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Posted: 19-11-2012 21:05 Post subject: Informal survey of fortean interests..

I'm not posting this for any reason other than a general curiosity, if anyone wants to expand this survey please feel free.

Basically I'm curious to know which fortean subjects interest you, this is by no means an exhaustive list so feel free to add more. For each subject indicate whether you have

a) strong interest / belief
b) moderate interest / belief
c) no interest /open-minded
d) moderate dislike / mild scepticism
e) strong dislike /strong scepticism

(these options imply your belief or scepticism to these topics, but of course you could be interested in a subject whilst not actually believing in it, or vice versa, so feel free to expand on your answers as you wish). The subjects include but are not limited to

1. UFO's/ USO's/ UAP's
2. Ghost/ Spirit
3. Possesion/ Poltergeist
4. Psychic abilities, Prognostication and Telekinesis
5. Cryptids
7. Cryptids with or accompanied by supernatural phenomena
8. Vampires/ Werewolves/ Revenants

Posted: 19-11-2012 21:26 Post subject:

The problem with this is that you've lumped together some things that I have diverse opinions about...so I've edited the list a bit:

1. UFOs/ USOs/ UAPs - a
2. Ghost - a
3. Spirit - e
4. Possession - e
5. Poltergeist - e
6. Psychic abilities (which ones?) telepathy - b
7. Prognostication - e
8. Telekinesis - c
9. Cryptids - b
10. Cryptids with or accompanied by supernatural phenomena - e
11. Vampires / Werewolves / Revenants - e

Posted: 20-11-2012 03:09 Post subject:

My main Fortean/Paranornal interest has long been developing evidence supporting the immortality of the human psyche or soul - or at least the independence of thought from brain.

Now if you ask me what ice falls or Bigfoot sightings have to do with that I'd be hard-pressed to answer you..

But I thinks it's all somewhere in the mix.

Posted: 20-11-2012 08:59 Post subject:

Yes. I'm interested in Fortean stuff for the same reason as Charles Fort - I have a curiosity about facts that don't fit. (I'm using 'facts' loosely in this case).

No one particular area is necessarily more interesting than others, most reports in most areas are actually relatively mundane, but the best/most interesting are of a very high strangeness indeed. They seem to somehow interlink with our deepest instincts and apprehensions.

Posted: 20-11-2012 20:52 Post subject:

I am interested in all of those subjects
I have a strong skepticism for all of them also.

Posted: 20-11-2012 21:33 Post subject:

1. UFO's/ USO's/ UAP's b) moderate interest / belief
2. Ghost/ Spirit d) moderate dislike / mild scepticism
3. Possesion/ Poltergeist b) moderate interest / belief
4. Psychic abilities, Prognostication and Telekinesis b) moderate interest / belief
5. Cryptids a) strong interest / belief
7. Cryptids with or accompanied by supernatural phenomena c) no interest /open-minded
8. Vampires/ Werewolves/ Revenants a) strong interest / belief

Posted: 21-11-2012 02:50 Post subject:

I mainly have a strong interest in UFOs and Gef the Talking Mongoose.

And incidentally, Gef the Talking Mongoose might equally well be described as a ghost, or spirit, or poltergeist, or cryptid. (Or for that matter, hoax. And personally I also have a strong interest in hoaxes. I genuinely find it fascinating that someone would fraudulently attempt to convince their fellow human beings that they've encountered busty Venusians, or sinister Reptilians, or headless ghostly aristocrats, or whatever.... )

Definitions, definitions... How they taunt us!

Posted: 22-11-2012 00:17 Post subject:

1. UFO's/ USO's/ UAP's; strong interest, but no belief in alien visitation.
2. Ghost/ Spirit; don’t see them as similar or connected, so no interest or belief in spirits but strong interest and belief in apparitions.
3. Possesion/ Poltergeist; capitol E.
4. Psychic abilities; prognostication and Telekinesis; E.
5. Cryptids; huge lifelong interest in the thylacine, which I doubt should be classed as a cryptid in the first place. Also a great affection for the classics such as the Nandi Bear and the Nunda, mostly as folklore though. A few maybes such as the Marzoi and the orang pendeck. Less sympathy for the newer ones like Sasquatch and the chupacabra.
7. Cryptids with or accompanied by supernatural phenomena; no belief but definitely more sympathetic to it as a potential explanation than the suggestion that the world is full of undetected populations of large animals.
8. Vampires/ Werewolves/ Revenants; again big E.

Posted: 22-11-2012 02:51 Post subject:

Posted: 22-11-2012 21:13 Post subject:

Posted: 22-11-2012 22:45 Post subject:

Posted: 22-11-2012 22:50 Post subject:

Posted: 24-11-2012 12:09 Post subject:

1. UFO's/ USO's/ UAP's -- a

2. Ghost/ Spirit -- a - I don't believe ghosts are the spirits of the dead, though.

3. Possesion/ Poltergeist -- c

4. Psychic abilities, Prognostication and Telekinesis -- a -- I find it fascinating, but am open-minded as to the causes.

5. Cryptids -- c

7. Cryptids with or accompanied by supernatural phenomena -- a -- There's a lot going on here, but again, I am very curious, and open-minded as to the cause of this.

8. Vampires/ Werewolves/ Revenants -- a -- I'll add Elves, Genuis Loci to this. I have a great interest, again open-minded.

I think I am interested in most Fortean phenomenon, but tend to believe all can be explained in some way, we just lack the knowledge at the moment. It may all be quantum, to quote Terry Pratchett, ' there's always bloody quantum.' If anything, that makes me even more interested Smile

Posted: 24-11-2012 12:10 Post subject: