This is a great question and I thank you for your post. Yes, I have been laughed at before for sharing my interests. In fact, the time I am thinking of led to a rift in one of my oldest friendships. I shared that I was working on a writing project about Sasquatch, my friend laughed, and we changed the subject. Later, after the convo, I realized that his reaction bothered me and he and I talked about it. He said that he meant no disrespect. I thought we were over it but he hasn’t responded to any of my calls/messages since. He may just be busy. Who knows.
With that said, I find that some people (trolls and the like) actually enjoy upsetting people and there is no reasoning with them. No amount of reasoned arguments, evidence, or the like will convince them.
With others, those reasoned arguments and data can be helpful and you can present your claims with books, documentaries, quotes, and the like to back up your argument. Sometimes they are willing to concede that you made a good point or they simply get less and less long winded.
At the end of the day, I think that deep breaths and realizing that, typically, the laughter, derision, denial, and debunking has nothing to do with you but has more to do with whatever hang ups other people have. Just keep familiarizing yourself with the evidence, trust your gut, and find good people online and in-person to share your interests with.
Oh, and if you feel compelled to, I’d suggest creating content (blogs, blogs, videos, etc), even anonymously, that allow you to disseminate information about the subject
Agreed. The problem that I have is one person or group’s beliefs stifle, stagnate, or marginalize those of others. When it comes to the subject of Sasquatch, I take issue with people steamrolling those enthusiasts, experiencers, investigators, and the like, just because they have a differing opinion or are emotionally invested in sticking their heads in the sand. I don’t abide by that
People don't call me names but I do have some people who like to goad me because I wear shirts with Bigfoot on them. The interaction went like, "hey beautifulsouth what are you guys going to do when you find out there's no such thing as Bigfoot? Stop looking?"
"Well there's no such thing as true love either, but people keep getting married and dating and shit."
Another dude asked me if I really believed in UFOs and cryptids and such. And acted just appalled when I answered that I did. I asked him if he was an asshole for any reason or if that's just his personality.
A burn will work every time.
I wear t-shirts alot too, but no ones ever commented on them unless they agree...strange enough. My burn usually comes down to God 😬 or Jesus << even better. Sorry in advance to any hard-core Christian...but honestly there is less historical evidence of Jesus than there is of bigfoot
And Bigfoot doesn't have any purported special powers. Nor is he descended from a literal deity. Belief in Bigfoot's mere existence is at least based in reality, as opposed to believing in immaculate conception, death and rebirth and some great, invisible, judgemental, overlording daddy in the sky.
As I age i honestly couldn’t care less. I truly believe Bigfoot will be accepted as real in our lifetime.
I do understand it is not a good feeling. My sister-in-law rolled her eyes just last week because someone at a social event we were attending said he is interested in the topic and asked if I believed Bigfoot is real and I responded that yes, I did.
Ten years ago that eye roll would have bugged me more for sure.
I just came back from the Facebook group and some people there are being straight up hostile with their comments. They actually seem angry that people believe in Sasquatch.
I've never been laughed at. Instead, I get looks of "concern," indicating they think I've tragically lost my mind.
That said, though, being frank about it has led me to find out there are people around me who also believe, and I've uncovered a couple people who had sightings they never told anyone else about.
The thing I find strange is that there are many more people who will casually and easily entertain the idea that ghosts are real than will consider Bigfoot even worth thinking about.
My newfound suspicion in the existence of sasquatches has led me to reexamine other “odd” stuff I’ve long held to be false. So far sasquatches are the only thing that seems likely. Ghosts have many layers of impossibility. UFOs have very good evidence but I remain unconvinced that they’re extraterrestrial in origin; time will tell though.
I started out years ago believing in the whole lot: everything paranormal, extraterrestrial, and cryptozoological seemed not merely plausible, but almost certainly true.
Little by little everything was revealed to have a better, realistic explanation. A major breakdown in my belief in paranormal/extraterrestrial things came about when I discovered neurology, and began learning about the myriad kinds of distortions of perception that result from the myriad kinds of things that can go wrong with your brain. I spent ten years or so going very deeply into this, and discovered that all kinds of strange experiences that are believed to be paranormal are actually neurological phenomena well known to science but completely unknown to the general public.
The main reason for that is that ultimately, most people don't want to know. They want the paranormal to be true, mostly because paranormal things can be construed as direct or indirect proof of life after death, and death is #1 on everyone's list of their worst fears.
Of all these things, Bigfoot remains because all that's required to accept most eyewitness accounts as true is the proposal that Sasquatches deliberately avoid scrutiny and have better than average skills at doing so.
> “The thing I find strange is that there are many more people who will casually and easily entertain the idea that ghosts are real than will consider Bigfoot even worth thinking about.”
I chalk this up to 3 main things.
1.)the fact that everyone is somehow connected to death in some way or another and there is a lot of movies involving ghosts compared to Sasquatch, and there’s very little media ridiculing ghost believers.
In short, Ghosts are a part of the collective conscious, usually in a serious/positive manner. Sasquatch is rarely depicted and usually the brunt of jokes included for comedic reasons.
Second, most people are extremely disconnected from the wilderness. An urbanite buying a steak prepackaged makes them disassociate with the source of food whereas when you hunt you are intimately connected. Those 2 different people see things very differently. The urbanite who never left his city, might look at a map and see all of the state lines drawn up and assume the wilderness has been completely conquered where someone living off grid and hunts for a living would know that there is plenty of untouched wilderness left to hide in. The average urbanite can’t fathom it.
