Phantoms and Monsters

Paranormal / Spiritual News: Dudeism 'The Big Lebowski', Paranormal - Religion Connection and Recent Links
Fortean / Alternative News: Bigfoot Reports and Updates
New 'Montauk Monster' Washes Ashore On Long Island

Paranormal / Spiritual News: Dudeism 'The Big Lebowski', Paranormal - Religion Connection and Recent Links

Posted: 13 Feb 2011 09:48 AM PST

The man who founded a religion based on 'The Big Lebowski'

cnngo - People who intuitively perceive 2,500-year-old Chinese and Greek concepts, while knowingly nod to California's detached hippie philosophy and quote droll lines from "The Big Lebowski" are joining a revelatory religion that has illuminated its U.S. founder in northern Thailand.

Dubbed "Church of the Latter-Day Dude," the group also invites "mellow, unflashy chicks who hang around in their bathrobes and take baths with candles and whale sounds," says the religion's Dudely Lama, Oliver Benjamin.

"Everyone feels oppressed by society's pressures," he says.

"Everyone wishes they had more freedom. Everyone wishes they could be more carefree, to worry less about money and status."

Oliver's church is heavily influenced by the Tao of Lao Tzu (6th century B.C.), Epicurus (341-270 B.C.), and the "The Big Lebowski," a 1998 film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.

The film stars Jeff Bridges as a surreal, hilarious, ironic, marijuana-smoking, satirical, 40-something character nicknamed "the Dude."

Asked by a woman in the movie what he likes to do for fun, the Dude replies: "Oh, you know, the usual. Bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback."

Chiang Mai-based Oliver says he thinks everyone potentially identifies with aspects of the movie, even if they may not wholly approve of the Dude's lazy lifestyle.

More on CNNGo: 10 ways to look like a local in Asia

"The Dude is an extreme case, but he provides an ideal which can help you to bring a little more 'Dude' into your life, without giving up on the rat race entirely," he says.

"I grew up in the 1980s, which was a very ambitious and materialistic time -- the era of the Yuppies. Even as a youth, I found it frightening and false.

"The reason I embarked on a 10-year backpacking journey was so I could avoid being brainwashed by the machine of industry, and find the space and freedom to indulge my imagination."

Or, as the Dude exclaims in the 1998 film, set in 1990: "It's all a goddamn fake. Like Lenin said, look for the person who will benefit. And you will, uh, you know, you'll, uh, you know what I'm trying to say."

Eastern philosophy and Dudeism

The Church of the Latter-Day Dude's website is ridiculous, absurd and lots of fun.

But it also wrestles with questions and answers that have gripped humans throughout the ages.

"We contend that The Big Lebowski is actually a modern form of Taoism," Oliver says. "Taoism is probably the most philosophical religion in the world.

"Though there are variants that are heavily superstitious, the original tradition has virtually no dogma or rules of conduct. It suggests that there is a natural way of living that people can return to, if they just learn to sense it intuitively.

"Though 'The Big Lebowski' is a story about an aging ex-hippie in Los Angeles who is trying to solve a kidnapping case, at its heart it's really a story about how to live your life, how to deal with conflict, and how to maintain peace of mind in a world that's gone crazy. So there's really no distinction between the movie and Eastern philosophy -- the movie is infused with it," he says.

People who aren't cool, ultimately go crazy, Oliver warns.

"Following Dudeism helps you to keep in mind what's important in life, what actually makes people happy instead of what makes them insane. Dudeism has a great deal in common with Epicureanism -- the original, uncompromised first draft -- which states that simple pleasures are best and that less is actually more."

Born in 1968, Oliver grew up in Sherman Oaks, southern California, and got a psych degree from UCLA before working in graphic design for a few years and then traveling while writing three "bizarre" unpublished novels.

He is currently a freelance journalist and photographer, based mostly in Chiang Mai, and plans to expand his church this year.

"There are now over 100,000 ordained Dudeist Priests worldwide," Oliver says. "Most are in the U.S., but it's surprisingly popular in the UK as well.

"There's going to be a Dudeist Music Festival in York this summer, and there's a movement to get it on the U.K. census as an official religion -- as Jedi was, in the last census."

'We're never going to compete with Christianity'

The Church of the Latter-Day Dude was actually born near Chiang Mai, in the hip resort town of Pai, where Oliver says he became transfixed by visions.

"In 2005, I was up in Pai at a small cafe, watching 'The Big Lebowski' with a crowd of people from all over the world. I had seen the film once before and enjoyed it, but this time the experience was totally transformative.

"I felt as if I'd seen a story that put all the difficulties of modern life into a manageable perspective. And it was probably the most touchingly funny film I'd ever seen.

