Why Do People Believe Hokum?

Dr. Fong Says: Michael Shermer, I challenge you to a lightning battle at TED2011!

An increase of dopamine caused subjects to see more patterns than those that did not receive the dopamine. So dopamine appears to be the drug associated with patternicity. In fact, neuroleptic drugs that are used to eliminate psychotic behavior, things like paranoia, delusions and hallucinations, these are patternicities. They're incorrect patterns. They're false positives. They're type one errors.

And if you give them drugs that are dopamine antagonists, they go away. That is, you decrease the amount of dopamine, and their tendency to see patterns like that decreases. On the other hand, amphetamines like cocaine, are dopamine agonists. They increase the amount of dopamine. So you're more likely to feel in a euphoric state, creativity, find more patterns.

Does postcard solve ghost riddle?

Dr. Fong Says: Wow I have been gone a long time. The mysteries are piling up!

"One of Shropshire’s most sensational mysteries – the spooky riddle of “The Wem ghost” – may at last have been solved by eagle-eyed Shropshire Star reader Brian Lear."

"Brian spotted an eerie similarity between a girl standing in the street in a 1922 postcard of Wem and the young girl whose fuzzy image was famously captured amid the flames as Wem Town Hall burned down in 1995."

Read More:
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2010/05/17/does-postcard-solve-ghost-riddle/

The 10 People Who Call Ghost to Ghost AM

Dr. Fong Says:
My mind has melted.

I have just finished up a 34 hour Art Bell "Ghost to Ghost AM" marathon. People who call this show get to tell their own ghost stories on the radio. The stories are supposed to be true.

I have come up with a list of 10 people who call Ghost to Ghost. These can be used in any combination for example, Grieving Liar or Christian Troubled Sleeper.

Some other common themes/demographics:

MANY truck drivers/miner/military/cops and people from Alaska call in to Ghost to Ghost AM. I'm guessing this is because they are up so late? Though that doesn't really explain miners..



Troubled Sleepers:
He had a bad dream or sees shadow people or demon dogs during a bout of nocturnal paralysis. He might feel pressure on his chest or feel someone sit down on the bed. Terrified and paralyzed he lay their for "hours" too afraid to move.

Often the stories are from when the caller was a small child. These can be great stories with extremely bizarre hallucinations!




Psychics/Mediums:
She thinks the voices/images in her head come from the spirit world. She listens to the voices and possibly does what they tell her to do.

Ma'am, you don't have a history of psychics in your family, you have a history of mental illness. Many are also liars or kooks (see below).





Frightened Christians:
She plays with a Ouija board, feels monstrous guilt, has a panic attack and thinks she sees demons everywhere. She reads the Exorcist or a book about Satan, has a panic attack and thinks she sees demons everywhere.

Art Bell loves all talk of demons and is completely terrified of Ouija boards.





Story Tellers:
He is one of my favorites. He is probably over 60 and tells a great ghost story, though it is often second, third or fourth-hand from his dad's cousin's uncle.

Did it really ever happen?

No one cares because he tells the tale so well. Very spooky stories and Art Bell gobbles it up!



Kooks:
He is clearly disturbed or mentally ill. He sees/hears/smells strange things all of the time. He may mention having 100s of strange experiences and sightings. Sir, please just pick the best one. This may include Bigfoot ghosts or ghosts of dead extraterrestrials.

He often says, "It could have been a dream but.." This phrase means he cannot tell the difference between his waking life and a dream or fantasy. This happens to him all the time. So he goes with it.


Liars:
She is my least favorite caller to Ghost to Ghost. I can always spot her by the way she tells her story. She keeps going back and adding new facts or she explains every tiny worthless detail just to hear herself on the radio.

She reacts in unnatural ways during her stories. Ma'am, if you really saw a full torso apparition and had a conversation with it for 20 minutes, why didn't you get any useful information at all from this encounter?

Art Bell often makes fun of obvious liars.

PTS Sufferer:
He could have been in the military or injured or gone into shock. His mind made up a story/hallucination to cover up the trauma and he now believes it really happened. These can be pretty scary!

BTW: There were three mentions of "Ghost Rape" in one 4 hour episode. What's up with that?





The Grieving:
He recently lost a loved one. He turns small coincidences into signs that his loved ones are safe in the afterlife. These people are often positively affected by the experience.

These can make great stories depending on the improbability of the coincidence.





Anyone who listened last year:
She listened to Ghost to Ghost last year and got spooked out when the phone rang suddenly. She assumed it was a ghost and remained frightened for weeks.

She waited 365 days so she could call Ghost to Ghost and tell Art Bell her boring story.





Normal People?:
He seems reasonable, skeptical, possibly even levelheaded. He is confused by what he has seen and doesn't know how to deal with it.

These are great stories!

Reader Submitted Weirdness: Crule Barrel Rolling Gnomes

Dr. Fong Says:
Work all night and steal your tears.. Rum tum tummy tum ta..