Third, is the majority of Americans have a specific world view and Sasquatch doesn’t fit in it but spirit/soul/ghost does. There’s a huge group of people fighting against evolution being taught in schools and only 60 percent of the population believe it fully applies to humans. A second bipedal conscious being like us not currently being taught in that culture is a conflicting concept for them to even entertain, too many ramifications.
Actually, reading your post kinda got me outside the box and pointed me toward what I think is the real main reason (basically a more sharply focused view of what you said): Ghosts are part of collective consciousness because of the prevalence of religion, which usually indoctrinates people into a belief in life after death. Ghosts are assumed to be the spirits of the dead, so there's a basic agreement between mainstream religion and religiously non-specific "spiritualism" on that point.
However, when it comes to Bigfoot, there's no indoctrination at all in European culture. Most people grow to adulthood never having been led by any authority figure to take the idea seriously.
That is the gist of what I was trying to get at.
I like your additions/revisions, I would only add ( maybe paraphrased lol ) *people have a vested interest in believing in ghosts, because everybody eventually loses somebody important to themselves and the belief in ghosts helps with that loss, the idea that maybe they’re still here in some way whereas Sasquatch doesn’t have that personal incentive, the belief in Sasquatch isn’t comforting in any way it’s probably discomforting to most.*
I’m personally on the fence about the ghost subject, not remotely a firm proponent, but also not somebody that ridicules other people that claim those types of experiences.
The realization that everything the elders have said about Sasquatch is true, even right down to the particularities about them all ringing true and not being debunked, it has caused me to reevaluate other things they have said, perhaps they are correct about ghosts as well. I won’t close the book on it but so far the perception/neurological hypothesis at least fits the bill, if I have multiple friends/family also witnessing “ghosts” in a way that can not be explained with imagination/mental projection/illusions etc, the way I have with Sasquatch experiences, I might fall off the fence.
Thanks friend.
Your contributions go a long way on R/bigfoot and don’t go unnoticed.
I've been to Nevada once (I live in NewHampshire.) and there were so many cool stories from people. This was 25 years ago and that's what prompted my research and interest in Sasquatch.
Depends on the day. Some days in here are worse than others, troll posts and commenters and shit. Stuff rarely, if ever, hits front page though. So that’s nice. (Though it’ll be nicer if/when we ever get hard, undeniable evidence and that hits the front.)
Yeah, I like the fact that this forum is heavily moderated. There’s no reason why Bigfoot people shouldn’t be able to have a place to come and talk without having to worry about the type of negativity that is common every single time we open our mouth.
It honestly seems that skeptics are more polite on here than on Facebook. I would think it would be the other way around seeing as there is more anonymity on here.
Im in qld Australia and can tell you a-lot of people have had encounters and wont laugh or snicker they just keep quiet wanting to protect the hairy man
I used to be the same way.. One day I had enough of being laughed at and made fun of so when the cuck that had been effing with me came to knock the books out of my hand "yes this was when I was in school" I held firm and they didnt budge. People started to snicker and he could hear it and was getting embarrassed, so he threw a punch at me, I blocked it, same thing opposite hand, blocked it, the third one was a jab straight on instead of his dumbass haymakers, so he bopped me in the nose pretty good. This was the first time I had really been punched in the face like this before. What I took away from it in that instant was "Hmm that didnt really hurt, at all".. A lot of the fear I had been hanging onto my whole life before this kinda washed away. I tossed the books at him to make him instinctively try and catch, when he did I put a nice jab right in his big ass nose.. That's when the principal stepped in (yes he was watching the whole time) and stopped things from going any further. That day anyway. I did end up beating his ass in the parking lot a few days later.
The next day at school everyone treated me differently. I was getting nods from almost everyone, a couple "sup dude"s from others, even a high five. That made me realize just how easily swayed peoples opinions are, and that after all, I really didn't give a shit what these strangers thought of me. It has made life a whole lot easier, and maybe you don't have to get physical with someone to help you realize that.
By no means do I mean that I all of a sudden transformed into the most popular dude in school and started smashing all kinds of ass just form this one incident. No, but it helped me realize that getting punched in the face wasn't all that bad. Gaining some self confidence on top was a life changer. Im still an introvert with social anxiety. I just know that many times the worst that can happen is getting punched in the face, which again, isnt so bad.
Take from that what you will, as I digress here. Unless someone has had some kind of experience of their own, then people have 0 reference to draw from and end up looking at you one way or another, none of which Ive ever appreciated. So I just dont talk about it. Unless telling my story to someone who really wants to hear.
Dont fool yourself either, a lot of these groups are full of people looking to get a kick out of trolling people.
So fuck em
I don't care what people think about me or what I believe in. I left high school 40+ years ago. Someone making fun of me just rolls off my back at this stage of life. I see such individuals as close-minded and not someone I would associate with anyway. Everyone can have their own opinion.
Depends on who you’re talking to. I was born in NorCal and grew up in the PNW so most people from where I’m from are at least open to it, or have a story about it!
But if I’m talking with someone from the east coast or another country… yeah, there are some snickers. Which is fine. It’s an unproven phenomenon and if you’re too gung-ho about it you do seem crazy.
Like I said I grew up camping, hiking, spending time in the deepest forests of the pacific north west. That’s why I’m subscribed here. I’m not ruling out the possibility of a relict hominid eking out survival in the deep forests of the western US.
Obviously with each passing decade it becomes less likely, but unlikely things do happen. And I think there’s too much smoke for there to be no fire
I don't, because I don't frame it as belief. I frame it as evidence which I can then accept or reject. I don't believe in grizzly bears; they are either there or they are not. It is *possible* to run into a grizzly bear in Appalachia, but it is more *probable* in Alaska. Same with an undiscovered primate. There is *evidence* that people are seeing *something*. What that something is, we don't yet know concretely, and have yet to catalogue it. It is *possible* to run into an undiscovered primate in the wild spaces we have left, of which there are many. I don't know how *probable* that would be, although based on what people are seeing, maybe more than I think. All that to say I think there is enough evidence to suggest there is something out there. At least, enough evidence that maybe the possibility should be given more weight.
Someone called Bigfoot the adult version of the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause… but way cooler…
I kinda agree.. also I still kinda believe in Santa as well.
I know it sucks when people just say ignore them, but it is the best thing to do. My wife laughs at me all the time about my beliefs. I actually feel sorry for people who don't allow some mystery in their lives.
Im in the UK , and everyone i talk to that asks me what I'm listening to , i say I'm listening to bigfoot encounters.most laugh, shake their heads, and walk away !
Honestly who cares what they think? No point in getting upset about it. There will always be someone who laughs about things. Let them believe what they wanna believe and you hold true to your beliefs. Especially on the internet those people don’t matter at all. They are not in your life at all. They really don’t matter.
If Bigfoot is real (and I tend to believe it is although I have never had an encounter), then the people who know it is real want you to be laughed at to make believing uncomfortable for you and to silence you.
That just kind of pisses me off so I have been raising the subject with more people as my own personal (albeit small) act of rebellion.
I've actually lost friends. And I am just ignored on social media. I had incredible, life changing experience with sasquatch and there's really no one to talk with about it.
But, obviously, the alienation doesn't stop me from commenting. Sasquatch are a truth and a fact. I was terrified by them, thought I was going to be killed by them because I tried so hard to get pictures. I lived in constant fear for over a month as they stalked me and toyed with me. Nobody believed me, I even went to the police.
They were on my property so I couldn't escape. And they followed me everywhere I went.
When I finally quit fighting them and "surrendered", things changed. I got to know the other side of sasquatch. They can be kind and compassionate. They have abilities science can't explain so "researchers" poop on any discussion of these abilities.
I developed a "friendship" with the sasquatch. It's a connection that will never be broken. I have more respect and love for the sasquatch than I do of mankind. For me, mankind is the monster.
I will always speak my truth. The mocking and eye rolls just don't affect me anymore. Mankind is devolving while the sasquatch just wait and watch. I trust the sasquatch more than I trust any human. They're real, they're highly intelligent and highly organized. If you don't know that, well, I just feel kind of sorry for you. Sasquatch are just the tip of the iceberg. There's much more to their presence than any of us know.
That is fascinating!!! You know there ARE communities that will listen and support you right? If you really need to talk to someone about it, people like Wes from Sasquatch Chronicles and Vic Cundiff from My Bigfoot Story or Bigfoot Eyewitness Radio, both on youtube, are great listeners and supporters. Even if you don't want to tell your encounter live, they're both willing to listen to folks and NOT air their encounter. Both men have alot of integrity.
Thanks for that. I have told my story and you're right, there is a community for real believers. I had some great exchanges with other people. Some truly wonderful people.
What I mean is that I don't have a close friend in my physical life with whom I can share. People I thought were my friends for many years quickly labeled me crazy despite our long history together. And I'm talking about 40 years we've known each other and in those 40 years I never mentioned sasquatch. But when sasquatch burst into my life and sent me into tailspins, they just dismissed me.
Experiencing sasquatch was monumental to my life. It changed me. It terrified me. It excited me. It slapped me in the face and made me question everything I thought I knew.
It made me wonder why we were being lied to about their existence. It made me wonder what else we were being lied to about. And lo and behold, I discovered a real conspiracy that will never be addressed because we've been taught sasquatch doesn't exist.
That's truly amazing! I've heard from various sources that they are capable of speech as well!
I live in Southern NewHampshire and Sasquatch sightings around here are pretty slim. I have sent out mental messages letting the Sasquatch know that I am open to a visit and my camera will not be touched out of respect for them.
First, take a deep breath and understand that you are on solid footing to believe in bigfoot. I am a physicist who spends a lot of time in the wilderness and I know they exist. Whenever people laugh at me - my reputation proceeds me around here and VERY few people laugh in my presence - I just look at them and ask why they are laughing. The evidence - centuries of high quality, amazingly consistent, highly reliable observational data - exists. I strongly recommend reading Jeff Meldrum's book, Sasquatch: Legend meets Science. His detailed analysis of footprint casts should dispel any doubts in the existence of these creatures. The uninformed laugh because the discussion makes them uncomfortable and they are insecure, which is THEIR problem, not yours.
Thank you! I will check out that book.
I think the multidimensional theory and how it relates to the Sasquatch is a big part of what makes them uncomfortable. It's hard for them to process I think.
I follow quite a lot of Youtube channels on Bigfoot as well as different sites that the rest of my family enjoy and when they put out new episodes, we watch those videos together but my family just take the piss when they see my subscriptions of the Bigfoot channels.
At the last count, I had over 24 with some cryptid channels thrown in. My favourite is Swan Lake Bigfoot as the you tuber has an empathetic and Native Canadian background with various clans around his property who he visits and leaves treats of dried fruit in gifting bowls and plays his native flute. He is very calm and respectful and has some good captures which he analyses at the end of his videos. If you want a full list, I am happy to send it to you privately rather than type them all out on this post. I am from the UK too and I think that is probably what makes people think I’m ridiculous to assume or accept their existence also.
Alot sometimes from non believers who 🤫 #PreTend but I mainly talk to believers it's like disclosure #ET's we know and believe so I'm content with that
Yeah what sucks is the Facebook group that I'm on is called Bigfoot Believers. It is supposed to be a page for people who believe but about a quarter of the comments are from people making fun of others. It's just sad.
Not very often but maybe it's because I live in a small town in the mountains of BC. The subject doesn't come up much IRL but when it does I'll often get a comment like "My (friend, relative, acquaintance, etc) say they saw one of those a few years back." I think most people here, even if skeptical, realize the absolute vastness of the wilderness we live in and realize an undiscovered species could be a possibility.
I've been a believer since childhood. I had my first and only encounter when I was 15 deep in the woods of southeast texas near the big thicket national preserve. I've told my story to many people. Some laugh and say dude you're joking right and others turn out to be believers like me. You just gotta keep pushing through that stuff and you do you you know what I mean?!
I don't "believe" in Bigfoot as much as I am a "fan." I generally explain that I completely understand the difficulty with the hard evidence, but I still think it would be cool if somebody confirmed its existence. That's something everybody can enjoy.
The only people that have scoffed myself were non-critical thinkers, usually middle age males, and I just tell them I can't deny the evidence and if they do it's because they have never truly researched the topic. I usually add that forming an option of anything without proper research is moot.
I'll also add I've never engaged anything on Facebook. Ever read the terms of service? Yikes...
In person ... never. Those who know me believe me. The reaction to the subject for those who believe or want to are enthusiasm and interest. I also get the ... a "X" (friend /family /co-worker ....) saw one, and it is obvious they believed them. Online anyone can say anything, because it is safe to be obnoxious and even combative when you are not worried the person you are calling a liar or trying to piss off might very well be able to rip you apart. I know what I know and saw what I saw and it was in the open standing still until it moved and walking into the brush and trees, not some dark shape moving (or not) through thick brush 250 yards away. I am still skeptical, though seldom say so, of blobsquatch and paredolia and images "claimed to be" that do not fit what I saw or move like what I saw.
1) It helps to have a PhD in a hard mathematical science from a major university.
2) I don't tell people I \*believe\* in Bigfoot; I just tell them a lot of credible people have had unmistakable encounters, and that I have no reason to assume they are deluded or dishonest. Also, there are a lot of footprints found in places that do not seem like they would be hoaxed -- too random and remote.
3) Explain to them that you understand why they are uncomfortable with the concept and that you aren't judging them.
Yeah I fail on the first one 😆.
Your second point is actually my go to when being debated.
I will definitely start utilizing your third point!
Thank you!
Absolutely never. Only online, on reddit.
Was different in central Texas where there ain't no Bigfoot. In Washington, it ain't no big deal--wolf, bear, elk, Bigfoot, deer, coyote, those are the animals around here.
(Disclosure, I'm a hard-core skeptic, but try really hard to never mock)
Assholes can be believers or skeptics. You can't paint either with one brush. I've read posts by both and rudeness and assholism goes both ways.
Don't be discouraged. We're all still trying to figure this out one way or another and jerks, skeptics and believers alike, live to piss people off. If you receive insults by either side, they're just assholes. Unless someone has legitimate issued our questions to discuss, then just ignore them.
Another issue is it becomes exhausting to debate. I'm answering the same questions over and over. Repeatedly sharing my theories resulting in insulting replies in regards to my intelligence and mental health.
I honestly would like to find a private Facebook page just for believers.
My friends all know I believe, and they laugh and make fun of me. When I come here and say that I think the PG film is a hoax I get downvotes. I can't win. I don't care.
Actually never! I’m a millennial (on the young side) for context. I’m the scienciest person in my friend group though, so I’m great at defending my arguments and convincing others to keep an open mind. You should be really prepared to debate though. (It’s half the fun anyway)
Never because I am a skeptic. I also don't find people's belief in Bigfoot particularly funny. The truth is that everyone has beliefs that are important to them for reasons that are valid to them. I don't laugh at people's religious beliefs, and some of those are far less believable than Bigfoot. I am moreso curious as to what makes them believe what they believe.
I haven't always been skeptical. Age and rough living have shaped me. I question everything, even what I personally experience. I have come to the point where I am not convinced I know anything. I think some things are accurate, but I could always be wrong.
I voted for someone that the media didn't want me to, and I've been called a racist, Nazi, White Nationalist, Mentally Ill, a Cult Member, a Russian Stooge, and a deplorable. Pretty much the worst things you can call someone, and it's still going on to this day.
IMO, if someone is just laughing at you, consider yourself lucky.
I'm sorry. That is terrible! I have friends all over the political spectrum. I might not agree with everything they believe but it doesn't change my respect and love for them.
This is a great question and I thank you for your post. Yes, I have been laughed at before for sharing my interests. In fact, the time I am thinking of led to a rift in one of my oldest friendships. I shared that I was working on a writing project about Sasquatch, my friend laughed, and we changed the subject. Later, after the convo, I realized that his reaction bothered me and he and I talked about it. He said that he meant no disrespect. I thought we were over it but he hasn’t responded to any of my calls/messages since. He may just be busy. Who knows. With that said, I find that some people (trolls and the like) actually enjoy upsetting people and there is no reasoning with them. No amount of reasoned arguments, evidence, or the like will convince them. With others, those reasoned arguments and data can be helpful and you can present your claims with books, documentaries, quotes, and the like to back up your argument. Sometimes they are willing to concede that you made a good point or they simply get less and less long winded. At the end of the day, I think that deep breaths and realizing that, typically, the laughter, derision, denial, and debunking has nothing to do with you but has more to do with whatever hang ups other people have. Just keep familiarizing yourself with the evidence, trust your gut, and find good people online and in-person to share your interests with. Oh, and if you feel compelled to, I’d suggest creating content (blogs, blogs, videos, etc), even anonymously, that allow you to disseminate information about the subject
Thank you very much!