"Oddly enough, I'd long wanted to start a religion. During my travels I'd become an earnest student of religion and philosophy."

Wedging his church into a world crowded by older, cash-rich religions is not impossible, but it may remain a niche belief system.

"Money is power. Dudeists don't tend to be the upper crust of society. So we're never going to compete with the really wealthy religions like Christianity.

"Ideally, we'd like to help people find ways to earn money with less work, but of course that's always a challenge. Fifty years ago, everyone thought that robots would be doing all the work for us and people would be living lives of leisure. That this has not come to pass is surely mankind's biggest tragedy," Oliver laments.

"One problem also is that too many people just think the Dude is a burned out hedonistic stoner. Nothing could be further from the truth. He's an intellectual with strong moral character and a lively, creative mind.

"He's also a stoner, but that's not a bad thing. Too many people confuse Dudeism with anarchism or selfish laziness. Dudeism recognizes the need for organization and rules, and the laziness it touts is disciplined and determined.

"Free time should be used to free your mind and cultivate inner peace. Not to play 'Grand Theft Auto' all day and gorge on snack food," he says.

Asked if he financially benefits from having the church, Oliver replies: "I earn a modest income from the sales of some products on the site. We have plans to expand, and when we do, those increased profits will be used primarily to help spread the word of Dudeism via events and advertising, and maybe to provide jobs to Dudes who hate the ones they currently have."

The church is evolving, and hopes more members will know each other in the biblical sense.

"Perhaps it's not surprising that the Church is about 75 percent male. But we are trying to actively bring in more women. We think that women suffer even more than men do from the dictates of modern society," he says.

"We hope to start a Dudeist dating service soon, and a chapter in our forthcoming book, 'The Abide Guide,' will be devoted towards Dudeist feminism. Incidentally, we don't recognize the word 'dudette.' We're trying to help promote the idea of 'dude' as a gender-neutral word."

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The Complicated Connection Between Religion and the Paranormal

HP - by David Briggs - Don't expect Hollywood to give up the ghosts.

The parade of paranormal entertainment filling American screens -- from the movie Paranormal Activity 2 to television shows such as Ghost Hunters, Psychic Investigators and Paranormal State -- is meeting an intense interest in otherworldly experiences, new research shows.

More than two-thirds of Americans have paranormal beliefs, sociologists Christopher Bader and F. Carson Mencken of Baylor University and Joseph Baker of East Tennessee State University report in their new book Paranormal America from New York University Press.

And the interest is only expected to increase, scholars say, with the growth of immigrant populations more open to paranormal beliefs.

Not everyone is interested. Those with no religious beliefs, Jewish people and the most committed Christians are among the least likely to believe in UFOs or psychics or Bigfoot.

But a generation of spiritual seekers are opening their minds and bank accounts to beliefs, practices and experiences that are not recognized by science and not associated with mainstream religion.

Whether it is a study showing nearly half of Americans believe extraterrestrials absolutely or probably exist, or ghost-hunting groups and documentary producers rushing to find the latest "haunted" house, interest in paranormal phenomena has entered the mainstream.

"What we can say with certainty is that we live in a paranormal America," write Bader, Mencken and Baker. "Put another way, the paranormal is normal."

Men hunt, women gather in New Age

In the 1980s, the actress Shirley MacLaine was ridiculed for discussing her interest in channeling, reincarnation and UFOs in her book Out on a Limb. But research indicates she may have been less a wacky outcast and more representative of the population than the image ingrained by late-night comics suggested.

The average American holds slightly more than two paranormal beliefs, report Bader, Mencken and Baker.

"Statistically, those who report a paranormal belief are not the oddballs," the researchers said.

But there are major differences in the types of people who gravitate toward different paranormal phenomena. Bigfoot conventions are almost all-male outings, while psychic affairs attract a largely female audience.

The 2005 Baylor Religion Survey found that women are twice as likely as men to believe in astrology, that people can communicate with the dead (a big reason Medium lasted for seven TV seasons) and that at least some psychics can foresee the future. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to believe in UFOs.

"Women tend to want to improve themselves, to become better people," said Bader, who is also a director of the Association for Religion Data Archives. "Men tend to want to go out and capture something, to prove it's real."

In reviewing the research, other findings reported by Bader, Mencken and Baker include:

• Belief in Bigfoot, ghosts, psychic abilities and other paranormal phenomena declines noticeably with increases in age and income.
• Unmarried and cohabiting individuals are far more likely to embrace the paranormal. Asked whether they have had any of five paranormal experiences from witnessing a UFO to contacting spirits, the typical unmarried respondent claimed close to two experience, while the average married respondent had no paranormal experiences.
• Republicans are "significantly less interested" in the paranormal than Democrats or independents.

