Most of us are familiar with reports of the paranormal around us – whether we ourselves are believers or sceptics. Entities such as ghosts, and mysterious animals like Big Foot and Nessie, have always haunted our collective consciousness. Amongst all the weirdness that purportedly exists in our midst, there are occurrences, which though they may not all be considered new, have earned increasing attention in modern times.
Ever since the discovery that a hobbit like race actually once existed on the earth, science has been re-examining the possibility that other reported little people may not be entirely mythical. Putting science aside, there have always been those who insist that small humanoid creatures exist amongst us. Recent reports of gnome like or elf like creatures sometimes caught unawares in remote locations have been made. They are often described as being no more than nine inches tall, though with the physical features of a humanoid. Some of them are said to be very hairy. In Mexico and the Caribbean, duendes are small gnome like creatures that sometimes invade the space of normal human beings, either to steal food or for more sinister reasons. Either because of their utter strangeness or some power they possess, they have been said to shock witnesses almost into paralysis until they make their escape. Of course the relationship to fairies and fairy lore here cannot be ignored. In Iceland, belief that elves and other little creatures have real abodes beneath the earth is very strong. People who construct malls and large buildings are sometimes physically impeded from disturbing areas where these little creatures are believed to live, so as not to incur their wrath. Many Icelanders will claim their beliefs are based on actual sightings of these beings. So can we dismiss the elves, gnomes, fairies or whatever we like to call the little creatures we grew up reading about in fairytales as mere myth? Or are they based on very tangible creatures that still exist, and are sometimes inadvertently witnessed today?
Raptors are birds of prey that hunt for food or feed on carrion. They are usually larger than average birds and have specialised physiology, such as powerful beaks and talons, that help them seize and tear apart their prey. Eagles, vultures and falcons are all considered types of raptors. In recent times however, sightings of giant raptor-like birds have been reported. Disturbed witnesses often describe a raucous cry emitted by the birds. Wingspan averages have varied between 12 – 18 ft, with the birds’ height being estimated at around 3 to 5 feet. Many reports describe the prehistoric appearance of the bird, as well as scaly, lizard-like skin on its legs. Giant raptors have been spotted in places such as Kansas and Oklahoma, usually in wooded areas or near canyons. Witnesses have reported the creature having a stench of rotted meat – which would be understandable given its diet. Raptors have been seen by single witnesses at a time as well as fairly sizable groups of five or more persons. Like the elusive Big Foot, conclusive evidence of their existence in our modern world is yet to be obtained. Are they real remnants from an age past that have somehow survived in small numbers today? Are they all just “misinterpretations” of already known large birds? The questions, and the random sightings, continue.
An enigmatic German derived word, a Doppelganger is basically a person’s exact double. Apparently they have been seen since early times, and are sometimes known as a “Fetch”. According to Wikipedia, a vardoger is a double in Norse mythology, who actually precedes a living person, performing their actions in advance. In modern times paranormal message boards have several posts from persons claiming to have seen someone in one place, only to meet them later and realise the first sighting was impossible. One woman looking through a large picture window, clearly saw her husband being dropped home by a co-worker. She went to the door to let him in, only to find no sign of either person or the car outside. Her husband arrived home hours later, and confirmed that at the time she thought she saw them, he and his colleague were still four hours away from home. One person was told that he was “heard” arriving home with a friend, five minutes before he actually did so. When he and his partner actually did get home, his waiting friends said their arrival sounded exactly the same, with them making the same noises and even uttering the same words that were heard the first time. Weird, yet apparently not so uncommon. A few people even claimed to have undeniably seen themselves, wearing the same clothing - stating that the double looked equally astonished at the sighting. In folklore, seeing one’s doppelganger is a harbinger of one’s death. Seeing someone else’s “fetch” was also said to portend death. Such notable persons as Percy Shelley and Abraham Lincoln reported having doppelganger experiences. Can these experiences all be explained as tricks of the subconscious mind or the easily misled eye?
