The most puzzling mysteries.Skeptics welcome for debate.

briany

I think we need a thread where we can exchange references to what individual users think are the most puzzling/compelling cases in the paranormal realm. These can be single instances of a phenomenon such as a photograph or a recording or a whole case or an entire subject within forteana.

If someone posts something that another thinks is debunkable/false then they should say so and state their case as to why citing references if possible. And while they are at it, they could also post their own paranormal phenomenon/evidence to be compelling. And also that way we can find out about cool new weird mysteries.

I'll begin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal .

congress3

It just seems to be a one time freak occurence

iamhunted

Im intrigued by the whole 'finding things in coal' idea - considering coal takes such a long time to form (OK, this one is about quartz):

"The London Times in 1851 reported that Hiram DeWitt, of Springfield, Mass, brought a piece of quartz home from a trip to California. When the stone was accidentally dropped it split open and inside was a cut-iron six-penny nail. The nail was described as perfectly straight and with its head still intact."

http://perdurabo10.tripod.com/warehouseb/id30.html

seamus

briany wrote: »

I'll begin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wow!_signal .

When I think of "paranormal" I think of Ghosts and the like, so I wouldn't consider that particularly paranormal (in that we know it did occur and we have proof of it). However, a freak occurence is most likely - and earthbound signal reflected from a piece of debris sounds likely.
The issue is really with the intensity of the signal I guess. The intensity of any electromagnetic wave will drop off over a distance, so it seems odd that any ET origin would go to the trouble of producing such a signal but not continue to do so.

Im intrigued by the whole 'finding things in coal' idea - considering coal takes such a long time to form

I'm inherently skeptical about reports which predate the first world war and in particular which contain no images or other documentary evidence beyond, "Someone reported that they saw X Y and Z". Paranormal receptivity was far higher in previous eras and normal media outlets were far more willing to report on suspected paranormal activity than they would be now. The 17th century for example had the woman who gave birth to rabbits which had widespread media and popular belief, despite being a simple enough (if morbid) hoax.

briany

When I think of "paranormal" I think of Ghosts and the like, so I wouldn't consider that particularly paranormal (in that we know it did occur and we have proof of it). However, a freak occurence is most likely - and earthbound signal reflected from a piece of debris sounds likely.
The issue is really with the intensity of the signal I guess. The intensity of any electromagnetic wave will drop off over a distance, so it seems odd that any ET origin would go to the trouble of producing such a signal but not continue to do so.

Since I'm posting it in the paranormal forum I'm putting it there with the slant that it might have something to do with ET, but I stress might a helluva lot. It seemed like a good one to get the ball rolling. Id talk about the Georgia guidestones and the Yosemite Sam signal as well but they seem more suited to the conspiracy theory forum.

Here's another one, and for anyone debunking something, that's great but try and put your own link to something you find weird and perplexing too, get some one upmanship going:)

That coal one is weird, how would something get into the middle of a piece of coal that formed over countless years? (That is if eyewitness reports are to be believed)

That said, heres another one of those eyewitnessy things : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil%27s_Footprints

And this, I've no great belief in ghosts but this one is chilling to me nonetheless:

http://paranormal.about.com/od/ghostphotos/ig/Best-Ghost-Photos/Freddy-Jackson.htm

iamhunted

seamus wrote: »

in particular which contain no images or other documentary evidence beyond

http://www.rense.com/general66/solid.htm

briany

Some of the explainations in that link are weirder than the fact that the stuff is there but there's a couple that are very plausible too.

iamhunted

theres a few photos in there you see, which is why i posted the link. Now i dont say I believe theres lots of weird stuff buried in the ground inside rock that should have been formed way before the object - I jsut find it intriguing.

briany

One mystery that's always puzzled me is that of cattle mutilation, what's going on there? Particularly were the animal has apparently been operated on with surgical precision. What kind of weirdoes are we dealing with here?

Ziycon

briany wrote: »

One mystery that's always puzzled me is that of cattle mutilation, what's going on there? Particularly were the animal has apparently been operated on with surgical precision. What kind of weirdoes are we dealing with here?

You would be suprised what some people are capable of, for example some people drink there own blood as vampires, some people eat human flesh, some people sacrifice animals, why is it so hard for so many people to believe that the cattle mutilations are most probabily done by people!?

briany

Ziycon wrote: »

You would be suprised what some people are capable of, for example some people drink there own blood as vampires, some people eat human flesh, some people sacrifice animals, why is it so hard for so many people to believe that the cattle mutilations are most probabily done by people!?

Oh I cannot doubt that it is being done by people(mostly) . I just wish the sneaky fcukers could be caught in the act a bit more although I realise that you are usually talking about large ranches in America that these things happen on. These things do occaisionally happen under strange circumstances though with strange evidence left behind.

Ziycon

Its in the same boat as crop circles and may other things. We know people create crop circles and its been proven but there is still the odd one or two out there that make you wonder if they are all are man made!

Elbi

Whats the story with the Bermuda Triangle? Have the figured out why disappearances happened, there are a few bits on the net Ive come across but none really give a proper answer,

iamhunted

afaik theres no such thing as the Bermuda Triangle considering most of the disappearances werent really concentrated in any one area. many ships and planes etc have been lost at sea

How many have mysteriously disappeared depends on who is doing the locating and the counting. The size of the triangle varies from 500,000 square miles to three times that size, depending on the imagination of the author.

http://www.skepdic.com/bermuda.html

Often a Triangle writer had noted a ship or plane had disappeared in "calms seas" when the record showed a raging storm had been in progress. Others said ships had "mysteriously vanished" when their remains had actually been found and the cause of their sinking explained. In one case a ship listed missing in the Triangle actually had disappeared in the Pacific Ocean some 3,000 miles away! The author had confused the name of the Pacific port the ship had left with a city of the same name on the Atlantic coast.

http://www.unmuseum.org/triangle.htm

leddpipe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailing_stones

Michaelrsh

If it doesn't obey the laws of physics then it ain't real people.

Genghiz Cohen

Michaelrsh wrote: »

If it doesn't obey the laws of physics then it ain't real people.

Or the declared laws do not cover this eventuality.

Michaelrsh

Listen people, metaphysics, is not a true area of physics, therefore it is not included in the laws of physics and is bull****.

briany

The sailing stones phenomenon is very interesting to me but no doubt it is a natural mechanism that is behind it. Here's another link http://scienceray.com/earth-sciences/geology/the-mysterious-sailing-stones/

Interesting theory on ley lines and heightened areas of strength in there at the end and that's an interesting possibility. Their tracking these stones with GPS apparently as well. I'd be interested to know what causes it but i'm sure that it will be just another geological thing that ends up in secondary school textbooks up and down the country along with tombolos and volcanos. (Can anyone remember the three pic diagram on how a volcano was formed?:P) For the moment though it seems set to continue to baffle.

RandomName2

Michaelrsh wrote: »

Listen people, metaphysics, is not a true area of physics, therefore it is not included in the laws of physics and is bull****.

Metaphysics, like all of philosophy, provides the question but not the answer. Metaphysics is a good substitute when something is known about, but scientific investigation is seriously limited.

E.g. what is time, what is existence, how you do define what is real, etc.

Of course, if you rely solely on metaphysics for answers (like descartes) you can come up some absolute garbage posing as perfect overarching explanations.