Overall, the researchers said, conventional lifestyles and stakes in conformity are strong predictors of paranormal beliefs, with highly unconventional people the most likely to turn to otherworldly possibilities beyond the realm of traditional religion.

There are conflicting theories about the relationship between religion and the paranormal. Among them are the idea those outside mainstream religion would be more likely to embrace the paranormal as a substitute set of beliefs. Another theory holds that religious individuals, already open to transcendent ideas, would also be more likely to hold paranormal beliefs.

What Bader, Mencken and Baker find in their research is that both individuals with no religious beliefs and the most committed individuals -- those who attend services weekly -- are among the least likely to hold paranormal beliefs. Those who believe the Bible is the literal word of God are also highly unlikely to hold paranormal beliefs.

It is in the middle, among people who have an interest in religion but who are not regular attenders, that there is greater belief in the paranormal. Belief in paranormal topics is at its highest level among people with more liberal views of the Bible, researchers said.

What does all this mean for the future?

The researchers say the aging of America's population and projected gains in income likely will reduce belief in some aspects of the paranormal, but the increase in immigration and the tailoring off of conservative religious growth is expected to lead to increased interest.

Going out on their own limb, the researchers predict that by 2050 nearly three-quarters of Americans will report at least one paranormal belief.

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THIS WEEK'S PARANORMAL / SPIRITUAL LINKS

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Which Witches?

Old Licking County Jail Investigation

A Story of the Ghost Upstairs

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Special Report, Texoma Spirits - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3

Black Diamond Cemetery lights and sounds

Fortean / Alternative News: Bigfoot Reports and Updates

Posted: 13 Feb 2011 09:05 AM PST

Is this the howling of a Bigfoot?

Click for video

In his own words:

hi King5 my name is Matthew and I live in Rainier WA.
on Friday night I was playing Xbox live with my friends it was 3:30 am when I herd the first cry.
I tried off all my electronics and hit the rec on my cellphone. and I herd it the next night around the same time.
then my sister and her friend herd it Saturday around 12:00 pm wail she was leveling the house.
and it was the last time we all herd it.. so I got on you tube and started looking for sounds that Mach my recording and I found 1.
is on monster quest but I still don't know? I was thinking it could be a mating call that big foot dues to look for a mate.
or a dog howling or a fox call but I don't know?
so if you guys can help me it would be cool…

Many people are skeptical of these 'howls' and claim that they are either hoaxes or the misidentified cries of commonly known wild animals. However, the area around Rainier is well known for it's Bigfoot sightings, so could it be a real Bigfoot?

What do you think?

Compare with this audio....

Click for video

While on a backpacking trip in the Sequoias last October we encountered some unusual events that prompted me to post this for others that know more about this subject to hear. The track has already been ID'd.

There were several things that made this trip so extraordinary. The profound quiet and almost complete lack of wildlife. No squirrels, blue jays, raccoons or bears around camp, although there was plenty of evidence of their presence(tracks). The only large animal that we saw was a deer about 1.5 miles from camp going towards the lake. Other than that, complete stillness. Another thing that stands out is that nothing bothered our packs or the trash at any time. We didn't hang our packs. The trash bag is visible in the video and easily accessible to anything that can climb or rear up. Then of course there's the noise/yell.

In the video I mention a night visitor. For those of you that visit the backcountry, a night visit means one thing. But whatever came into camp was more interested in our tents, us, rather than our trash or food because there was rich pickings just a dozen yards away.

NOTE: I have heard similar howls from the eastern forests on two occasions....near Caledonia State Park - Fayetteville, PA and at Roan Mountain near Bakersville, NC...Lon

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The Bigfoot Hunt

salisburypost - Michael Greene of Salisbury has attracted a lot of attention in his hunt for Bigfoot.

More than 300 people joined Greene and about 10 staff members of the Animal Planet cable-TV channel at the Eldorado Outpost on N.C. 109 near Troy and began a search for signs of the mysterious, perhaps mythical, creature on Saturday.

Green was glad to see the crowd.

"Five years ago, I joined the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO). I was just tired of doing this myself, a little discouraged, and had no one to talk to and share my hobby," Greene said.

Greene's interest in Bigfoot began when was working toward a master's in behavioral psychology. He wrote a thesis on group hysteria, and one of the subjects he studied was Bigfoot.

He came to believe that Bigfoot was possibly a real entity, so the reading and investigation began.

Greene, a lifelong public servant who worked in several government agencies, convinced the Animal Planet crew to stop in the Troy area on their way to filming a series on Bigfoot sightings. The film crew will continue on to Florida, Georgia, Oregon and Washington state.

A six-show series is planned to air on Animal Planet this fall.

Greene, now 69 and retired, moved with his wife to Salisbury two years ago. They wanted to be near family and to investigate Bigfoot sightings in the area. North Carolina is a hotbed for sightings, according to BFRO investigators who attended Saturday.

John Pate, Tommy Poland and Olaf Seamen all told of the excitement of the hunt. Seamen drove six hours to join the search in the Uwharries, and he usually spends 10 weekends a year on the hunt.

"The more you look at something, the more the book opens up," Pate said.

While some see the hunt as pure entertainment, the BFRO researchers say the subject is no longer the stuff of fantasy. BFRO now boasts scientists and university researchers.

David Pardue says he has pictures of his own sighting of a family of four Bigfoots. He claims to also possess evidence of territory marking by the creature. Pardue says that Bigfoot often twists a small tree, first one way and then another, laying it down to signify its territory. He says that Bigfoot can change his eyes to red, and makes an audible sound known to the investigators.

Since Bigfoot, aka Sasquatch, is nocturnal, most of the serious hunting is done at night.

"I have had very little sleep for a week. The Animal Planet crew stayed out all week till nearly 5 a.m.," Greene said.

Greene usually doesn't allow anyone to accompany him on the hunt, and he said that after recuperating for a week or so he'll return to solitary searches.

On Saturday, Bigfoot enthusiasts began to arrive about midday. Most came by car or truck, but there were horses and four-wheelers, too. Even a helicopter, arranged by the Animal Planet crew, flew over the activities.

Matt Moneymaker, head of the BFRO, organized a grid search that started in a large hay field and moved into the woods. Television cameras and microphones surrounded the searchers as they looked for elusive clues.

Moneymaker instructed searchers to spread out and stay at arm's length from each other as they formed a long line headed into the woods. He used a bullhorn to instruct everyone to look for hair on trees or barbed wire, nests of stick structures, trails cleared of twigs and limbs, and "tall boy trails." Tall boy trails have been cleared of tree limbs and branches up to 8 feet high.

Hair samples were found, and the Animal Planet crew saved them for analysis.

Greene said the crowd was about what he expected on Saturday. He only had time for a short interview while guiding the TV crew and searchers.

"Let's hope somebody gets lucky today," Greene said just before the search for evidence of Bigfoot began.

While the show is in production, Greene and his fellow Bigfoot believers will stay on the hunt.

Popular baits to attract giant bi-peds are apples, peanut butter and candy bars.

The most popular of the candy bars is the hard to find Zagnut. The Eldorado Outpost of course had them displayed at the register and the cashier said, "We keep Bigfoot bait year round."

**********

Bigfoot: New Reality TV Star?

ecorazzi - For years, people have been trying to find proof of the elusive Bigfoot only to end up with blurry photos, low-quality video, or a rubber gorilla suit. Cheap, faulty equipment won't be an excuse any more, as TV network Animal Planet is joining in the search for the mysterious man-ape.

Animal Planet will be following Michael Greene, a man from Salisbury, NC who claims he saw Bigfoot in the Uwharrie National Forest two years ago. Greene says he has been tracking Bigfoot across the U.S. and Canada, all the way from the Yukon to the Adirondacks, and finally managed to make contact in the Uwharrie National Forest. Greene reportedly lured the Bigfoot out using a Zagnut candy bar (Bigfoots love Zagnuts) and captured a thermal image of the beast. That was enough of a tease for Animal Planet, apparently, who is now sending out a film crew to document Greene's attempt to find Bigfoot again.

Greene sounds optimistic that they will be successful in his search, as he believes there to be many Bigfoots out there. "They multiply and there has to be thousands of them," says Greene.

Greene is joined in the search by a Montgomery County football coach, John Pate. The two are members of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization, and both have been trying to track down the elusive creature for years. In fact, Pate claims to have been searching for Bigfoot as a hobby for the last 15 years. "Some people hit golf balls, I go to the woods," says Pate. "It is my sanity."

Not so sure about that word choice.

No air date for the show has been set yet, as the crew also plans to visit areas of Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Oregon and Washington to follow other Bigfoot enthusiasts. Whether or not they find anything, these characters should make it a pretty interesting show!

NOTE: Recent Bigfoot / Sasquatch posts - Bigfoot Mania in Central North Carolina and Sasquatch...or Something Else? Lon

New 'Montauk Monster' Washes Ashore On Long Island

Posted: 13 Feb 2011 07:45 AM PST

I received these photos and message today: I came upon this creature on the beach on Long Island in Glen Cove N.Y. today 2/12/11. Glen Cove is located in Nassau County, New York on the north shore of Long Island.

NOTE: this may simply be a dog (though it has five toes) or an indigenous mammal...what's your opinion? Lon

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