Time slips and Lost Time are unnerving experiences. They have been surmised to be extraterrestrial encounters, dimensional shifts or even brain strokes. The most disturbing reports are those correlated by more than one person experiencing the same impossible time jump. Characteristically, time slips occur when someone sets out on a journey, long or short, along a familiar path which is clearly defined and should take a specific time to complete. The journey appears normal, except at the end the person realises they have covered a number of miles in an impossibly short space of time. They are unsettled to find themselves at their destination sometimes hours earlier than possible. There have even been cases of “time loss”, where a person set out on a journey, travelled normally, yet arrived at their destination hours later than explainable. Where did the missing time go? Usually it is only upon arrival that the discrepancy in time is noticed. Are there dimensional “warps” we sometimes inadvertently pass through? Could physics someday confirm and explain the existence of these time slips? Enough people continue to have these experiences to justify scientific investigation into this phenomenon.
The Chupacabra has been variously described as a dog-like creature with long canine teeth. It was first spotted in Puerto Rico in the 1990’s, and has since been sighted in the Americas and Mexico. Sometimes witnesses report that the animal has a kangaroo like gait. Its name is derived from the Spanish words for “goat sucker”. This refers to its horrifying ability to creep into livestock farms at night, and literally suck the blood of animals until they die. Obviously the similarity to vampire lore and the possibility of the animal attacking humans, lead to panic in communities. What is this weird cryptid? Is it really a new animal or, as has been suggested, some kind of starved mutated coyote. Alleged Chupacabra carcasses have been found and examined, with no real conclusions arrived at. Reports of exsanguinated livestock corpses, however, appear to have increased in recent times. Many farmers have adopted armed night time watches hoping to kill this weird predator, before it eventually becomes bolder.
The woods are a mysterious place, full of unseen life and fraught with danger for the unwary. Forests are places of menace in folk and fairy tales. But in our enlightened modern times, could nature inspire sheer unreasoning panic? There are those whose experiences make them certain that nature has an intelligence – and it doesn’t always welcome humans. PANic in the woods has been associated with the mythological Greek God Pan – protector of wild places - whose unseen presence inspires causeless terror. Victims experience a feeling that there is a powerful, sinister force nearby, and sense imminent danger. This usually leads the person to flee the area, desperately seeking out civilization. One curiously common characteristic of PANic, is that people often describe the woods becoming quiet and strange just before the fear starts, except for an unusual, escalating, buzzing sound. At least one article on the phenomenon has been written for Fortean Times Magazine by Patrick Harpur, called “Landscapes of Panic”. Many other alleged actual experiences of panic have been posted on paranormal forums. Is there really a spirit of the woods that shuns humanity? And if so, is PANic it’s way of warning us - and fighting back?
Men with the heads of dogs have been reported since ancient times. Cynocephali were supposed to be a race living in Africa, who cannibalized humans. But seeing such beings in modern times would seem incredible, yet there have been increasing reports of these creatures. Most sightings occur at night, though some have happened during daylight hours. Bizarrely, some have reported the men indifferently walking along main roads, attired normally, except they have the head of a dog. Most witnesses insist the head is too real in appearance and lifelike motion to be a mask. Some reports have been more sinister, where the creature has been caught unawares lurking around at night, near woods or the darkness of a backyard. One night-time jogger reported that a dog headed man kept pace with him as he ran across a field, staying alongside until the petrified man finally made it to his well lit doorway. There was one report of a DHM seen through a window from outside a house, lurking towards the kitchen. Other cases describe DHM’s who stand outside at night and look in through windows.
The black stick man is another entity encountered in modern times. Not to be confused with the shadow man, incredibly he is even stranger. Stick men are supposed to look like totally black, thin, stick figure drawings, such as teachers would make in kindergarten. They have been reported as between average height to impossibly tall. Their heads are just a black circle with no facial features being discernible. They are totally two dimensional, without any depth. Usually they’ve been sighted walking along roads at night, or at transitional times such as twilight or just before dawn. Bizarrely, some have reported them wearing what appears to be a top hat. Their walk is described as a weird “lolloping” gait. They are surprised when actually seen, and have followed unfortunate witnesses on occasion. Their pace remains leisurely as they approach. Obviously to be pursued by such an otherworldly creature would be anything but pleasant, and those who have encountered them have been understandably terrified. So far however, apart from being bizarrely frightening, they have done no physical harm, and ultimately just disappear.