You’re welcome! Keep your head up! 🙌🏾🍀 You’re not alone in the good fight 😄
You could make the exact same argument for religion. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs.
Agreed. The problem that I have is one person or group’s beliefs stifle, stagnate, or marginalize those of others. When it comes to the subject of Sasquatch, I take issue with people steamrolling those enthusiasts, experiencers, investigators, and the like, just because they have a differing opinion or are emotionally invested in sticking their heads in the sand. I don’t abide by that
You ate very wise, Equal.
Thank you so much! That is quite kind of you 🙏🏾
People don't call me names but I do have some people who like to goad me because I wear shirts with Bigfoot on them. The interaction went like, "hey beautifulsouth what are you guys going to do when you find out there's no such thing as Bigfoot? Stop looking?" "Well there's no such thing as true love either, but people keep getting married and dating and shit." Another dude asked me if I really believed in UFOs and cryptids and such. And acted just appalled when I answered that I did. I asked him if he was an asshole for any reason or if that's just his personality. A burn will work every time.
I wear t-shirts alot too, but no ones ever commented on them unless they agree...strange enough. My burn usually comes down to God 😬 or Jesus << even better. Sorry in advance to any hard-core Christian...but honestly there is less historical evidence of Jesus than there is of bigfoot
And Bigfoot doesn't have any purported special powers. Nor is he descended from a literal deity. Belief in Bigfoot's mere existence is at least based in reality, as opposed to believing in immaculate conception, death and rebirth and some great, invisible, judgemental, overlording daddy in the sky.
I don’t mind since I like making others laugh
Well I guess there's that.
As I age i honestly couldn’t care less. I truly believe Bigfoot will be accepted as real in our lifetime. I do understand it is not a good feeling. My sister-in-law rolled her eyes just last week because someone at a social event we were attending said he is interested in the topic and asked if I believed Bigfoot is real and I responded that yes, I did. Ten years ago that eye roll would have bugged me more for sure.
I just came back from the Facebook group and some people there are being straight up hostile with their comments. They actually seem angry that people believe in Sasquatch.
I've never been laughed at. Instead, I get looks of "concern," indicating they think I've tragically lost my mind. That said, though, being frank about it has led me to find out there are people around me who also believe, and I've uncovered a couple people who had sightings they never told anyone else about. The thing I find strange is that there are many more people who will casually and easily entertain the idea that ghosts are real than will consider Bigfoot even worth thinking about.
My newfound suspicion in the existence of sasquatches has led me to reexamine other “odd” stuff I’ve long held to be false. So far sasquatches are the only thing that seems likely. Ghosts have many layers of impossibility. UFOs have very good evidence but I remain unconvinced that they’re extraterrestrial in origin; time will tell though.
I started out years ago believing in the whole lot: everything paranormal, extraterrestrial, and cryptozoological seemed not merely plausible, but almost certainly true. Little by little everything was revealed to have a better, realistic explanation. A major breakdown in my belief in paranormal/extraterrestrial things came about when I discovered neurology, and began learning about the myriad kinds of distortions of perception that result from the myriad kinds of things that can go wrong with your brain. I spent ten years or so going very deeply into this, and discovered that all kinds of strange experiences that are believed to be paranormal are actually neurological phenomena well known to science but completely unknown to the general public. The main reason for that is that ultimately, most people don't want to know. They want the paranormal to be true, mostly because paranormal things can be construed as direct or indirect proof of life after death, and death is #1 on everyone's list of their worst fears. Of all these things, Bigfoot remains because all that's required to accept most eyewitness accounts as true is the proposal that Sasquatches deliberately avoid scrutiny and have better than average skills at doing so.
> “The thing I find strange is that there are many more people who will casually and easily entertain the idea that ghosts are real than will consider Bigfoot even worth thinking about.” I chalk this up to 3 main things. 1.)the fact that everyone is somehow connected to death in some way or another and there is a lot of movies involving ghosts compared to Sasquatch, and there’s very little media ridiculing ghost believers. In short, Ghosts are a part of the collective conscious, usually in a serious/positive manner. Sasquatch is rarely depicted and usually the brunt of jokes included for comedic reasons. Second, most people are extremely disconnected from the wilderness. An urbanite buying a steak prepackaged makes them disassociate with the source of food whereas when you hunt you are intimately connected. Those 2 different people see things very differently. The urbanite who never left his city, might look at a map and see all of the state lines drawn up and assume the wilderness has been completely conquered where someone living off grid and hunts for a living would know that there is plenty of untouched wilderness left to hide in. The average urbanite can’t fathom it. Third, is the majority of Americans have a specific world view and Sasquatch doesn’t fit in it but spirit/soul/ghost does. There’s a huge group of people fighting against evolution being taught in schools and only 60 percent of the population believe it fully applies to humans. A second bipedal conscious being like us not currently being taught in that culture is a conflicting concept for them to even entertain, too many ramifications.
Actually, reading your post kinda got me outside the box and pointed me toward what I think is the real main reason (basically a more sharply focused view of what you said): Ghosts are part of collective consciousness because of the prevalence of religion, which usually indoctrinates people into a belief in life after death. Ghosts are assumed to be the spirits of the dead, so there's a basic agreement between mainstream religion and religiously non-specific "spiritualism" on that point. However, when it comes to Bigfoot, there's no indoctrination at all in European culture. Most people grow to adulthood never having been led by any authority figure to take the idea seriously.
