because they are being sought after. Big Foot is a cryptid with the "X factor." I am facinated by the possibilities and impossibilites of the chase.

These responses are great! Keep them coming.

It's interesting. I think that they can be broken up into the internal "I am intrigued by the mysterious" and the external "We don't know everything" or "Here are possible implications of new discoveries." What do you think?

Some people think that cryptozoology provides a bridge between the paranormal and what we perceive as "real." Do you think that this is true? Why is the paranormal fascinating? Is paranormal research more, less, or as legitimate as cryptozoological research?

reply to post by ravenshadow13


1) I always wonder if sightings of these strange creatures are some sort of sign(especially mothman...)

2)What is their origin?

3)Pure fascination on anything 'secretive'.

4)Love of the myths beind them

To sum it all up....Curiosity.

I like it when new species or animals are discovered because it shows we haven't yet discovered everything about this planet yet. Plus I'd like to think that somewhere out there, a prehistoric creature or two managed to survive the various ice ages and other Earth changing events to continue on as normal.

Plus I love the old tales and the thought that huge sea creatures that sailors feared could exist. We haven't fully explored our oceans yet and for centuries we thought the giant squid was just a myth until we discovered a carcass and then documented them alive and well in the depths.

I love the movie Cloverfield and when the makers of that spoke to marine biologists to help design the creature as a realistically functioning baby looking for its mother, I really thought "you know, what if there really is something like this thing down there and we just haven't discovered it yet?"

Originally posted by ravenshadow13
Some people think that cryptozoology provides a bridge between the paranormal and what we perceive as "real." Do you think that this is true? Why is the paranormal fascinating? Is paranormal research more, less, or as legitimate as cryptozoological research?

edit on 10/28/2011 by ravenshadow13 because: (no reason given)

All depends.

People think of cryptozoology as paranormal even if only half the cryptids qualify for that title.

Chupacabra and Nessie for instant could be real animals that learned to avoid anything that would compromise their existence due to predators of the past for instance but have these stories attached to make them seem paranormal while Mothman has a definite origin in the paranormal world.

Thing with this subject compared to paranormal is that more people seem to have had paranormal experiences with ghosts, spirits, demons, angels etc compared to those experiencing strange creatures. Probably makes this topic less legit than most paranormal cases. Shame really cause like I said, people actively seek out ghosts and such but a lot of the time find nothing and while the same can be said for cryptids, they could be more real than spirits even though personally speaking, I know that ghosts exist having seen a few.

Why? Because the Truth is Out There and I want to find it!

I'm fascinated by the 'weirdness factor'. I vividly remember browsing a book store when I was about 12 yrs old.
Twas the early 1970s. They had a small section called 'The Strange'. I found a book about flying cryptids, including Mothman and a really bizarre "bird-woman" of Vietnam and Cambodia.
I was hooked! I don't still have that book, but over the years I've collected some others.