What are shadow people? No one seems to know for sure, even as sightings of these entities continue to be reported. Generally they appear as dark, silhouette figures, usually male, who suddenly walk across hallways, through walls, appear in rooms only to disappear again, and sometimes stand looking at a sleeping person only to eventually vanish once the sleeper has awakened. They have no purpose; don’t seem to be harbingers of any sort. Are they from another dimension? The afterlife? Whatever they are, they have scared enough people to have drawn some increased attention to their shadowy selves.
It started in 1998 when journalist Brian Bethel gave an account of being approached by two boys as he entered his car. The boys allegedly asked him for a lift. He described experiencing a sudden feeling of fear and panic, while at the same time having an overwhelming urge to open the door for the boys. He then noticed their eyes – they were entirely coal black, with no whites visible. Bethel drove away in fear even as the teens became more insistent. Since his story, several reports of encounters with black-eyed children have been recorded. In one case a woman claimed they asked to be let into her home, becoming agitated when she refused. Their main characteristics are their completely coal black eyes, their tendency to inspire sudden fear and panic, and their need to be invited into a person’s space.
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10个最怪诞的现代超常现象
对生活中那些超常的传说，不管是持着相信还是怀疑的态度，大多数人对于这些传说都很熟悉了。象幽灵或者神秘的动物，比如大脚怪和尼斯湖水怪，一直萦绕于我们大家的脑海中。而在我们身边的这些古怪的事物中，有一些现象虽然不是什么新鲜事了，但是仍然吸引着现代人越来越多的注意力。
自从人们在地球上发现了像老鼠一样大小的小矮人之后，科学上就一再验证其他关于小矮人的传言是否为虚构的可能性。暂且不考虑科学，一直有人认为我们身边真的有象人类一样的小生物存在着。最近经常有一些传言是关于像侏儒或者像小精灵一样的生物的，有时候有人能在不经意间在很远的地方看见他们。据人描述，他们虽然外表像人，但只有九英寸高。据说他们中有一部分长有很多毛。在墨西哥和加勒比海地区，像侏儒一样的恶鬼有时候会潜入人类的地盘，要么偷窃食物要么做坏事。也许是因为他们长得实在太奇怪或者也许因为他们具备的某些能力，据说他们几乎会把看见他们的人吓得快要瘫痪，直到这些小恶鬼逃掉为止。当然，在这里，我们不能忽视与仙女、仙女传说的关系。在冰岛地区，人们深信有侏儒和其他小精灵，而且他们就住在地下面，有自己的住所。人们建造商场和大型建筑的时候，经常在一些令他们烦恼的地方有所收敛，因为这些地方据说就住着小矮人，人类这样做是为了不惹恼他们。很多冰岛人声称他们所说的话都是基于他们真正看到了小矮人。所以，对于那些在我们成长的路上陪伴我们的童话故事中的小矮人、侏儒、小仙女或者诸如此类的小生物，我们仅仅认为他们是虚构的吗？
9
巨型肉食鸟
食肉鸟就是一种捕鸟或者以腐肉为生的鸟类。他们通常比一般的鸟类稍大，生理机能也很特殊，比如他们有坚硬的喙和爪，有利于他们抓住和撕裂猎物。鹰，秃鹰和猎鹰都是肉食鸟类。然而，近来已经有了关于巨型肉食鸟的传言。目击者都懊恼地说这种鸟会发出一种沙哑声。这种鸟的翼展平均有12——18英尺，身高有3——5英尺。 据说之前从没见过这种鸟的样子，也从来没见过他们腿上有磷的、像蜥蜴一样的皮肤。已经有人在堪萨斯州和俄克拉荷马州的茂密树林或在峡谷附近看见过巨型食肉鸟。目击者说这种鸟身上散发着臭味——这是可以理解的，因为他们吃腐肉。看见过食肉鸟的仅有一人，也有相当多的人——五个或者更多。就像难以捉摸的大脚怪一样，在现代，我们还需要获取关于食肉鸟的确证。 他们是否真的是从远古时代存活下来的一小部分幸存者呢？还是仅仅是被人误认为是人们所熟知的大鸟而已？这些问题以及关于这方面的未统计的目击材料一直继续存在着。
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杜帕格，这个谜一样的词来源于德国，基本上相当于某人的酷似自己的“翻版”。很明显，早前就已经有人见过他们，有时候被称为幽魂。根据维基百科的说法，在挪威人的神话中，杜帕格就是某人的“另一个自己”，比本人更早就存在，然后提前做本人要做的事情而已。在现代，超正常的留言板信息登出了几条关于这方面的信息，说在一个地方刚看见某人，但是过了一下又看见那个人，然后才意识到第一次看见的那个人不是真的。这些现象很奇怪，但明显并不新鲜。一些人甚至声称看见了自己，当时穿着同样的衣服，而且那个酷似自己的另一半也非常震惊地看到自己。在民间传说里，谁看见酷似自己的另一半，那就预言那个人会死。看见自己的灵魂也预示着自己的死亡。比如像帕西·谢莉和亚伯拉罕·林肯这样的名人据说也看见过自己的灵魂。我们可以把这些经历解释为潜意识的恶作剧或者可能是眼睛看走眼了？一位妇女透过一个大落地窗，清楚地看见她的丈夫正在与一位同事告别，然后她就开门想让丈夫进门，但却发现外面一个人或一辆车的影子都没有，她的丈夫却在几个小时之后回家了。她可以确认一件事，那就是，她认为自己看见丈夫的那个时候，她的丈夫和他的同事离家还有几个小时的路程。还有一个人被告知有人听见他在回家的路上跟朋友说着话，但实际上他5分钟以前确实跟朋友边说话边回家的。当他和他的搭档真正回到家的时候，在家等待着他的朋友说前后两次的场景听起来真的一模一样，包括他们发出同样的噪音，甚至说着同样的话。
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时间流失
时间流失或者损失时间都是恐怖的经历。据猜测，这些也许是外太空的奇遇，或者是穿越了时空，甚至是由于脑卒。与此相关的最让人烦扰的说法应该是不止一个人经历过相同的难以置信的时间跳跃。时间流失发生的典型情况是当一个人要出发旅行，不管是长途旅行还是短途旅行，他们经过一条无疑是很熟悉的道路，也应该会准时在某个时候到达目的地。旅行似乎很正常，除了到最后他们发现他们竟然在短短的时间里面走了很多英里！他们不安地发现他们提早了几个小时到达目的地。类似的时间流失的案例已经有过。在那种情况下，一个人出发去旅行,旅行的过程正常但是却迟了几个小时到达目的地。那么流失的时间去哪里了呢？通常情况下，人们都是到达目的地之后才发现跟原计划的时间不符合。那么有什么空间差异是我们有时候在不经意间已经经历了吗？物理学能在未来的某一天证实并解释确实存在时间流失吗？足够多的人经历这种情况，这样就能为这种现象作出经过科学的调查的正当解释。
6
卓帕卡布拉