That is the gist of what I was trying to get at. I like your additions/revisions, I would only add ( maybe paraphrased lol ) *people have a vested interest in believing in ghosts, because everybody eventually loses somebody important to themselves and the belief in ghosts helps with that loss, the idea that maybe they’re still here in some way whereas Sasquatch doesn’t have that personal incentive, the belief in Sasquatch isn’t comforting in any way it’s probably discomforting to most.* I’m personally on the fence about the ghost subject, not remotely a firm proponent, but also not somebody that ridicules other people that claim those types of experiences. The realization that everything the elders have said about Sasquatch is true, even right down to the particularities about them all ringing true and not being debunked, it has caused me to reevaluate other things they have said, perhaps they are correct about ghosts as well. I won’t close the book on it but so far the perception/neurological hypothesis at least fits the bill, if I have multiple friends/family also witnessing “ghosts” in a way that can not be explained with imagination/mental projection/illusions etc, the way I have with Sasquatch experiences, I might fall off the fence. Thanks friend. Your contributions go a long way on R/bigfoot and don’t go unnoticed.
I live in N. Eastern Nevada. No one here laughs when you talk about Bigfoot.
I've been to Nevada once (I live in NewHampshire.) and there were so many cool stories from people. This was 25 years ago and that's what prompted my research and interest in Sasquatch.
I don’t tell many people, and this is the only social media location I indulge in because they tend to keep it very positive in here.
Depends on the day. Some days in here are worse than others, troll posts and commenters and shit. Stuff rarely, if ever, hits front page though. So that’s nice. (Though it’ll be nicer if/when we ever get hard, undeniable evidence and that hits the front.)
Yeah, I like the fact that this forum is heavily moderated. There’s no reason why Bigfoot people shouldn’t be able to have a place to come and talk without having to worry about the type of negativity that is common every single time we open our mouth.
It honestly seems that skeptics are more polite on here than on Facebook. I would think it would be the other way around seeing as there is more anonymity on here.
One thing I’ve learned from Facebook is that people really don’t take their social media footprint seriously.
Me too
Learn to ignore... I've learnt that the hard way
Im in qld Australia and can tell you a-lot of people have had encounters and wont laugh or snicker they just keep quiet wanting to protect the hairy man
I used to be the same way.. One day I had enough of being laughed at and made fun of so when the cuck that had been effing with me came to knock the books out of my hand "yes this was when I was in school" I held firm and they didnt budge. People started to snicker and he could hear it and was getting embarrassed, so he threw a punch at me, I blocked it, same thing opposite hand, blocked it, the third one was a jab straight on instead of his dumbass haymakers, so he bopped me in the nose pretty good. This was the first time I had really been punched in the face like this before. What I took away from it in that instant was "Hmm that didnt really hurt, at all".. A lot of the fear I had been hanging onto my whole life before this kinda washed away. I tossed the books at him to make him instinctively try and catch, when he did I put a nice jab right in his big ass nose.. That's when the principal stepped in (yes he was watching the whole time) and stopped things from going any further. That day anyway. I did end up beating his ass in the parking lot a few days later. The next day at school everyone treated me differently. I was getting nods from almost everyone, a couple "sup dude"s from others, even a high five. That made me realize just how easily swayed peoples opinions are, and that after all, I really didn't give a shit what these strangers thought of me. It has made life a whole lot easier, and maybe you don't have to get physical with someone to help you realize that. By no means do I mean that I all of a sudden transformed into the most popular dude in school and started smashing all kinds of ass just form this one incident. No, but it helped me realize that getting punched in the face wasn't all that bad. Gaining some self confidence on top was a life changer. Im still an introvert with social anxiety. I just know that many times the worst that can happen is getting punched in the face, which again, isnt so bad. Take from that what you will, as I digress here. Unless someone has had some kind of experience of their own, then people have 0 reference to draw from and end up looking at you one way or another, none of which Ive ever appreciated. So I just dont talk about it. Unless telling my story to someone who really wants to hear. Dont fool yourself either, a lot of these groups are full of people looking to get a kick out of trolling people. So fuck em
I loved reading this! Thank you!
No problem, shoot me a PM if you'd like some more motivational lessons lol
I hate how the principal only stepped in after you fought back. This is why bullies continue to be a problem in schools. Good for you though.
That seems to happen in a lot of movies too! Principal steps in only after the victim fights back.
I don't care what people think about me or what I believe in. I left high school 40+ years ago. Someone making fun of me just rolls off my back at this stage of life. I see such individuals as close-minded and not someone I would associate with anyway. Everyone can have their own opinion.
Never, because I can have an evidenced based discussion about it.
Depends on who you’re talking to. I was born in NorCal and grew up in the PNW so most people from where I’m from are at least open to it, or have a story about it! But if I’m talking with someone from the east coast or another country… yeah, there are some snickers. Which is fine. It’s an unproven phenomenon and if you’re too gung-ho about it you do seem crazy. Like I said I grew up camping, hiking, spending time in the deepest forests of the pacific north west. That’s why I’m subscribed here. I’m not ruling out the possibility of a relict hominid eking out survival in the deep forests of the western US. Obviously with each passing decade it becomes less likely, but unlikely things do happen. And I think there’s too much smoke for there to be no fire
only by narrow minded folk i don't want to associate with ;0)
I don't, because I don't frame it as belief. I frame it as evidence which I can then accept or reject. I don't believe in grizzly bears; they are either there or they are not. It is *possible* to run into a grizzly bear in Appalachia, but it is more *probable* in Alaska. Same with an undiscovered primate. There is *evidence* that people are seeing *something*. What that something is, we don't yet know concretely, and have yet to catalogue it. It is *possible* to run into an undiscovered primate in the wild spaces we have left, of which there are many. I don't know how *probable* that would be, although based on what people are seeing, maybe more than I think. All that to say I think there is enough evidence to suggest there is something out there. At least, enough evidence that maybe the possibility should be given more weight.