I am an artist and seeing strange things in my waking thoughts is normal. In fact I thrive on it. But this was out of the ordinary because my wife saw them too....

In my apartment in Iowa city I had stayed up for two days for finals. I saw out of the corner of my eye movement by the closet. When I turned on the light I saw nothing. Went back to bed again I saw movement I intentionally looked away and watched out of my peripheral vision an saw shadow like creatures rolling barrels into the closet. In my mind I thought they were barrels of tears.

There were about six of them they had long pointy ears relatively hairless bodies and very long fingers Edward Scissor hands like sharp too. they were about a eight inches tall.

I told my wife the next morning and she said she had seen them too at night when she was really depressed and had not slept. She described them and I knew they were the same because I did not tell her about the Barrels.

Alien Invaders - Movie Reviews NSFW

Dr. Fong Says:
James, you have a naughty poo poo mouth!

Alien Invader movies and their remakes

The Day The Earth Stood Still

The Thing

Earth Vs The Flying Saucers

War Of The Worlds

Invaders From Mars

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

The Blob

GWAR: Lust in Space

Dr. Fong Says:
My lords! You will find that the House of Mysteries has been well prepared for your grand arrival.

THE TIME IS NOW! On your knees in total, groveling submission as you pay homage to the true lords of the underworld, the mighty GWAR! Unassailable in grandeur, GWAR transcends the precepts of what a “band” truly is, and has become a worldwide cultural icon whose influence on our society has yet to be measured, yet it is utterly undeniable. GWAR rules!

Surrender yourself to the remorseless force that is GWAR. Join GWAR as they mark the 25th year of their re-awakening on Planet Earth with their new album, “LUST IN SPACE”, coming August 18th on Metal Blade Records!

GWAR has also proclaimed August 18th the beginning of a two-year celebration marking 25 years of constant GWAR mayhem on Earth.

“The event is so colossal that the idea of a more traditional, one-year celebration seemed completely inappropriate...this one is longer...and bigger!” quoted Oderus Urungus, GWAR's lead singer, from the bands Antarctic stronghold.

GWAR is Earth's only active band hailing from outer space. They are undying heavy-metal warlords who put on quite simply the greatest show in history. This brain-melting, ear-splitting, eruption of blood, guts and savage lust is a ritual every human must endure. It has given GWAR legendary status and unrivaled respect, and left a visible blot on not only their fans but society itself.

GWAR is part of an ancient order of warriors called the Scumdogs of the Universe. They were banished to earth for a hideous array of cosmic crimes. Once here they coupled with the ape and through this bestial sexual mutation the human race was born. But this was a crime too great for GWAR's cosmic master (the Master) to ignore. He imprisoned GWAR in timeless ice, deep beneath their hulking temple in the wastes of Antarctica.

Here they slept, all the while dreaming the dreams of the humans that had grown to infest GWAR's world. But the day did come that GWAR stirred from it's ancient slumber and beheld the spectacle of what they had created. Underground figure Sleazy P. Martini, on the run, shot down over Antarctica, stumbled into GWAR's tomb at the precise moment of their re-awakening. His adroit thinking not only saved his life but got GWAR hooked on crack, and set them on the road in the form of a heavy-metal band! Here they immediately embarked on a 25-year (and counting) assault on the human race, and ultimately the Earth itself, the goal being the destruction of the human race and the actual melting of the entire planet (Oderus prefers melting planets). During this time they have toured relentlessly, released a slew of albums and videos, fought off hordes of alien attackers and have caused billions of dollars in worth of property damage. Yet despite their generally anti-social behavior, GWAR has inspired a worldwide cult of supporters and followers, ready to give their lives at a moments notice.

Bow down in utter abeyance to GWAR, master's of metal and lords over Earth!

Failed Psychic Video

Dr. Fong Says:
I can bend the Internet with my mind. Prove I can't!

The failed psychic, Connie Sonne said there was "no test" that could prove her wrong. What the f*ck?

Connie Sonne has applied for the Challenge with the claim that she is able to dowse for certain numbers when they are written on one side of a piece of cardboard and the other side is blank, and the cardboard is shuffled and placed on a table numbers-down.

Ms. Sonne has had interviews regarding her abilities printed in both newspapers and magazines in Denmark, and her academic affidavit came from an anthropology professor there.

More about her psychic test

Ghost Busters (1954) Trailer

Dr. Fong Says:
I aint askeered a no ghost!

Ghostbusters, the movie, was shot in 1954 instead of 1984. Who should be part of the cast? Would they have the same equipment? Who would they battle? Considering Dan Aykroyd's concept owes a lot to Bob Hope, Abbott and Costello, and Lewis and Martin comedies of the 40s and 50s, it is not that big of a stretch to speculate.

I hope you enjoy this re-imagined concept for Ghostbusters.

R.I.P. John A. Keel: 1930-2009

Stan the Chosen One Says: Always watch the skies!