关于卓帕卡布拉，有各种不同的描述，如像狗一样的动物，长着长犬牙。20世纪90年代，有人在波多黎各第一次看见过它们。从那以后，在美国和墨西哥也有人看见。有时候目击者说这种动物走路的步伐很像袋鼠。 “卓帕卡布拉”一词来源于西班牙的“山羊吸管器”。也就是说，卓帕卡布拉具有的恐怖的能力：它们会在夜晚潜入畜牧场，然后真的吸吮牲畜的血直到牲畜死去。很明显，这种行为跟吸血鬼很像，而且存在动物袭击人类的可能性，所以才会在社会上引起恐慌。这种奇怪的动物是什么呢？它是一种新出现的动物吗？或者就像外界暗示的一样，是一种变异的饥饿郊狼？所谓的卓帕卡布拉尸体已经被发现并且被检验过，但是没有真正的结论。然而，关于呗吸过血的牲畜的说法，近来似乎越来越多了。很多农场主已经雇佣了守夜的人来杀死这些奇怪的食肉动物，以免它最终变得更放肆。
5
森林中的恐惧
森林是一个神秘的地方，住着很多未被人察觉的生命，对于那些粗心的生物来说，森林充满了危险。在民间和童话故事中，森林也是具有威胁的地方。但是在我们现代开放的社会，自然仅仅能激发不理智的恐慌而已吗？有很多人经历后就会确定一点，那就是自然有一个情报人员，而它并不总是欢迎人类拜访它。森林中的恐惧经常让人联想到希腊的神——潘——一位专门保护自然界的神。他会悄无声息地现身，从而激起人莫名的恐惧。受害者会涌起一种感觉，他们觉得附近有一种强大又危险的力量，感觉即将来临的危险。通常在场的人都会逃离那个地方，拼命地想寻求文明社会。恐惧的一个令人好奇的普遍的特征就是人们会觉得在开始害怕之前，森林变得很寂静很奇怪，处理有一些不平常的慢慢增强的嗡嗡声之外。至少帕特里克·哈普尔在Fortean时刊杂志上发表有一篇文章是关于这种现象的，称为“恐惧的风景”。还有很多其他的所谓真正的恐惧经历也发表在超正常论坛上。森林真的有一种让人类回避的意志吗？如果真的有，那么恐惧是森林警告人类并且反击人类的方式吗？
4
自从古代以来就有关于狗头人的说法。Cynocephali应该是居住在非洲的一个种族，族人吃人肉为生。在现代，也许不可能看到这种人，但是关于这方面的说法越来越多。很多这样的例子发生在晚上，尽管也有一些发生在白天。奇怪的是，这些狗头人会穿戴整齐、若无其事地走在大马路上，除了他们长着狗头之外。很多目击者坚持认为他们的狗头实在是太真实了，动作也太像人了，所以不可能是面具。有一些说法比较危险。这些狗头人会在晚上的时候悄悄地潜伏在森林附近或者在居民后院的阴暗处。一天晚上，一个人在慢跑，当他经过一块地的时候发现一个狗头人一直跟着他，直到这个心惊胆战的男人最终回到灯火光明的门道为止。有一个报告说道，有人看见一个狗头人从房子外面透过窗户，潜伏着看向厨房。也有其他一些案例是说狗头人站在房子外面，然后从窗户外偷看。
3
黑棍子人是另一种出现在现代的生物。不要将他们与影子人混淆在一起，因为它们更加难以置信的奇怪。黑棍子人看起来全身都是黑色的，又瘦又像棍子图画，就像幼稚园的老师画的一样。据说这些黑棍子人的平均身高极其高挑，他们的头只是一个黑色的圈圈，但是辨认不出脸上的部位。他们只有两面，没有纵面。通常人们只看见他们在夜晚的时候沿着大路走，或者是在黄昏、黎明这种交替的时间出现。奇怪的是，有的人说他们头上带着似乎是大礼帽，他们走路的样子是一种很奇怪的懒散的步子。当有人看见他们的时候，这些黑棍子人会很惊讶，有时候会跟着那些不幸的目击者。当他们靠近的时候，他们踏着一种不紧不慢的步子。很明显，被这种超自然的生物跟着根本就是会让人浑身不舒服，而那些遇到黑棍子人的人肯定会觉得毛骨悚然。然而，到现在，除了让人感到怪诞的惊恐意外，这些黑棍子人并没有给人带来伤害，到了最后，他们还会消失。
2
什么是影子人？尽管有很多关于这方面的传言，没有人真正见过他们。通常他们出现的时候，就是一副全身漆黑又有轮廓，常见的影子人是男性，他们会突然走过走廊，穿过墙壁，然后出现在房间里面。接着又消失了，有时候他们会站着，一直盯着一个睡着的人，直到这个人被吵醒后影子人又消失了。影子人无任何目的地出现，无任何预兆地出现。他们是来自另一个世界吗？还是来自人的来生？不管怎样，这些影子人都已经把人们给吓怕了，而且还让人们越来越注意到自己的影子！
关于黑眼小孩的描述开始于1998年，一个名为布莱恩·伯特利的记者报道说，当他刚进了自己的车就有两个小孩子靠近他。两个男孩声称要搭个顺风车，伯特利当时就觉得有一股恐惧和惊慌，同时觉得自己当时有一种为他们开门的欲望。接着他就发现两个男孩的眼镜完全想黑炭一样黑漆漆的，没有一点眼白。伯特利马上开车走了，以防两个男孩更加锲而不舍地跟上来。自从他的故事以后，也有一些人说碰见了黒眼小孩。其中一个案例说一个妇女说这些黒眼小孩要她开门，他们想进她家。当她拒绝以后，黒眼小孩就很生气。他们也是有着像黑炭一样的眼镜，让人感到突然一阵恐惧和惊慌，同时他们请求进入某个人的屋子里。