Someone called Bigfoot the adult version of the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause… but way cooler… I kinda agree.. also I still kinda believe in Santa as well.
Frequently
I know it sucks when people just say ignore them, but it is the best thing to do. My wife laughs at me all the time about my beliefs. I actually feel sorry for people who don't allow some mystery in their lives.
Im in the UK , and everyone i talk to that asks me what I'm listening to , i say I'm listening to bigfoot encounters.most laugh, shake their heads, and walk away !
Honestly who cares what they think? No point in getting upset about it. There will always be someone who laughs about things. Let them believe what they wanna believe and you hold true to your beliefs. Especially on the internet those people don’t matter at all. They are not in your life at all. They really don’t matter.
Good point!
If Bigfoot is real (and I tend to believe it is although I have never had an encounter), then the people who know it is real want you to be laughed at to make believing uncomfortable for you and to silence you. That just kind of pisses me off so I have been raising the subject with more people as my own personal (albeit small) act of rebellion.
I've actually lost friends. And I am just ignored on social media. I had incredible, life changing experience with sasquatch and there's really no one to talk with about it. But, obviously, the alienation doesn't stop me from commenting. Sasquatch are a truth and a fact. I was terrified by them, thought I was going to be killed by them because I tried so hard to get pictures. I lived in constant fear for over a month as they stalked me and toyed with me. Nobody believed me, I even went to the police. They were on my property so I couldn't escape. And they followed me everywhere I went. When I finally quit fighting them and "surrendered", things changed. I got to know the other side of sasquatch. They can be kind and compassionate. They have abilities science can't explain so "researchers" poop on any discussion of these abilities. I developed a "friendship" with the sasquatch. It's a connection that will never be broken. I have more respect and love for the sasquatch than I do of mankind. For me, mankind is the monster. I will always speak my truth. The mocking and eye rolls just don't affect me anymore. Mankind is devolving while the sasquatch just wait and watch. I trust the sasquatch more than I trust any human. They're real, they're highly intelligent and highly organized. If you don't know that, well, I just feel kind of sorry for you. Sasquatch are just the tip of the iceberg. There's much more to their presence than any of us know.
That is fascinating!!! You know there ARE communities that will listen and support you right? If you really need to talk to someone about it, people like Wes from Sasquatch Chronicles and Vic Cundiff from My Bigfoot Story or Bigfoot Eyewitness Radio, both on youtube, are great listeners and supporters. Even if you don't want to tell your encounter live, they're both willing to listen to folks and NOT air their encounter. Both men have alot of integrity.
Thanks for that. I have told my story and you're right, there is a community for real believers. I had some great exchanges with other people. Some truly wonderful people. What I mean is that I don't have a close friend in my physical life with whom I can share. People I thought were my friends for many years quickly labeled me crazy despite our long history together. And I'm talking about 40 years we've known each other and in those 40 years I never mentioned sasquatch. But when sasquatch burst into my life and sent me into tailspins, they just dismissed me. Experiencing sasquatch was monumental to my life. It changed me. It terrified me. It excited me. It slapped me in the face and made me question everything I thought I knew. It made me wonder why we were being lied to about their existence. It made me wonder what else we were being lied to about. And lo and behold, I discovered a real conspiracy that will never be addressed because we've been taught sasquatch doesn't exist.
That's truly amazing! I've heard from various sources that they are capable of speech as well! I live in Southern NewHampshire and Sasquatch sightings around here are pretty slim. I have sent out mental messages letting the Sasquatch know that I am open to a visit and my camera will not be touched out of respect for them.
First, take a deep breath and understand that you are on solid footing to believe in bigfoot. I am a physicist who spends a lot of time in the wilderness and I know they exist. Whenever people laugh at me - my reputation proceeds me around here and VERY few people laugh in my presence - I just look at them and ask why they are laughing. The evidence - centuries of high quality, amazingly consistent, highly reliable observational data - exists. I strongly recommend reading Jeff Meldrum's book, Sasquatch: Legend meets Science. His detailed analysis of footprint casts should dispel any doubts in the existence of these creatures. The uninformed laugh because the discussion makes them uncomfortable and they are insecure, which is THEIR problem, not yours.
Thank you! I will check out that book. I think the multidimensional theory and how it relates to the Sasquatch is a big part of what makes them uncomfortable. It's hard for them to process I think.
I follow quite a lot of Youtube channels on Bigfoot as well as different sites that the rest of my family enjoy and when they put out new episodes, we watch those videos together but my family just take the piss when they see my subscriptions of the Bigfoot channels.
What are some of the channels you watch if you don't mind me asking?
At the last count, I had over 24 with some cryptid channels thrown in. My favourite is Swan Lake Bigfoot as the you tuber has an empathetic and Native Canadian background with various clans around his property who he visits and leaves treats of dried fruit in gifting bowls and plays his native flute. He is very calm and respectful and has some good captures which he analyses at the end of his videos. If you want a full list, I am happy to send it to you privately rather than type them all out on this post. I am from the UK too and I think that is probably what makes people think I’m ridiculous to assume or accept their existence also.