John A. Keel: 1930-2009

John A. Keel was one of the greatest paranormal researchers of the previous century. He wrote many wonderful books such as Strange Creatures of Time and Space and The Mothman Prophecies. His first book, Jadoo, investigated the alleged fakirs, Indian wizards who performed supposed miracles, such as the Indian Rope Trick and survive being buried alive.

Keel started to study intensely on the UFO phenomenon in early 1966. He interviewed thousands of people in over twenty states and read over 2,000 books, along with countless magazines, newspapers and newsletters over a four year period.

His most popular work, The Mothman Prophecies, was an account of his studies in the Ohio River Valley. Many strange things happened, such as conversations with aliens, odd military presences and those damned Men In Black, a term coined by Keel for the numerous encounters with the dark figures who harassed witnesses into keeping they're mouths shut.

In 2006, Keel admitted himself into a hospital after suffering a heart attack. He underwent successful heart surgery and was moved to a rehabilitation center. In 2009, Keel moved into a nursing home. He died on July 3, 2009.

The Giant Turle of Lost Lake

Dr. Fong Says:
I will never forget seeing his ancient back rise above the water.

I have something very important in the works for later this Summer. I am planning an expedition to one of the strangest places I have ever been.

When I was a young boy I was told a story about a giant turtle that lived in a small and secret lake deep in the northern wilderness.

In order to get to the lake where the giant turtle lived you had to paddle across a long deep lake and then portage across a narrow strip of land. You then had to paddle across another large but shallow lake and finally up a narrow channel to the turtle's lake.

The turtle's lake was small and round and black. The trees grew uncomfortably close on all sides. It was unnaturally deep and cold. At the bottom of this unnamed lake the turtle lived.

He is a giant and his huge shell has been seen rising above the surface of the water. His wake has also been seen as he moves around in the depths below.

Later this Summer I am planning to go back to this mysterious lake. I will be carrying camera and video equipment to document anything I may find.

Accompanying me will be will be my trusted friend Mustafa. He is an expert with kayaks and all things aquatic and should be able to guide us safely to the turtle's lake.

Our various camera/video/audiomen will follow us in; along with many unpaid interns/porters.

Once we arrive at the lake we will find a campsite near the banks of the lake and set up our turtle monitoring equipment. Complete measurements of the lake will be taken as well as water samples and countless photographs and videographs and audiographs.

Equipment Needed:

Light Kayaks
Camping Equipment
Cameras/Video/Audio Equipment
Scuba Equipment
Turtle Bait
Turtle Harpoon
Turtle Detection Equipment
Snacks
Depth Charges
Life Insurance

Reader Submitted Weirdness: Demon Mothling Doppelgangers from a Planet Near Mars

Dr. Fong Says:
Get out Dr. Scott! It's a trap and all your friends are in on it. The moth people are trying to steal your mind while you sleep!

Dr. Scott (of Syracuse NY) said...

About 15 years ago in cookeville, Tennessee, I shared a house with three roommates. I was also active in exploring paranormal and psychic phenomenon. I'd had some strange encounters with moths, and when I meditated on them, I saw this figure... substantially the same as is being described here. I also recieved a name: Djerva. I could find no references to this name at the time (before Google!) Apparently, it's a Scandanavian name--I still don't know if it has a particular meaning.

One night, when everyone else was asleep, I got up and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. it was pitch black except for the light coming through the windows from a pole light on a side-street. As I stood there, the microwave oven beeped, and the timer set to 1:13 and started counting down. The oven did not turn on. I watched, frozen with creeped-out curiosity. When the timer reached zero, the display just went black as if nothing had happened. I felt as though I was being watched.

Later that week, I had come home from work, laid down for a nap, and awoken around 8:30 p.m. I put on my bathrobe and went down the hall to the kitchen where my friends mike and Michelle were talking. When I came around the corner, they both stopped talking and looked at me as if were painted blue or something. Mike said "How did you change clothes so fast?" I said, "I've been in my room for hours." Michelle said, "That wasn't you who just walked in and went down the hall?" (the side door we all used opened into the kitchen, opposite the hallway.)

They both began to go pale, and I asked them a few questions... they had both seen, out of the corner of their eyes while talking, someone tall like me, dressed darkly, come through the door and go down the hallway. Mike said he thought the figure was wearing a hat. I asked them whether either of them actually remembered the door opening and closing, and their eyes got wide. Neither of them did, and Michelle literally began to freak out.

A search of the house turned-up nothing unusual. I have had minor brushes with this same figure repeatedly over the years, but nothing so visual as what they described.

The following week, Mike encountered something in the dark hallway in the middle of the night that scared him so bad that he totally refused to talk about it, and he wasn't quite himself for weeks afterward.

Unknown Lifeform in North Carolina Sewer!

Dr. Fong Says:
It's C.H.U.D.

An unknown lifeform picked up by sewer snake-cam in North Carolina.