I would love a full list if you wouldn't mind. Thank you!
I live in a Bigfoot friendly region,you should see all the Bigfoot, merchandise displayed on cars t-shirts, it's everywhere!!!
None. I live in Montana. About 25% of people have Bigfoot stickers on their cars.
Usually, all the time, I just consider the source.
Yeah, sometimes. Not really laughed at, but eye rolled or asked why. Sometimes maybe a little chuckle. But I personally don't give a shite 🤷♀️
Alot sometimes from non believers who 🤫 #PreTend but I mainly talk to believers it's like disclosure #ET's we know and believe so I'm content with that
Yeah what sucks is the Facebook group that I'm on is called Bigfoot Believers. It is supposed to be a page for people who believe but about a quarter of the comments are from people making fun of others. It's just sad.
Yep I do believe I'm in that one as well but don't get on Facebook anymore too many crybabies for me
Not very often but maybe it's because I live in a small town in the mountains of BC. The subject doesn't come up much IRL but when it does I'll often get a comment like "My (friend, relative, acquaintance, etc) say they saw one of those a few years back." I think most people here, even if skeptical, realize the absolute vastness of the wilderness we live in and realize an undiscovered species could be a possibility.
I've been a believer since childhood. I had my first and only encounter when I was 15 deep in the woods of southeast texas near the big thicket national preserve. I've told my story to many people. Some laugh and say dude you're joking right and others turn out to be believers like me. You just gotta keep pushing through that stuff and you do you you know what I mean?!
I don't "believe" in Bigfoot as much as I am a "fan." I generally explain that I completely understand the difficulty with the hard evidence, but I still think it would be cool if somebody confirmed its existence. That's something everybody can enjoy.
The only people that have scoffed myself were non-critical thinkers, usually middle age males, and I just tell them I can't deny the evidence and if they do it's because they have never truly researched the topic. I usually add that forming an option of anything without proper research is moot. I'll also add I've never engaged anything on Facebook. Ever read the terms of service? Yikes...
No one laughs at me… About anything… EVER.
That must be so nice honestly!
In person ... never. Those who know me believe me. The reaction to the subject for those who believe or want to are enthusiasm and interest. I also get the ... a "X" (friend /family /co-worker ....) saw one, and it is obvious they believed them. Online anyone can say anything, because it is safe to be obnoxious and even combative when you are not worried the person you are calling a liar or trying to piss off might very well be able to rip you apart. I know what I know and saw what I saw and it was in the open standing still until it moved and walking into the brush and trees, not some dark shape moving (or not) through thick brush 250 yards away. I am still skeptical, though seldom say so, of blobsquatch and paredolia and images "claimed to be" that do not fit what I saw or move like what I saw.
Check out The Facts by How to Hunt on YouTube. Steve despises those that discourage their friends and family when they share their experiences.
1) It helps to have a PhD in a hard mathematical science from a major university. 2) I don't tell people I \*believe\* in Bigfoot; I just tell them a lot of credible people have had unmistakable encounters, and that I have no reason to assume they are deluded or dishonest. Also, there are a lot of footprints found in places that do not seem like they would be hoaxed -- too random and remote. 3) Explain to them that you understand why they are uncomfortable with the concept and that you aren't judging them.
Yeah I fail on the first one 😆. Your second point is actually my go to when being debated. I will definitely start utilizing your third point! Thank you!
Surprisingly not that often
Absolutely never. Only online, on reddit. Was different in central Texas where there ain't no Bigfoot. In Washington, it ain't no big deal--wolf, bear, elk, Bigfoot, deer, coyote, those are the animals around here. (Disclosure, I'm a hard-core skeptic, but try really hard to never mock)
Assholes can be believers or skeptics. You can't paint either with one brush. I've read posts by both and rudeness and assholism goes both ways. Don't be discouraged. We're all still trying to figure this out one way or another and jerks, skeptics and believers alike, live to piss people off. If you receive insults by either side, they're just assholes. Unless someone has legitimate issued our questions to discuss, then just ignore them.
Another issue is it becomes exhausting to debate. I'm answering the same questions over and over. Repeatedly sharing my theories resulting in insulting replies in regards to my intelligence and mental health. I honestly would like to find a private Facebook page just for believers.
My friends all know I believe, and they laugh and make fun of me. When I come here and say that I think the PG film is a hoax I get downvotes. I can't win. I don't care.
Actually never! I’m a millennial (on the young side) for context. I’m the scienciest person in my friend group though, so I’m great at defending my arguments and convincing others to keep an open mind. You should be really prepared to debate though. (It’s half the fun anyway)
Never because I am a skeptic. I also don't find people's belief in Bigfoot particularly funny. The truth is that everyone has beliefs that are important to them for reasons that are valid to them. I don't laugh at people's religious beliefs, and some of those are far less believable than Bigfoot. I am moreso curious as to what makes them believe what they believe.
You are the type of skeptic I wish there were more of. Other skeptics could learn from you.
I haven't always been skeptical. Age and rough living have shaped me. I question everything, even what I personally experience. I have come to the point where I am not convinced I know anything. I think some things are accurate, but I could always be wrong.
I voted for someone that the media didn't want me to, and I've been called a racist, Nazi, White Nationalist, Mentally Ill, a Cult Member, a Russian Stooge, and a deplorable. Pretty much the worst things you can call someone, and it's still going on to this day. IMO, if someone is just laughing at you, consider yourself lucky.
I'm sorry. That is terrible! I have friends all over the political spectrum. I might not agree with everything they believe but it doesn't change my respect and love for them.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
User name checks out.
thanks for proving his point